Death of the LGS

[Mallus]

Jiffylube still charges considerably less than most independently owened shops.

Same here. Unless these corporate retailers institute 'company town' pricing models after they drive out the independent competition, their price increases aren't relevant. Prices go up.

Speaking of Jiffylube, I used them until I found a family owned garage operated by people I both like and trust. I'm happy to patronize their business. But they're offering me something a franchise outfit like Jiffylube can't ie, expertise and honesty when I need more serious car repairs.

 

[billd91]

Preach on, brother. The LGS is just a middle man. The internet has given consumers the power to bypass the middle man (whose economic role appears increasingly parasitic) and go almost straight to the source. This gives access to cheaper products and thus the consumer can stretch his dollar a bit farther (very important nowadays).

Sure, they can stretch their dollar by sending their money out of their community to some remote massive parasite rather than to their neighbor parasite, who at least contributes to the community as their property taxes support the local schools and municipal services and who tries to maintain a vibrant downtown so people don't have to all drive out to the fringes to shop at the big box.

So, why do I want to just support the remote parasite who could care less for my local town's tax base and will probably ship off his phone support to some call center in another country so it can save even more money?

 

[Mallus]

Prices rose significantly, then dropped due to the "piracy" (file sharing) models that arose in direct response to those rising prices.

Music piracy rose in direct response to the technology that enabled it. Also, explain the success of legal music download services like iTunes, which is thriving despite the effect of illegal music downloads.

IThe existance of significant and diverse sources of competition acts as a counter to rising prices.

Which does not mean that all competitors exert equal or meaningful pressure. An independent game store does nothing to Amazon's pricing on game books.

 

[redcard]

So, why do I want to just support the remote parasite who could care less for my local town's tax base and will probably ship off his phone support to some call center in another country so it can save even more money?

That's kind of unfair to put on us, though.

I mean, why support the local parasite who's going to pay some kid $5.75 an hour, run a dump, and charge full price for products that are sold to them for less?

Okay, yes, I understand that Amazon's markdowns were significant.. but I also know for a fact that the giftsets ended up slightly above cost to at least my FLGS.

It's your choice where you price your products. It's our choice whether or not we buy from you. Stop using guilt to prop your business up. We're all paying $3.50+ per gallon now. We're all in this global recession that's not a recession. Did you ever think that eating MIGHT be more important than supporting a game store, and that when someone sees a $60 core set the thought that runs through their head is "Great.. I can get this AND still afford to fill my tank."

 

[mlund]

So, why do I want to just support the remote parasite who could care less for my local town's tax base and will probably ship off his phone support to some call center in another country so it can save even more money?

Come on, now, Wizards of the Coast isn't that bad yet.

But if you really want to buy John Doe's home-made "Mutants and Man-holes" RPG instead of playing D&D to support your local economy, all the more power to you.

- Marty Lund

 

[billd91]

Bottom line: if your crummy, dinosauric business is failing, don't call in the Pinkertons to beat money out of the working stiffs. Instead, try making your business a place that I actually want to shop.

What an interesting use of the term Pinkertons... since they were the ones hired by the corporations to protect their interests, not by small businessmen.

Come on, now, Wizards of the Coast isn't that bad yet.

But if you really want to buy John Doe's home-made "Mutants and Man-holes" RPG instead of playing D&D to support your local economy, all the more power to you.

- Marty Lund

WotC is a producer. But what about online clearinghouses like Amazon? How many of these reseller parasites (as Korgoth describes resellers) and their practices are you going to support with the dollars you give them to get your goods? And how many other indirect costs are you bearing because of it? Sometimes there are good reasons to spend locally.



Edit: Weird - this thing auto-merged my 2 posts.

 

[Mercutio01]

Sometimes there are good reasons to spend locally.

And sometimes there are better reasons not to.

 

[billd91]

Did you ever think that eating MIGHT be more important than supporting a game store, and that when someone sees a $60 core set the thought that runs through their head is "Great.. I can get this AND still afford to fill my tank."

If it's actually a question of eating, why are you buying books for a premium hobby?

And if it's a question of paying some kid a wage (by the way, most of the FLGS in my area have mostly adults working for them, not just kids), that may mean less unemployment in my local area, which is fine by me. If I go through remote sources with my money, I'm just helping employment over there somewhere, where ever there happens to be.

But, ultimately, why should it be unfair to put on you the downsteam effects of spending the money the way you spend your money? If Walmart bullies manufacturers into selling their products for unsustainable prices and manufacturing jobs are lost, what of it? Who cares if rivers are poisoned by the untreated waste runoff from factory pig farms in North Carolina? I got to save money, didn't I?

 

[mlund]

Sometimes there are good reasons to spend locally.

I agree completely with that, though we'd probably disagree on exactly which reasons are the good ones.

Convenience is a very good reason to spend locally.

Trying to make sure that I have a local haberdasher or cobbler because it keeps Main Street "vibrant" and "charming" on the other hand ... not so much for me, thanks.

I'm also a big fan of local businesses that are engaged in the community - sponsoring local teams and festivals, donating supplies to local K of C fundraisers, or having one of those "1% of your purchases to a local school of your choice" type promotions with their customer loyalty card.

Those things probably aren't going to make me pay $100 more for a stereo or a set of new tires, though. The $100 I save, however, is more likely to wind up spent locally.

Who cares if rivers are poisoned by the untreated waste runoff from factory pig farms in North Carolina? I got to save money, didn't I?

Hey, that factory pig farm is a producer, not a reseller. ;P

- Marty Lund

 

[Mallus]

If Walmart bullies manufacturers into selling their products for unsustainable prices and manufacturing jobs are lost, what of it? Who cares if rivers are poisoned by the untreated waste runoff from factory pig farms in North Carolina? I got to save money, didn't I?

What does this have to do with whether you buy a (mass market, corporate) retail item from an independent, niche hobby retailer or off of Amazon again?