If someone's complaining about the price of a digital book because they were able to find a copy of the dead tree version for under MSRP online, I'd say that falls heavily under first world problems.
Eh...MSRP means next to nothing. While I can see the appeal of a specific, objective (as in, you can't just say "but here it costs..." because there is something unique about the MSRP) and easily obtainable price, it's actually quite arbitrary, at least for the uses you want to use it here. A chain here sells sporty goods, always 50% off. Massive adverts all over their stores. What they are less obvious about is that they're their own supplier (technically different, but owned by the same guy, never supplies anyone other than this chain, only that supplier supplies this chain, in practice it's one company). They slap some absurdly high MSRP, cut it down to a price level that's slightly lower than their competition, and call it massive discount. In reality, the quality is actually lower than their competition and so whether you're even getting value for money is dubious...but it makes them look really cheap when their trainers are £29.99 down from £69.99. WotC isn't quite so ambitious (or immoral, in my view), similar processes are occuring. The price I pay for most products is usually equal to or slightly higher than the MSRP (depending on what kind of shop I'm going to), I've yet to even see a 5e product that is being sold at MSRP. Even my FLGS, which can't compete with Amazon a lot of the time, sells them for substantially less. WotC overestimates the market value of their books, most likely to promote higher prices.
DDB costs me £26.50 for most books. Physical books cost me £25-£35 depending on the book (there is a lot more variation in physical books than DDB, for whatever reason). I agree that DDB offers a lot more than mere PDFs and you can't maker that straight comparison. But still, the prices you have to compare are the prices people can expect to pay for a book, not pie-in-the-sky MSRP.
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If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
MSRP is the general default. I don't know a single retailer within a 100 mile radius of where I live that sells new D&D books below MSRP. Most websites that sell below MSRP charge for shipping, which these days means that the total is probably more than MSRP. If you have some specific place that you can buy from that charges below MSRP and doesn't cost you an arm and a leg for shipping, that's great but it's not something that's readily available to everyone. And if someone's complaining that they got the physical book for far enough below MSRP that they're paying just as much for the DDB version... It must be nice living in a world where things are so great that that's their idea of a problem.
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Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
It's not one place. Everywhere I can find the PHB, it's between £27-£36. Every major retailer that sells, every place that I trust, is in that range. Free in store pick up (one exception is where they charge you something like £5 but give you £5 voucher, even without the voucher, they're still substantially below £42 I think the MSRP) for most, the rest do free home delivery. I had a quick look in California (since so many people complain that it's so expensive there), first site I found, $30 with free store pick-up, which makes it cheap even for me (barring flights...dangit). Just looked at Amazon, free delivery, $28 for Tasha's.
Some people might not be able to get it at below MSRP at the store of their choice, but as I said, MSRP means little. Some stores will sell it there. I've yet to find one in the UK that doesn't sell it for cheaper. MSRP seems to be a ceiling even in the US, not the price you have to pay. MSRP is just a price that WotC reckons retailers can sell it for. Retailers seem to disagree, and they're the ones that matter.
If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
Even if your experience is the norm for the UK, that means nothing for people who don't live in the UK.
Yep, every physical store around me (FLGS, general bookstore, department store, etc.) sells them at MSRP. The only way I would have to get it less than that is ordering online to be delivered. I can't recall the last time I saw a D&D book/boxed set in-person being sold for less than cover price that wasn't used or an old edition.
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Eh...MSRP means next to nothing. While I can see the appeal of a specific, objective (as in, you can't just say "but here it costs..." because there is something unique about the MSRP) and easily obtainable price, it's actually quite arbitrary, at least for the uses you want to use it here. A chain here sells sporty goods, always 50% off. Massive adverts all over their stores. What they are less obvious about is that they're their own supplier (technically different, but owned by the same guy, never supplies anyone other than this chain, only that supplier supplies this chain, in practice it's one company). They slap some absurdly high MSRP, cut it down to a price level that's slightly lower than their competition, and call it massive discount. In reality, the quality is actually lower than their competition and so whether you're even getting value for money is dubious...but it makes them look really cheap when their trainers are £29.99 down from £69.99. WotC isn't quite so ambitious (or immoral, in my view), similar processes are occuring. The price I pay for most products is usually equal to or slightly higher than the MSRP (depending on what kind of shop I'm going to), I've yet to even see a 5e product that is being sold at MSRP. Even my FLGS, which can't compete with Amazon a lot of the time, sells them for substantially less. WotC overestimates the market value of their books, most likely to promote higher prices.
DDB costs me £26.50 for most books. Physical books cost me £25-£35 depending on the book (there is a lot more variation in physical books than DDB, for whatever reason). I agree that DDB offers a lot more than mere PDFs and you can't maker that straight comparison. But still, the prices you have to compare are the prices people can expect to pay for a book, not pie-in-the-sky MSRP.
If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
MSRP is the general default. I don't know a single retailer within a 100 mile radius of where I live that sells new D&D books below MSRP. Most websites that sell below MSRP charge for shipping, which these days means that the total is probably more than MSRP. If you have some specific place that you can buy from that charges below MSRP and doesn't cost you an arm and a leg for shipping, that's great but it's not something that's readily available to everyone. And if someone's complaining that they got the physical book for far enough below MSRP that they're paying just as much for the DDB version... It must be nice living in a world where things are so great that that's their idea of a problem.
Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
It's not one place. Everywhere I can find the PHB, it's between £27-£36. Every major retailer that sells, every place that I trust, is in that range. Free in store pick up (one exception is where they charge you something like £5 but give you £5 voucher, even without the voucher, they're still substantially below £42 I think the MSRP) for most, the rest do free home delivery. I had a quick look in California (since so many people complain that it's so expensive there), first site I found, $30 with free store pick-up, which makes it cheap even for me (barring flights...dangit). Just looked at Amazon, free delivery, $28 for Tasha's.
Some people might not be able to get it at below MSRP at the store of their choice, but as I said, MSRP means little. Some stores will sell it there. I've yet to find one in the UK that doesn't sell it for cheaper. MSRP seems to be a ceiling even in the US, not the price you have to pay. MSRP is just a price that WotC reckons retailers can sell it for. Retailers seem to disagree, and they're the ones that matter.
If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
Even if your experience is the norm for the UK, that means nothing for people who don't live in the UK.
Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
Yep, every physical store around me (FLGS, general bookstore, department store, etc.) sells them at MSRP. The only way I would have to get it less than that is ordering online to be delivered. I can't recall the last time I saw a D&D book/boxed set in-person being sold for less than cover price that wasn't used or an old edition.