Quote from: Bren;828215That's cool. :cool: Baltimore isn't that far away and may be worth a trip. What store is that?

The one with the tombstones is CardBoard Gaming in Odenton (nestled equidistant from Baltimore, Annapolis, and DC pretty much).  I'll be doing another mini-con with that store in Sept/Oct, we're still nailing down the date.

For me personally the biggest draw in a store is selection and service. If I can get good customer service and a wide selection I will spend my money in a store rather than order it online. The other big thing seems to be events, the stores in my area that are the most successful have lots of events going.

There is one store in my area that after nearly sinking a few times seems to be getting it right, in fact they have become the go to place for most. They've got a large area, all the common miniatures games, a full line of 5th edition, a full line of Pathfinder, all the major RPGs basically, a large selection of board games, they deal in magic cards, and they also happen to be a full comic book store as well.

I go there because I'm greeted by name, I can find pretty well anything I want, and they keep the place family friendly for the most part. If I am not sure about buying into a game I can get an honest assessment of the pros and cons of it as well as advice on how to buy in for the least cash up front. Even when I can tell the owners are not fond of a game they still manage to find some nice things to say about it, I appreciate that, I can't tell you how many FLGS employees over the years have felt it appropriate to tell me how shitty a game is.

It seems to me like the one thing a brick and mortar store can offer is an experience. The best ones I have been to have cultivated a scene around them, they are hubs of activity. They also have great service and a clean well lit store. If I wanted to shop in some dingy shit hole where the people are assholes I could just drive to my brothers house and order online.

An example of a store getting wrong in my area is sadly the place that used to be my favorite. Here lately the owner doesn't really deal with folks that much, the guy that does is super negative always preaching about how every fucking game out there is dying, subtly insinuates that it's not worth spending money on game X, they have drastically cut the amount of things they carry for instance they have one 5th edition product.

Quote from: VectorSigma;828243The one with the tombstones is CardBoard Gaming in Odenton (nestled equidistant from Baltimore, Annapolis, and DC pretty much).  I'll be doing another mini-con with that store in Sept/Oct, we're still nailing down the date.

thanks! I hope you post something here once you have the date nailed down.

My biggest draw to a brick & mortar store is used role-playing game books. I can buy new ones online cheaper or get a PDF. But I have stumbled upon some real gems at stores. I may be an outlier in this regard.

Quote from: Tetsubo;828260My biggest draw to a brick & mortar store is used role-playing game books. I can buy new ones online cheaper or get a PDF. But I have stumbled upon some real gems at stores. I may be an outlier in this regard.

Nope. One of the reasons I adore Olympic Cards and Comics (WA State). Huge selection of older or gently used books.

Quote from: Tetsubo;828260My biggest draw to a brick & mortar store is used role-playing game books. I can buy new ones online cheaper or get a PDF. But I have stumbled upon some real gems at stores. I may be an outlier in this regard.

Same here. That's how I once got Night City with the map (which I've since lost during a move). I also got a 1st edition d20 Conan hardback which I don't intend to lose.

In fact, it's often easier for me to find interesting stuff in the used section than it is to find new stuff, which tends to be W0TC and PF.

As a cookie-cutter book-selling business model, no.

As a local, exceptional-quality store, with friendly staff, a nice premises and some value adding (coffee, playing space, big selection to browse), maybe.

Quote from: LordVreeg;828191Board games and RPGs...go together so well.  And Board games are huge right now.

Yeah I'm on a real boardgame kick these days. I went into town to do some stuff last week and got an RPG book (Princes of the Apocalypse), but spotted the "Citadels" card/boardgame bought that too.
I played that over the weekend and it;s great fun.
I agree, Boardgames and RPGs go together so well.

The FLGS must evolve or die in today's economy.

A small store that has a gaming space which provides snacks and has an internet footprint for selling used or even new game books & supplies would seem to be the best approach. Diversity of product, high end games and miniatures that you would not find at larger chain stores is good for stocking the shelves.

To say that the staff should be knowledgeable and friendly is redundant. If they are not, then you are losing sales and bleeding yourself to death.

The thing is, I just don't think the FLGS is necessary or relevant to the hobby today.  Arguably it was, once, though it may have done as much harm as good because it moved the industry out of big-box retail stores (and into these specialist stores that only diehard already-gamers tended to go to), and out of school-groups or clubs and into either playing at the store with the freaks or playing with your own insular little group at home.

In Pasadena (Los Angeles area, site of the Rose Bowl Parade) there is a wonderful and clearly profitable FLGS called GAME EMPIRE. There's another notable FLGS in Oakland called END GAME.

If I was opening a FLGS, I would visit those and study them. Why? Because they have strong loyal community with calendars packed with a variety of events. The FLGS is primarily a gamer hub for Actual Play where you can buy stuff. They make good cash from various bits like dice, minis, boosters and under $10 purchases, and then lots of the clientele support the store by buying their large purchases there too.

Lots of my friends do at least $100 of their Xmas shopping there every year because they both have cool gamer stuff, but also lots of casual games that would interest non-gamers.

I think, diversified geek stores do pretty well by catering to the latest thing.  The problem for the rpg industry is that it needs a new model to do well in geek stores.  Loathe as I am to say it there are too many games.  If a few more companies would embrace open source rules this could probably be mitigated without changing their shelf space in stores.  I think we need some new products beyond spell cards.

Really, I'm fond of the idea of marking out custom action figure kits as roleplaying game territory.  Imagine pose-able miniatures without the painting and crafts element.  Imagine being able to clearly show that your GURPS character is crouching or kneeling.  But I recognize there are financial issues with the concept.  It's just a thought on an innovative product that could churn like supplements but without the rules bloat.

Neat play aids that make games easier or more functional would also help.  I'm not sure what they would be.  Just crazy stuff like hex grid packs or stationary or unit patches that can't just be downloaded.

That's my thoughts anyhow.  The mixed store could go on without rpgs and rpgs can go on without the store but if the industry wants to stay in the stores it needs to up its game some how.

Quote from: Spinachcat;828936In Pasadena (Los Angeles area, site of the Rose Bowl Parade) there is a wonderful and clearly profitable FLGS called GAME EMPIRE. There's another notable FLGS in Oakland called END GAME.

If I was opening a FLGS, I would visit those and study them. Why? Because they have strong loyal community with calendars packed with a variety of events. The FLGS is primarily a gamer hub for Actual Play where you can buy stuff. They make good cash from various bits like dice, minis, boosters and under $10 purchases, and then lots of the clientele support the store by buying their large purchases there too.

Lots of my friends do at least $100 of their Xmas shopping there every year because they both have cool gamer stuff, but also lots of casual games that would interest non-gamers.

Research into business models/plans that have worked is a really important part of setting up one's own business of the same kind.  And yet another thing that way too many amateurs opening up hobby shops don't do; being nerds, they assume they already know what they need to make a hobby shop work.

Game Empire is a chain and apparently does well enough although the ones down here suck.

For the love of god:



Every time I visit my FLGS I wish they'd allow smoking indoors again.