My FLGS just put 4E on 50% off discount

[ggroy]

Since that's a book remainder outlet, that means it was dumped by one of the big book stores (BN, Borders, etc). I would imagine that they have a policy of clearing out the warehouse after a certain period.

Wonder if their policy is to clear out books older than 9 months old. The 4E D&D titles listed on that EBay store (bookoutlet2) only goes up to Primal Power from October 2009.

 

[Ulrick]

So, as the subject more than implies, my FLGS gave all non-PHB, DMG, and MM books a 50%-off clearance sale on Wednesday.

Also, D&D Encounters is down from 4 tables plus subs if someone can't show up to one table, which includes 1-2 people who used to be DMs.

*snip*

Store owner blames a downturn in the RPG market plus typical WotC stupidity plus schools out for summer.

*snip*

Something similar happened at my FLGS awhile back. They had loads of the accessory books for sale: 20 MMIIs, 15 PHBII, a bunch of duplicates of modules, etc. I thought 4e was tanking for sure, but then I noticed the core books were not on sale. And so I asked what was going on.

Basically, whenever a gaming store orders from WotC, they must buy a certain amount of "extras" with what they are ordering. A hypothetical example would, if a store wanted to buy 10 PHBs, WotC would make them purchase 5 PHB3s too as part of the agreement.

And it the end, only a finite amount of the extra stuff will sale at regular price. So, discounts are method of getting rid of the extra stock before it costs the store even more money in taxes.

 

[Reynard]

Oh no! I accidentally committed a GAMER HATE CRIME. I guess I better leave the hobby, and the forums, in shame! Or, you could, well, take rod A out of slot B and realize that I'm not bashing GAMERS, I'm bashing a GAMING STORE.

Actually you're not. You're pulling the same "gamers are smelly, oblivious mouth breathers" BS that non-gamers pull and I think it is reprehensible -- especially so as a gamer.

See, you didn't say there was this one guy at the game store who was like this -- yes, we all have experience these people. What you said was the game store made the poor choice of putting the games near people that actually played them, so you had no choice but be in the same space as those vermin.

You can pretend you are being clever or targeting the store or whatever, but the fact is you are insulting the members of your own community in the worst way: by subjecting them to the stereotype of the other that we, gamers, have had to deal with for a very long time.

Perhaps you are a new gamer and you don't remember what the post "scare", pre "geek chic" years were like. If that's the case, I would caution you to use more tact when describing members of your own community. If that's not the case, I am simply calling you out on it, because it is entirely inappropriate.

 

[Fifth Element]

You should be thankful you have a FLGS owner who knows at least a little bit about running a business. So many game stores refuse to put anything on discount, ever. Old, slow-moving inventory should be marked down to whatever you can get for it, regardless of how much it cost you originally, in order to free up space and capital for newer inventory. I've seen too many places with 3.5 stuff from 2004 that's been sitting on the shelf since that year, still at its original cover price.

 

[AllisterH]

Wow...

Waiting over 9 months to put stuff on discount that hasn't been moving?

It's been a while since I took small business classes but wasn't the standard for retail NOT to hold onto anything for more than 6 months that isn't constantly re-ordered?

Given that storage costs money, would it be wrong to assume that many a FLGS woes can be traced to being packrats?

As an aside, it's also why M:TG is so retailer friendly...You pretty much blow through your stock and even if you have sets that no-longer are T2-legal, you will STILL get people buying cards for Extended...

The only set I've seen just SIT on a retail shelf and never move was Homelands.

 

[samursus]

Since that's a book remainder outlet, that means it was dumped by one of the big book stores (BN, Borders, etc). I would imagine that they have a policy of clearing out the warehouse after a certain period.

Not completely the same, but last year or so, when trying to find a D&D book at Chapters (Canadian big box bookstore) they told me what D&D stuff they had was behind the counter. Surprised I asked why and he told me they were being stolen! and that Chapters (maybe only their store?) was going to stop carrying them for that reason. Haven't been back since to see if that actually happened.

 

[Agamon]

Not completely the same, but last year or so, when trying to find a D&D book at Chapters (Canadian big box bookstore) they told me what D&D stuff they had was behind the counter. Surprised I asked why and he told me they were being stolen! and that Chapters (maybe only their store?) was going to stop carrying them for that reason. Haven't been back since to see if that actually happened.

Hey Reynard, gamers are thieves!

*rimshot*

 

[ggroy]

Basically, whenever a gaming store orders from WotC, they must buy a certain amount of "extras" with what they are ordering. A hypothetical example would, if a store wanted to buy 10 PHBs, WotC would make them purchase 5 PHB3s too as part of the agreement.

Interesting.

Bundling an evergreen title (ie. PHB1, etc ...) with some non-evergreen titles, and selling it as a package to retailers. If the non-evergreen titles don't sell as well, I can see why they would force direct orders to have a certain amount of "extras" which would otherwise be collecting dust in a warehouse.

At one gaming store in town, I've seen once on their "shipping day" (ie. when all the new stuff arrives), big boxes full of D&D books of the same title or two. It looked like one of these boxes could hold 15 to 20 D&D hardcover books.

 

[Mistwell]

You know, for all the proclamations of WotC to the contrary, it's pretty undeniable that the retailers do behave as if product is being phased out and overstock cleared as if there was no need to sell it competitively.

We don't see similar behave from most retailers, and yet you claim these two retailers (one of whom is also having issues with Paizo sales also, the other which sells used books) proves a "pretty undeniable" fact about all retailers?

I'm denying it.

While their prices are good, they are for used books. For example, that particular book you linked to has this description:

"Like New: A book that looks new but has been read; Condition: Good; Other notes: Books may have remainder mark."

Some other D&D books they sell have this description:

"Acceptable: A book with obvious wear. May have some damage to the cover but integrity still intact. The binding may be slightly damaged but integrity is still intact. Possible writing in margins, possible underlining and highlighting of text, but no missing pages or anything that would compromise the legibility or understanding of the text. See the seller’s listing for full details and description of any imperfections; Other notes: Books may have remainder mark."

In other words, that store is selling returned books, not new books, and that is why they are discounted. They've always done that.

 

[AngryMojo]

At one gaming store in town, I've seen once on their "shipping day" (ie. when all the new stuff arrives), big boxes full of D&D books of the same title or two. It looked like one of these boxes could hold 15 to 20 D&D hardcover books.

Likely that store is going through a distributor like Alliance or Blackhawk instead of directly through WotC. You don't get as large a discount that way, but you have much more flexibility in your ordering.