jaerdaph
#UkraineStrong
That settles it. My next d20 Modern game is going to start in a FLGS.
"You all meet in a FLGS... on Geek Singles night."
WotC and brick and mortar retail stores - Greg Leeds weighs in
- Thread starter Windjammer
- Start date
That settles it. My next d20 Modern game is going to start in a FLGS.
"You all meet in a FLGS... on Geek Singles night."
I'm not talking about doing away with stocking things deep. I'm talking about having portions of your store taken up by games and other merchandise you bought 3 years ago and haven't been able to sell.
Now, there are stores that do quite well by stocking OoP games, but they're set up to do so. Gamers know to go there for those games, so they actually sell those games rather than merely store them.
But stuff that just sits there year after year, getting dusted and shifted around is just reducing your ability to make productive use of the space.
"You all meet in a inn..."
Dire Bare
Legend
I've actually encountered two different stores that did just that (on purpose or not, I don't know) over the years . . . and yes, it did work. Store always seemed more crowded when hot geek girl was on shift!
darjr
I crit!
on Geek Singles night."
Now there is an idea that someone should pickup on. WotC?
Vyvyan Basterd
Adventurer
[Eddie Izzard]AND THIS GAMING MATERIAL HERE IS WELL OVER 3 YEARS OLD![/Eddie Izzard]
My FLGS has stuff on the shelves that is easily 35 years old that never sold. The owner is a friend and I've told him numerous times ove the last two decades I've known him to get rid of that stuff to no avail. He also won't make the effort to have anything to do with any modern gaming company. I don't know how he stays in business really (I think he lives in his store, basically so all his money just sinks into it). Too many gamers go into business and only have enthusiasm for the games they enjoy instead of being enthusiastic about all of their product. I have two FLGS' to compare and the one that runs gamedays and other events in their devoted space is always much busier.
darjr
I crit!
This is a great thread, that store and video tour are fantastic. I'll have to show my FLGS owners.
I'm a mixed bag. I have a store that has a ton of older material, lots of odd ball stuff mixed in. I love that store and all that stuff. I don't know how he does it. I also have a store that doesn't do that, really only newer stuff on the shelves. They both seem to be doing good and have traffic and a community.
I like both, my ideal store would do both but separate them some how. Maybe they should collaborate.
I'm a mixed bag. I have a store that has a ton of older material, lots of odd ball stuff mixed in. I love that store and all that stuff. I don't know how he does it. I also have a store that doesn't do that, really only newer stuff on the shelves. They both seem to be doing good and have traffic and a community.
I like both, my ideal store would do both but separate them some how. Maybe they should collaborate.
Festivus
First Post
That settles it. My next d20 Modern game is going to start in a FLGS.
"You all meet in a FLGS... on Geek Singles night."
This makes me wonder what the current fantasy roleplaying gamer demographics are, because I see a lot of ages 30+ married with kids folks, as well as single college student 20 somethings, with a smattering of under 20s at my meetups.
rogueattorney
Adventurer
This is the part I don't get fully. I understand that the experience he relates and which you confirm is very real for some people. I wonder though how far it generalizes. See, the FLGS owners I've come to know in Germany and the UK over the years had more of a second hand car salesmen attitude. They perfectly knew that I was more informed than them about products I already wanted - so they capitalized on hooking me onto product I had literally no idea about before entering their store. Product they easily knew more about than me.
It's true that most RPG'ers are creatures of loyalty to their game of choice. So what you do as a retailer is to expand the number of those loyalties.
This is a great point.
Personally, I go into brick and mortar stores to see the used games. Buying used games over the Internet can sometimes be a risky proposition as my idea of "fair condition and your idea of "fair" condition may not be the same thing. So, getting used gaming materials at brick & mortar stores is a safer bet. There are two local stores that have old stuff in stock.
The first place has no clue what the going price for used materials are and tends to price things way too high. I tend to walk out of there empty handed. The second place has no clue what the going price is for used materials and tends to price thing way too low. I tend to walk out of there with arm loads of games.
But the real difference between the two places is the guy behind the counter. The first guy tends to be argumentative and not really helpful. The second guy tends to be friendly and quite helpful, offering suggestions and pointing out new stuff I'm less familiar with. So, in the second case, I'm not only walking out with armloads of old gaming stuff, but also new paints for my minis, new minis, a cool new card game my kids might like, etc., etc., etc.
If the second guy takes the same approach with other focused gamers - i.e. he tries to turn on the Magic players to things like the Pirates constructable ship game, etc. - he probably does o.k. The key isn't knowing more than your customer about the games your customer likes. It's knowing enough about what your customers like to turn them on to other things. That takes engaging your customers, listening to them, having a broad knowledge of similar interests, a good soft sell, and then being right often enough that the customers continue to come back.
I can beat that. I've been told that the reason that a gaming store wasn't going to restock a picked through supply of Reaper Miniatures was because they were having such a hard time selling the ones they already had.
Think about that a moment.
They bought a bunch of miniatures. Half of them sold. The remaining half sat on the shelf forever. They aren't willing to restock the part that sold because of the slow sales of the part that hasn't sold.
Imagine if you had a sandwich shop, and you have supplies for 10 reubens and 10 tuna salad sandwiches. You've sold 10 reubens, and 1 tuna salad. You aren't willing to buy supplies for more reubens until the tuna salad is gone, so now you don't sell anything at all.
Sad.
jaerdaph
#UkraineStrong
That's been my observation as well. This weekend in nearby Rochester, NY at the University of Rochester, there is a game convention run by students. I have some Cub Scout activities and a Blue & Gold dinner I have to attend with my nephews, but if I have time, I really want to swing by at least one day to check it out and see the local demographic.
SIMCON Games Convention
Similar Threads
