This week has been frustrating. I'd like to use Carta Mundi to manufacture Carpe Astra, they are both fairly local (so there's less shipping involved) and fairly quick (six weeks if it includes wooden pieces). However, trying to get a quote from them is like drawing blood from a stone. I'm trying to spend money with them, but you'd never guess so, judging by the speed at which the Sales Manager replies to my queries. I guess I'm one of the smaller customers they have, but still the lack of response is really frustrating, and I'm tempted to use someone else just to spite him.
I'm also in contact with Ludo Fact, who were recommended to me by Dean of Ludorum Games. In the time I've been waiting for a quote from Carta Mundi, I've had a quote from them (reasonably priced including shipping from Germany to the UK), and an amended quote after I requested a couple of changes. The only thing that's stopping me choosing them right away is it would take eight to ten weeks.
I've only got ten copies of It's Alive! left and I'm off to the Beer and Pretzels games convention in Burton-on-Trent this weekend. If I don't sell out there, I can't imagine they'll last beyond next week. If I have to wait ten weeks for Carpe Astra then that's ten weeks with no money coming in.
I've started doing the layout for Carpe Astra, doing the text for all the cards, but without the artwork from the artist I can't get much further. I've not had anything else from him since those sketches I've been posting.
To top all of that, I'm still not quite happy with the scoring mechanism for Carpe Astra, I've tried a few things recently, none of them quite work. I was hoping to take a finished game with me to Beer and Pretzels to play with a few regular customers, but I guess I'm going to have to take a prototype, and warn them things might change.
Still, in other news, I played a couple of my submissions with Paul on Wednesday afternoon, and they've got potential...
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4 comments:
It does sound like a bit of an annoying week! 8-10 weeks may seem a long time to wait for delivery of the games, but you may have to add 4-6 weeks onto the time for the British company, just to get things sorted out.
I would congratulate you on (almost) selling out of IA!, but I suspect you probably wouldn't mind having another 100 in stock!
I'm with Dave; if you consider from their responses so far that "Ludo Fact" are more likely to come in at the low-end of their estimate, and add another couple of weeks to actually get going with Carta Mundi, then there's not a lot in it.
On top of that you have a personal recommendation - which is always a good thing.
Now you know (as if you didn't already) why everything you read on starting a small business talks about cashflow more than anything else... but if it seriously makes a difference to the decision you can have my cheque two weeks early (or as soon as you announce the price...)
Both good points.
I don't have a cash flow problem, it's just going to be frustrating having nothing to sell.
Cheers,
Jack
Yeah, screw Carta Mundi. There's nothing worse than constantly having to chase a supplier.
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