TheAlkaizer
Game Designer 🇨🇦
So one thing that I realized over the last few years is that it kind of sucks to buy RPG products in Canada. For the large games, it's not an issue. D&D, Pathfinder, Free League go through large-scale established distributors and make it to physical stores. You go to the store, there's price, you buy it.
However, for all the rest, we often have to buy from american or european stores. There's not that many webstores in Canada, especially for smaller products (OSR, zines, less popular games). I'd say more than half my purchase turn out three to four times pricier because of currency exchange, shipping and duties.
My mind has been circling the idea of starting my own webstore focused on the canadian market, and potentially opening it to the american market when the current madness ends.
I've done some research, but I realized that I am not sure if the RPG industry works the same others do. Traditionally, the retailers will buy products from the developer or their distributor, store it, and then sell it and ship it over time. Is it the same thing with RPGs? If I wanted to stock some zine coming out, would I contact the creator, buy a batch of them, store them in my living room then ship them out? Would I have to invest in a starting stock of products to launch the store? The answer is obviously yes with larger products. But I don't know how the rest of the market works.
I figured that some people here could have some experience on either end.
However, for all the rest, we often have to buy from american or european stores. There's not that many webstores in Canada, especially for smaller products (OSR, zines, less popular games). I'd say more than half my purchase turn out three to four times pricier because of currency exchange, shipping and duties.
My mind has been circling the idea of starting my own webstore focused on the canadian market, and potentially opening it to the american market when the current madness ends.
I've done some research, but I realized that I am not sure if the RPG industry works the same others do. Traditionally, the retailers will buy products from the developer or their distributor, store it, and then sell it and ship it over time. Is it the same thing with RPGs? If I wanted to stock some zine coming out, would I contact the creator, buy a batch of them, store them in my living room then ship them out? Would I have to invest in a starting stock of products to launch the store? The answer is obviously yes with larger products. But I don't know how the rest of the market works.
I figured that some people here could have some experience on either end.
