D&D and D20 at Walmart?!?

[Wulf Ratbane]

I hope Wulf is getting his rightful cut on that deeply-discounted HoHF book.

Wow. I had no idea.

For the record, I make the same amount off of every book, regardless of what the end users (you folks) pay for it. Technically, my customer is the distributor, and my price to them is always the same. (Again, technically, it can vary if the book skips the "distributor" tier and goes direct to the retailer, as it does in the case of Amazon or Waldenbooks, and as it probably does in the case of Wal-Mart).

All things being even, I would much rather support the FLGS. Unless and until Wal-Mart also stocks paints, miniatures, battle mats, and lets me and my buds hang out in the garden department and play D&D on their picnic tables all day.

On the other hand, I also happen to be a gamer in addition to a publisher. I understand the lure of lower prices, and on top of that I hate not seeing the product I want in stock. Now, speaking again as a publisher here, I can't fault a customer for purchasing from Amazon, Waldenbooks, or even Wal-Mart if the retailer doesn't have the good sense to stock my products.

End result: Support your local game store whenever possible. Ask them to please carry Bad Axe products.

Wulf

 

[ced1106]

I doubt the local Walmart will stock the D&D core books, but even if they did, it's even more doubtful they'd stock anything beyond that. d20 material drives core sales, but core sales drive d20 products. In other words, once a new roleplayer picks up a core book at Walmart, he's going to look for more stuff. Where? At the FLGS. I also assume the sort of shopper at Walmart (eg. older relative looking for a game for the nephew) does't go into a FLGS, anyway.

Remember when Toys R Us stocked Magic cards? Wow, that blew away game stores right and left.


Cedric.
aka. Washu! ^O^

 

[maddman75]

Thanks for the thought, but I live in a small town. The nearest game store is Castle Perilous in Carbondale, and it rocks. Back room for games, friendly knowledgeable gamer employees, tons of selection. But its over an hour there. Way too far to drive regularly.

 

[Quickbeam]

Those are pretty good prices, especially the Herosof High Favor books.

Yep, and I was looking to acquire the HoHF: Elves book in the very near future. It's still likely that I'll use one of my local gaming stores, but having other options at my disposal isn't a bad thing.

 

[KenM]

I live on Cape Cod, the nearest game store is an hour drive, one way. It would be nice if walmart carried this stuff. There is one game store out here, but all they do is card games.

 

[Henry]

I just find it amusing that half of the stuff for sale is stuff that has been out of print for years, and has a "temporarily unavailable" on the item!

"We can e-mail you when it becomes available...."

 

[Mystic Eye]

I wish they had fewer 2e books. And they are out of stock for Beyond the Walls? Dang them! Dang them!

And I wish they'd say which Van Ritchen's guides those are. They list two of them, so it can't be the same book.

There out of stock becuase Beyond the Walls shipped from the printer today!

I was absolutely amazed to see our entire line for sale at Wal Mart. Heck, even our oldest stuff and with big discounts. I am amazed they are offering those steep discounts on the older stuff.

If any one asks in we are in the mass market I can say yes now! Heheh.

 

[Lela]

Remember when Toys R Us stocked Magic cards? Wow, that blew away game stores right and left.

Well I still see Star Wars, Poke'mon, and other fad card games at Toys R Us. They don't have much though and all the kids in my area actully seem to be playing Yu-Gi-Oh!

They get thier stuff from the ULGS though. They'd be happy to leave that glary-eyed condisending meanie for about any other shop that sells the product. They just need to find one within biking distance. Myself, I drive 20 min to a different shop in another city when I want something. That or B. Daltan (10 min drive) for when I want a WotC (and WotC only) book.

That said, I've found quite a few WotC D20 products at Media Play. I don't go there because of a history of bad customer service and general rudness though. I've found that to be true of most Media Play stores and have taken my business elsewhere.

 

[MEG Hal]

I wish they had fewer 2e books. And they are out of stock for Beyond the Walls? Dang them! Dang them!

And I wish they'd say which Van Ritchen's guides those are. They list two of them, so it can't be the same book.

It says out of stock because they have not received any yet, still getting to the distributor . Keep an eye out for that to change in the next 2-3 weeks (for them to get it in).

 

[Dungannon]

Well I still see Star Wars, Poke'mon, and other fad card games at Toys R Us. They don't have much though and all the kids in my area actully seem to be playing Yugi'ouh (sp? I actually want someone to tell me this time).

Yu-Gi-Oh! is the correct spelling.