TOPIC: Heres my thing, I just dont get it...

I really dont get it. It seems that we are looking at between a 2 and 3 month wait window. Why all the sales and ETSY etc etc.
When it takes 3 months to ship out a product I dont understand then opening other avenues for selling the same product that people are already waiting months for. Also, why do they need sales if they have so many orders that it takes them a quarter of a year to fill an order.

This business confuses me. Perhaps its such a niche market that people are ok with the wait. Ive seen some still waiting after 26 weeks!

VV, Solo's Hold and other sabersmiths have had 1.5-2 year waits on hilts. Korbanth is typically a five to six month wait. To encourage buyers to splurge, clear stock, expand base... Capitalism, amirite?

If anyone else feels the need to chime in keep it civil and respectful. Remember, no vitriol.

I would not expect to see the wait time for the main store remain as high as it has been, once these new models (new Etsy, and ASP) kick in. Of course, there are still legacy orders in the pipe, and if you are one of them I understand. However, if you are looking for information straight from the source to answer your question, I am afraid that won't happen here. As we have said numerous times before, none of the mods are employed by SaberForge, and to that end, are not privy to the kind of information to provide an answer.

My Observations.

Product Release, Promotions, Outlets of Purchase and Distribution should remain independent to each Vendor much like Lead Times and ensuing Wait Times should remain independent also. Comparisons against each doesn't excuse anything or make it alright.

Yes, it is noted and acknowledged that other Sabersmiths carry a long wait. VV, Solo's Hold and Korbanth have been included as examples. Hamptons at 47+Months for Custom Commissions may as well be included and Parks as well (24+Weeks). Accepting of a long wait is not the commentary here as prior to placement of Order with the named examples, the commitment with entering into it was known (likely or not). It is when a specific (estimate/guesstimate/approximate) Lead time is quoted that remains unrealistic and is deviated from that in some (possible rare/isolated) cases (much like mine or not) when the time passed is tripled with a continued count. This doesn't make it alright or acceptable and when there is no transparency of communication initiated other than by the bewildered Buyer.

Promotions and Business Generators are not challenged/disputed. This is business and unless you're a Non-Profit Organisation, every Business' Mission Statement is to generate Profit.

A niche market? quite possibly and it remains by perception. Some are okay with waiting and choose to. Others are not okay with it but have to accept to. Once the threshold of 20Weeks was breached, I could have/should have Cancelled. But with accepting the initial Purchase Conditions, by doing so would leave me liable with a restock Fee. Or due to circumstances may have been exempt from this. So logically, not only would I not be Time-Whole I wouldn't be financially-Whole either. So the alternative, just keep waiting. There was a desire to Own the Products that lead to a Purchase. Agreed the time passed isn't desirable however the desire towards ownership is still present and abandoning it is a waste.

During this time, 3 separate Orders have been made via Etsy for similar Products that were allegedly the reasoning excusing the delay. 1 of 3 has been received, 2 of 3 also received and has an open dialogue with SFCS, 3 of 3 is yet to be seen but with all likelihood and probability it will too be received before the other. The Other specifically references the Order placed Jan 21 and has just breached 27Weeks. What do I do? What can I do?

Wait.
Acceptance without understanding why.

I have surrendered all enquiries to this. If it happens, when it happens, I suspect the reaction upon eventual receipt will carry lesser excitement than if it had been otherwise. It is true and accurate that this cannot be answered.

The difference between the Jedi and the Sith Ovrc, lol. You seem to walk closer to the Jedi side of the line than I do!
You sit down and wait for the doors to open while I prowl like a caged animal.

FYI... VV is actually around 24 weeks. It feels like 1.5 to 2 years though

Are they giving favor towards ETSY? Yes, but it's their business..

This hobby is frustrating, all the worse if patience is lacking. I would know this very well. What worked for me? Buy a Korbanth Graflex and put it together. It's oddly satisfying

SaberForge has continued to evolve over the past few months. There was only one outfit that was supplying sabers any quicker than SF, and the new Etsy store has addressed that situation. It was a direction that they wanted to go, in order to compete. I believe they have executed it nicely. The promotions, another competitive measure. Remember folks, as much as Phil loves sabers, Star Wars, and everything that entails; this is a business, and a competitive one at that!

This discussion was bordering on a grey-area with respect to the forum rules, and I don't see much in a positive vein to be gained by continuing this line of thought.

They have "off the menu" special limited runs. Their TFU2 has been in production since 4/5/14. That's OVER two years now. Solo's Hold averages around 18 months for their runs. My point is that the industry wait times can be extraordinarily long and they don't stop selling their hilts during the long wait times. The saber scene is in a weird place between garage/passion project and consumer production.