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Chris Pitt's Announcement (+ VaultMaze info)

Posted: Mon Dec 19, 2022 6:40 pm
by prodigy
Let's discuss the heavy announcement from Chris. What do you think about it?

I also include it here just for the discussion:
Dear All

Since "REVOMAZE 1" was designed and made in 2008, I had no idea that the puzzle would go on to produce over £1.5 million in sales globally, the majority of which were put together at my house in the UK's Lake District.

From the Blue, we have continued on to create around 20 different mazes driven in part by a loyal customer base. Each has had their favourites along the way, while some have been consigned to the display cabinet for the long term. I never imagined that for some, the journey had only just been solved after years of trying. It is encouraging to see that the reactions to solving the puzzles are genuine and heartfelt.

As mentioned, we have been driven by our very patient audience. My aim was for people to feel that the puzzles exceeded their expectations, for example, complex dynamics vs static.

I personally got it wrong on occasions by taking on too much and relying on equipment to create the puzzles as intended. This legacy has divided opinion and upset some of our customers that I still want to rectify. We would kindly encourage our customers who are waiting for long-term outstanding orders to contact us, as they have been passed through a number of employees. Jaz will be pleased to help you if you contact her at jazmin@revohq.co.uk with what you believe is outstanding. In the new year, we'll work out what we owe and how we'll fulfill our customers' orders to their complete satisfaction.

It has been 14 years since the first design was created, and after numerous extensions to the product lifecycle, all good things do come to an end. The main problem for us is that the puzzles have always been at a premium. The parts we have difficulty to make, such as the sleeve and the stainless steel body and nut, makes it difficult to produce the puzzles within a reasonable price ranges even after investing in a machine capable of doing the mazes.

This supplemental engineering cost depends on volume as they run a production shop. Setting up their expensive machines to run 10 off is just not practical so they require minimum orders in the 1,000s. In the past, this was not an issue but current demand has made it very difficult to place an order with them. This is the same with anodizing and plating process.

In a difficult global economic climate, we would have to sell large amounts just to break even. Due to this, we will only make specific puzzles on a commission basis, such as Handmade and Purple. Once the current stock has run out, this is the only way people will buy them unless they can buy from the community.

So what will happen to REVOMAZE? Well, there are two projects we will be embarking on in the new year. One is to complement what we have already done and the second is to meet the needs of our customers that have always wanted our puzzles but are too expensive. Both of which, we hope will be exciting and honour the REVOMAZE family tradition.

Over the course of the next few weeks, we are hoping to discuss this further. In the meantime, we wish all our wonderful customers a very happy and safe holiday during the festive season and a very prosperous New Year.

Chris.Pitt

Re: Chris Pitt's Announcement (+ VaultMaze info)

Posted: Mon Dec 19, 2022 7:09 pm
by JackBauer
It may be that they are steering away from making metal mazes and turning their efforts more towards bringing back the plastic obsessions series.

Re: Chris Pitt's Announcement (+ VaultMaze info)

Posted: Mon Dec 19, 2022 7:12 pm
by JackBauer
Turquoise is £720 on their website. Aqua is £570. They read ‘by commission.’

Re: Chris Pitt's Announcement (+ VaultMaze info)

Posted: Mon Dec 19, 2022 7:15 pm
by prodigy
JackBauer wrote: Mon Dec 19, 2022 7:09 pm It may be that they are steering away from making metal mazes and turning their efforts more towards bringing back the plastic obsessions series.
Yes that could be one option.
JackBauer wrote: Mon Dec 19, 2022 7:12 pm Turquoise is £720 on their website. Aqua is £570. They read ‘by commission.’
Yes these prices are really high but hopefully that will change if there can be a large batch or in the future.

Re: Chris Pitt's Announcement (+ VaultMaze info)

Posted: Mon Dec 19, 2022 7:22 pm
by prodigy
If Chris can fulfill all outstanding orders, then this is a really good thing but I also hope that there can be a way to get the costs down with a way to collect large batches for a Revomaze. It feels really sad if this is the end of the metal versions but I hope this isn't the case.

I also hope that we all can help out a little bit too. I don't think it is fair to demand to get unpaid R2 puzzles for £100 each even if that was the deal for the Voyager Status. I think we should pay the current price (cost for manufacture them today) for them.

Re: Chris Pitt's Announcement (+ VaultMaze info)

Posted: Fri Dec 23, 2022 2:31 am
by ReVoRabbit
At first, I thought they were looking to end the R1 series in favor of the R2 series, but then they mentioned that the puzzles have always been at a premium as if this was a problem they were looking to solve. To me, this means there are no more metal puzzles planned.

Re: Chris Pitt's Announcement (+ VaultMaze info)

Posted: Tue Dec 27, 2022 8:10 pm
by prodigy
JackBauer wrote: Mon Dec 19, 2022 7:09 pm It may be that they are steering away from making metal mazes and turning their efforts more towards bringing back the plastic obsessions series.
Yes I fully agree and think it is exactly what they say in:
So what will happen to REVOMAZE? Well, there are two projects we will be embarking on in the new year. One is to complement what we have already done and the second is to meet the needs of our customers that have always wanted our puzzles but are too expensive. Both of which, we hope will be exciting and honour the REVOMAZE family tradition.

Re: Chris Pitt's Announcement (+ VaultMaze info)

Posted: Tue Dec 27, 2022 8:14 pm
by prodigy
ReVoRabbit wrote: Fri Dec 23, 2022 2:31 am At first, I thought they were looking to end the R1 series in favor of the R2 series, but then they mentioned that the puzzles have always been at a premium as if this was a problem they were looking to solve. To me, this means there are no more metal puzzles planned.
I still think there will be new metal puzzles released but to a higher price and that they sell one batch more or less like normal and after that offer them on commission basis.

Re: Chris Pitt's Announcement (+ VaultMaze info)

Posted: Wed Dec 28, 2022 6:53 pm
by ReVoRabbit
prodigy wrote: Tue Dec 27, 2022 8:14 pm I still think there will be new metal puzzles released but to a higher price and that they sell one batch more or less like normal and after that offer them on commission basis.
One can only hope. Unless they are shifting to an exciting R3 series.

Re: Chris Pitt's Announcement (+ VaultMaze info)

Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2023 7:07 pm
by prodigy
Any news from RevoHQ? Anyone that have any update to share?