Why I refuse to support my FLGS

[Arc]

I never go to my FLGS to buy a specific book, or even a pack of minis or some dice. Books are cheaper online, it's easier to look through and choose from thousands of miniatures catalogued and categorized on company websites, and I can get dice any color of the rainbow and any shape that bows to euclidean geometry from a number of websites.

What I go my FLGS for is to thumb through newly released books, take a look at other systems and games that I hadn't before considered, watch a Warhammer 40k match, read half a comic book, and debate class balance in 3.5 vs 3.0 with the shop owner. Not suprisingly, I end up spending far more money at my FLGS than all my internet purchases combined. Partially because I rarely know I want a specific book beforehand, but mostly because I don't buy a book or mini or game without a good referal to it. That's what my FLGS is for. If something is recommended to me by a member of my group... I can borrow their copy. But when I want something new, I go to the place I trust.

If my FLGS wasn't around to provide that, then I imagine my gaming spending would cut back dramatically. So maybe the question that should be asked is "How much do the FLGS' support gaming economically?" (including introducing new players)

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Obviously, not all game stores or game communities are created equal.

Heck, when I started gaming, (in Denver) I had to go into a Hobby Shop (you know...trains, planes, slot cars), and in Manhattan, Kansas, I had to go 1) the student bookstore at K State, 2) the local bookstore (which only had a single rotating magazine rack), or go to stores in Topeka, Wichita, or (best of all) Kansas City to find game stuff at King's Crown.

The stores I found in New Orleans were mainly comic shops, but every city in Texas I've lived in (Dallas, San Antonio and Austin) has been home to at least one or 2 good stores.

 

[GlassJaw]

plus I don't need a credit/debit card to shop at Amazon

You don't?

Do you need one to buy stuff at your LGS?

 

[Joshua Randall]

I have to agree with the sentiment that if they [small gaming stores] can't survive or come up with clever ways to attract customers, it's not my moral responsbility to keep them in business.

Amen, brother GlassJaw. Amen.

 

[fredramsey]

When confronted with this question, I like to use something a guy told me long ago about RC planes and cars.

You can always get a plane or car kit cheaper from Tower Hobbies (catalog before the 'net, web site now on the 'net). You can even order parts.

But, if you get ready to go fly in the morning, and realize you need part X, and don't have one, what are you going to do? Wait a week? Nope. You're going to the corner hobby shop and buy it right then and there.

The hobby store cannot compete with Tower Hobbies on kit prices, nor parts. And, they cannot survive solely on parts sales. Kits make them more profit, so they can stay in business so they can sell the parts.

So, you buy your kit from the local hobby store, knowing that you are buying insurance against the day you need a part.

While this is not an exact example of why you should support your FLGS, it's close. It's not landing wheels, it's dice. It's impulse buys. It's leafing through the game book. It's being able to look at and buy non-d20 stuff, or d20 stuff from smaller publishers. It's about being able to buy a boardgame that We-Be-Toys would never think of selling.

That's why I support my FLGS whenever I can.

 

[Belen]

That's terrible news, Erik; I never imagined it was that bad.

I'm happy to say that, in spite of the short-sighted 'price is right' attitude of too many gamers (or perhaps because it's not as prevalent here), all seven of the FLGSes in my region are still open for business. Or perhaps it's because many of them offer substantial intangibles to their customers.

We have had three shut down in our area in the last 6 months. Even the ones doing well are in pain. Distributors such as Alliance are not getting the books to the stores in a reasonable amount of time, which is killing them.

 

[VirgilCaine]

So I wanted to buy the game Attack! and checked out my FLGS. They had it for $39.99 (US funds).

Then I went to Toys R Us. They also had Attack!. For $13.99.

FLGS, piss off.

Same for the other FLGS--Friendly Local Gun Store. Overpriced guns or ammo means people order over the 'Net using someone else's FFL.

 

[Tolen Mar]

People say "Support Your Local Gaming Store" because those stores stock the niche products that we, the niche consumer, are interested in purchasing. These products don't sell in large numbers, so it's a pretty chancey proposition for the LGS. With Amazon and EBay you can get stuff like that online whenever you want for less money.

Then there's my FLGS which only sells the material the store sponsored gaming clubs need to play at their place. These days I can hardly find any non-niche stuff either. Its turning into a big godzilla fanboy store...

Its also 40 minutes away, and since there is less and less to go that far to get, it just isnt worth it.

 

[Belen]

I certainly don't think this is childish. A little harsh perhaps but I pretty much agree. I don't care what the product or service is, money is money. I find it extremely difficult to shell out an extra $10-12 on average for the same book I can get on Amazon or ebay.

I have to agree with the sentiment that if they can't survive or come up with clever ways to attract customers, it's not my moral responsbility to keep them in business.

Amazon is the reason that WOTC now sells 160 page books for the price of the 192 page books. Paper, while expensive, has not risen that much in the last few years. So keep buying from Amazon. You're only going to continue to increase the price of books.

I definitely don't agree with this. As Erik said, the hobby will take a significant blow but it will not go away. Again, what other market relies on the sympathy of customers to keep them in business? Business is cold and only the strong survive.

This is bull. Business has only gotten this way in the last two decades. The emphasis on profit margins and the large congolmerates has forced competition out of the market. For instance, Wal-Mart has no competition. They dictate prices to their supplies, which force suppliers to cut costs, such as quality controls, in order to get Wal-Mart to buy their product. Wal-Mart could be very profitable with slightly higher prices, but then, they would not enjoy those billion dollar margins.

Gamestores reinforce gamers. They are a melting pot of ideas, a place to find new games, and discuss the hobby with others. Gamestores make gamers. Without them, we will see an end to the largest influx of new gamers to our hobby, until the current generations are all that remains.

 

[Belen]

If only a few stores got together to address the problem, leaving their competitive issues behind for little while, they could make some progress, and I think over time more and more stores would join such a Co-Op to get at those better prices.

Nope. The distributors do not work this way. And, small co-ops will not even make a dent in prices.