Preorder, cancel, preorder, cancel etc

[Ipissimus]

I waited to see more for a very long time, so I only just pre-ordered from Amazon. I like what I've seen enough to get them and I won't be changing my mind now.

As for gaming stores, unfortunately, they're one of those things that are going by the board. Games Workshop aside, we've only got two dedicated gaming stores that I know of in the whole city. One of them (the one closer to me) is so frustrating to deal with that I refuse to have anything to do with them. The other is an hour and a half car trip (thanks to traffic) away. Not to mention road tolls. Add a premium to the cost of the books I buy from the store (ostensibly from GST, shipping and the exchange rate... though it's funny how the exchange rate going down never makes the books cheaper...) it's just not good sense to buy from the store.

 

[reanjr]

Honestly, prices like that PISS ME OFF. I'm a RETAILER (you know, with a STORE) and I'm going to be paying around $60 for all three books. How the heck am I supposed to compete with these on-line price-gougers who get some rediculous bulk discount off of WotC and then make about $3 a sale but sell hundreds of thousands of them, while I'm stuck with the stupid "suggested retail" of *** $104.95 *** or discount heavily and go out of business?

Congrats on your cheap find.

Fitz

I feel for you, but seriously your main draw as a brick and mortar retailer is simply existing in physical form. Your business allows people to peruse and purchase on the first day. Online retailers can't compete with that. Amazon tries to by shipping product early and allowing overnight delivery, but the actual results are never that good, and overnighting something ends up jacking its price back near your range.

Tha main thing I see physical retailers fail on is having things in stock. If I come into your store looking for something I want to purchase immediately and you tell me I have to wait for you to order it, then you've just lost my business to an online retailer that you've proven can match you in the only area in which you had an advantage.

 

[jeffhartsell]

I live in the midwest USA, in a city of only about 280k people, so it only takes me 15-20 minutes to drive to the game store. We have several in town, but I've known the owners of one for 20 years, so I go there. I don't buy stuff often, so they were happy to see me today. I'll get martial power and adventurer's vault from the FLGS, but probably not some of the other source books.

 

[jeffhartsell]

Tha main thing I see physical retailers fail on is having things in stock. If I come into your store looking for something I want to purchase immediately and you tell me I have to wait for you to order it, then you've just lost my business to an online retailer that you've proven can match you in the only area in which you had an advantage.

Agree. I have gone into my FLGS and not been able to buy when I wanted to... mainly because I wanted something fringe (Shadowrun). Plus they never carried much Eberron source material.

But if I want miniatures or board games, they've got those covered. The "collectible" games are their cash cows.

 

[Korgoth]

Tha main thing I see physical retailers fail on is having things in stock. If I come into your store looking for something I want to purchase immediately and you tell me I have to wait for you to order it, then you've just lost my business to an online retailer that you've proven can match you in the only area in which you had an advantage.

Wise words. I actually tried to explain this to the geek larva manning the counter at an LGS (not the store I referred to above) when this particular store once again did not have what I considered a fairly normal item to stock. As I informed him, when I shop online it is cheaper, the selection is better and they actually bring it to my house.

Also, shipping charges aren't so bad if you use up 5-6 dollars in gas just driving to or from the game store.

 

[Jack99]

My local game store is pre-selling the box set for $52.99. The individual books for Amazon prices.

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That's more less than I pay for one book over here.

Still, it's dirt cheap and even though I could get it cheaper via amazon, I am more than happy to support my local gaming stores.

Cheers

 

[Eldorian]

Honestly, prices like that PISS ME OFF. I'm a RETAILER (you know, with a STORE) and I'm going to be paying around $60 for all three books. How the heck am I supposed to compete with these on-line price-gougers who get some rediculous bulk discount off of WotC and then make about $3 a sale but sell hundreds of thousands of them, while I'm stuck with the stupid "suggested retail" of *** $104.95 *** or discount heavily and go out of business?

Congrats on your cheap find.

Fitz

I hear ya man. I got into Hordes last year, and realized that it was vital that I purchase my minis at the store, because it is at the store that I get to play. I preordered my core set from the store cause I know they barely stay in the black. My city used to have 2 game stores, and we're down to one, and I REALLY don't want to be down to zero.

 

[stonegod]

At least some folks have a (F)LGS. Our college town in MS still doesn't... sigh. I miss my old one in CA. I pre-ordered the three core 3.5 books there at the time.

 

[Ravingdork]

Wow, that's a pretty condescending post. For the record, I've owned my store for 15 years so I must be doing something right. I'm well aware of the service I provide. I'm simply pointing out that it's what one might call a "bit" unfair to have online stores SELLING the books to customers for LESS than what us stores PAY from our distributors.

I am in no way condemning the CUSTOMER who pre-orders online, it's a good deal. The system is a bit flawed, though.

Fitz

Have you considered expanding your business to an online format so you can better compete?

 

[srn]

Wow, that's a pretty condescending post. For the record, I've owned my store for 15 years so I must be doing something right. I'm well aware of the service I provide. I'm simply pointing out that it's what one might call a "bit" unfair to have online stores SELLING the books to customers for LESS than what us stores PAY from our distributors.

I am in no way condemning the CUSTOMER who pre-orders online, it's a good deal. The system is a bit flawed, though.

Fitz

So, what's to stop you buying through an online seller yourself, rather than a distributer? I would guess there's a timing problem initially, but after that...