Purchasing RPG product, Retail or Online?

[Bass Puppet]

So the next question is.... have you experienced "The Comic Book Guy?" You know, the one who wouldn't give you any help or attention without a smart a$$ answer/comment? AND, has it prevented you from doing business with them or any other Retail Gaming Store?

 

[mmadsen]

So, if there is any Gaming/Hobbey store in the Long Beach Area that you would personally recommend please let me know, until then, I will be supporting the Wizards through Online services.

Have you tried Game Castle in Fullerton?

 

[Palcadon]

*loud sucking noise*

I buy all my stuff online at the EN World store.

I also get things from Talon.

*loud sucking noise dissapates.*

 

[Altalazar]

I shop wherever is most convenient at the time.

Sometimes price makes a difference. If I'm making a big online order already anyway, say at amazon, I will add it in there.

That's the beauty of free enterprise. And by doing what is convenient for me, I do my part to force the sellers to conform to my needs.

 

[Orco42]

I shop at 2 gaming stores.

One is a part of a local chain of about 8 stores. They have good customer service, are fairly knowledgable, and have a large selection of games.

The other is a small store that has wonderful customer service and a great sellections of pewter.

I prefer to support the smaller store, but a friend just started working at the chain store so I can't pass up the 25% off.

 

[TalonComics]

So the next question is.... have you experienced "The Comic Book Guy?" You know, the one who wouldn't give you any help or attention without a smart a$$ answer/comment? AND, has it prevented you from doing business with them or any other Retail Gaming Store?

Heh heh... The Comic Book Guy attitude permeates much of my local competition's stores. One of them is so bad I've heard stories, multiple even, of him physically assaulting customers. Why this guy isn't in jail or out of business is beyond me.
The other local place is like stepping back in time 3 years as his stock is from 3+ years ago. It's not bad if you're looking for out of stock minis and 2nd Editon AD&D but that's pretty much it. Apparently isn't very aware as to what I'm up to as one of my little birds said his response to me selling online was, "Online is a waste of time."

Purchasing Online or Local
I would say do whatever works for you as long as it doesn't hurt the gaming industry in the long run. Without going into my soapbox spiel on massive discounters like Amazon, there are local-style stores online. My store online is essentially that. I'm the guy who takes, boxes, mails the orders, answers email questions, answers the phone and talks to publishers and creators. There is no question when you deal with me that it could be anybody on the other end. There's no anonymous clerk dealing with your order.

To me, that's part of what the "local" feel is. Knowing the person you're dealing with. Knowing that they have the answers to your questions. Basically, customer service.

~Derek
www.taloncomics.com
Your Local Gaming Store Online!

 

[Dagger75]

Here in West Central Florida I got a few local game stores all within an hours drive (I'm a sucker for this game). The one in my town is actually getting BETTER. Unfortunatly they don't have a very knowledable GAMING staff but they do get the new stuff in. They never know whats coming or when but thats what these boards are for. I shop there often.

Online shopping, I have shopped at both Amazon and Talon. Yes Amazon can be cheaper but my parents were small business owners (No offense Derek) and I just feel better giving my money to the "little" guys.

Also one of the gaming stores in my area closed recently. He mostly sold CCG's and Mage Knight. I bought a few things from him but I don't care for Collectable <Stuff> Games, so I never went there.

My take on it, Local Retailer first then online.

 

[drothgery]

Because I don't really feel any need to "support the little guy" my purchases are very much case-by-case.

I'll occasionally impulse-buy something at the local gaming store. If I want something ASAP after release, I order it from Derek. But if I just want something and delivery time isn't an issue, especially if I also want to pick up a novel or a programming book, I get it from Amazon or bn.com (for some reason I've never seen gaming books in a B&N store, but they sell them online).

 

[Maerdwyn]

quote:
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So, if there is any Gaming/Hobbey store in the Long Beach Area that you would personally recommend please let me know, until then, I will be supporting the Wizards through Online services.
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Have you tried Brookhurst Hobbies in Garden Grove? I've only been there a few times (I live in northern CA), but my experiences have always ben good ones. Of course for all I know, that's the store you were talking about before....

http://www.brookhursthobbies.com/

 

[Kiir]

Well I bought my three core books online from WotC and then ended up going to my local shop for most of the rest of my stuff. However around December I decide not to visit my local store while the current manager is there. He was badmouthing the old employees and he generally was not doing much to make me or my husband feel welcome. So we stopped our monthly purchases there (which at the time were between 100 and 300$ a month).

I just ordered a number of books that i wanted tonight from Talon, and hopefully I will be more than satisfied with them, and if so I will continue buying from him. I checked both him and the ENworld link, and he offered what I wanted for less, not quite as cheap as Amazon, but since I prefer not to use amazon, I dealt with the extra 10$ or so I didn't save by going to him.