Why should I care about the FLGS?

[Henry]

While I agree that online is a great place to game, meet people to game with, etc., it is not a great place to create gamers. Usually, someone has to see gaming somewhere. I think the two largest areas are schools and gaming stores (and very often the combination).

I just don't see it - I've never had the experience. Most gamers are made through exposure to fellow gamers, whatever the venue. The first place I learned about gaming was in a toy store (hence the HUGE need for a good cheap boxed set to bring new players in - it's what hooked me and couple other thousand people on these forums). The first gaming group I was invited to was through friends, not through watching it in a store. In order for an FLGS to work, it has to be Friendly, and that implies inviting someone to game, which no store I've seen has done. The important thing is to get the exposure to the hobby - after someone wants to play, they usually seek out other players, and more and more of these do so online. I don't know how many threads I've seen just on ENWorld over the past 4 years from people who are new to the hobby and want to learn how to play. I believe that, as time goes on, this number will just keep increasing.

I'll agree about exposure through school, though - most gamers I met in my early years pre-internet were from my High School and through College. The best thing Habro could POSSIBLY do, is get the PHB into college bookstores.

 

[woodelf]

I'm not comparing regular book wholesale and RPG wholesale.

For example, local pricing on Complete Warrior:

Amazon.com: $18.33 + shipping
Barnes & Noble.com: $18.86 + shipping
B&M Barnes & Noble (local): $24.26 + tax
B&M FLGS: $26.95 + tax
B&M local bookstore: $21.56 + tax

Local bookstore beats out Amazon.com by a few pennies. The FLGS comes DEAD LAST! Sorry, to me that says they're not making any effort to save me money, which makes me ask why I should worry about supporting them.

I must just live in a bizarre world. Around here, i can go to Borders, some of the other chain bookstores, or any of at least 3 FLGSs, and every single place will have the book for exactly the same price: the MSRP printed on the book. For that matter, i just shopped from retailers from all over the country at Origins, and every single one of them used the MSRP, unless they were running some sort of sale (one guy had a clearance bin of $6/book; another was selling everything at 50% off [of MSRP]; etc.). Ditto every game store i've ever been in, all over the country (i make it a practice to hit the gamestores when travelling). I've never run into RPG books that weren't part of an explicit sale marked at anything but MSRP, whether at a game store or a book store. Is this actually a common practice in y'all's experience?

 

[Henry]

We may make a single political statement, but then when we realize that it is what it is we back off. I find that impressive in a topic like this and would like to give kudos to everyone on the thread.

As would Pielorhino and I. We mods love it best when things can correct themselves; through the cool collective that is this community, things rarely get out of hand (the DRM issue a few weeks back notwithstanding). Thanks, all.

 

[Pielorinho]

As would Pielorhino and I. We mods love it best when things can correct themselves; through the cool collective that is this community, things rarely get out of hand (the DRM issue a few weeks back notwithstanding). Thanks, all.

Yep--I second the thanks! Things had been hot for a bit when I made that post, but have definitely gotten better. I appreciate it.

Daniel

 

[jeffh]

I recommend going to the downtown location. The lady who works there is pretty nice, and they've been getting my orders in a reasonable amount of time. And you get to avoid The Jerk (though, as a CMA and Business Analyst, I can out-argue him when it comes to customer service and good business practices any time).

Yes, I like Crystal, and she really does seem to be doing most of the day-to-day running of the downtown location. It has a surprisingly good selection considering the tiny space it's in, too, and does it without feeling overly crowded - and lets her watch the door. Someone gets major props for the physical layout.

Hey, where are they?

("They" = the relatively new store, Game Knight)

978 St Mary's (near St Vital Center), in the back of Grape & Grain. They're small and don't have much selection, relatively speaking, but they choose their stuff wisely enought to have a decent chance of having most of the lines I'm interested in.

 

[Volaran]

Since I noticed a few comments by Winnipeg gamers, I thought I'd mention my FLGS of choice. Face Off Sports Cards and Collectables near Ness and Sturgeon. Though primarily a card and miniatures shop, they've been carrying game books for a good long time there.

I worked there for a short time after highschool, and the owners, Hope and Gord, were some of the nicest people I've ever known. Hope sadly passed away last year, to the deep sadness of all regular customers. Gord's not a big gamer himself, though he's a big fantasy fan. His kids, who help out however, are both gamers of varying degree. The stock is good, they can usually get special orders inside a week. They offer a flat 15% discount on RPG products, and lately have been charging the american price in canadian funds. (eg. Book is $40 american, you pay $40 canadian, less the tax).

I've never liked Pendragon, mostly because of the owner, and was rather upset that they were given a positive review in a recent KoDT. Then again, I also feel that our local gaming convention "KeyCon" has gone downhill in recent years, and they got a positive review from Mr. Blackburn when he was there as a guest.

Campaign Outfitters is a place where I will go to check current inventory and occasionally look for old supplements.

I haven't tried Game Knight, not heard of it until this thread. However, I'm down by St. Vital center often enough that I'll surely give it a check.

As for general comments on the thread. I don't necessarily like an LGS, but that "Friendly" is highly important. With gaming stores, like any local business, if your customer service is tops, and you go out of your way for me, I'll go out of my way for you.

 

[J_D]

I prefer to get my gaming stuff from my FLGS. Not out of any sense of obligation to the gaming community or keeping business in the local community or any similar stuff that's been floated around here, but for reasons that satisfy me -- I get to browse the selection before buying.

My FLGS of choice is King's Hobby. It's not solely a gaming store, as the majority of the store is given over to model railroads, plastic model, model rockets and so forth, but they do have a decent selection of RPG, miniature and board wargaming stuff, about the best selection one could expect short of a store dedicated just to gaming. They don't shink-wrap their stuff, and the staff is very friendly and helpful. I know two of them by first name and they know me by first name. If they don't have something they'll order it for me.

I don't game in stores at all, so I have no need for or interest in in-store gaming. I use the internet a lot to research new gaming products and release dates, but I'll buy them from King's, and strictly out of personal loyalty to Rudy and Brad, not out of any loyalty to some community. Simple personal loyalty -- they've treated me very well, so I give them my business.

I've been in Dragons Lair only a couple of times a few years ago. No better selection there than at King's Hobby at that time that I recall, and I saw no reason to choose them over King's Hobby.

Speaking of true gaming stores, though, is anyone familiar with Wargames West out in Albuquerque NM? I lived there about 20 years ago, and at that time it was the best gaming store I'd ever seen. All gaming, nothing but gaming. Board wargames, RPG's, miniatures, I think even a few other kinds of strategy games. They did have a few rooms for in-store gaming separate from the retail area. Best pure gaming store I've been in, but I have no idea if it's still there or not.

 

[ssampier]

I've never run into RPG books that weren't part of an explicit sale marked at anything but MSRP, whether at a game store or a book store. Is
this actually a common practice in y'all's experience?

From the few game stores I've been in all books are MSRP. One gives you a 10% off your next purchase but that's it. If I was in the LGS business I would mark down everything 10-15% and give frequent customers extra perks ($1.00 off, free mini, etc).

I vaguely remember buying a religious book at Media Play for MSRP, but I don't book shop very often.

Wargames West sounds familiar. I remember mail-ordering lots of game products before 1996 or so. I think it changed it changed its name to Just Say Game. I'm not sure what became of it.

 

[woodelf]

Sorry, but I'll kindly have to disagree with you a tad here. True, no non-gamer is going to hit an online shop for gaming products, but I doubt speciality stores such as your FLGS, the Game Parlor in this case, attracts many customers who aren't already gamers. Again, take the Game Parlor, as an example. The only people who frequent that store are gamers. The average person off the street wouldn't know what to make of that store. Actually, I'd bet that most new gamers who lack a "gamer-friend" connection, buy their first books at your local Waldens or Borders.

Pegasus Games, in Madison, has one of the best selections of RPGs i've ever seen or heard of in an FLGS. They regularly order in small-press and obscure stuff without having to be told. I go in to check out a new game, and they have it, more often than not. Or, at the least, ordered in a copy or two but already sold them. Nonetheless, that's only ~1/4th of their store, by square footage. They also stock a good selection of CCGs and miniatures. But "traditional" games of various sorts, from chess and backgammon through boardgames to the latest card and party games, take up probably a third or more of the store. Tons of people come into that store on a daily basis that've never played an RPG, CCG, LARP, or anything of the sort. They *are* serving as an exposure point for non-gamers to RPGs. Probably moreso than the local Borders: it has a decent selection of RPGs (i was pleasantly surprised to find not only WWGS & WotC, but also AEG, Mongoose, ShadowRun, and several smaller companies), but they're just one shelving unit in a huge store, and the only time you're likely to walk past it for something else is if you're looking for computer game books, which i'll hazard means you already know RPGs exist.

 

[cignus_pfaccari]

Every B&N I have chanced to stop in has carried at least some RPG books.

The two B&Ns I hit regularly both carry a lot of D&D and a bit of d20 stuff. Borders is a bit more likely to carry other major systems, but not with anything much more than B&N. It was nice to be able to sit in a nice comfy chair and read Exalted before I picked it up. My FLGS doesn't have nice comfy chairs.

Brad