Preorder, cancel, preorder, cancel etc

[jeffhartsell]

Honestly, prices like that PISS ME OFF. I'm a RETAILER (you know, with a STORE) and I'm going to be paying around $60 for all three books. How the heck am I supposed to compete with these on-line price-gougers who get some rediculous bulk discount off of WotC and then make about $3 a sale but sell hundreds of thousands of them, while I'm stuck with the stupid "suggested retail" of *** $104.95 *** or discount heavily and go out of business?

Congrats on your cheap find.

Fitz

I can empathize with you Fitz, but I compromised and pre-ordered the PHB from my FLGS and got the DMG and MM from Amazon. And I agree with another poster that the FLGS provides a service in order to make money, which I am sure you also do. They have game space, game demos, painters-for-hire, knowledgeable staff, snacks, and mainly focus on specific game lines that make money (GW, WOTC, WizKids, and exotic board games).

 

[Andalusian]

Not gonna preorder, irrespective of how good/bad 4E might be. Mainly because 1st printings of the PHB in prior editions of D&D have contained silly errors, and I'm not into penciling or pasting in corrections.

 

[Greylock]

Honestly, prices like that PISS ME OFF. I'm a RETAILER (you know, with a STORE) and I'm going to be paying around $60 for all three books. How the heck am I supposed to compete with these on-line price-gougers who get some rediculous bulk discount off of WotC and then make about $3 a sale but sell hundreds of thousands of them, while I'm stuck with the stupid "suggested retail" of *** $104.95 *** or discount heavily and go out of business?

My local game store is pre-selling the box set for $52.99. The individual books for Amazon prices. The order is already sent to Diamond. They insist to me that they are still making money.

But, I'm not buying it still.

 

[Zil]

Honestly, prices like that PISS ME OFF. I'm a RETAILER (you know, with a STORE) and I'm going to be paying around $60 for all three books. How the heck am I supposed to compete with these on-line price-gougers who get some rediculous bulk discount off of WotC and then make about $3 a sale but sell hundreds of thousands of them, while I'm stuck with the stupid "suggested retail" of *** $104.95 *** or discount heavily and go out of business?

Congrats on your cheap find.

Fitz

Hey, I used to try and buy as much as I could from our local gaming store even though the prices there were a bit higher than I could get on Amazon or Chapters/Indigo. However, I thought it was always nice to support the local gaming store. Must have spent a fortune in there on minis and 3E books. And then they went out of business so it's back to ordering things on-line. Since then I've noticed I buy much less. It's nice to be able to pick up a book and look through things at the local store; it really helps in closing that sale for me. I really miss that, and no cheaper on-line prices will ever make up for it. Ah well. Maybe I'll have to open my own store (and go out of business due to on-line undercutting. )

 

[FitzTheRuke]

OSeriously, if you haven't figured out by now that you're in the business of providing a service to hobby gamers, and not product, your store is doomed.

Why not send a PM to Thalmin and ask him how he goes about making Games Plus Mt. Prospect the best game store in the U.S.?

Wow, that's a pretty condescending post. For the record, I've owned my store for 15 years so I must be doing something right. I'm well aware of the service I provide. I'm simply pointing out that it's what one might call a "bit" unfair to have online stores SELLING the books to customers for LESS than what us stores PAY from our distributors.

I am in no way condemning the CUSTOMER who pre-orders online, it's a good deal. The system is a bit flawed, though.

Fitz

 

[FitzTheRuke]

My local game store is pre-selling the box set for $52.99. The individual books for Amazon prices. The order is already sent to Diamond. They insist to me that they are still making money.But, I'm not buying it still.

Hmmm. I have no idea HOW, but good luck to them.

Fitz

 

[Satori]

I pre-ordered.

Sure, there will be errors.

Sure, there will probably be errata.

Still, as a grown man, there are few things that make me giggly and wiggly.

DnD happens to be one of them.

WotC happens to BE DnD right now.

Hence, I have no problem giving WotC the assurance of my pre-ordered cash since they will give me the rare opportunity to feel giggly and wiggly...

...and feeling giggly and wiggly is REALLY important as a married adult man.

 

[jeffhartsell]

Hmmm. I have no idea HOW, but good luck to them.

Fitz

Agree. My FLGS is selling pre-orders of 1 book for 10% off and the 3 book set for 15% off. With tax that is still not as good as Amazon free shipping. But you can get the book the day of the release. That is why I am getting the PHB from them

I occasionally buy from the local store, but since I game less now, I buy mostly online. The store deals mostly with the younger crowd now. Once my son is old enough to game, I'll start going to the store more often.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

Yeah, I've been selling the boxed set for $100 (GST included (I'm Canadian)) to walk-ins, while the regulars get their usual discount (5 to 20% off depending on loyalty and past purchasing) so the CHEAPEST I'm selling them for is $80 (I make $76.19) Seeing as I'll be buying them for around $60 I don't think it's unfair for me to make 16 bucks off of a $60 puchase.

I have kids to feed & employees to pay.

It's all well and good to "Provide a Service" and I love playing D&D with my customers, but at the end of the day, I still need to make money. Can't just do it ONLY for the love. Just mostly.

Fitz

 

[SoulsFury]

Just be lucky you guys have a LGS much less a FLGS.