Reconsidering Limited Edition Dice
Last week it finally happened. A set of our out-of-stock dice went up on eBay at the speculative price of $100. I'll admit it, at first I was flattered that someone thought they might be worth that price. I'll also admit that when Dice Envy started I thought a limited edition collectors economy would be cool. Now I’ve seen that though the rush to get a limited set can be fun for a time, it eventually turns frustrating. It can eventually discourage people from collecting all together.
We are a company for dice enthusiasts by dice enthusiasts. I don't like my dice on eBay for ten times the price. I don't like seeing people who want our dice not get them. Our primary goal as a company is to get you cool dice with as little hassle as possible. We want to get you those sweet goblin click-clacks.
With that in mind, we are distancing ourselves from a FOMO economy of limited releases and promises (or threats) of a single run of our most popular dice sets. Instead, we are committed to getting you the dice you want in a timely and friendly manner.
So how will this change how we do business?
Most things will not change. Here’s a reminder of a few systems in place that work well for releasing new dice sets:
1. We use Kickstarter for a lot of our new product lines. This gives everyone a chance to get what they want on a flexible timeline, and allows us to accurately gauge interest in innovative materials and structural designs.
2. For some of the new designs we’re most excited by, we put out a pre-order to make sure we have enough product to cover the initial wave of interest. In most cases, these pre-orders ship within a month, and we always restock them on the site.
3. Our subscription box is accessible to everyone at prices ranging from $5 to $22 dollars. Most of our new product is available to all through that service.
What is new?
1. Customers now have the option to sign up for updates on out of stock products. If any particular set has 400+ people interested in a revival we will start a new print run.
2. I believe in our product. They are great dice! It doesn't matter if there are 5 or 5,000 of them out in the world. So we are eliminating limited editions. I'm aware some people bought dice in the past from us and we have labeled them limited edition. Maybe that was even a selling point for you. So I am opening up a buyback. For the month of June, if you bought a set of dice because we marketed them to you in the past as "limited" or "exclusive" you can mail it back to us and we will exchange it or return your money. It doesn't matter if you bought them yesterday or two years ago.
We hope this will help you trust us as a company, give you less anxiety, and help you love collecting dice.
David,
Founder and CEO of Dice Envy
Comments
Robert S. said:
I applaud your decision. I think it’s the right thing to do. Another company has decided to stay with doing limited runs even though they acknowledge what you stated above. Worse, some of their runs that aren’t supposed to be limited run turn out to be limited runs because they changed their mind. I won’t be doing business with them until they change their policy as they admit they have resellers scooping up numerous sets of the limited run sets to put on EBay.
John Wrot! said:
David, you’re a man among men. I really respect this choice, and it’s my pleasure to be your friend. I understand why you’re doing this. We. All. Do. – Something to think about.
Mara said:
Wow, just wow! First time on the site and seeing this is refreshing and amazing. Thank you, on behalf of all of us players that sometimes need a bit of time to get some sweet dice and the young ones that are waiting with bright eyes for a special occasion, or working their way to treat themselves for the perfect dice for their adventures.
Valerie said:
It’s really great to see a company taking a step back and reviewing its own policies and its relationship with its customers like this! I think ceasing limited runs is a great idea, and I think it’s even better that you were open minded enough to think about changing the way your company operates to make your products more accessible. I love Dice Envy <3
John said:
Don’t have any of your dice, but on the strength of that statement alone I’m going to pick some up. I strongly believe in ‘vote with your $’. Thanks!
C. Brown said:
I think that’s such a great, great decision and I respect it so much!! The FOMO culture created by small runs that you can never seem to get your hands on can be so toxic. Thank you for choosing to go the pre-order route.
Greg said:
I just started getting into TTRPG like… a month or two ago, and I found this site and was immediately in love with so many sets that are unavailable and out of stock and it was saddening to see. With this change (I’ve already bought 2 sets and I have the premium sub box), I’m sad to say…
I’m gonna be buying lots more. Love this.
Kat said:
Bless you. I have always hated the limited run/edition of dice sets. All it does is leave people sad and upset because they couldn’t drop their lives just to buy a set of dice. Thank you so much for taking this step and allowing all of us to have equal access to the dice we love.
Tympest said:
Definitely excited for this. I like dice kickstarters and the idea of the monthly subscription, but I really appreciate that Dice Envy is planning on bringing back recasts of previously limited edition dice. You guys are awesome!
Carolyn said:
Thank you for getting rid of limited editon. Everyone should have a chance to get dice if there is enough interest.
Dice Envy said:
Lester, I cannot speak for other companies. Everyone’s process is different and there are factors to re-releasing sets that larger companies may need to take into account. That being said, I don’t see us ever needing more than 4 months for a re-printing.
Xeyla said:
Thank you for not being like Kracken! I do not buy from them because they have all these “limited edition” runs that I cannot afford.
AJ said:
That is great news! Those are my dice for sale. I am a collector. Ebay has afforded me to keep paying for my hobby. I’m sorry of this offends anyone but poeple are paying allot these days for dice they cant get anywhere else. Like limited or even just out of stock dice. I really like your dice and I purchased a couple sets of your exclusive dice, one for me the other to trade or sell at a later date. The dice I’m selling were sold out on your site much sooner than I expected. I am really tired of hearing about what I can and cannot do with dice that I own. I’m not going to sell anything for the same price I got it for when I can put food on the table pay vet Bill’s or at the minimum further my collecting hobby. I do like your solution of never being limited, but being sold out still sells dice for more than your original asking price. I would not be selling them for this price if people were not paying this much latley. I dont care for feeling like I am doing something wrong just for selling something I own. So I will solve this problem by just not purchasing dice from you any more. Thank you for the wonderful dice I have acquired thus far and good luck in your future endevors.
Lester said:
Does re-running a set of dice really have a 6-9 month lead time like I’ve heard elsewhere?
Mark said:
I haven’t bought dice from you, or any FOMO company in the past because I’ve always felt it implied you were more interested in a customer’s wallet than the customer.
With this change in policy I will definitely look into adding your dice to my collection.
Sarah Barber said:
I love this new take on the idea of limited edition things. I will definitely be buying more of your dice.
Jonah Horowitz said:
This kind of reasonable approach to sales is one of the reasons I love you folks.
Monte said:
This is a really refreshing approach, and honestly I’m really thrilled to hear you guys take that position regarding your dice. Thank you.
Turner said:
Thank you! I really appreciate you taking a stand for your customers. The fomo marketing from a dealer I will not name has made me stop purchasing from them.
Lisa Kueltzo said:
You should be commended for this approach. I will remain a faithful customer. Great product, and great company.
East said:
Love U