Open Letter To Local Game Stores

[Dannyalcatraz]

Just re-read the thread's initial post...and it remains as true now as ever.

Given your necromantic post, though, I wanted to add this: I've been visiting some of my old FLGSs and was surprised to see what has happened to them in 2010. While they are still in business, they are not stocking their shelves with the same depth and breadth they were just a year ago. Some had shelves that looked like they hadn't been restocked in a while... And these were good stores.

So, if you really do value your FLGSs but haven't bought anything there in a while, throw 'em a bone and at least TRY to make purchase from them in the name of enlightened self-interest.

 

[Hussar]

Looking at my experience of game stores in Sweden, they are a lot more professional than this. The English stores I've been to (quite a few years ago now) were more cramped, but still had a pretty professional attitude.

Hey Starfox, I heard that there is a sort of government sponsored group for gamers in Sweden. How does that work out?

 

[delericho]

While the OP is dead right, and while it's a real shame that yet another FLGS has died, it is perhaps worth noting that even if a store did everything 'right', there's still a really good chance they'd fail.

Basically, Amazon can now sell most gaming products to the end consumer for less than the FLGS can get them from their distributor. Also, because of their size they can pretty much have everything in stock. (The FLGS cannot hope to do this, and while they may be willing to order anything, once we've reached the point of waiting for the product anyway, why are we paying the higher price?)

It's a real shame, but I fear that unless something changes, the days of the FLGS are done. (Oh, and credit to WotC for at least trying to do something - between the in-store events and their releasing products to the FLGS before Amazon they're doing good.)

(My Meetup group were recently approached by someone asking for advice on setting up an FLGS in Falkirk. Unfortunately, while it would be awesome to have such a store available, our advice had to be really simple: don't.)

 

[Tuft]

Hey Starfox, I heard that there is a sort of government sponsored group for gamers in Sweden. How does that work out?

See Sverok - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under "funding and economy".

Basically, if you arrange activities for young people you can get government support for it. You need to have organized activities that:

A. Lasts for more than an hour.

B. Is attended by between five and twenty persons of ages 3-20.

C. Attendants belong to a club or association tied to an approved national organization.

D. Attendance is taken and the activity has a designate leader.

For this you get approximately 4 USD per attendant and activity.

For those above the age of 20, you can instead associate with an evening class organization, and get "educational support".

Just the infamous Swedish taxes at work...

 

[Tuft]

See Sverok - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under "funding and economy".

Note: SVEROK currently has appx 120,000 members out of a population of 9 million. That means that 1 in 75 Swedes are organized gamers.

 

[mac1504]

Third Rail Game Stores

Excellent thread. One other topic that I did not see mentioned (but could be certainly implied from some of the OP's advice) is the discussion of politics in your store. I've been to two stores where the employees and/or the manager was apt to regularly discuss politics in the store. I like to think of myself as a tolerant and open-minded person, but discussing politics just about anywhere has the chance to rub someone wrong, much less in a store where you could be turning away customers.

I have to mention that I am pretty lucky to have a great gaming store in my area (and have always had at least one good game store in my local area for the last 25 years). Games Universe in Milwaukee, WI has developed an excellent gaming store. The employees (in my experience) have always been welcoming and helpful. I've seen them interact with Moms and Dads coming into the store, and have always been helpful and professional. Although they violate the OP's rule of not gaming directly in the store, they have a large enough floor area to pull it off, and not discomfort customers shopping through the rest of the store. They also carry a wide variety of materials (even small indie print stuff that you usually only see online) and board games.

 

[Hussar]

Note: SVEROK currently has appx 120,000 members out of a population of 9 million. That means that 1 in 75 Swedes are organized gamers.

There was a show on Fear the Boot podcast a couple of weeks ago talking about this. That's where I had heard of it.

Damn, government support of gaming. Now THAT'S good use of taxpayers money.