Guide to Happy Warhammer Trading

Everybody likes a good deal, and lets face it, this hobby isn't cheap.

I am always on the lookout for some good Warhammer deals, weather its on Craigslist, picking up an army that someones lost interest in, or on Ebay, looking for something poorly listed, or already built, for a fraction of the cost of going to GW.

Recently I have been enjoying trading on the Barter Bucket.

The Bucket is a bit different and can be a great way to find that little bit you are after without paying inflated online bits houses and getting screwed with "handling charges"

It is also a great place to trade some of your old stuff for some new recruits for your current army.

Since the Barter Bucket is for trading with other bloggers, we want to make sure that both parties have a good experience, and no one leaves a deal with any bad feelings.

There are a few different types of deals that go down.

One of those is a person looking for a few bits. What is the value of 5 plastic space marine helmets? Well, not much.

Most bits seekers would be happy to send off a self addressed stamped envelope to get a few bits they have been after. Perhaps they have a few bit that you could use.

Have you ever had a friend hand you some bits that you needed, no charge? I have.

A while back I saw an add from a blogger that posted an looking for a few specific plastic Chaos marine heads. I got his address and I put them in an envelope with a stamp, and sent it off. Less than a buck, it felt pretty good and I knew it was going to a good home with a simple message, "pay it forward".

Then there are the more complex deals. I have some Tau stuff and would like to trade for some Grey Knights. What is a fair deal?

Here is what I do to figure out a fair trade.

Figure out what you have. Count up everything and make a realistic assessment of its value to the person you will trade it to. I like to use the GW webstore as a guide for the value of the minis, this will give you a replacement cost. Now devalue according to condition. A poorly painted or assembled plastic mini is going to be worth less that a new one on the sprue. But a properly stripped down metal mini is about as good as a new one.

Now compare your items value with the value of the minis you are trading for. Is it close? If not, and your stuff has greater value, see if he will throw in a few more to make it a better deal. Don't be afraid to ask questions or even for pics to see what the condition is like, its better to ask than be disappointed later when the box shows up.

When you come to a fair trade, box everything up and send it off with an agreement on the shipping, perhaps your plastics are cheap to ship, so send them fast, while his metal minis are heavier, and will go a bit slower, so that the shipping costs are still about the same.

Most important is to have fun with it, and remember that you are helping out someone, somewhere, that is a lot like you. And treat each other as you would like to be treated.

Now go out here and make some good trades.

John