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Enchanted Trinkets Complete--a hardcover book containing over 500 magic items for your D&D games!

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Message: <blockquote data-quote="SiderisAnon" data-source="post: 3823228" data-attributes="member: 44949">You Can't Have Mass Market Without Mass SalesThere is something else you have to consider about the mass market outlets like Wal-Mart and Target: Simply put, they're never going to sell the kind of niche market products that D&D represent.Have you actually shopped at one of these stores recently? Take a look at the shelves for most products and then count the number of brands available. In most things, they've got only a few brands, usually a name brand and a cheap knock-off. In some products, they don't even have that. (For instance, in buying trash bags at my local Target, I can buy the kind they stock or I can shop somewhere else. When I bought ice cube trays, they had two kinds available. In canned pet food, they carry two brands only.) There are a few exceptions. You look at the area around the pharmacy, and it's huge. That's because people are really picky about things like cough syrup, soap, shampoo, aspirin, and other personal care and health products. Wal-Mart or Target can't just stock two things and call it good.Toys are another exception. This is because there is a plethora of types of toys out there and every kid wants their favorite. Of course, once something isn't either the hot new seller or the long-running seller, it disappears from the shelves. Take a moment to look at the games they have there. Most of them are the ones that are old favorites and will keep selling multiple copies every week. Monopoly, for instance. There are a few that are the next big thing. What you don't see is games with a small niche market. You see "family game night" sort of games, or games kids can play on their own.It's not a statement against D&D or Axis and Allies, it is a statement about what sells well. It simply is not worth the shelf space to these stores to stock a game they're only going to sell one of every month or so. They want things that they can sell constantly. If the product isn't cycling, it's wasting money because it's wasting shelf space that could be dedicated to something that is cycling.I used to work part time in the toy department at Wal-Mart for extra money. If a product wasn't selling, if we weren't having to restock it, it would hit the bargain bin and be gone from the store forever more.Now, I'm not saying that it's right or wrong. I am saying that this makes perfect business sense with the model that they are using. Wal-Mart and Target are NOT about selection, despite what they may claim in their ads. These stores and the other big discounters are all about selling lots of cheap stuff over and over. If you want selection, you go to a specialty store. If you want cheap, you buy whatever Wal-Mart and Target chooses to put on the shelves.This is not intended to be a rant against these stores. In fact, I fully support these stores because I like being able to buy a number of things cheap. However, I'm realistic enough to understand HOW they are getting those cheap prices and realize that I have to choose between price and selection.So, it boils down to they might stock a basic boxed set or some miniatures if they think it's going to sell, but they're not going to waste shelf space on something they can keep turning over. D&D is just not that kind of product.Anyway, just my 2 cents.</blockquote>

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