Politics and the LGS
- Thread starter Korgoth
- Start date
Almacov
First Post
I occaisionally buy stuff at a place that has in the past posted what would probably be considered political material on their website.
Usually it's about an issue I don't perceive as directly affecting me though, so I tend to just ignore it. (As passive and apathetic as that sounds.)
The staff is diverse and friendly, and everyone's heart seems to be in the right place, so I have no problem with shopping there. The place has personality.
It would be different if their political views lined up in a way I perceived as hateful though. In that instance I'd likely not return.
Usually it's about an issue I don't perceive as directly affecting me though, so I tend to just ignore it. (As passive and apathetic as that sounds.)
The staff is diverse and friendly, and everyone's heart seems to be in the right place, so I have no problem with shopping there. The place has personality.
It would be different if their political views lined up in a way I perceived as hateful though. In that instance I'd likely not return.
On Puget Sound
First Post
My rogue would shop wherever the best price is (or wherever the worst security is). My paladin would refuse to shop at a store that displayed what he considers an evil ethos. My druid carves all his own figures and dice from fallen deadwood.
No LGS I've frequented has ever publicized an affiliation such that I've known about it.
I imagine that I would stop going to an LGS on such grounds, if any felt like advertising their affiliation with a group I found sufficiently offensive. Thankfully, I've never had to make that choice.
I imagine that I would stop going to an LGS on such grounds, if any felt like advertising their affiliation with a group I found sufficiently offensive. Thankfully, I've never had to make that choice.
jaerdaph
#UkraineStrong
I've never seen a game store do that, but there was a window installation store in my old neighborhood in NYC where the proprietor clearly had political leanings that were not those of the vast majority of the community. He decorated his store in political posters and signs (nasty, mudslinging "goat-getting" signs) year round like it was Christmas and election years were worse. I never had a reason to go in there, but if I did I wouldn't have done business with him and found another dealer. He finally toned it down after his store front was seriously vandalized once (which I don't approve of either and if I had seen who had done it I would have reported it to the police). On the other hand, I have stopped doing business with a few national corporations that donate to politicians and causes I don't support.
But you can't cut everyone out of your life just because they have different political views - I have close family and friends with different politics than mine - because politics is only one facet of what makes a person who they are. In that same neighborhood in NYC, there was a bar restaurant where the owner had the same politics as the window store owner, but you never would have known that unless you asked and were in deep conversation. He even used to throw a hell of a catered party for our local city politicians - mostly from the opposite political party of his own - on election nights and it was a fun community event. I still consider this gentleman one of my friends and can talk for hours about our New York Yankees with him until the cows come home.
There really is great wisdom in the old saying, "never talk politics or religion at the dinner table". And "Don't s**t where you eat."
But you can't cut everyone out of your life just because they have different political views - I have close family and friends with different politics than mine - because politics is only one facet of what makes a person who they are. In that same neighborhood in NYC, there was a bar restaurant where the owner had the same politics as the window store owner, but you never would have known that unless you asked and were in deep conversation. He even used to throw a hell of a catered party for our local city politicians - mostly from the opposite political party of his own - on election nights and it was a fun community event. I still consider this gentleman one of my friends and can talk for hours about our New York Yankees with him until the cows come home.
There really is great wisdom in the old saying, "never talk politics or religion at the dinner table". And "Don't s**t where you eat."
kitsune9
Adventurer
It's a tightrope of course. Businesses that make themselves known for such affiliations put themselves at risk.
For some stores, to affiliate themselves directly with a political party is a greater risk than those who affiliate themselves with a soup kitchen that leans right or left, yet there are some customers who could be offended by the support for the soup kitchen.
For big corporations, social goodwill is a "necessary evil" lest the public perception is the company only cares about making money which actually hurts the business model as opposed to pursuing brand loyalty with customers who can identify with the corporation with the causes it supports / affiliations they belong to. For the LGS, this may be the reasoning behind the same strategy, but unfortunately, alienating even one paying customer has more consequences than the corporation who alienates 10,000 customers.
For some stores, to affiliate themselves directly with a political party is a greater risk than those who affiliate themselves with a soup kitchen that leans right or left, yet there are some customers who could be offended by the support for the soup kitchen.
For big corporations, social goodwill is a "necessary evil" lest the public perception is the company only cares about making money which actually hurts the business model as opposed to pursuing brand loyalty with customers who can identify with the corporation with the causes it supports / affiliations they belong to. For the LGS, this may be the reasoning behind the same strategy, but unfortunately, alienating even one paying customer has more consequences than the corporation who alienates 10,000 customers.
Scrivener of Doom
Adventurer
FLGSs are dying businesses. If you own a dying business the last thing you do is waste time and energy on amateur political commentary, particularly in a nation like America where politics is treated far more seriously than it should be.
I couldn't give a rat's behind about someone's politics and it astonishes me that someone would even think to create a poll about this. All I want is the right product at the right time at the right price.
I couldn't give a rat's behind about someone's politics and it astonishes me that someone would even think to create a poll about this. All I want is the right product at the right time at the right price.
Mouseferatu
Hero
I do think it's important to make a distinction between a vendor's professional and personal "space."
For instance, if my FLGS began putting up political signage in the window with which I disagreed, I'd probably consider going elsewhere. On the other hand, if the store owner expressed the same beliefs on a personal blog, or while in casual conversation with someone that I happened to overhear, it wouldn't influence my buying. Similarly, I read lots of books by authors whose politics I utterly disagree with; so long as those politics don't infuse the writing, it has no bearing on my willingness to buy the books.
(Obviously, there are certain extreme beliefs that would inspire me to cease frequenting an establishment or buying a particular author, no matter where/how they were revealed. But these go beyond what I'd consider standard "political differences.")
For instance, if my FLGS began putting up political signage in the window with which I disagreed, I'd probably consider going elsewhere. On the other hand, if the store owner expressed the same beliefs on a personal blog, or while in casual conversation with someone that I happened to overhear, it wouldn't influence my buying. Similarly, I read lots of books by authors whose politics I utterly disagree with; so long as those politics don't infuse the writing, it has no bearing on my willingness to buy the books.
(Obviously, there are certain extreme beliefs that would inspire me to cease frequenting an establishment or buying a particular author, no matter where/how they were revealed. But these go beyond what I'd consider standard "political differences.")
I think you draw a good distinction between the professional and personal. It's not something that has to be absolute, and perhaps there's something that a shopkeeper feels so passionate about that he has to make it known to his patrons, but the reality is that, no matter what the issue is, if it's political it will probably cost you customers. Now, if it happens to agree with the political climate of the community (which is the case regarding my LGS) it may encourage more business than it discourages... but that's actually a tough call. I think it's probably more likely that something that someone finds disagreeable will prompt them to spend less money on a luxury than something that they find agreeable will prompt them to spend more money on it... especially since they're probably already spending about as much as they want / are able to spend, given that we're talking luxuries.
-----
"This guy is for the vile proposition P. He should be for Q instead! Guess I'll save my money."
(seems more likely than)
"This guy is for the proposition P. Thank goodness he's not for the vile proposition Q. Guess I'll spend more money than I otherwise would have."
-----
It seems rather that, in the case of agreement, the patron will likely spend no more than he would have already spent (unlike the case of some sales and discount programs, where some patrons will actually spend more). But in the case of disagreement, they will spend less.
If that's true, then if the patron disagrees he will either spend what he would have spent, or spend less... but never more. And if the patron agrees he will probably still spend what he would have spent, because what he would have spend is probably the maximum amount to be allocated to that luxury expense.
Therefore my educated guess is that fiscally a patron only stands to lose when posting politicized affiliations; I'm curious whether the poll will shed any light on this.
gamerprinter
Mapper/Publisher
Honestly, it wouldn't bother me at all. Some people are political, some loud about their religion. If they were loud in their shop about their particular beliefs, it might bother me. But just a sign? I could care less. I might ask them about it, upon entering 'What's up with the political sign?' - any reasonable answer will do.
As long as the store owner wasn't loud (constantly imposing his beliefs upon his patrons), what a store owner wants to throw in his window, as long as I can see he's got what I'm looking to sell - is pretty much meaningless to me.
Because I run my own graphics, digital printing and sign shop, I have the lucky break when somebody wants to drop a political sign on my property, I ask, did you have me make your sign for you? No. Go away, because I make signs and you didn't do it through me, so you can't put it in the yard.
Of course I don't let anyone post a sign on my property, anyway. If they did get the sign from me, I'd say, I make signs for the other guy too - I don't want to infringe on my customers' agendas. So you can't put the sign there...
But of other business owner beliefs? To each their own.
GP
As long as the store owner wasn't loud (constantly imposing his beliefs upon his patrons), what a store owner wants to throw in his window, as long as I can see he's got what I'm looking to sell - is pretty much meaningless to me.
Because I run my own graphics, digital printing and sign shop, I have the lucky break when somebody wants to drop a political sign on my property, I ask, did you have me make your sign for you? No. Go away, because I make signs and you didn't do it through me, so you can't put it in the yard.
Of course I don't let anyone post a sign on my property, anyway. If they did get the sign from me, I'd say, I make signs for the other guy too - I don't want to infringe on my customers' agendas. So you can't put the sign there...
But of other business owner beliefs? To each their own.
GP
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