Sheesh this is getting expensive!!

[Scribble]

Does anyone know what the stores are getting the books at? I mean amazon can afford to buy enough to where they are able to get them at more than 30% off.

It tends to be around the same amount. The more you order per quater the more your discount with most of the big distributors.

How amazon functions is that it only makes a few % profit. They simply sell SOOO many books that it evens out. Add in the fact that they also sell other books, not just RPGs. The books that don't sell as many copies are countered by the ones that do.

Your FLGS can't compete this way. It's one store selling a very specialized product. Now add in the fact that it tends to have things like rent on the property, electric bills, insurance costs, Loans for display cases, shelves, hangers, artwork, signs, etc.. that Online retailers tend not to have... And you can see why they tend to be reluctant on the discounts...

Now why more of them don't have something like a frequent shopper rewards program, I don't understand...

p.s. incidently places like best buy use a similar tactic to a degree. Ever notice how much cheaper their movies are then places that specialize in movies like Suncoast? This is because they drop the price of the DVDs tremendously and hardly make a profit at all. In some cases even a loss. Why? Because it get's people in the store, where "While they're there" tend to walk around look at other thins and decided, you know it's time for a new (insert electronics componenet here).

It's really hurting places like suncoast. But hey that's capitalism.

 

[FCWesel]

P.S. Did y'all know that even if an online merchant doesn't charge you sales tax, you're still responsible for reporting the transaction and paying it to your state? I'm a damned lawyer, and I didn't know that until this year. (Of course, I did only score 20 percent -- a solid B! -- on my Taxation final back in law school ... )

not disputing you, but is there a link to a webpage you could provide for that? i am curious.

thanks.

 

[Atom Again]

, but we do provide you with a place where you can hopefully share your hobby in a clean & friendly atmosphere.

That's what my house is for.

Amazon all the way, baby...

 

[GlassJaw]

I've probably only bought 2-4 things from a store in the past 2+ years out of perhaps 40 or so products. The only time I will is if there's something that's backordered on Amazon or something they don't carry. As much as I would like to support my FLGS as well, money's money. Saving $10 per book (and sometimes more) is huge. Sure you don't get it right away but it's more than worth it to wait 4-8 days.

 

[Belen]

My friends own a gamestore. Amazon officially sells their books cheaper than the gamestore can buy them. For instance, the DnD basic game is $16 on amazon and the list price is $25. It costs the gamestore 17.50 to get the basic game.

It is cheaper for them to order from Amazon than WOTC! The only issue is that they make most of their sales by having the items before Amazon, so they are literally stuck!

They do offer 20% off of all pre-orders and 10% of all gaming stock in the store.

I am also trying to get them to sell discount cards, so that people who become members get something like 20-25% off of everything in the store....

 

[BrooklynKnight]

my FLGS Owner always gives me SOME sort of discount.

He doesnt charge me the tax, or something like that.
Sure its not 30%, but he meets me on a middle ground cause I spend my time (and money) in the store, AND I support it by trying to bring him more customers.

 

[MDSnowman]

I do most of my RPG shopping online (Actually here at ENWorld, as I despise Amazon.com with a seething passion normally reserved for players who make drow rangers who dual wielding scimitars.) My FLGS never has ANYTHING everytime I've been in there they haven't gotten any new books in at least six months. Meanwhile I can go down the road to Barnes and Noble and pick up a copy of Midnight.

The FLGS gives me the option to special order a book with them, however I get no discounts from doing it, and they often simply forget to order the books... so I end up waiting a month for a particular book and still pay full price. That was when I realized that my FLGS was shooting themselves in the foot... if they were dependable, if they did discount slightly, and if they had a better selection I would shop with them. I'd much rather go to a store and get a book in my hands quickly than wait for shipping to get it to me, but my FLGS has deprived me of that.

So they don't get my buisness, it's that simple.

 

[smetzger]

not disputing you, but is there a link to a webpage you could provide for that? i am curious.

Just look on your tax form. I know it was one of the questions that Turbo Tax asked me.

You are also supposed to pay sales tax on stuff that you have bought out of state when travelling.

 

[Flyspeck23]

That's what my house is for.

So how many people have you brought into the hobby lately?

 

[JoeGKushner]

Speaking as an owner, after paying Rent/power/phone etc, there is about 15-20 % for profits. If we discount 20% to you we make no money ourselves. Yes the Amazons of the world might be able to sell you something & make no profit on it, but your FLGS owner can not, especially with the declining sales overall. .

So you're saying that if the local store charged you $25 bucks a year for a 10% discount, that the owner would make no money? My hobby store gives you checks for every $10 you spend. get ten checks get a $10 gift certificate. You can't imagine the # of candybards I've bought to get it up to an even $10 increment.

There are many other factors as well, dead stock collecting dust on the selves, etc etc, but we do provide you with a place where you can hopefully share youe hobby in a clean & friendly atmosphere.

Sorry, but dead stock collecting dust on the shelves is not the customers fault. You have to have sales, you have to have demos, you have to have a knowledge base to insure you're ordering the correct amount and be willing to bite the bullet in order to get it out of the store.