This just means that instead of buying a brescia spadona as a convocation gift to myself I will just have to wait until I finish my graduate studies. That is unless the price goes up in another two years, in that case I might need a phd.

Millions of people spend $800 - $2000 on a computer, which is about the same cost of an Albion. How can they afford that?

They think they need one (and they do), and they only have one at a time. Buy a new machine, use it about four years, get a replacement. The old computer sometimes gets handed down to kids (or parents) but usually gets added to the Archaic Technology Collection in the basement, between the typewriter and two cable modems from previous ISPs.

If you only have one sword, and it's an Albion, that's not an exorbitant cost. On the other hand if you think you need two, well maybe four...nah, six would be enough...that's the problem. But if you only have one at a time, that's more achievable. If you get tired of it, sell it and get another. You won't lose much when selling it because unlike computers, swords don't devaluate over time. You could leave your computer unopened in its box for four years and you'd still be lucky to get 25% back, but a four year old sword in excellent shape, you'll probably get 80-90% back.

You don't need a sword, and you don't technically need a computer. But realistically, everyone reading this needs at least one of each. So just limit yourself to one of each.

I do think that if Albion wants to increase prices that their business should reflect their quality better with more appealing marketing. The customer should get more eye-candy. I am talking about the Albion website; its way behind the times. Even my 14 year old son asked, "Dad, if their swords are so expensive, why don't they have a better web designer?"

I'd suggest a revamp of the website to make it more appealing to customers in a more professional manner. High-resolution images, drop down menus for more efficient ordering, credit card processing, personal order tracking, account management, categorized product reviews, videos, so on and so forth - not scrolling down 15 pages of empty screen to read a single column of reviews or newsfeeds (they make scrolling frames for that).

There are many net-savvy people in the forums and the Albion customer base could offer help and easily result in a better picture of the product someone is going to invest $1000+ in. People are always visually driven when it comes to making purchases, so it makes me cringe when I go to the Albion website and see that some of their highest-priced swords have a mere couple low-resolution photos when they should have 360 degree zoomable views and much more information to entice the buyer. I think a customer should come away from the website feeling as if they have actually been in the room with the sword looking at it - and this can be accomplished easily though it would take time. This is even more important with the upcoming generation; they are visual-stimuli fanatics and they want to realistically see what they are going to get before taking the plunge.

Better marketing could easily result in higher volume which would negate the need to raise prices with such frequency.

I too ordered a XVIIIc from Albion yesterday (the Alexandria :cool: ). However, I was more concerned about placing my order while I could still get the discounted introductory price (it's available until June 30 for $950, then goes up to $1250). I don't know how the coming price increase will affect the two new XVIIICs. For example, will the Alexandria go up again from $1250 to even more, or not? Either way, my main concern was just to get the introductory price.

http://www.myArmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.php?t...alexandria


Logically, I look at it this way:


I want this sword and have decided to buy it.

It's available until June 30 for $950, then goes up to $1250.

I am faced with this: either (A) the price goes up again to even more than $1250 later this summer, or (B) it doesn't.

If A, then if I buy now I save money: some amount over $300, and likely almost twice that.
If B, then if I buy now I save $300.

Either way, I'm buying it now.


So, Albion's coming price increase *did* influence my decision to buy now in the indirect/conditional way described above, but the introductory price was my *main* motivation. Given my current knowledge, the price increase affecting this model is an "if," while the introductory price expiring is an "it is."


Wait a second... June 30 is today! OMG! Did you order your Albion XVIIIc yet? :p

Yup. Pre-ordered my Principe yesterday. This will be my second Albion purchased on the basis of one of Peter's sketches (the first being the Dane, which I nabbed at the introductory price so long ago that I'd almost forgotten I'd ordered it when Mike emailed me asking for my grip color preference). An earlier point stands; what other product would I do that with? A book or video game, perhaps, but those don't require four digits. The thing doesn't even exist yet and I've plunked down a grand simply because I trust that it will be awesome. With anything else I'd wait and see and perhaps find a way to study it in person before committing money.

Anyway, I've got a few months of sketchgazing before this newest beast is brought to life. I'm not worried about it at all, though.

OK they got me too. I am going on a payment plan for a an Oakeshott or Vigil. I haven't decided. . . Hmmm. . . .

I can afford just a few bucks a month. Actually I can more afford this than pay for a cheaper $300 sword all at once.

Interesting items I saw in another forum's thread about the price change was a note that perhaps not all of the Albion linup is distictly different from some of the analogues out there. Perhaps only certain highly distinctive parts of the linup differentiate themselves. Guess it might be interesting to see what happens to the lineup if people decide that Albion is the only option for some designs, but with others, not so much.

The Reeve was specifically mentioned as the sword he found an anlogue for, and I think that the person making the post might have a point. I've handled the Reeve some time ago, not the analogue mentioned in that thread, but it was coming from somebody who has purchased Albions and is off the badwagon due to cost. He certainly understands what goes into them given that he has bought and sold them before on this forum.

And, in all honesty, I have to admit I'm in the process of making the exact same impulse buy for the exact same cost reasons.

To my eye, the analogue to the Reeve is more than adequate. Although I can see some differences, the $350 I saved (at least) is worth far more to me so far. Don't have the analogue in hand yet so I don't know for certain that it is good enough, but I will have it soon enough, and I will know both swords, so I guess I'll see.

Of course none of this holds true when I look at a Regent, Earl, Munich, Bugundian, Oakeschott, Sherriff, Yoeman, Sovereign, Count, Landgraf, Hauptmann or others, especially those with complex blades and components. No substitutes for them that I'm aware of other than custom and it can be a reach even then. But some of the simpler blade forms, and there are a few, perhaps not so much seperation.

I'd put the Munich there, too, since the blade is such a close copy of the Bayerisches XVIIIb.

I personally wish Albion would expand their Squire Line for us "sub-$500 guys." Seems like they'd have a whole new market opened up to them once there was some real variety. And I really don't think it'd turn off anyone but the most snobbish "I buy stuff because it's expensive and/or exclusive" customers. (I'm assuming of course that it would be profitable to do so, and I'm sure they've considered it, but maybe they just need to hear more requests.)

And yeah, do the aforementioned site upgrade with much better pictures, but also make more use of all that research and add some history about each sword as well! I'd love to read more in-depth info for each sword about the provenance, research, offhand observations and thoughts from Peter etc.