How Do You Prefer To Buy Your RPG Products?

[Psyga315]

I prefer the Brick-and-Mortar method. Mainly because I don't have any ability to buy online.

 

[Morrus]

I prefer the online method, mainly because I don't have any ability to buy in a brick-and-mortar store. I'd love a local game store, but in this economy I don't think there are going to be any more changes to the high street lineup other than more closures, and more mobile phone shops (the only type of shop that seems to do OK!)

 

[Lexeme]

This is a hard question because it can depend on what you mean by "prefer." I prefer to support my FLGS when possible, but I find it hard to justify paying MSRP and dealing with spotty availability. In the end, I end up getting about 80% of my purchases online - especially Amazon. I mean, just look at the Pathfinder NPC Codex (a recent release).
At my FLGS: $39.99 + Tax
From Amazon: $26.39

If I pre-order or if I get "lucky" and the local store is out of stock, I get like 20% off. So, then it's only 31.99 + Tax... and I have to at least go to the store to pick it up... and maybe wait for it to get in stock.

It's really too bad. I have fond memories of spending a lot of time at my FLGS growing up, but that was mostly as a card-flopper.

 

[Lord Malachdrim]

I prefer brick and mortar. But since the stores around here only stock a random selection of D&D and there is an average 3 week wait on special orders its hard to justify buying from them.

 

[Jan van Leyden]

Generally I prefer brick-and-mortar, but:

1.) the next shop is a one-hour drive away
2.) the inventory isn't reliable
3.) prices are - understandably - high

While I love to browse in a store and used to find something interesting which I bought, time and money are too tight to do this 40 miles away from home.

The higher price would be okay for me - I don't buy many items, anyway - but I do expect some added worth. Most shops I frequented failed to deliver any added worth, so strictly speaking they didn't earn my business.

 

[Siberys]

I prefer Brick-And-Mortar - I'm at one as we speak, and I basically work here - but will go with online for a number of cases. For one thing, I always have either a hefty amount of store credit, or else the means to work off a purchase's value.

Sometimes distributors can't or won't or don't carry what I want. Sometimes the shop owner forgets to order something. Sometimes I want digital material. In all these cases, I'll go for online, but I'll always at least check at my FLGS first.

 

[Ahnehnois]

I like being able to read through a product before I buy it, but other than that, there's really no appeal to the retail approach to me. It's cost-prohibitive, and the stores are struggling to get by for a reason.

 

[Lindeloef]

i picked online, cause nowadays I buy mostly pdfs and stuff at drivethrurpg.com

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

For me, buying online is a last resort...sometimes to the point of doing without instead of buying online.

 

[Zot]

Brick and Mortar when I can. I live in Japan so this is not always an option.