Friendly Local Game Stores

I'm a big fan of supporting local game stores.  Always have been, always will be. They've always been the center of my gaming life.

But I don't suggest blindly just going to whatever store happens to be closest.  Find a store where you're comfortable. And, of course, make sure that the store suits your needs.

I'm very lucky.  Living in the Seattle area, there are a number of good game stores. I've visited most of them, and I've very rarely been disappointed.

For me, I need a game store with a good board game selection. Ideally, the store will either have a decent RPG selection, too, but that's secondary.  If they can order games, that's usually good enough for me.

Phoenix Games in Mukilteo suits most of my needs (and has the added advantage of being close). I've also bonded well with Uncle's Games (which has multiple locations).

Recently, however, I was reminded why I like these two stores so well. You see, a new game store opened close enough to my office that I can visit on my lunch break and still have time to eat lunch.  So I went to scope it out (which I do every time I find out about a new game store). And I was unimpressed.

When I walked in, there were three people in the store. Two of them were chatting at the counter, and the third was lounging against the counter, listening to the conversation.  It was a couple of minutes before I was greeted, and the greeting was lukewarm.

Their selection also left me underwhelmed.

I am of the opinion that a game store should have a few copies of Monopoly. Maybe a variant or two. Copies of Sorry or Aggravation are also good ideas, even if they can't compete with Target's pricing on the mass-market games - these games help non-gamers accept the legitimacy of the game store. Yes, I'm serious.

This store? It had at least thirty different Monopoly versions. And three versions of Jenga and four different Yahtzee versions.  And some chess sets, helpfully labeled, "Do Not Play With The Chess Sets."  They had some more modern games, but the selection underwhelmed. Settlers of Catan, Carcassonne, and a smattering of expansions for the games, and a small handful of other games - all of which were either popular mass-market games or are extremely popular on BoardGameGeek.

Their RPG selection was also odd ... they had a full shelf of Wizards of the Coast-produced 3rd Edition Dungeons & Dragons books (which went out of print in 2007). And a smattering of other RPG supplements (and an odd shortage of core books).

I didn't see any demo copies. That doesn't mean they weren't there, mind you. But I don't think they were.  You see, the tables in the back had a little sign on them. "Tables are for scheduled demos and events only."  And the chairs were all up on the tables.

Demos and events are the lifeblood of a game store.  Phoenix Games has a different event nearly every day of the week. So does Uncle's. But when there's not an event (or when a scheduled event isn't using all the available table space), the tables are available for open play.

All in all, the experience was unwelcoming.

I wasn't sure if it was just my own prejudices affecting my perception, however, so I sent my wife in to check it out. Her perceptions almost perfectly mimicked my own.

If it were the only game store in town, I might frequent it. Maybe. But I'd probably still be hosting game night in my apartment. And I'd buy a lot more games online than I do now.

Which is to say: I don't blame people for buying online. Sometimes there just isn't another viable option.

But I still suggest buying local if at all possible.

PAX '09: How I Got A Badge

Map
Originally uploaded by Gamethyme

I can't figure out how to scheduled a post with Flickr, so this will be up a few hours earlier than normal. In fact, it'll be up Tuesday Night instead of Wednesday Morning. Don't get used to early posts, however.

I need to write about PAX. And I still haven't given GenCon a full writeup, either.

I will do both of these in detail later. For now, the Tale of How I Got A Pass.

As long-time readers of this blog will know, my home Game Store is Phoenix Games (at the moment, this may be a better link). Phoenix is where my weekly Wednesday gathering is held, and it's where the bulk of my boardgaming dollar goes.

You will also know that I demo games for Asmodee Editions. This is not restricted to Phoenix. One of the game stores I visit often is Uncle's Games, as it's about a mile from where I work and is a well-run game store. I spend the bulk of my role-playing dollar there.

I had been asked for feedback on whether or not Asmodee should consider a booth at PAX. My plan was to buy my pass on payday. Unfortunately, PAX sold out.

I had loaned my copy of Dixit to the Uncle's Games district manager in hopes that they would pick the game up (they did, by the way - they loved the game). When I swung by to pick my copy up on Monday, there was an employee there that I didn't know. We spent some time chatting, and I'd discussed a desire to attend PAX, as I was loaning a number of my games to the game library.

"Let me pull some strings and see what I can do," she said. I left her my name and number and e-mail address.

Thursday morning, I had voice mail. "This is Jodi from Uncle's," she said, "I have a PAX Pass for you, but you have to be willing to spend some time in the tabletop gaming area."

What? You mean I have to spend time in one of the two areas where I had planned to scout most heavily? In exchange, I am free to wander the convention for a few hours?

So, to make a long story short, I wound up at PAX, wearing a badge that said, "Uncle's Games," a very odd feeling. (If you're reading this, Jodi, thank you again!)

I took a few photos, and compiled a report for Asmodee. I even got to play a few games. Some of you will notice that this list is very similar to another list I recently compiled.

Over the next few weeks, I plan to talk about PAX and GenCon and the games I played. I think we all know how good I am at keeping to my plans, however.

A Brief Side Trip

Last Wednesday, we gave out our Game Night Christmas Gifts - a $10 Gift Certificate to Phoenix Games.

I don't think everyone there celebrates Christmas, but everyone there celebrates some gift-giving holiday in December. And no-one is offended at receiving a Christmas gift. Which is nice.

Every year, my wife and I discuss how much to give, and every year, we settle on $10 - we think it's the ideal amount to support the game store:

1) This year, we bought 12 gift certificates. That's $120 direct to the store.
2) Some members will lose the gift certificates. This turns the $10 for that person into pure profit. That said, however, if they mention it to Brian, he'll probably replace them - but he doesn't have to. And it's hard to get hugely upset over losing $10.
3) Very few games cost less than $10. This means that when people use the certificates, they wind up spending more money on top of the certificate. The more money which is spent at the game store, the better off the game store is.

Even though I had recently received a sizeable bonus this year, we didn't increase the amount we gave.

As I won't be back until the middle of the week, I'm going to take this opportunity to wish all of you a very merry Christmas (unless you don't celebrate Christmas, in which case I wish you a wonderful Winter Holiday of Choice - and this wish is retroactive if I've already missed your Winter Holiday).

The Sky Is Falling! The Sky Is Falling!

Okay, not really. But Mayfair Games recently announced that they are requiring a 20% cap on discounts for their games.

Retailers who sell below that line will suffer "sanctions" and may be cut off from their supply. It'll hurt online retailers more than brick-and-mortar

Tom of Boards and Bits broke the news here. There's some good discussion mixed in with the ranting.

Here are my scattered thoughts:

It's not new to gaming. Games Workshop has done this for a while. They even go after eBay sellers.

It's legal - there was a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling on this that didn't change the law, it adjusted the interpretation of the law which put more more power in the hands of manufacturers.

This sort of price control has been going for a long while in other industries.

I currently work in car audio. Various manufacturers have "Authorized Retailers." If you buy product from a non-Authorized retailer, then you don't have warranty coverage. MTX Audio has a page all about it: MTX - Unauthorized Resellers.

In order to become an Authorized Retailer, you get to jump through all kinds of hoops and sign a number of contracts. One of these contracts concerns "MAP" - depending on who you talk to, MAP is "Manufacturer Authorized Pricing" or "Minimum Advertised Price."

This gives the car audio-buying public a choice: Buy a speaker without a warranty and hope it doesn't die, or more and get a warranty backed by the manufacturer.

And there are ways around it:

1) Buy Product X, and we'll throw in Product Y.
2) Here's a Coupon Code for X% off your entire order.
3) Free shipping for all orders over $X
4) Buy Product X, save $Y on Product Z

So why would Mayfair do this?

1) It supports the FLGS. Internet retail is hurting the FLGS. I've ranted about this before. This levels the playing field a bit.
2) They can. Mayfair is the US publisher for The Settlers of Catan, arguably the best-selling Eurogame of all time.
3) It won't hurt internet retailers as badly as people think it will, because it means higher profit margins on Mayfair items (and because of the numerous ways around it).

There was discussion a few months ago about game companies possibly doing something like this. A ICV2 interviewed a few industry insiders:
Jay Tummelson of Rio Grande Games
Joe Hauck of WizKids
Loren Greenwood of Wizards of the Coast

... and that's all I have time to say.

Supporting Your Local Game Store Part II

So, I mentioned in my last post that I'd discuss the other two local game stores, as well as going over when I buy online.

The other two game stores locally aren't here anymore, first of all. One is under new ownership in a new location, and the other is gone. And no, I won't name either of them.

As I've matured, my taste in game stores has changed. The game store I used to support had a role-playing and miniatures focus, and it was constantly filled with miniatures gamers. I stopped shopping there when I transitioned to being more of a board gamer than a roleplayer. And when I realized that there were better ways to run a store.

It was the typical Gamer Hole style of game store. That is, there were piles and piles of games in no particular order. The store was cluttered, and the gamers there were the typical unsocialized style of gamer. The owner was more interested in playing games than in running the store, and made liberal use of his regulars for free labor, resulting in a counter which was frequently unattended. I once stood at the front for twenty minutes, waiting for help because I didn't know who was running the register. It was a classic example of monkeys running the zoo. My wife flat refused to set foot in the store after he second visit, as the atmosphere made her extremely uncomfortable - both in terms of the "It's a girl! What do we do?" factor and in terms of the Gamer Funk. Sadly, too many gamer stereotypes have a solid footing in reality.

I never even tried to take my wife into the second game store. I only visited it twice, and both times it was because a friend of mine had seen an out-of-print book I'd been looking for. It was the Gamer Hole taken to the extreme. Where the first store had stacks and stacks of games, this one had stacks and stacks for games mixed liberally with porn. You could be flipping through a stack of First Edition AD&D, and find three or four hardcore pornographic magazines mixed right into the middle of the stack. The aisles were extremely narrow - there wasn't even room to walk around other gamers without both of you holding your breath and trying hard not to touch. There were no windows, either, and the store was under-lit. Badly. I felt like bringing a flashlight with me every time I headed that way. And I took a long shower after visiting.

So if these are your local game stores, then - by all means - shop online.

I actually discussed ordering online with Brian from Phoenix yesterday, when I stopped by to play a game. It took a while to get through the game, because customers kept coming in, and they take priority (which is how a game store should be run).

But here are the circumstances under which when I'll buy online:

1) When it's an in-print game that Brian can't order in for some reason. I can think of two types of games covered by this: Self-published games such as Cobras in the Cockpit and games which are limited and exclusive in some way, such as Mordred. Funagain also used to have some exclusive games. Now that Funagain is working as a distributor as well as a retailer, Brian can get these games in. There are also games that Brian can't get because they're not distributed in the US.

2) When there is an online-only promo. Valley Games makes a special promotion available for each of their pre-orders. Brian could theoretically pre-order them for me, but the additiona effort involved more than offsets the benefit for him.

3) When a game is both out of print and not available though his distributors. Lots of games go out of print, but distributors will frequently still have the game in stock. I remember being able to order Fasa's Star Trek RPG for nearly five years after it went out of print. I loved that game.

In nearly all other circumstances, I'll purchase through Phoenix. GenCon for me is primarily a scouting run - I don't tend to spend a lot of money, there. I come back and ask Brian to order games that I saw that looked cool.

... and that's about all I have to say about that.

For now.

Supporting Your Local Game Store

Those of you who know me in person already know that I'm really big on supporting my local game store, but not all of you know what I mean by that or why I'm so firm on it.

Now, I'm not going to tell you horror stories about online game stores - I've had nothing but positive experiences with Funagain or Thoughthammer when I have purchased from them. The man who runs Boards and Bits is active on BoardGameGeek, and I have heard nothing but good about his operation as well.

But I thought it'd be a good idea to explain why I take this stance, and what exceptions I make for it.

A good game store is the center of Gamer Society. It's where gamers go to meet gamers and interact with gamers. And, of course gaming takes place in some game stores, too. Game stores are also where you learn about new products - or old ones that may have been overlooked.

When I'm exploring a new area, one of the first things I do is try to find the local game stores - they'll give you a very good idea of what the gaming is like in the area - and I'm not just talking about what games are popular in the region.

Within fifteen minutes of my apartment, there used to be three game stores. One of them has closed, one has moved, and the other is the one I support.

The game store I support is Phoenix Games in Mukilteo, Washington. I'll discuss the full whys and wherefores at some future point. It's the game store locally that best fits my needs.

It's clean, wide open, and is inviting to all ages (and genders). What he doesn't stock, he's willing to special-order (if it's available). He has tables available for gaming. He's knowledgeable about games. And he can sell Fluxx without sneering (something I struggle with).

Online game stores don't generally do special orders. There are exceptions, it's true. But it's more difficult to arrange for a special order.

I don't have to pay shipping costs when dealing with Brian.

I've never seen an online game store that has tables I can use for gaming.

While I can get rules questions answered by the online game store folks, it's a lot faster to ask Brian.

Do I pay more by buying from Brian? Yes. Absolutely. But I think the added services more than make up for the extra money I pay.

Now, I'm not saying you should support game stores who make you uncomfortable. I'll use the other two game stores that used to be nearby as examples in a future post.

I'll also discuss when I choose to buy online rather than through my local game store.

Monkeys Shouldn't Run The Zoo

I'm a huge believer in supporting your local game store. A HUGE believer. And so are a lot of people out there - but local game stores are still closing all over.

Why?

People are fast to blame the internet - it's cheaper, faster, more convenient.

But I think a large part of the problem is that monkeys are running the zoo.

A Game Store owner has to wear several hats, each of which critical to the success of the business.

The first hat they need to wear - the most important hat - is that of Businessman. If you don't approach your game store as a business, then you're already out of business.

Far too many game store owners open game stores for the sole purpose of getting discounts on their gaming products. Their goal isn't profit, it's expanding their own collections. If they can turn a profit in the process, so much the better - after all, the more they sell, the more they can buy for themselves! The owner of this type of store will typically provide discounts to all of their regular customers or buddies.

The organization of the store will be haphazard at best. The stereotypical game store has stacks and stacks of games and books spread at random throughout the store - this stereotype exists for a reason. Most Game Store owners don't know what to stock, so they either stock everything, or else they'll stock very little. They won't carry mass-market games, reasoning that customers can get those at Target or Wal*Mart.

Customers who walk in may not be noticed for several minutes if the owner is playing a game at one of the game tables. Checkout is the same way - you can stand for ten or more minutes waiting for the owner to notice you before you can spend your money.

Allow me to contrast this with Phoenix Games, my local game store.

Brian at Phoenix is a businessman. He likes games, he likes gamers, but Phoenix is a business for him.

People who have keys to the store get a discount, and that's about it. The store is bright and well-lit. He carries both mass-market and hobby games. As he explained to me a few months ago, "If Joe Average walks into a Game Store and doesn't see Monopoly or Life, their first thought is, 'What kind of Game store is this?'" He also uses the mass-market as a tool to point customers at other (better) games. For customers who enjoy Pictionary, he'll suggest Squint, for example.

He hasn't bought every RPG book availalable, either. In fact, he only carries Wizards of the Coast's RPG lines (Dungeons and Dragons and d20 Modern). He can special-order other products, if needed.

If a special order causes comment or a lot of interest, he'll sometimes start to carry it (a good example of this is Battleground: Fantasy Warfare, which he started carrying last week).

He'll also regularly check the front page at BoardGameGeek. Along the lower left-hand side of the page, there is a list of "Hot Games" - these are games that people are interested in and are looking for.

Brian has also given thought to his organization - studies have shown that customers will tend to walk in about four paces and then turn right. So, to the right, are the family-oriented games. At eye-level are colorful or otherwise eye-catching games.

Elitist Game Snobs (like me) will go through the whole store and will find the hobby games which are located to the left of the entrance with little or no difficulty.

High-theft items (collectible card games, for example) sit right up next to the counter. More expensive board games (such as Twilight Imperium 3rd Edition) are on higher shelves where small children can't get to them.

The store is carpeted and clean - Brian cleans the carpets at least once a week and polices the trash several times daily.

Customers who walk in are always greeted within seconds of their arrival. On those rare occasions when Brian is playing a game at the front table, he'll make sure that the other players know that he may need to break away to help customers. And he'll let the customers know that he welcomes interruptions (because he does). When a customer approaches the front counter, Brian will usually beat them to the counter and be ready to help them.

Those of us who game at the front table are also reminded (regularly) that we cannot block access to the games. We need to sit close to the table so as to avoid blocking the aisles, and we need to watch our language. We also need to be polite to customers.

I'm not saying that online stores haven't hurt the Local Game Store - they have - we need to make sure that we lay the blame accurately. Many game stores have put themselves out of business long before the internet had the opportunity.