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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Loki3" data-source="post: 1144565" data-attributes="member: 14515">Well this is from someone who has owned one Hobby Shop and recently a dedicated Gaming Shop. Here is what I learned.Gamers are fickel. You will have to carry a large selection of product but not alot of one type. And to the person who said Large Customer count doesnt equal Large sales is 1000000 percent right plus or minus 1 percent. !! Be prepared to RUN the business the life of a game shop owner isnt gaming its ordering, cleaning, stocking, and most importantly and sometimes most hardest of all is keeping track of whats new and whats coming so you can keep your customers abrest of whats coming, and also YOU HAVE TO KNOW what your customers are talking about. Become knowledgable in all but not a master of any......... know your product at least to the point where you can talk turkey with them in a relativley competant way.Also, LISTEN but dont listen too carefully, yes I just counterdicted myself. What I mean is this. If 2 customers come in and say hey we play game X and you dont have game X, DONT just go out and order it for the store. Instead have a solid Special Order system, usually in most states you can have X in 2-3 days, so offer those that want X, the chance to order it. Or make a set day or days your order days. I ordered Mon, Wed, and Fri. That way I had rotating stock coming in on Mon, Wed, and Fri.Both shops were failures. The hobby shop becuase I opened it the day before 9-11 and the economy dumped thereafter, plus I was new to it and made all and I mean all the classic mistakes. But the second was in a good area, good traffic and I feel I did everything correct,............well most everything. Except get Insurance (see below)Still failed. Ya see one of the problems ya will run into is that we gamers are loyal, and if there is a gamers store close by that they have been using you have to offer something they dont.Some suggestions.1. Wargaming tables. Have lots of them and supply some misc basic terrain.2. General table, 8' standard folding leg tables work great have alot of them.3. A pop machine, this is a NEEDED staple.4. Have sanctioned play there. Start a Magic & YuGiOh league.5. Have tournaments. this draws people.6. Offer raffles once a month I did this and it was profitable and fun.7. Use the pop bottle return money to fund once a month something for the gamers.Also, product. Like I said above you need to have a decent selection, but dont carry too much of any one thing. I sold a ton of D20 stuff, but I rarely had more than 2 of any book. Have alot of consumables like Dice, Deck holders, Card sleeves, Paper and Pens I made a good margin off of this stuff and sold a ton of it.LOCATION. This is a key, along with that HAVE A ADVERTISING BUDGET. You will need to advertise you are opening soon, I suggest once you get the building you will have 1-2 months before you are ready to open, start advertising get the word out. Make flyers up and pass them out at games, tell your friends, etc,...... announce it on boards like <a href="http://www.goblinsgames.com" target="_blank">www.goblinsgames.com</a> if no one knows your opening then no one will come to ya, and if yu can get them into your shop and they can see you offer something fun and something the other guy doesnt then you will have return customers hopefully.Also get Insured. Get a good alarm system, PROTECT what you have. I didnt and I got broke into and they took enough to out me out of business.So good luck, and dont listen to anyone that tells you not to. Have the balls to do what you dream of. I dont regret opening what I did, and I look back at it as a great experience. Yes I dont own them anymore and yes it cost me alot of money, but I DID wat others just TALK about. And had alot of fun while it lasted.</blockquote>

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