Flying off the shelves!

[Alzrius]

Sigh, maybe I am wasting my time trying to convince people that massive discounting is bad but it's still something I feel strongly about.

[...]

I'm sorry I keep sounding like a broken record on this but it's just something I feel strongly about. Like I've said before, I don't take it personally if people buy from massive discounters I just want people to think about it.

I wouldn't say it's a waste of time. I was seriously considering buying the revised Core Rulebooks off of the internet (or at Wal-Mart) when I saw some of the massive discounting for them. But when I read such a huge outpouring of heartfelt concern for how that would affect FLGS's, I decided against it. I'll be buying the 3.5E books from my FLGS now, despite the fact that it'll be more expensive to do so.

 

[Felon]

Re: Re: Flying off the shelves!

You have to remember, EN World is not a good representation gaming community by a long shot. We are spoiled elitists who have access to too much info and ego's bigger the Hell Hound's RPG collection. We complain and argue with the people who actually write and publish the books, thinking that somehow we know better then they do.

Lol, I just gotta chime in and say what a high-sounding load of ballocks that is, Crothian. A little perspective is in order.

I keep hearing this "we don't represent gamers" bit, and it never fails to make me wonder where this attitude comes from. It implies that our opinions aren't worth so much because we're so completely out of touch with the "average" gamer. What is this based on? How are we so different exactly, except in that we're more focused on the game as a hobby? While we're posting on this messageboard, are they all off attending cotillions or monster truck rallies? Are they shagging supermodels or working on the cure for cancer or smoking crack pipes while we kibitz here? I tend to doubt any of that is the case.

You know what? I think the average gamer probably knows about as many lines from Monty Python and the Holy Grail or Spaceballs as I do.

As for our daring to criticize those great and wise beings who write and publish game products, I hardly think that makes us more elitist than someone who walks out of the latest Eddie Murphy movie thinking "what a steaming load of crap". I seriously don't think Daddy Day Care was just a case of misunderstood genius.

 

[ForceUser]

Hey Wil,

I know you mean well but I just can't ignore the things that damage one of my favorite hobbies and frankly this is one of them.

Yes, I own a games and comics store but that is the reason I even have this perspective. Sigh, maybe I am wasting my time trying to convince people that massive discounting is bad but it's still something I feel strongly about. All I want people to do is think about the consequences of supporting massive discounting and the damage it can cause over the long run.

Massive discounting use to be a "fact of life" for a while for comics and that's something I know intimately about as well.

I'm sorry I keep sounding like a broken record on this but it's just something I feel strongly about. Like I've said before, I don't take it personally if people buy from massive discounters I just want people to think about it.

~Derek

I guess I don't understand what the problem is with "massive discounting." I preordered my trio of 3.5 books off Amazon and saved around 30 bucks, I think. I can understand why a FLGS would rather have my business, but how is this bad for the hobby?

 

[TalonComics]

I guess I don't understand what the problem is with "massive discounting." I preordered my trio of 3.5 books off Amazon and saved around 30 bucks, I think. I can understand why a FLGS would rather have my business, but how is this bad for the hobby?

Basically, it's like this:
FLGS make it possible for small press companies to sell their books easily and readily, they provide a place to play and try out new games via demos, and with those demos can provide direct results of those demos to both publishers and distributors. FLGSs get much of their bread and butter sales from the mainstream products like the books WotC puts out.
When retailers lose those kind of sales they then don't have the extra money to carry small press books or in some cases they just give up on carrying RPGs altogether as they figure no one is going to buy them anyway. So, when the FLGS goes the small press publishers are left with trying to sell their wares via only the internet and games that have the potential to be the next Magic: the Gathering or Clix game never get a chance as the grass roots support of FLGSs are gone.
I want to see gaming thrive and evolve well into the future and as a player, whether I own a store or not, I want a place I can hang out and try new games. Just today we played several games of the new WizKids's Shadowrun Clix game. I would have never even seen the game without a store and therefore as a gamer I would have missed out.

So, in a nutshell, when FLGSs close because they lost money to massive discounters, gamers and publishers everwhere lose as well.

I know not all gaming stores are great places to be and not all of them are friendly. Use your best judgement when it comes to that.

~D

 

[Gog]

Well, and of course this is just my opinion, the reason I think that buying from Amazon, Wal-Mart. Borders etc. is bad (even if you save money) is this.

The local game store is a place where I do more than just buy stuff. I hang out, there play games there, learn new games there to quote the owner of the store I went to in Phoenix "This is Cheers, it's a place where everybody knows your name and they are always glad you came. I can't really get that from Amazon.

An example is, I wanted to learn to play Warhammer 40K, so I went up to the FLGS and asked some of the guys I had meet there and not only did they show me how, they let me use a couple of there armies so I could see which one I liked. I didn't spend a dime in the guys store at that time, in the 20 plus hours I spent trying out the different types, I couldn’t do that at Wal-Mart.

Shopping at a FLGS is kind of a "thing" for me though it falls into my category of shop at mom and pop places as much as possible. Yeah it'll cost a little more but, you'll probably get better service, and while the selection might not be as large, get to know the owner and they'll probably order what you want.

Another perk of the FLGS is that I doubt Borders, would give you a copy of a book free just cause they knew you really wanted it but couldn't afford it right then.

 

[ThirdWizard]

I used to shop at the FLGS, but then it went out of business and now there is no place to go to. Actually, the one in my hometown and the one where I go to college went out of business, so my options dissapeared in both areas and all that is left to me is to either order online or go to a franchise outlet like Borders. So, I order online.

Good memories of the FLGS, without it I wouldn't have played as much D&D as I got to.

 

[Etan Moonstar]

Me, I get the mainstream/expensive books (read: $30-$40 books from WotC) from Amazon, and use the money I saved with the 30% discount to buy more stuff from Derek. (At least, I used to before we moved so I could attend grad school and ended up spending the past year with my wife completely unemployed ; on the other hand, Derek can expect a huge catch-up order once she does find a job ).

Edit: Removed a stray parenthesis. =P

 

[megamania]

Well, and of course this is just my opinion, the reason I think that buying from Amazon, Wal-Mart. Borders etc. is bad (even if you save money) is this.

The local game store is a place where I do more than just buy stuff. I hang out, there play games there, learn new games there to quote the owner of the store I went to in Phoenix "This is Cheers, it's a place where everybody knows your name and they are always glad you came. I can't really get that from Amazon.

Fine...the little dot on the US map that is VT has all of.....1 DnD store....and that is 3+ hours from me. I buy from Amazon due to availibility.

 

[Hikaru]

Re: Re: Re: Flying off the shelves!

What? You mean we _aren't_ smarter than them?!?

If _you_ aren't, then I must be smarter than you.

 

[Ashy]

Sounds to me like Morrus needs to get a very catchy ad somewhere on the Amazon site.....