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So, I discovered this weekend that there's a GW store about 45 minutes away from me. And talking with the guys at the store, they gave me a flier announcing that this Saturday, they're going to be celebrating the store's birthday. The flier mentions that, of course, there will be gaming and prizes, but also says that there will be limited items for sale. Then below, it mentions that there will be one-of-a-kind items only available at the event - art prints, mugs, and more.

I imagine that there are some of you folks out there in Dakka-land who have been to these kinds of things before. When they mean limited items for sale, are they talking like GW mousepads, keychains, and swag like that? Or by limited items do they mean that they'll have stuff like LE models on sale? (I mean, I could certainly stand to pick me up another Gideon Lorr model!) I mainly ask as a 45-minute drive's a little out of my way for a mug with the IG logo on it, but if they're selling LE models, that certainly might make it worth my while.

Oh, I read the title and thought you wanted to have your birthday party at a GW store. That would be awesome (and very, very sad).

Ozymandias wrote:Oh, I read the title and thought you wanted to have your birthday party at a GW store. That would be awesome (and very, very sad).

You laugh, but last week at my local GW (the Glen Burnie Hq/Battle Bunker) I saw a young child holding his very own Warhammer 40K Birthday in the back of the store. He and his friends enjoyed pizza and painting, soda and battling! Not a bad way to spend an 8th birthday party, in my opinion. Almost makes me wish I could have done that with my friends when I was 8.

Same here.....now i'm 16...

Sorry, Ozy - yes, it would be awesome and very, very sad. I walked into the GW store with my 2 1/2 yr old in her stroller. We made a circuit around the store with me looking at stuff and talking with the staff. My daughter turns around and looks at me and says, "I don't want to be here." Oh, her mother was so proud.

Death By Monkeys wrote:Sorry, Ozy - yes, it would be awesome and very, very sad. I walked into the GW store with my 2 1/2 yr old in her stroller. We made a circuit around the store with me looking at stuff and talking with the staff. My daughter turns around and looks at me and says, "I don't want to be here." Oh, her mother was so proud.

Oh I can just see what transpired now....

*DBM looks down lovingly towards his daughter in the stroller*
"You're going to play Orks when I have my 41st birthday party here, gawdammit! AND you're gonna like it, gawdammit!"

*cries*
"No dada! I want a my little pony!"

*DBM red with rage*
"Orks rape my little pony in their noses! How do you like my little pony now?"

*shriek!*
"NO DADA! Don't be mean to my little pony! I love them!"

*Wife walks in an sees daughter in a fit of wracking, inconsolable sobbing*
"WTF!?! You aren't going to have your 41st birthday here now. Bad monkey!"

*DBM throws himself on the ground and has a tantrum of grand maul proportions*

Yea, they started that Birthday Party crap in early 2005. I whined about it on Dakka and ended up getting fired a week later. Thanks Dave Taylor! Ended up getting paid for all my vacation time, free health insurance for the next month and unemployment to boot. Although I was working 2 weeks later.

Anyway, the whole Birthday Party thing was based on the parents buying a whole package deal including minis, supplies, staff and a cake. Sorry, not a babysitter. And don't get me started on the whole 'Academy' Daycare idea.

feth sake! Fired, groggy? Must have been a hell of a whine!

I've heard that GW are pretty hard on their personnal, anyway.

Well, he said it was on dakka...*charges search-fu*

lord marcus wrote:Well, he said it was on dakka...*charges search-fu*

That was a while ago, before Russ changed it to an earlier version of this board. My original logon got lost in the switch, along with the pertanent thread. But, for the life of me, I can't figure out how they know it was me *wink*.

...Mabe they know your IP adress?

I don't know how it is now, but I spent a year working for GW mail order back when the US HQ was in Glen Burnie (over 10 years ago at this point). Working there was great for the hobby and getting to know some really cool folks. But to try and make a living, raise a new family and feel appreciated for what you do? Not a chance. I do miss most the folks I worked with, and being able to get bits by the Kilo, but damn I disliked the company line.

You stop aging.

For better and for worse.

Shellfishguy wrote:I don't know how it is now, but I spent a year working for GW mail order back when the US HQ was in Glen Burnie (over 10 years ago at this point). Working there was great for the hobby and getting to know some really cool folks. But to try and make a living, raise a new family and feel appreciated for what you do? Not a chance. I do miss most the folks I worked with, and being able to get bits by the Kilo, but damn I disliked the company line.

I agree. I was a hobby store manager and it was a blast at the time, except for the constant threats of being let go if I didn't make more sales. I felt like I wasn't going to get anywhere anyway (I was 22 at the time) and I felt ridiculously underpaid so I went and got a new job and my degree. I definitely feel like I'm in a better spot now both financially and quality of life wise. I'm actually very thankful I missed out on the whole birthday party thing, the store was basically a daycare on the weekends anyway.

Wait is this thread about people having birthday parties in a GW or about the GW store's birthday? I know the stores themselves "celebrate the day blah blah blah..." but I didn't think they held parties there for kids.

If this is about a GW store's birthday like the one near me this weekend, then I don't know what to tell you, I've never been there for their birthday, I was there for 5th Ed launch and got some free coffee cups and such.

I agree very strongly for DBM,I wouldn't drive ten minutes for a IG,choas whatever mug/key chain/shirt,let alone 45.Yet I think you should call the store or go there and ask whats gina be on sal you dont want to miss a limited edition mini now do you?



EDIT-Yet you guys are lucky,the hobby shop nearest to me is a 4 to 5 hour drive,so I have to order everything.

I quite frankly dont care about their birthdays... Should I be needing something from gw (and that hasnt happend in a LONG time, all hail ebay and second hand, it's all you'll ever need...), and I happened to be in the neighborhood, I would go for the discount. Fat chance of that.

I had more enthusiasm for the 30th of WD, 25th of Warhammer and the release of 40k 5th. Not so enthralled that my HC has been open another year and haven't been to one of these events.

To answer the OP's question, on a GW b-day, there will probably be an auction. (this is how it went for the two stores that had b-days that I worked at.)

a few big boxes of 'stuff' is sent to the store. that stuff is placed on all the tables and throughout the day, it is auctioned off. there will be some raffles, perhaps even for fully painted armies.

I'm sure there will be a few events going on as well. usually pertaining to the newest armies available in a staff vs all comers style combat.

Or it might be ogres in the pit or some other sort of monster build where you are tasked wth creating a pit figting monster to go as many rounds as possible against each other.. etc...

Who knows, ask the store what they plan to do, and then tell your friends.

Hm. Auctions and raffles might be worth my while. I could stand to win one of their store armies. That wouldn't be bad.