From my response to a post about donations and the game...

Obviously it is in decline as would be the case for any game that ceased to make product years prior. However, the core group remains and all along we have had way too many people not donate to help the cause and printing costs, yet enjoy the sets. Everyone I know that has donated is always more than willing to hand out past sets in the effort to get people to play. The time for that may end if people do not donate, as simple as that. If you have a play group that plays and you cannot pony up for at least half the group it is a detriment to the VSETS and future VSETS. I have donated for every single set and do not mind if people that do not donate or sponge do not get cards.

Greetings and salutations!!!!

One way to generate interest in new sets is by enticing peops with teasers and pre-views. This is usually done in the "Spoiler" post. I don't see much going on there!?!? This is one of the few areas that Wizards didn't mess up our beloved game. Talk up the new set in minis pre-views that excite peops to spread the word about cool new minis that have awesome stats. If you want to up the donations, this could be one way to get the community to open their wallets. Just a thought :)


MC

@Original Poster
Fair enough. The sentiment is well taken and I can empathise; of the many good causes lately, I can't think of a better one than
SWMinis. The main source of the empathy is that, this is ostensibly a not-for-profit activity, done solely to increase the joy of the SWMinis gamers. This is opposed to the 'out to make a buck' elements of the garage kit community.
Maybe one day, some of the more "stockmarket lucky" from amongst the SWMinis fans will take a small gamble and start up a hedgefund/N.F.P. board to ensure the continued enjoyment of the game. Such an enduring project would be an attractive proposition.

turning to SCAMPER and Brainstorming on the main topic - how to get VSets viable:
Luckily though, the VSET folk haven't yet made the PDF's free level low res, pixelated blurry, freebies,
and so the print-ready grade hi res PDF's are free as opposed to $5.99 per sheet of 8 cards, or some similarly priced pricepoint.
You can even make the PDF's expire, so as they are 'read one time only' and make em pay-per view.
You could upsell and add-on sale accoutrements to accompany the cards, as a gift set 'for the lodge' or 'for the girls'. Maybe a chainmail dicebag and some custom dice? Something like that? Maybe sleeves for the cards? (UDE sleeves bought low, sold high?)
Waterproofing your cards is a must, as I've lost many due to being beer coasters or having rain/spills over the years
I think the main angle will be, cut out the middle-people. Middlemen are inflating the margins, which on these Not For Profit projects, are already slim.
Maybe go with different contractors for the printing (if it isn't done in house), get quotes and play one off the other
maybe cut and square inhouse instead of requesting perforated sheets? Maybe consider the dreaded black and white or greyscale?

See, as is, I can obtain the Hi Def Print Ready document,
and then, and this is the kicker,
go to Middletons or the Print Guys (even officeworks will do stuff) and print off a set for ~18USD a sheet. A sheet is as big as the press will handle. I then take that over to Officeworks, and because I left a slight gutter between each card in the sheet, they will cut and square for ~3c per cut per sheet. So, per sheet, its about 30c to get them cut and squared. Rarely the odd card will not pass 'quality control' and becomes a beer coaster heh, but that is quite rare as I tolerate upto a 5mm deviation - its not like I'm asking them to print my comicbooks out hahah
All that works out substantially cheaper than many of the options in relation to VSETs that have been explored in the past. (what is the 'recommended minimum 'donation' "? $30USD in 2012 USDs)
Postage and 'handling' is the killer factor there, all just for a tangible card I can hold and get dirty
when, again, the digital iPad friendly and much more convenient variant is free.

I don't know who negotiates for what deal, when it comes to how the VSets are physically made,
(I don't know exactly how they come to be physically made; that'd be a great article if it hasn't already been made. Its sorta like carnivores not knowing how the beef gets to the supermarket and then into the dinner table.)

but surely if you're running large numbers of sheets on stock card, and you print in 4 tone,
you'd be looking at Cents on the dollar as opposed to whole dollars per card - they're not much bigger than large business cards heh. Maybe Japan or Thailand or India are cheaper alternatives again, even with postage?

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Now to a macro-digression;
Apart from the public demonstration games (to raise awareness of the rules system) and maintaining participation rates at the LGS, I certainly would like to see SWMinis game system be supported. Its Star Wars 40K, its Star Wars Chess. It's that foundational. And the passive education value of tabletop games cannot be understated!
I'd like to fiscally support these sorts of projects more when I am in a position to be able to do so.
I would be more inclined to support sooner rather than later if;
there was more objectivity and transparency in the process (ie, that stuff is on Kickstarter as a project)
Actual Figures accompanied the stat cards*,
at a stretch, I could order only specific characters and cards from the set.

I'll be sure to convey this to the local group and pass this on,
Kobayashimaru