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<blockquote data-quote="Badwe" data-source="post: 4748912" data-attributes="member: 61762"><p>If I were a game store, with limited space already from trying to actually show off all this product, and I had a choice between running a D&D game at a table vs. running a magic draft with a prize buy in, I’m essentially choosing between grossing 0 dollars and grossing the price of a box of magic in the same 4 hour period (assuming these two species of nerds consume beverages and snacks at the same rate.) The choice seems pretty clear when every hour I stay open has a cost, be it electricity, wages for myself or my employees, or even a fractional amount of rent or equipment wear and tear. The hope is that, much like starbucks and the free wireless they provide, proximity and environment will produce sales. The reality is that starbucks is in a much MUCH better position to close a deal.</p><p></p><p>Rather than continue to quip over frugality vs. greed (there are entire paradigms of business that are predicated on them being one in the same), I’ll mention one of my favorite pricing models for my FGS (no L because it’s a 40 minute drive away). They deal primarily in boardgames, but they’d be suckers not to do D&D and magic as well. Once a month they have a day in which you actually have to pay 10 dollars to hang around (scandalous, I know, but stay with me). In exchange they order food and make drinks available, and they always have boardgame demos available (even on nonpaying days.). For each game you try out, you fill out a little card and get a dollar in store credit. At the end of the day, you’ve played five games (which people are motivated to play due to the store credit), been fed, and only actually paid 5 bucks. As a young adult constantly being invited to pricey dining facilities by my peers, I can tell you being entertained and fed for an entire afternoon/evening for five bucks is a bargain, and I likely would have spent the other 5 on games anyway. It works out great for the store to because they get guaranteed sales and someone usually plays a game that turns out to be worth it.</p><p></p><p>For RPGs however, it’s much more difficult to create a thriving, active community that is also a value add for both the player and the distributer/facilitator. People being cheap just further complicates things. Worse still, D&D is the most reliant on getting a group of people into the same place. With magic, 4-6 people can spawn several games (or one big one) and people can keep piling on. D&D in large groups needs 6 just to start and has to be well above 12 before it can reasonably be a sustained event. Often times the FGS just has to hope, perhaps foolishly, that if these nerds spend enough time at their store some impulse purchases will emerge. When they don’t, suddenly you see much fewer programs being initiated.</p><p></p><p>For some reason it’s much easier for me to understand things from the retailer’s point of view than my own. I could get a ticket or a parking fine (hate working downtown) that could obliterate a budget for 3 or 4 books, what difference does the price differential on amazon matter? Perhaps I’m too young to understand the value of a dollar saved, I don’t have any pets, spouses, houses, or kids so I don’t find myself needing to be constantly aware of an individual purchase, just general trends.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Badwe, post: 4748912, member: 61762"] If I were a game store, with limited space already from trying to actually show off all this product, and I had a choice between running a D&D game at a table vs. running a magic draft with a prize buy in, I’m essentially choosing between grossing 0 dollars and grossing the price of a box of magic in the same 4 hour period (assuming these two species of nerds consume beverages and snacks at the same rate.) The choice seems pretty clear when every hour I stay open has a cost, be it electricity, wages for myself or my employees, or even a fractional amount of rent or equipment wear and tear. The hope is that, much like starbucks and the free wireless they provide, proximity and environment will produce sales. The reality is that starbucks is in a much MUCH better position to close a deal. Rather than continue to quip over frugality vs. greed (there are entire paradigms of business that are predicated on them being one in the same), I’ll mention one of my favorite pricing models for my FGS (no L because it’s a 40 minute drive away). They deal primarily in boardgames, but they’d be suckers not to do D&D and magic as well. Once a month they have a day in which you actually have to pay 10 dollars to hang around (scandalous, I know, but stay with me). In exchange they order food and make drinks available, and they always have boardgame demos available (even on nonpaying days.). For each game you try out, you fill out a little card and get a dollar in store credit. At the end of the day, you’ve played five games (which people are motivated to play due to the store credit), been fed, and only actually paid 5 bucks. As a young adult constantly being invited to pricey dining facilities by my peers, I can tell you being entertained and fed for an entire afternoon/evening for five bucks is a bargain, and I likely would have spent the other 5 on games anyway. It works out great for the store to because they get guaranteed sales and someone usually plays a game that turns out to be worth it. For RPGs however, it’s much more difficult to create a thriving, active community that is also a value add for both the player and the distributer/facilitator. People being cheap just further complicates things. Worse still, D&D is the most reliant on getting a group of people into the same place. With magic, 4-6 people can spawn several games (or one big one) and people can keep piling on. D&D in large groups needs 6 just to start and has to be well above 12 before it can reasonably be a sustained event. Often times the FGS just has to hope, perhaps foolishly, that if these nerds spend enough time at their store some impulse purchases will emerge. When they don’t, suddenly you see much fewer programs being initiated. For some reason it’s much easier for me to understand things from the retailer’s point of view than my own. I could get a ticket or a parking fine (hate working downtown) that could obliterate a budget for 3 or 4 books, what difference does the price differential on amazon matter? Perhaps I’m too young to understand the value of a dollar saved, I don’t have any pets, spouses, houses, or kids so I don’t find myself needing to be constantly aware of an individual purchase, just general trends. [/QUOTE]
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