Any FLGS owners/managers out there?

[scourger]

The best game stores I've been in have several features noted here. Open late. Gaming area--preferably separate from the retail area to allow separate closings. Some diversification. If it were me, I'd focus on games. I'd carry traditional types like regular card decks, casino mats (felt), chess, checkers, etc. for the non-RPG types who come in looking for a more traditional type of game. Go with what you know. In addition to various RPGs, I love Monopoly. I would carry all types of Monopoly and perhaps even run store tournaments.

But there is one very, very important factor not yet mentioned. KEEP YOUR GAME STORE CLEAN! I've identified a distinct odor that many game (& hobby) stores share (with some gamers, too! Just go to GenCon.). Choose a clean building or space to begin with and KEEP IT CLEAN. Don't rent a place on the cheap only to be surprised by the horrid smell when the roof leaks, the place floods, the AC breaks, or anything else. Cleanliness is very important for shoppers, particularly those that are just buying for their beloved gamers.

Also, consider getting a cat. People love cats. My wife, who isn't a gamer, now asks me to make weekly trips to a local hobby store where they have adopted a cat. Unfortunately, the place only carries a few minis that interest me. But, guess where I've bought all my minis recently. (But remember to keep the cat's contribution to the store clean. Scoop the litter daily and change it weekly. Keep the food out of sight. Preferably, let the cat out for feeding & other bodily functions.)

Good luck with the endeavor.

 

[sparxmith]

Where in KC sparxmith we're you thinking of putting a store? Living in Lenexa for example I have 3 game stores all of them equidistant from my humble little padat about 3 blocks away each (one north, one south, and one east). A gamestore in the Northland perhaps?

I'm considering one in Gladstone along N. Oak Trafficway, or on Barry Rd near I-29. (I'd like to put one in the new Boardwalk that's been built, but at $10/sq. ft. cost is prohibitive.)

Thanks for all of the suggestions. To address the cleanliness issue, I've got that one under control. I work for the number 3 pizza chain in America. One of the ways we beat up on the number 1 and 2 guys is buy maintaining a higher level of storefront attractiveness. This is something that I emminently understand.

Currently, I'm 25 years old, and have no family. So for me, running a game store full time (even very late into the evenings) wouldn't be a problem. If could do it for a pizza joint, I can do it for D&D and Magic. Depending on profitability, I'd probably only have 1 part-time employee the first few months. My only real concern with that is that I'd get burned out. The fact that it's my hobby makes me optimistic in thinking that I won't; however, too much of anything can be bad for you. Any thoughts?

Here are my thoughts on the different products/categories suggested. If you disagree with my thoughts, feel free to explain.

CCG's and CCG tournaments: I'm an avid Magic: the Gathering fan, and I think any FLGS that doesn't carry Magic/Yu-Gi-Oh/Next Big Thing singles is missing out on a serious oppurtunity. And as several people have suggested, I'd be running tournaments regularly. I'm from Louisiana originally, and in Baton Rouge there was as store that would hold a sanctioned draft tournament anytime they had 8 players who wanted to play. I really liked that. (I'm also already working on becoming a certified DCI judge.)

Computers: I like the computer idea. Setting up a LAN and running computer game tournaments doesn't sound like a bad idea. Though I'm sure this will change, any suggestions on games? (I'm not an avid computer gamer. I still play on a MUD :\ )

D&D and d20: Obviously a large selection of books is mandatory, and having the latest books in stock on a regular basis would lead to repeat customers. I will definitely provide a room or two for playing home games, as well as running several of my own.

Comics: I'm not really sold on comics. I'm not a comic book fan, so I may just be biased. I know that for those who collect comics, it's as important to them as D&D and Magic are to me, but I'd have to: a) learn the comic trade or b) hire someone who already knows it. I'm not terribly interested in A or B.

Fiction Books: One of the stores I used to go to had as large a collection of Sci-Fi and Fantasy novels as it did of anything else. I became a Heinlein fan because they carried all of his books. In the course of 6 months, I bought every book Heinlein ever wrote.

Thanx for all the input!

Sparxmith

 

[Chun-tzu]

I work for the number 3 pizza chain in America.

Here are my thoughts on the different products/categories suggested.

OK, now there are a number of reasons this idea probably wouldn't work, but I think a gaming store/pizzeria would be pretty awesome. Seriously.

 

[thalmin]

If you aren't interested in comics, don't put them in.
Another popular diversification is anime videos (although we don't carry them, either.) If you have an interest in them, they are readily availabel from several game distributors, like Gameboard or Alliance.

About the cat, remember that some people are allergic.

A warning about getting burned out. In our earlier days, when I first took over as manager of Games Plus and was putting in 90+ hours a week at the store, the last thing I wanted to do in my free time was play a game. Selling games, talking games, ordering games and demoing games all day, I needed to get as far from games as I could in my limited spare time. (When I got more free time, I started enjoying playing again.)

Order from more than 1 distributor on a regular basis, at least once a week each. There is too much new product to let more than a couple of days go by between shipments. But don't let the orders get so small that you don't make minimums. The reasons for multiple distributors, more product choices and less at the mercy of their out-of-stocks.
Choose distributors that can deliver quickly, next day if possible. (We are lucky enough in the Chicago area to have 3 distributors who deliver next day for us: Blackhawk, ACD, and Alliance Midwest.) Frequent orders allow us to stock most items only 1 or 2 deep, except new items, so we can stock a wide selection. YMMV.

Contact GAMA, the Game Manufacturers Association. Their Retail Division is set up to help new and perspective stores. Also get a retailers copy of Games Quarterly catalog. In the back they list all the manufacturers, distributors, and other vendors you will need to work with.

Good luck. It isn't going to be easy, and you will work long and hard, but you will meet some of the best and most interesting people.

 

[Zulithe]

Hello, I'm from the South Kansas City area (I live in Grandview but recently lived in Belton as well), over the last 10 years that I've lived here, I've seen 3 go out of business. 4 if you count a sports-card shop that also sold Magic.

As a customer I think you should try to provide as much as your space would allow, and as much variety as possible. RPGs, CCGs, Computer gaming and war gaming being the biggest areas. I really believe that for a store like this to be successful it must fit the needs of several niche groups, because generally the audiences seem small -- with the exception of computer gaming. With a little advertising that place could be packed if the location is right. There is a used bookstore in Belton that is not a far walk from the High School, me and my friends used to walk there all the time since they held Magic tournaments and sold lots of single cards. I even met some game developers from Thunder Castle Games there (based here in KC if it still exists) and got to playtest their Towers In Time and Highlander card games. Things like that kept me coming back.

I also buy LOTS of comics and we don't have a lot of shops in the area anymore so maybe keep that in the back of your mind, consider it but the problem is that they take up lots of space and while the customer base is not that big, the people that do buy comics usually buy TONS, I can testify to that!

About animals in your store, I know that it makes it seem very homey and all to some people, but personally I find that I tend to trip over them since the store owners seem to not watch the animals very closely, or they jump up onto the tables begging to be petted when you're more intersted in reading the flavor text on the back of a product. I see it more as just "one more thing" to worry about when you're really trying to get your business off the ground and build customer loyalty. Safest bet is no. Don't take this like I hate animals though, I have a very cuddly cat of my own at home

Discounts can really make the difference when there are rival stores in the area, what customer doesn't love those? Not to mention that more and more gamers buy their stuff from places like amazon.com which often give 30% or more off on every item! You're not expected to give those kind of discounts but even a little goes a long way. One of the shops that went out of business a few years ago is one that I bought comics at for about 7 years. I was there every week like clockwork and spent $150-250 a month there between comics, trade paperbacks and gaming stuff. I was never offered a discount. Not once!

Just one customer's thoughts!