Why I refuse to support my FLGS

[Belen]

What we need, and I cannot provide, is an example of what a typical LGS pays for a DMG II or Heroes of Battle as compared to Amazon's price for the same product.

The DMG II cost my FLGS $24 and Heroes of Battle cost them $18. This was ordering directly from Wizards. If they ordered those same books from Alliamce, then they would have paid an additional $1.50/book. And a store cannot order directly from Wizards unless that have premier status, so a lot of stores would be paying the Alliance prices,

 

[Belen]

Let me ask you all advocating buying from local shops: do you also support buying only books and RPG materials manufactured in the US (if you're American)?

This is a tricky question because many items are not made in the US. I cannot go out and purchase the D&D Minis set that was produced in the US because they are only produced in China.

However, as a publisher, we have refused to use print facilities outside of the US, despite extensive differences in the cost of production.

What I find funny, is that if the FLGS do go under, then in 20 years, if the hobby still exists, then will we see the same people refusing to buy from Amazon because KaZaa is free?

 

[Li Shenron]

Let me ask you all advocating buying from local shops: do you also support buying only books and RPG materials manufactured in the US (if you're American)?

Books are not really substitutable items. If you want a book written by a certain spanish poet, you cannot really buy a similar book by e.g. an american poet because after all they're both poetry books

But if D&D books were also printed locally instead of being just shipped from the US, I'd prefer buying the local versions. Transportation of goods is such a waste of time, money, labor and it pollutes a lot.

 

[Rykion]

No one is obligated to support their local gaming store. Many choose to support them because they feel that the services they provide are worth the extra money. If you don't feel that your local store is providing enough of a service, or their prices are too high, then don't buy from them.

Realise that as the local gaming stores go out of business, so will most of the small game publishers. There will be fewer outlets for new products and less variety. Some of the big box stores and their online stores will likely drop all gaming products as they are low sale items that they carried only to compete with stores that no longer exist. The rate at which new gamers start playing will slow. The hobby won't go under, but will be diminished.

 

[GlassJaw]

Realise that as the local gaming stores go out of business, so will most of the small game publishers.

I'd be willing to bet that a large portion of the small publishers get most of their revenue from the internet and not the small stores. Most of the LGS I've been to don't really carry many products from small publishers.

 

[Arashi Ravenblade]

I prefer Amazon, i usually only buy from a game store if they have it in before Amazon Like they had the DMG2 and Waterdeep way before hand so i bought it there, however Weapons of Legacy is not at my game store but Amazon has it, guess where im getting it. And around Christmas and my birthday i always stress to family memebers to buy from Amazon as i can get more that way.
I got nearly 10 RPG book last x-mas BC of Amazon, in past years its been more like 2-3 books bc of the local game shops prices, sure they have to stay in business and make a profit but im not letting go of a possible 7 extra books to keep them in business.

 

[Belen]

I'd be willing to bet that a large portion of the small publishers get most of their revenue from the internet and not the small stores. Most of the LGS I've been to don't really carry many products from small publishers.

Yet the mid-tier publishers will go under. If the stores go, then so do the distributors.

 

[Belen]

I got nearly 10 RPG book last x-mas BC of Amazon, in past years its been more like 2-3 books bc of the local game shops prices, sure they have to stay in business and make a profit but im not letting go of a possible 7 extra books to keep them in business.

If those books are never produced, then you cannot buy them in the first place.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Just for the record, I asked a general form of the "how much of a discount do big retailers get from game companies" in the Ask Gygax thread. He responded in Post#977 that the big guys DO generally get bigger discounts on their orders.

So just keep that in mind: its not neccessarily your LGS raising prices, there is also the factor that the Amazons of the world simply have more economic power, and can discount the games and still make profits.

Caveat Emptor!

 

[wingsandsword]

One thing I've realized about the FLGS here in my city, is that most are comic book stores mainly, who have a bookshelf, or wall, or corner or other portion of their space devoted to gaming (there is one true dedicated FLGS in town though, and 3 comic stores with gaming). Some are much more enthusiastic about it (holding CCG/minis tournaments), some make a big point of carrying small-press/d20 works, while others just stock WotC & White Wolf stuff, but of retail places to get gaming materials, I'm noticing that RPG's often sell along the same independent small business channels as comic books. Comic books aren't normally bought online, and they aren't typically sold by "big boxes". There is also a lot of crossover between casual fans of the two mediums. It forms a symbiosis, as long as the local comic stores are alive and healthy, the gaming industry will be helped, if the gaming industry goes under it will hurt the comic stores too.