Politics and the LGS

[Korgoth]

This is not a thread about specific political content; in fact, for the sake of the rules, the moderators, and our collegiality, please don't discuss it! Rather, it is generically about the issue of whether politicized affiliations affect your purchasing at gaming specialty retailers i.e. your Local Game Store or LGS.

I say "politicized affiliations" because I mean to include not only stated affiliations with actual political parties, but also advocacy groups and organizations which, whatever their other goals and intentions, are functionally political actors due to the nature of their organization's concerns. I don't intend to include things beyond this scope, however. If you think that it is a political act merely to engage in a commercial transaction that's neither here nor there; it would be interesting to fight over on some other forum but it has no bearing on this discussion.

I was thinking about this question because today I was considering going to my local WOTC premier retailer (an LGS that gets to sell some WOTC products early because they fulfill certain conditions) after Mass and buying the new Wilderness Dungeon Tiles set; I'm working (see "Shintoesque D&D") on a mainly outdoor setting/campaign and these tiles would be an excellent fit for that milieu. The tiles come out on the 21st at other locations. However, I recalled that the last time I was at this LGS I noticed a sticker on the window which constituted the proclamation of a politicized affiliation, as I outlined above. Again, I am not going to say anything about the nature or content of that affiliation. However, to those of my affiliations it is something toxic... and I realized that on account of this I do not want to give them my money. It is, after all, luxury money spent at my discretion on items I do not in any way need. So I think that I should be responsible with that money by not giving it to those who proclaim their support for "the enemy", and also in that act I find myself pleased that I have the opportunity to stand on principle.

So my question is this: do such things affect your retail behavior in this hobby?

Again, I think that this can be an interesting discussion that we can actually have within the rules of EN World, as long as we take care not to refer to any specific political content and try to remain polite. I would be interested to hear whether such issues affect your retail behavior in the gaming hobby and your other reflections on the matter.

 

[frankthedm]

Of course. I certainly have passed on products and proprietors once armed with such knowledge. Those who have stood up to be counted for a cause sometimes forget that can cause them to lose business.

 

[jonesy]

Yeah, I don't really get the part where a store selling something wants to alianate potential customers by advertising a political affiliation. That's the best way to lose business. Someone is always going to be offended.

 

[Theo R Cwithin]

I have no FLGS atm and haven't had for a few years, so that's how I voted.

But if I came across an LGS that overtly supported a cause that I am completely against, well, no I wouldn't give them my business. That holds for any business, not just hobby shops.

Now if an FLGS suddenly started supporting a cause I personally don't like, that's a little stickier. The "F" in the FLGS is there for a reason, and I'd have to think hard about punishing an otherwise excellent business for a difference in politics. That would depend in part on the specific issue.

 

[Dice4Hire]

I base my spending on many factors, and liking or disliking the owner of a store is one of them. Political Affiliation, dependingo on the one, of course*, would drive me away.


*Though to be honest, these days, most affiliations would drive me away.

 

[the Jester]

Back when I had a good FLGS, the owner was free about discussing his political views with anyone. It didn't bug me, and though we had a good amount of overlap in our views, I don't think it would have mattered if we'd been pretty opposite, because we could have a good-natured discussion.

That said, I would prefer to give my money to someone that isn't supporting causes I oppose, so I guess it could make a difference.

 

[El Mahdi]

Without knowing the specifics of the situation, and I understand why, and revealing any specifics of my own, here's what I think (in general):

If a gamestore I frequented championed a political cause or group that I believed to be abhorent (for whatever reason...again, no specifics), then I would stop spending my money there and tell them why. If it was a political cause or group I merely disagreed with (but didn't necessarily find it abhorent), I would continue to spend my money there. I don't have a problem with people who disagree with me, except when it involves a particularly abhorrent subject or group.

However, I have never been in any gamestore (and I've been in a lot, in many different states and countries) that posted, advertised, or outwardly supported (in word or deed), any type of political affiliation or group...other than gamers.

 

[Cyronax]

It seems like owning and running a gaming store is financially perilous enough without announcing one's political views. Why alienate potential customers?

I probably wouldn't shop at a store if I knew it was owned by an avowed extremist, but a normal run-of-the-mill partsan doesn't bother me. I tend to shy away from both poles in American politics either way (yes I just got specific in some aspect of my views), and I tend to think politics should be kept out of retail business.

C.I.D.

PS - has there been any broad-based conclusions on what political views gamers tend more to adhere to? I ask in a non-partisan way -- a link to a thread?

 

[Korgoth]

PS - has there been any broad-based conclusions on what political views gamers tend more to adhere to? I ask in a non-partisan way -- a link to a thread?

Now there's a poll I'd love to write up. It would be a little tough, though, because you'd have to make some hard decisions about categories... I wonder what the maximum number of poll options is? Things like separating national socialists out from fascists and semi-fascists, and distinguishing between Leninists and "Western" Marxists, that sort of thing. And then the thread itself would have to be only about reflections on the poll results... you wouldn't want people identifying as one or the other and then trying to discuss it, since that discussion would violate the rules.

Interesting thought, though.

 

[Cyronax]

Now there's a poll I'd love to write up. It would be a little tough, though, because you'd have to make some hard decisions about categories... I wonder what the maximum number of poll options is? Things like separating national socialists out from fascists and semi-fascists, and distinguishing between Leninists and "Western" Marxists, that sort of thing. And then the thread itself would have to be only about reflections on the poll results... you wouldn't want people identifying as one or the other and then trying to discuss it, since that discussion would violate the rules.

Interesting thought, though.

Didn't mean to threadjack. I realize that answering that question is tightly tied to specific countries' political situations. ENWorld might be a bit too international in focus to be the proper forum.

I still wonder though. Left or Right for gamers' majority.