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Just pre-ordered 3.5 from Amazon

Drawmack said:
My bad, twice. However, how can anyone call me apothetic without knowing my situation or intent.

Not apothetic, but apathetic. And he didn't direct the comment at you, he was describing a certain trend some gamers have.
 

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Olgar Shiverstone said:


Oddly, I've had just the opposite luck with Amazon, at least with pre-orders. If it's in-stock I usually get it quick regardless of shipping method, but I've had to wait as much as three weeks after release date for some of my Amazon pre-orders. One person, of course, is hardly a representative sample.

I've actually taken to ordering more from buy.com than from Amazon, lately -- haven't had the slow pre-orders, plus their base prices are usually lower than Amazon by about 10%.

For 3.5 books, buy.com is selling at $18.86 -- but you have to pay shipping since they're not in stock, which makes the prices comparable to Amazon and Walmart in the end. Overall it looks like Walmart is the cheapest deal, but I've had no experience ordering from them before.

When the 3E PHB came out it was the #1 bestselling book on Amazon.com. Number 1. I expect the same thing to happen with 3.5. I'll look into the pre-order delay problem; I think it's caused by the small WotC publisher shipping to a distributor, who ships to Amazon, who ships to you.

Not all pre-orders have a delay. Harry Potter is a famous example. If you pay for overnight shipping, it'll arrive at your doorstep the same day it appears on the shelves of dirt stores. That's because HP is so huge, and Amazon has such a large percentage of global HP sales, that Amazon will go to great expense to expedite delivery.

Bottom line is that the advantage of Internet ordering is price and convenience, but until UPS develops matter transport technology the delivery time will be a factor. Also remember that Free Super Saver Shipping, while free, also takes a long time--up to 3-5 days longer than usual.

-z
 

FIGS

TalonComics said:

Uh, no. I want you to support *any* LGS instead of Wal-Mart. It can be me as I *am* a real gaming store but I'd be happy if everyone supported their LGS. It doesn't have to be local as long as it's a store that actually cares about gaming and the future of gaming.

I'm doing 25% off because I want to try to give at least something back to my fellow gamers. I can't match 40% since that's pretty much what I pay for WotC books and I still have to pay rent and utilities.
~D

Hi Derek. I like your store, and I appreciate your concerns, but I take issue with the implication that Amazon isn't a "real" gaming store. As a lifetime gamer who cares about gaming, I created the computer & video games store at Amazon as the ideal place to buy games online. I'm proud of that store, I think it's better than the competition, and I'd put my 'gamer cred' up against anybody's.

In what little spare time I have I'm working on improving Amazon's paper game store. Monte contacted me (through mutual friend Jonathan) and I added his Malhavoc PDF titles to the store. I'm trying to add more PDFs (I've sent enquiries to ENWorld Publishing and a few nontraditional gaming PDF publishers) since gamers enjoy these kinds of programs.

Check out the D&D store and you'll see a wide variety of publishers, books, and supplements. That D&D store will be refreshed next week too, to better feature 3.5.

My point is that I and Amazon am just as committed to games, gamers, and gaming as any FLGS. And if you're talking about service to the gamer community, well, I'd say Amazon--with lower prices, convenient shipping, unlimited shelf space, the ability to find nearly any book, PDF downloads, andAmazon Advantage self-publishing/distribution service--I'd say that from a gamer's point of view, Amazon does a pretty good job serving gamers. :)

Not that I'm putting down the FLGS. I think they're great for meeting other gamers and when you need that certain book right *now*. I'm just a little sore at the implication that Amazon is not a "real" game store. It is a real game store--it's just a whole lot bigger than most game stores. And it also sells power saws, CDs, grills, swim suits, digital cameras, beakers, sneakers, Xboxs, chairs, software, toys...

-z, employee at a FIGS.
 

Re: FIGS

Zaruthustran said:

Hi Derek. I like your store, and I appreciate your concerns, but I take issue with the implication that Amazon isn't a "real" gaming store. As a lifetime gamer who cares about gaming, I created the computer & video games store at Amazon as the ideal place to buy games online.

Hear, hear!
 
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Thanks for the info, Z.

I may have to kick a few more gaming dollars Amazon's way ... though Buy's extra 10% discount (usually with free shipping as well) is pretty tough to beat.
 

Olgar Shiverstone said:
Thanks for the info, Z.

I may have to kick a few more gaming dollars Amazon's way ... though Buy's extra 10% discount (usually with free shipping as well) is pretty tough to beat.

Thanks for the business, Olgar!

As for taking Buy up on that extra 10% discount: fair enough. We're all playing on the same playground. A very big playground--world wide, in fact.

-z
 

Thanks to all the great input on this issue - cutting through some of the 'discussion' I feel alot better about the ship date. I have a limited budget (around $100 a month) for gaming, be that new computer games, RPGs or miniatures. I'll still be spending the same amount in the industry this month, but the money I've saved will go into miniatures and maybe a module. So WOTC is getting their share, Amazon is getting their share, and my game store is getting a bunch as well.

Thanks again - sorry that I touched a nerve with this thread.
 

Re: FIGS

Originally posted by TalonComics
Uh, no. I want you to support *any* LGS instead of Wal-Mart. It can be me as I *am* a real gaming store but I'd be happy if everyone supported their LGS. It doesn't have to be local as long as it's a store that actually cares about gaming and the future of gaming.

I'm doing 25% off because I want to try to give at least something back to my fellow gamers. I can't match 40% since that's pretty much what I pay for WotC books and I still have to pay rent and utilities.
~D

Zaruthustran said:
Hi Derek. I like your store, and I appreciate your concerns, but I take issue with the implication that Amazon isn't a "real" gaming store. As a lifetime gamer who cares about gaming, I created the computer & video games store at Amazon as the ideal place to buy games online. I'm proud of that store, I think it's better than the competition, and I'd put my 'gamer cred' up against anybody's.

-z, employee at a FIGS.

First off, thanks for the compliment. :)
Second, my main concern is supporting Wal-Mart and massive discounters as I feel massive discounting only hurts our small hobby instead of helping it.

As you can see from my quote I never said Amazon isn't a real gaming store and of the massive discounters Amazon has a pretty decent selection. However, I still feel massive discounting hurts gaming in the long run and that will always be a problem for me as a retailer and as a gamer.

Personally, there's no way I can compete with anything Amazon does or sells. You and I both know that. Heck, you guys lose more money in a year than I've ever had in my store's entire existence! Owning and running a gaming store for me has never been about making tons of money or ruling the FLGS world. It's always been about supporting something I love and providing gaming product for my fellow gamers in the best way I can. To do that though I do have to make some money from sales.

WotC products are the bread and butter of the RPG hobby right now. Without those sales it makes it that much harder to sell independent publishers and that's one of my biggest concerns. If it's a problem for me then I'm willing to bet it's a problem for all the other FLGSs out there as well. We've already seen several posters on this thread and others talk about how their store is no longer carrying RPG products and has gone to Warhammer, Clix and CCGs only. That's a direct symptom of massive internet discounting as retailers are finding RPGs just don't sell like they use to and many of them just aren't willing to add the internet as a way to sell more product.

Anyway, I didn't mean to ramble on again about this. It's just something I feel very strongly about. :)

~Derek
 

My FLGS made the switch based on revenues that is true but it wasn't because the role-players weren't supporting the store. Here is a break down.

My area has

23 - CCG Clubs, mostly Magic,
14 - Warhammer Clubs, mostly 40k
10 - clix clubs

It's hard to find a role-playing game to get into. the role-players just are not there to support the store. With a lack or role-players he went to what brings in the money.

I must say that when he sold rpgs I bought from him first only even looking on-line when he didn't have the item I wanted. Now that my purchases are online I buy direct. If I'm going to have to cut middle men anyway, I'm going to cut them all.
 

However, I still feel massive discounting hurts gaming in the long run and that will always be a problem for me as a retailer and as a gamer.

Actually it helps gaming in the long run to get the product to more people thus perpetuating the hobby. Lets be real here.I feel ,it hurts you as a store owner because they're stealing your business. Wal Mart stole mine, I have rent and kids and a car payment so any money I can save and still have a hobby is all right with me.
 

Into the Woods

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