Callous Jack wrote:

houstonderek wrote:

i subscribe because...c) as far as i know, paizo gets to keep a larger percentage of the $, so they can put more back into the company and more into the pockets of the talent and support staff.

This is what I was curious about, whether it made a difference to paizo where their products were bought or is it all the same.

Anyone know?

maybe we'll find out when someone from the office gets to work tomorrow. i'm curious whether my supposition is correct as well. either way, example "a" trumps everything anyway...

Callous Jack, houstonderek,

Yes, we do get a larger percentage when you order direct from Paizo. However, putting items through distribution channels gets us deeper market penetration and a larger audience than if we only sold through paizo.com.

Overall, sure we'd love to sell out an entire print run direct to consumers. Who wouldn't? But we'd also be very happy to sell it all to distributors. We wouldn't make as much, but we'd still make money.

To back up Lisa and put my own spin on it:

If you order a Paizo product from Paizo at the time of its release, you will get it much more quickly from Paizo than from anyone else.

ahh if only that was true for me....

Yes, we do get a larger percentage when you order direct from Paizo. However, putting items through distribution channels gets us deeper market penetration and a larger audience than if we only sold through paizo.com.

Overall, sure we'd love to sell out an entire print run direct to consumers. Who wouldn't? But we'd also be very happy to sell it all to distributors. We wouldn't make as much, but we'd still make money.

it was a good day when pathfinder #1 showed up on amazon's "People who bought this were also interested in" list for the 3.5 PHB

Dragnmoon wrote:

...It is like anything shipped from Paizo is shipped to me like a Magazine with can take 1-2 months to get to me.. and Amazon is Priority which takes 1-2 weeks to get to me...

I am constantly getting Items from Paizo a week or 2 after the next months shipment is sent,[sic] a Few times I even had 2 Months of shipments sent to me before the first one sent got to me.

For example I am still waiting for Last months Shipment *I don't expect it for a week or 2* and Most likely Monday you will be shipping me This months Shipment.

Exactly the same with me; it's my only real gripe with Paizo.

I find it noteworthy that both of the people complaining about long shipping times in this thread are using Military APOs. Is there any chance either of you could find out for us why they take longer to deliver Paizo packages than Amazon packages? If there's some change we can make on our end to facilitate delivery, we'd love to know about it.

Callous Jack wrote:

This is what I was curious about, whether it made a difference to paizo where their products were bought or is it all the same.

Anyone know?

Paizo makes a bigger profit if you buy directly from them. It's pretty clear when you consider that no one else gets a cut and they charge the same amount.

HOWEVER, they have pointed out repeatedly that ordering from FLGSs and/or other retailers makes their products more desirable to distributors and third party retailers (because it increase the sales figures), which helps Paizo in the long run, because it increases their shelf area and market penetration.

Therefore they are happy wherever you buy from.

True... However, we're happiest when you subscribe. Being able to count on purchases that way really helps budgeting and setting print run sizes.

I find it noteworthy that both of the people complaining about long shipping times in this thread are using Military APOs. Is there any chance either of you could find out for us why they take longer to deliver Paizo packages than Amazon packages? If there's some change we can make on our end to facilitate delivery, we'd love to know about it.

What my MPO tells me--

Once a piece of mail (postcard to steamer trunk) reaches the APO office in, for example, San Francisco, it is picked up by the military and either shipped overseas by boat or plane.

Mail designated as bulk, media, or parcel goes by ship, all other by air.

Once it reaches the APO Sorting Facility (Yokohama for me), it is sorted by APO Zip and then Unit Designation Number.

At this point all mail, regardless of priority, is treated exactly the same.

What my Mail Clerk unofficially tells me--

All of the above, plus, Amazon packages get to service members quickly because, next to letters and flat rate Priority Mail packages, Amazon boxes make up the bulk of any daily pickup. In effect, there are so many Amazon packages ordered the MPO palletizes entire movements of nothing but Amazon deliveries. This means that my Paizo package might actually arrive in Osan or Busan before my Amazon package, but the Paizo package will get left at port because the mail trailers are packed with first class letters and Amazon packages. It's a kind of democracy--majority rules.

PS
I checked my mail at lunch today (about 20 minutes ago), and sure enough, the mail room is lined with all manner of Amazon.com packages. They far outnumber any other type of parcel in there.

so... to solve this problem we need to acquire some amazon boxes and get them up to the Great Paizo Castle of Cool Stuff Makers and have them ship the MPO stuff in them. ;)

cool stuff aout Military Mail delivery

Looks like from Above Vic, that there is not much you can do..Other then get a Huge Military Customer base ;-)..

Or we choose Priority, since then it will fly to us instead of go by Ship.

For Andrew all his shipping should go through San Fransico and for Me it Should go throuh New York *But I need to verify that it does not go through San Fransico since you guys are on the West Coast*

The road trip to San Fransisco from you guys is much quicker then the road trip for New York... But the Pacific Ocean is HUGE! and I am sure that ship for him stops at a few ports before it gets to him *Hawaii and Guam* so that adds alot of time for him.

For me the Atlantic Ocean is much shorter and there is only 1 Port it stops at, Germany. so techincally I would not be surprised If i get my stuff before Andrew does.. But I may be under estimating the time it takes for the road trip from seattle to NY.

Now if My stuff instead goes to the closest miltary Mail port *San Fransico* then that would add a very long time for me. I will find out.

Now right now Since I do not have a group, it really does not matter when I get my shipment.. but in the future if I find a group, it may be worth the extra $6 to get my items shipped Priority, which would most likely cut a few weeks off the shipment.

thanks for the Info Andrew!

so... to solve this problem we need to acquire some amazon boxes and get them up to the Great Paizo Castle of Cool Stuff Makers and have them ship the MPO stuff in them. ;)

LOL!!! Yeah that would work to..

I find it noteworthy that both of the people complaining about long shipping times in this thread are using Military APOs. Is there any chance either of you could find out for us why they take longer to deliver Paizo packages than Amazon packages? If there's some change we can make on our end to facilitate delivery, we'd love to know about it.

Vic,

Does this help you guys?

Priority Mail APO/FPO Flat Rate Box.

According to that, They have a deal for shipping Priority to APO/FPO address, $2 less then normal priority shipping.

Vic Wertz wrote:

I find it noteworthy that both of the people complaining about long shipping times in this thread are using Military APOs. Is there any chance either of you could find out for us why they take longer to deliver Paizo packages than Amazon packages? If there's some change we can make on our end to facilitate delivery, we'd love to know about it.

Vic,

Does this help you guys?

Priority Mail APO/FPO Flat Rate Box.

According to that, They have a deal for shipping Priority to APO/FPO address, $2 less then normal priority shipping.

Looking at the Military Postal Service Agency web page

Priority mail Usually takes about 7-9 Days from the day you ship it to get to us in Germany.

For all other mail it takes about 35 - 50 days.

That is a HUGE difference!

Depending on senders and recivers loacation it could take longer, those dates are average for me.

Yes, we do get a larger percentage when you order direct from Paizo. However, putting items through distribution channels gets us deeper market penetration and a larger audience than if we only sold through paizo.com.

Overall, sure we'd love to sell out an entire print run direct to consumers. Who wouldn't? But we'd also be very happy to sell it all to distributors. We wouldn't make as much, but we'd still make money.

...we're happiest when you subscribe. Being able to count on purchases that way really helps budgeting and setting print run sizes.

Good to know, thanks!

SirUrza wrote:

I buy from Paizo over amazon because of the free downloads pdfs..

Yep, the PDF download is what seals the deal for buying from paizo.com versus a FLGS or from another website.

I don't mind paying a bit extra to get it from a FLGS since that greases all the wheels, but without the PDF version I cannot justify it.

If only there was some way to subscribe at the FLGS level and still get the PDF .. oh well ..

Well, you could always walk into the FLGS give the owner a few bucks, tell him why and walk out. I actually suspect, if you did that, you might get a few other good deals on stuff. I ran a PBM game in Tempe, but arranged for local players to drop their orders and pick up results at a local FLGS. He regularly gave me sweet deals on other items basically because I brought 10-20 people (who mostly never bought anything) into his shop 1/2-3 weeks.

Dragnmoon wrote:

Just as a Reminder....

The Military gets their hands on My shipment before it gets to me. They are really Quick with Amazon and other Distributors, not so much with Paizo for some reason. They seem to treat my Shipments from Paizo as Magazines which go slower through the system.

I have Pre Ordered things on Amazon and even with the delay of them getting the items.. for me.. Amazon is still quicker.

Also, the same with me; and many of my Amazon packages require a signature, which may account for the quicker service.

That is another related problem, although I don't know if it is Amazon. I have Amazon Prime and recently ordered about 10 items including Clark Ashton Smith Vol. 2 and the new Xbox360 Civ release. I have ordered 4 or 5 other Xbox 360 titles from Amazon all of which were delivered to apartment office without incident. When the box containing these two items arrived along with other boxes carrying comedy DVDs, Antarctic Exploration books and Delta Blues Cds, only this one needed a signature. The other two were delivered without incident to apartment office (well except for the cracked front of the Muddy Waters jewel box). Two deliveries later, the Kata signature was apparently unnecessary, despite the fact that I left work about one hour early because the UPS guy advertised he would arrive that day at 5PM. When I arrived home at 430pm, it had already been left at the apartment office, go figure?

If I don't pay for Priority from Paizo it takes at least six weeks for anything to arrive here in Yokosuka. When I do pay...it can get here in one week. I'd rather get it faster.

Amazon ships fastest, but Paizo can come in as a close second. However, Amazon ships for free and it still gets here faster once it has shipped! Amazon's stuff also arrives in better shape. My stuff from Paizo generally has little dings and such on the corners...Amazon's stuff ships pristine.

Thanks,

Scott

Like I said..will vary with others.. For me... It takes 1-2 weeks from Amazon... 4-8 weeks from Paizo...

Are you from Canada, D-moon? If so, which Province?

Dragnmoon wrote:

Like I said..will vary with others.. For me... It takes 1-2 weeks from Amazon... 4-8 weeks from Paizo...

Are you from Canada, D-moon? If so, which Province?

Negative... I am From New York.. But I am living in Germany..

Negative... I am From New York.. But I am living in Germany..

Alright! Because I am in British Columbia, and I usually wait more for Paizo products because of the customs at the border. If a guy there sees a sealed package from Amazon he doesn't do anything - "business as usual", you know. If it's from someone like Paizo (who?), they might retain the package a bit longer, get dogs to smell its butt and bark at it to see if the carton reacts, you know... stuff like that.