My first trip to a FLGS in years: State of the Hobby?

[darjr]

I'm so envious!

 

[johndesmarais]

5e may not put a lot of books on shelves, but it's doing a pretty good job of putting gamers at tables!

Is it generating sales for the store?

 

[darjr]

Is it generating sales for the store?

It is at the stores around here. They wouldn't carry it other wise.

In fact there is a bit of a competition between stores to get good DM's to go to theirs. I hadn't noticed till one of the guys at one of the stores I run at asked me about switching to another store.

 

[Blue]

Well, my local FLGS closed because they couldn't compete with Amazon. Actual RPG inventory was ridiculously undercut online that they moved little of it and couldn't afford to invest in stock. CCGs sold okay as long as they had space and allocated resources to advertising+running regular & special events. But even there, he'd tell me of running a Yu-Gi-Oh event and barely selling anything and spending half an hour cleaning up trash they left. They branched out into used video games as an additional draw, something that Amazon wouldn't be directly undercutting them on, but it didn't have enough turn-over.

My current FLGS isn't really a gaming "store". It's a pay-per-seat place to game that schedules and runs RPGs. DMs are free plus get a ticket to play for free for a day when they run. When something new comes out they'll take orders for whomever wants it and buy those through their distributor, but carrying inventory isn't their focus. They also sell food/drink, but at $1 a pop for anything, not theater prices. Thy got an article about them by the AL: http://dndadventurersleague.org/spotlight-nn-adventuring-company/

But even though it's a lot cheaper then going to the movies, gamers still don't like to pay to play. $7 for the seat all day, cheaper in bulk. Tables, soundproofing, walls of minis for use, an enforced code-of-conduct so they can keep it friendly and inviting, even a Fantasy Grounds setup with a bg TV for mixed groups or that like to use it to help run. Good place.

 

[Tony Vargas]

Is it generating sales for the store?

Not of D&D books, so much (I often hear players saying they got their PH on amazon, and only DMs need the APs). Santa Clara County is a high-rent area, so every FLGS charges to play. Isle applies the full amount to store credit, though, so they /are/ selling something, even if it's just snacks or dice or whatever players decide to use that credit on. Actually, they held out longer than most, all through the Encounters program (which started in 2010), at Illusive before they opened the separate location, it was no charge, so I guess they were moving enough on the games side of the store to keep doing it, and eventually expand by opening Isle of Gamers.

 

[johndesmarais]

Not of D&D books, so much (I often hear players saying they got their PH on amazon, and only DMs need the APs). Santa Clara County is a high-rent area, so every FLGS charges to play. Isle applies the full amount to store credit, though, so they /are/ selling something, even if it's just snacks or dice or whatever players decide to use that credit on. Actually, they held out longer than most, all through the Encounters program (which started in 2010), at Illusive before they opened the separate location, it was no charge, so I guess they were moving enough on the games side of the store to keep doing it, and eventually expand by opening Isle of Gamers.

The Amazon thing is kind of what I suspected - it is kind of the bane of game stores right now as its hard to compete with that deep of a price cut (and still pay your rent). I suppose its good that the pay for play thing is working for them, but based on what I've seen in my area it won't work here (the few shops that have tried it all failed). Id love to find a way to encourage more RPGs sales at our local stores - as it might encourage them to carry more product that interests me - but finding a way to do so is the challenge.

 

[jimmifett]

Thats about average for an FLGS with tight profits. Thats what is popular and sells. I typically see 5 types of FLGS: Card game heavy (magic, yugioh, pokemon, etc), GW-heavy (or warmachines), Top Popular Fast Sellers (dnd, PF, SW RPG, Xwing, Armada, top board games), and lastly, Game Heavens that have everything and then some.

Each type has a different audience to stay profitable. There is some overlap. I have 1 of each minimum in my neck of the woods, I frequent one of the Game Heaven types most often. MSRP Prices, but they have damn near everything I could want and will order anything they don't have. This is the toughest business to run bc you will have lots of inventory just sitting for long periods of time. It takes great customer service and active engagement to make it in this type, and my flgs excels at this.

 

[aramis erak]

I'm a gamer who doesn't get to game much anymore. It's been more years than I'd like since I've been able to game with any regularity, thanks to a variety of personal and professional happenings keeping me busy. I still hope to get back to regular gaming "one of these days". (Cynically, I sometimes think it won't be until retirement, but I hope not)

However, I still do think of myself as a gamer, and when I get the chance while travelling I sometimes duck in at a local FLGS.

Today I stopped in at one for the first time in roughly two years. What I saw was disheartening, and it makes me wonder if it's typical for a FLGS now, or was this just a particularly weak one.

The store billed itself as a place for comics and games. I'm not a comics guy, I can't comment on its quality there other than to say it looked about like every other comics shop I've ever looked at. It had a wall of board games with an okay selection of advanced board games. . .but with regards to tabletop RPG's and miniatures it was rather disappointing.

For its entire tabletop RPG section, it had a shelf of D&D, which was to say a couple of copies each of the 5e PHB, MM and DMG, and about a half-dozen other 5e supplement books and one starter box set, and it had a shelf with a Pathfinder box set, the Pathfinder core book, and again about a half dozen or so hardcover supplements. Then there was a third shelf with a few supplements (but no core book) for a Doctor Who RPG, a lone copy of a Firefly RPG book, and a starter box for the current Star Wars RPG. . .and that was it for RPG's. I was rather shocked, I figured an actual gaming store would have more, unless there's no more out there anymore.

For miniatures, they had a decent selection of X-Wing and Star Wars: Armada minis. . .and that was it, no other minis of any kind for sale (not even HeroClix, which I found odd for a comics-heavy store, unless that game is on the decline too). They had a box of boosters for the current Magic: The Gathering expansion by the register, and that was it for CCG's. There was actually a decent selection of dice under the glass of the front counter though.

So, for a lapsed gamer looking back on the hobby with an eye towards getting back to gaming one of these days, was this a typical FLGS now and reflective of the current state of the hobby. . .or was this a comic store with a small gaming sideline that was substantially exaggerating when it billed itself as a place for both comics and games?

Sadly, it's "Kinda typical" in that it's the mean (average)... but it's not typical of true game stores.

NB: when I speak of linear feet, that means measuring a shelf with about 12"-18" of clearance.

Let's take 6 I'm familiar with...

• Bosco's Comics, Main Store, Spenard, Alaska: 2000+ sf floor space of store, about 600 sf of play space, 15 linear feet of demo games shelves, about 600 sf of mixed board and RPG gaming, about 600 sf of sportscards and memorabilia, and 300 sf of videogames, 200 sf of other collectibles, about 800 sf of comics. The RPG shelves are about 80 lft of shelves, and stocking cores for about 20 RPGs, and supplements for most of them, plus RPG battlemats and accessories. About 1000 lft of boardgames on shelves, and about 200 of CCG's and LCGs.
• Boscos Comics Diamond Store, Anchorage, Alaska. About 1200 sq ft, about 100 lft and 100 sqft for RPGs, cores & supplements for Traveller, Pathfinder, D&D 5, FFG star wars, Rifts and a couple lesser known anime games, about 200 lft of boardgames, scattered above the comics trays throughout the store, collectibles likewise.
• Matts Comics, Corvallis Oregon. abotu 1400 sf of store space, about 1500 sf of play space/warehouse. Of the store, about 50 lf of RPG's, the equivalent of 400 lf of boardgames, and comic trays running 40'x10'. The Used Games room is about 400sf, and has about 30 lf stacked to 5' high. The Play space is 65% of the warehouse, the demo collection is about 10% of it, stacked 5' high, and the warehouse portion itself is walled off with non-functioning videogame consoles (which may be functional, but are not turned on.) Note that Matts has a second store in Albany, but I've never been there.
• Pegasus Games, Corvallis, Oregon. Maybe 500 sf. RPGs: 15 linear feet; Pathfinder gets 10 of that, D&D 2, Traveller and Star Wars 1.5 each. CCGs get the equivalent of 10 lft. Warhammer gets most of it. The "Organized play space" is a single diner corner booth left from when the shop was the diner attached to the greyhound station (the bus station is still next door). Owner is argumentative and, in the 20 minutes I was there, drove away 10 customers, counting myself. while making one sale. Not typical, IME, but representative. He's rabid in his fandom of Pathfinder and Warhammer 40K.
• Trump's Hobbies, Corvallis, Oregon. Primarily a general hobby store 50 lf of RPGs in a single, sparsely filled, not refilled since 1998 or so pair of TSR racks. Still has NIS Dragonlance 5th Age and the original Blue Planet... about 100 lft of shelved boardgames, pretty current. About 15 lft of CCG's and LCGs.
• Hobbycraft, Diamond Center, Anchorage, Alaska. 200 lft of RPGs, 1000 lf of boardgames and wargames. RPG's include D&D5, Pathfinder, FFG Star Wars, GURPS, and a few others with both cores and supplements. Selection has high overlap in D&D, PF, and FFGSW with Bosco's DC, which is about about 100m down the hall. Staff are mostly models and trains afficionados, but the manager is a gamer, and keeps the gaming stock fairly current. The tax sales are often pretty good.

At Boscos (either), Hobbycraft, and Matts, anything they don't have that you want, they'll order if you prepay. Boscos and Matts both also have pullboxes, and will do games in pullboxes, too. Boscos and Matt's also do mail order happily.
There's two more, that I've been to only a few times.

• Guardian Games, Portland, Oregon. RPG section is about 500 SF with about 500 lft of RPGs. (2x 15x15 bays with 7 shelves.) 3+ such bays for boardgames. Restaurant in store. several thousand SF of gaming space. Loaning library of boardgames. Knowledgeable staff.
• The Comic Shop, Fairbanks, Alaska. Same kind of selection as Boscos main store. Similar SF, but I don't know if they have a play area or not. Friends tell me that the selection is still current, and still thriving. (and that the employee who is the reason I walked out last time is no longer even allowed in.)

Guardian is one of the largest in the nation. Absolutely astonishing. went in late (after 9pm), and there were a dozen people browsing, not counting myself. Parking is a nightmare by day, so the two times I've driven past in the day, the lot was full...

 

[MichaelSomething]

Remember that FLGS are totally a dice roll. At least some of them are run by gamers who don't know how to run a business well...

 

[ccs]

Is it generating sales for the store?

Yes.