Your FLGS and You - What's your take?

[innerdude]

I'm curious to hear from the community what everyone's typical experience is with the FLGS in their neighborhoods / towns.

I got my first D&D Basic Module for Christmas at age 10, played BECMI throughout the '80s and early '90s, semi-played 2e on very rare occasions in the late '90s, and then moved full throttle into 3.x around 2003.

However, even at the height of my OD&D heyday in the late 1980s, I never really "got into" the whole FLGS thing. I loved the product, enjoyed seeing that other people "liked" the same hobby I did, but I never really "attached" myself to a game store like I saw other people do.

In my current location, there's one very small FLGS with a limited RPG selection (D&D 4e, SWSE and Warhammer, and that's pretty much it), but every time I go in there, and I see the crowds there, I'm still......well, to be honest, kind of put off by the whole atmosphere. Don't get me wrong, I love gaming, love D&D, have a shelf full of game books, and a whole host of others I've either lost during moves or sold, but I just don't particularly enjoy the "FLGS experience," for all the usual reasons. One problem is that my local store primarily caters to the wargamers/Heroclix crowd, but I've had the same experience elsewhere, even in one store in my previous location that was an incredibly nice store in a very nice location, with a huge game selection.

My question is, am I unique? Are there others out there that have had different experiences? Should I be more open to meeting people and getting to know the local gaming crowd? Am I missing out on something important by not associating with my FLGS? I do have some interest in playing a "living" campaign setting, especially Pathfinder Society, but I'm unsure what to expect from doing so.

One of the reasons I ask is I recall an interview with the head of Goodman Games 6 or 8 months back where he claimed that the FLGS is still the "heart and soul" of PnP RPGs, and that brick-and-mortar game shops are still one of the primary engines that drives distribution. It surprised me greatly, because I would have thought that based on my experience, word-of-mouth and the Internet would have a far greater impact on the RPG industry today than the FLGSes.

So I humbly ask you all, can you give a fellow gamer some insight?

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Like anything else, there are good and bad FLGSs...

Right now, my closest quality store- one of a local chain- closed about 3 years ago. I now frequent 2 others that are about 25 minutes away (in different directions) and occasionally visit one of the chain's other locations.

Why do I go to those places?

1. 
   Because the staff are helpful and knowledgeable- they will help me find RPG/Wargame/CCG/boardgame products I'm looking for. Or if they don't stock it, they'll try to special order it.
2. Because I can find other gamers outside of my own insular group or boards like this one to talk to. This means I get opinions and viewpoints with VERY different filters and biases than I usually operate with.
3. Because I simply never know what I'm going to find. Not everything is on the web.

 

[Jhaelen]

My (recent) experience has mostly been bad. All good FLGS have already been killed by online shops, I guess. The ones that survived focus on collectible games and seem to be full of Magic players all the time.

Regarding RPGs the staff is either clueless ("Yeah, I guess, we also have rpg books somewhere, uh, maybe in that dark corner over there, behind the stack of crates...") or opinionated ("D&D 4e? Forget about it! Here, have a look at our out-of-print section of xyz books, that's the real thing!").

The last time I visited a game store that had reopened after being closed for a couple of years I asked for D&D minis and were basically told that they didn't sell plasticrap...

I'm not inclined to repeat the experience.

 

[darjr]

Here is my local FLGS tour.
http://www.enworld.org/forum/general-rpg-discussion/257299-local-game-store-tour-2.html#post4829993

The GameShoppe had a big renovation recently and a swanky new sign, I might have to get a picture up.

Otherwise it's still pretty much the same.

 

[Dausuul]

My feeling on the FLGS (for those not familiar with the term, it stands for Friendly Local Game Store/Shop) is a resounding, "Meh."

The only time I've had a definite attachment to any FLGS was back in 1994, and that was because of the hot Goth chick who ran the store, on whom I had a serious crush. (Hey, I was 17. Not that I might not feel the same way today...) Since then - meh. Bought books from various gaming shops, gamed at them a few times, but mostly I meet gamers through other channels; first college, then work.

In a more general sense, I think the day of the FLGS is, if not done, then waning. The Internet is already performing the FLGS's retail function better than the FLGS ever did it, and the time is coming when it will perform the social function better as well.

When that happens, the FLGS will survive only for the length of time it takes WotC to decide to put profits ahead of pity.

 

[carmachu]

I only have bad ones. One use to eb good when the old man ran it, but it changed hands. Now they just suck ass and dont provide anything I'm interested.

Everything I need for gaming over the last couple years has been gained and done by the internet. Its gotten me everything I needed from products to discussion to a gaming group.

Goodman can say their the heart and soul of PnP RPG's but frankly in my own(and groups) experience, its really not the case anymore. (F)LGS really have nothing to offer me anymore. They havent in a long time, and frankly the way they(my local ones) have acted I'm pretty turned off by them. They'd have to do alot to earn me back again.

 

[bySwarm]

Three types of successful FLGS

I think there are three types of FLGS that are successful:

1) Focus on collectible card games
These stores sell the equivalent of gamer-cigarettes in that their customers keep coming back to buy more of their product. They also often host events and competitive environments that people enjoy.

2) Focus on miniatures games
Not everyone has a good 4' x 4' game table to play their favorite miniatures game at home. There is the competitive angle that leagues and tournaments offer as well. An FLGS that sells these products as well as has space for people to play them can be successful.

Both of these though can lose by the online competition. A typical FLGS is not able to compete on the pricing you get for CCGs and miniatures games online. That's where the third thing comes in:

3) Community
There is a FLGS where I live that has done a great job at building a community. People buy their products there because they want a local game store to be successful since it gives them a place to play and find other gamers. It also gives them a place to feel a part of the community. In our FLGS, it is hard to get space for an RPG now as there are games occupying most of the tables almost every night and weekend. At our local game con a few weeks ago, other vendors were commenting to the FLGS owner (who also had a booth) that they had noticed the community. At any given time in the main gaming hall, there were more than a dozen people wearing the t-shirt of the FLGS.

I'm not completely sure what the magic formula is for building that community, but I do think that building a community offers a FLGS a way to be successful.

 

[Aeolius]

Back when 3e/3.5e was still the current edition. I had a FLGS not too far from my office. I'd go in and peruse the shelves during my lunch break. After a bit, they learned my gaming tastes. If an aquatic-themed supplement hit the shelves, they could call me up. Alas, that store shut down.

4e came out sometime thereafter. I picked up the core books at a new gaming store.

I decided to stick with 3.5e and I only game online these days, so I haven't had the need to desire to return to a gaming store.

 

[Crothian]

I've given up on ours. With the bad customer service, the inaccurate game descriptions, the horrible hours, the lack of selection, the bad smells and not clean store, the ripping off of customers...We have four local gaming stores and in the end none of them I feel are that good. Some of them have good and bad but the good was never good enough. I'm happy with using Amazon for the occasional book, buying on line from the publisher for most things, and spending lots of money at Origins and Gen Con. I've even been buying from Barnes and Noble because they send out good coupons I can use.

 

[Dausuul]

I only have bad ones. One use to eb good when the old man ran it, but it changed hands. Now they just suck ass and dont provide anything I'm interested.

Everything I need for gaming over the last couple years has been gained and done by the internet. Its gotten me everything I needed from products to discussion to a gaming group.

Goodman can say their the heart and soul of PnP RPG's but frankly in my own(and groups) experience, its really not the case anymore. (F)LGS really have nothing to offer me anymore. They havent in a long time, and frankly the way they(my local ones) have acted I'm pretty turned off by them. They'd have to do alot to earn me back again.

I'm curious, what did they do to turn you against them? (Same question for others here who've had bad experiences, including the OP.)