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First, regarding the early December 2009 Bizarre Bazaar that's been on the national US Battle Bunker events schedule since the beginning of the year, I've heard at least one Battle Bunker is delaying the event until January. If anyone has any news regarding the other Battle Bunkers around the country please share in this thread.

Second, there's a rumor that Bizarre Bazaar customer flea markets in US GW stores may be discontinued altogether. This seems annoyingly plausible given the first bit of information above. Apparently, some of the nobs at GW US are unhappy with these events for any number of reasons, not the least of which are what they probably feel is competition with the stores from the flea markets and the rule regarding cash transactions perhaps being broken at some stores.

Now, I've been to many of these US GW customer flea markets since GW started hosting them a few years ago and I can tell you that they always result in a lot of money going directly into the cash register at the host store even at events where the rules of "no cash transactions" were not strictly enforced. Most customers making money at these events invariably dump some if not all of that money right back into the till at the host store, much of it on the very same day they acquire it. You know GW hobbyists, we're mostly an impulsive lot and we like to buy new toys.

This year has seen a lot of cost cutting by GW and most of it has made a lot of good sense, but this seems like one of those daft "cut your nose to spite your face" moves like slashing the Games Day budgets to nothing this year. Seriously, these events are always huge cash generators for the host stores as well as great community building social events. People starting new armies off of what they purchase at Bizarre Bazaar always end up buying new items at the store to supplement it. These events have been win-win for GW and its customers for about three years now and I believe it would hurt GW and the hobby community to do away with them based on my many experiences at these events. Anyway, if anyone has more information regarding this topic, please share below.

I've been to a couple at the Seattle Battle bunker.

The first was your standard flea market/swap shop. Several months down the line, the next one was only for store credit. Meaning if you wanted to buy something you had to give the seller a gift card. Boooo. During the last Bizarre, it was stated (by an employee) that it was probably going to be the last one they did.

So, this rumor rings true to me.

And GW shoots themselves in the foot again.

I'm not suprised.

and this surprises us, how?

It's not like trades don't happen...

Apparently, some of the nobs at GW US are unhappy with these events for any number of reasons

I think those nobs should lose their fething jobs then. Yet more depressing GW-related bs, not surprising in the least.

It's been said before, but there are times when GW seems to actively try to not make money, like it was poison to them or something...

Meh, that's too bad.

Some great deals, I heard.

Some incredible deals, I've seen.

It seemed to me that Bizarre Bazaar was simply recognition by GW that the hobby community was already trading and selling amongst itself and that if they allowed it in the store once in a while they'd get more of a cut of the money generated by that activity than if people just did it outside on eBay, forums, etc. Apparently, that knowledge is no longer appreciated.

Bizarre Bazaar used to be a great way to find collectibles as well as bargains. The number of these events has already significantly dropped off from what it was. For example, in 2008 the Battle Bunker in Maryland had four flea markets, one per quarter. This year they've only had the one that was on the national Bunker schedule back around March and now the second of those is being postponed or canceled.

I really preferred selling and trading locally. It was more fun than selling things facelessly on eBay, sometimes I'd even see something I sold come back in the store being used in games. It was fun helping out local hobbyists and meeting new people. However, buying had really dropped off at the last few flea markets so after the last one earlier this year I began putting items on eBay. With the lack of buyers at flea markets and now the lack of flea markets at all, it seemed the only decent alternative for getting rid of excess items and subsidizing my hobby.

Bizarre Bazaar was great the first couple years GW ran the event. I met a lot of nice people and learned a lot of names. The community grew a lot during that period for a lot of wonderful reasons and Bizarre Bazaar was part of the process. It really was a great community builder as well as economic engine for the hobbyists and the store. The Bunker community we had the past few years has really been broken up quite a bit this year and now this is just one more reason among others it may continue to decline.

*shrug* I have bartertown. Doesnt matter whether GW does it or not.

Well, not everyone does. For the overall health of the hobby, people should care.

I attended a Bizarre Bazaar at my local GW this past spring, and I left with the impression that GW raked in a ton of cash from it (they ran out of gift certificates). Sure, it was all for store credit, but nobody had a problem with that, and I ended up with a ton of gift certificates for stuff that had been collecting dust. The net result of this (in my case) was a bunch of new money was spent making trades and I ended up with a decent start to a Fantasy army (which will result in more spending in the upcoming years).

I'm trying to convince my FLGS to run one of these... I think it would be a raving success. If GW cancels this it will just shows how out of touch they are with the hobbyists that keep this business afloat. The same GW was supposed to have this in November... we'll see what happens to that.

*shrug* I have bartertown. Doesnt matter whether GW does it or not.

aka_mythos wrote:Well, not everyone does. For the overall health of the hobby, people should care.

Huh???

A lot less folks have access to US battle bunkers then bartertown. I have access to B-Town on my phone driving through the sticks of Kentucky if I want to wheel and deal.

The health of the hobby doesn't need a group swap meet in a GW battle bunker... it needs a group of buddies that want to get together and do some gaming PERIOD.

I know the Chicago Bunker has their October event (this weekend I believe) where they you donate stuff and get "Points" in return to spend at the event. You can also get points for buying new stuff and just hobbing in general. Then on the event day you come in and can spend those points on the donated items. Sounds pretty similar to the Bizarre bazaar.

Here is what I have experienced in the only Bizarre Bazaar I attended. I sold my AoBR Orks by the book where the buyer and I agreed on a price. He paid the store in cash and the store then gave me a gift card. I believe I was the only one that did it by the book. I saw one sale occur in the store with cash transferring hands and the seller promptly packing up and leaving without informing the store personnel. Another transaction occured outside the store doors, again with cash transferring hands and the store again was not informed. I think that was all the transactions that occured that day.

Other than that, it was a grat event. I met new people and talked shop with other players. It would be sad if they cancelled future events like this. It didn't bring a lot of people when I was there, but I went on a slow day according to the store personnel.