...

Good range of games.

Euros are well-priced.

GMT wargames are kinda pricey.

Just waiting for Milsims to respond by matching these guys on price. Hah.

That's evil!
Why not buy from the cheap place from the start?

What I meant was: just watch out. Soon, Milsims' website will reflect prices on par with these lot. I can't be arsed asking Milsims to price match.

That's just the way it is. Just ask Julian.

Me? Pinnacle offers free shipping for order $100 and above. I like that!

However, I'm worried that Pinnacle are advertising products which aren't even in the market. For example, Big City (valley games) has been advertised as being for sale. However, the game hasn't even been made yet!

In some ways, their website is like the Milsims website of old (stock availability doesn't accurately reflect the website).

I see... Sorry for the misunderstanding!

The distinction between Jedko as a wholesaler and Military Simulations as a retailer has always been fairly thin.... to the chagrin of most other games retailers.

Hi Guys,

Thanks for the interest you have taken in our new site. (Obviously I am not hiding the fact I am the Owner )

We are hoping to keep the big guys honest in the Australian market by maintaining competitive pricing on a complete range of products. What we will do better than everyone else however, is keep you informed of your order progress. We know how frustrating it is to not have a clue as to when you may get your gear. We are currently doing weekly updates on backorders to all of our customers, and immediate updates as and when stock arrives or is shipped.

We do not advertise any particular product as in immediate stock. If you need a game immediately, we ask that people email us at sales@pinnaclegames.com.au to confirm stock availability. Some games are available for immediate overnight shipping (For Example Thunderstone, Twilight Struggle Deluxe), while some will be ordered from our supplier as needed. We expect to average roughly 7 days deliver Australia wide.

We look forward to helping out in any way with your gaming requirements.

As for the games listed that are not currently in the market, we do rely on our suppliers somewhat as to what is pre-order and what are current stock lines. This will work itself out as they are brought to my attention, or as I do updates on the stock lines. I do apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused.

Cheers

Warran Palmer
Pinnacle Games

Welcome Warran! All the best with the business...

Well, it depends which games you look at... I wouldn't say "most". Probably "some" would be more accurate.

And it depends where you live. For me, $15 for shipping for an order below $100 or above $250* is quite a lot to pay, considering it only costs me a few hundred kilojoules to walk (and I can buy 3 Happy Meals with the $15 I didn't spend - bargain!).

But hey, if you have an issue with buying things from retail shops (wow, what a rant on BGG), why not support your fellow Victorian gamers, like Julian and Giuseppe, who actually come to meets like EGF and Billabong.



*If someone could explain what this nonsense means...

"FLAT RATE SHIPPING of only $15 applies to orders under $100. We also offer part shipping for $15 for orders between $100 - $250 should you request it.
FREE SHIPPING to Australian residents is available for any order over $100.00!
PART SHIPPING will be available free of charge to Australian residents for orders over $250.00"

But isn't it free for orders over $100? So what's this "part shipping for orders between $100 and $250" mean?

I believe that the part shipping is kind of like saying "I have ordered $150 but half of them aren't coming in for a couple of months, so if you guys could part ship me my order that would be sweet". Then instead of a possible two lots of $15, they'll charge you the once, and ship you two lots. That is how I read it. Completely my guess but I thought I'd chime in while I wait for someone at work

Hi Guys,

The part shipping is available for anyone who has items awaiting backorder. For example, if you were to order $300 worth of gear in 6 items, and only three are immediately available, we will ship the three immediately, and ship the remaining three free of charge when they come in. This will allow you to get some of your games played while waiting for others to arrive.

It is an added service we offer, which is entirely optional, but has so far been extremely popular.
Respectfully, if you can word it clearer, I would be more than happy to take suggestions so as not to appear nonsensical.

I also run a bricks and mortar shop for a different industry, and appreciate the loyalty of customers shopping with us as their local outlet. Pinnacle Games is offering an alternative for those people not fortunate enough to have easy access to the games they would like to play at their local retailer, or are unhappy with their current online retailers. I know for myself, there is not a games shop within 100km selling Euro games. If there was, I probably would not have had the inspiration or incentive to start this business myself.

We don't expect to re-write history in the games industry in Australia, but we are certainly hoping to be a viable, friendly alternative offering just that little bit more than the other guys.

Cheers

Warran Palmer
Pinnacle Games

Will you guys do a Milsims on their head and match Milsims prices?

For example, Thunderstone is $51.20 during their sale (ends this Sunday).

They probably have economies of scale with shipping though. It's $5.50 flat rate shipping within Melbourne.

Good luck with the E-shop. I think you get getter retailer discounts if you go direct to manufacturer and bypass the (local) middleman. For example, you could certainly get a better deal on GMT games going direct.

Hi guys,

We won't worry about price matching "sale prices". If someone finds a "normally" priced items lower than ours and I can realistically match it, I will give it a crack, but at the end of the day I need to make money to stay in business.

As far as buying direct, that is a fair way down the road. It is a goal, but in the short term we need to stay profitable and build a loyal, core customer base and expand over time. We have some good suppliers that are happy to see us coming into the marketplace with long term goals and are being very supportive early on.

What I may have a look at doing when we get a sizeable customer core, is take group orders from manufacturers like GMT and Z-Man, and order in directly when the size of the order is sufficient for the manufacturers not to laugh at us (or push our current suppliers for a little discount tastiness). Not something I have given a lot of thought to as of yet. I know I used to do something similar when I bought bulk CD's back in the early 90's, and it worked well when people pooled their order requirements.

I have had a few people mention GMT as a price point weakness for us. I think we stand up well in most manufacturers, but that one could be tricky. I am still focusing on populating the site, and will re-evaluate pricing on specific brands in a couple of weeks when the Card Game category is complete. By all means though, send me an email with product pricing if you are genuinely interested in comparing, and I will be more than happy to see what I can do.

Thanks for the input by by the way. Forums are usually covered in troll posts when someone like us is newly linked, and so far I am impressed that most posts have been supportive, rather than derogatory.

Cheers

Warran Palmer
Pinnacle Games

<edited for fat fingered typing errors>

Well, one common thing on other hobby-related sites is the concept of group buys (manufacturer/supplier offers product at $xxx IF xxx amount of people commit to buying it).

Probably works better for more expensive items as opposed to board games.

You could try this with gaming companies who take preorders. Often, preorder prices are cheap but shipping makes the deal less attractive. If you have a freight forwarder from the US for example, we could do the preorders through yourself and get a break on shipping.

Now THAT'S an idea. I don't want to hijack this thread - but if a retailer can offer this, why can't we simply arrange it ourselves?

-R