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This particular staff member at my local GW store has "banned" me from borrowing any of the GW tools (clippers, glue etc)

The ban was on the basis of "you never bring your own stuff". However, most of the other staff are quite lenient with lending me the GW tools. I mean if I am already paying loads of dollars for finecast goods, surely using some super glue is not out of line is it?

What's your opinion? Should I double check with the manager if this is a legit ban or if the staff member in questiondiscriminates against me cos I'm Asian or something

Maybe if you bought some glue or brought some from home they'd let you use their clippers.

I am only hearing your side of the story. Had they been hinting for a while that you need to start bringing stuff? How long have you been borrowing from them?

Don't be so quick to play the racist card, man. That's usually a sign that there isn't racism and that you're not telling the full story. I'm not saying you aren't, but I'm also not saying you are.

The store sells glue. Don't expect to have it given to you for free.

Perhaps there is a tiny bit more to this story....

We had this come up at my store a few years back with paints and tools. I think the odd time here and there is fine; if the staff know you have probably just forgotten yours. However, the risk is that people will begin to 'leech', for lack of a better phrase, from the store rather than buy their own things.
Also, you must be joking when you think that that is racial discrimination?

Good luck in reaching a pleasing resolution

My store doesn't give me free glue or have open tools for me to use freely. It could be because I'm a white guy.

More likely it's because it's a business and would like to remain as such.

I know people who would bring whole units and whole armies into the GW store simply to wash them with baladab black and duvlan mud simply because two coats of that on 50 models is like 2-3 pots. Basically it is fast, shwo up, sit down, wash your models, go play a game leave. save 10 dollars in paint.

Glue also goes really fast.

You don't have a RIGHT to any of their free stuff. They are not obligated to provide it or let you use it. They can totally say someone else can use it and you can't there is no expectation of equality.

Those tables are usually for people assembling store demos, teaching classes of new customers in painting and assembling and for modeling emergencies like breaking a model that fell on the floor.

If you are simply buying models you should also simply be buying glue, and paint, and washes, and razor blades, and paint brushes, and flock. Those are all costs associated with a model if you choose to assemble and paint it.

I've seen the same as the above happen as well, quickly changes a store from letting everyone using it to putting it all away for the staff to use and for when introducing new players.

We had "free" glue at the shop I worked at for a time in college.

The intent was to allow a player to make a quick repair if something popped off in game, not to let someone plop down and assemble an entire model.

Most everyone was fine with the arrangement. Then "Robert" showed up. (Robert's name has not been changed to protect the innocent. Robert was not innocent.)

Robert talked a good game, made friends easily, was very likeable. He fit right in with the regular crew of players. One day, Robert bought a rhino, and told the guy working the counter he had forgotten his glue at home and asked to borrow the house glue to assemble it and use it in a game. While I was there and saw it, I wasn't working and didn't say anything...it was Robert after all.

Next week, Robert needs a razorback. Purchases the kit...forgot the glue. No biggie, it is Robert.

I swapped schedules one weekend to cover for one of the guys who had a death in the family. Sat night Robert has his DnD group playing in the store. I keep noticing them going over to the product shelves and grabbing books to take back to the table. I eventually ask them if they would like to purchase it. Robert's reply "Oh, we were just using it for the game, we will put it back when we are done." My reply was "Robert, you may have this place confused with a library. You don't borrow books off the shelf to play your game. Please put back any books that you don't specifically own."

They returned all the books. Turns out not one out of the five owned one DnD book. That was the last of Robert's regular Sat DnD game.

About a month later I see Robert playing an Ork army. Looked like he had quite a few newer models, but I know I personally hadn't seen him purchase any at the store. No biggie. I walk into the boss's office to put some invoices into the "completed" pile and notice on the security camera that Robert walks over to the rack, pulls to models off the wall and proceeds to open them, walk behind the register (Im literally like 4 feet away from him in the other room) and grab the glue to assemble his "purchases".

Robert is banned. Back checking inventory proves that with the exception of one mob of boys, his entire Ork army is item for item a duplication of the discrepency in our database inventory and what is missing from the shelves.

Store stopped giving access to "free" glue.

I remember back when the local GW had the painting bar, there was one regular who was pissed at being told he couldn't have another pot of foundation paint to keep on working on his model - he'd just finished off a whole pot of foundation paint, and had commented to no one in particular while working about how much cheaper it was doing it that way.

fething Robert...

To OP: Glue is not free. Clipper is not free. If you feel that the store sells those at an expensive priceIf you can afford Finecast models direct from the store, you can afford the glue and liquid green stuff, you can always buy it cheaper online or at the local art and craft store.

And no, it is not discrimination.

Robert should have been arrested.

nkelsch wrote:Robert should have been arrested.

Especially since he was caught on camera.

Jump straight to playing the racism card? Class act. Really class act. :|

We're only hearing your side of the story, and frankly since you are going "maybe it is because I am Asian" I am far more inclined to back the GW in this case in the absence of further information.

I kept using store models when i was 16 or so to "count as a carnifex" - I borrowed two Dreadnoughts every time I would play a game because I only owned around 1000 points of models. They let it go for the fist 2 weeks or so... then refused

I bought two Carnifexs then.


I understand the "Bring your own Glue/Paint/Tools" - you should. The store shouldn't provide it. Maybe ask another player sitting at the paint station for his clippers/tools?

Again, OP is only telling one side of the story

Auxellion wrote:Again, OP is only telling one side of the story

Doesn't matter how many sides are or are not told, the fact remains that people are not entitled to things that they don't own.

Platuan4th wrote:

Auxellion wrote:Again, OP is only telling one side of the story

Doesn't matter how many sides are or are not told, the fact remains that people are not entitled to things that they don't own.

Agreed!

Police involvement was my preference for Robert as well. However the boss called his dad, his dad made payment on the theft and let the boss keep the models that were still in the store.

I also think it was about 6 months later that we heard Robert was prosecuted for skiming cash for the Pizza shop he was working at. Not sure what the end result of that was.

The thing that got me the most was the fact that he had a job, he had money. His folks were well off. He could have bought anything he wanted at anytime. He just felt entitled for some reason and got blatent about it.

The store I go to won't let anyone but the beginners use the store tools/paints. You have to bring/buy your own.
It isn't their job to lend tools ect, the are supposed to sell them, so why would they let you borrow the stuff they want to sell you?

At least the store I go to still has gaming tables, a lot of the others in the area don't even have those now.

The free glue/paints thing is an evolving situation at GW. I remember back about 4 years or so ago at the Chicago Battle Bunker when glue and paints were plentiful and free to use at the paint station with no restrictions.

I assume GW decided it wasn't worthwhile and gradually it was scaled back. I don't know the situation at your local GW, but it's likely that they're scaling back the use of free tools as well. Do they have free paints anymore?

Without playing the race card (I'm sure you were just joking, but still, not cool.) I'd ask the manager if the tools are for general use or if they're scaling back the loaning of tools to patrons.

Overall, while I'll agree that no one is entitled to any products for free, I see it as just another sign of GW's backwardness that they both increase their prices and pare back their perks.

I have always used my own things, unless I forget them.
One time I was playing a game, and I bought my brother some pheonix guard, and asked if i could use clippers if i bought the glue and models (so i guess kind of bartering), the GW employee said that was fine. But I imagine that if this happened repeatedly he would say no as he is trying to make money. So I would say that I am more in line with what people have been posting here, I think the employees are perfectly entitled to deny the free use of tools as they are trying to sell them.

also, "robert" sounds like a A-hole

I think GW owes you free stuff if you are buying Finecast

Eilif wrote:

Overall, while I'll agree that no one is entitled to any products for free, I see it as just another sign of GW's backwardness that they both increase their prices and pare back their perks.

Seriously? By not giving out free modeling/assembly tools and materials they are backward? Jeez, how entitled can you get.

Jacko4smackos wrote:This particular staff member at my local GW store has "banned" me from borrowing any of the GW tools (clippers, glue etc)

The ban was on the basis of "you never bring your own stuff". However, most of the other staff are quite lenient with lending me the GW tools. I mean if I am already paying loads of dollars for finecast goods, surely using some super glue is not out of line is it?

What's your opinion? Should I double check with the manager if this is a legit ban or if the staff member in questiondiscriminates against me cos I'm Asian or something

You are not entitiled to use their stuff for free just because you purchased something there. If they have been letting you consider it a privelege not a right. Ift sounds like you are going there a bit, perhaps you can purchase your own stuff and continue to do the same. Their stock is for their use and for customer support for testing a color on a model. Likely not for assembling and painting on their dime.

And it has nothing to do with you being Asian. Its also likely not a ban, probably a policy that people have not been enforcing. By your thought process, they have allowed you to use their stuff... would you allow them to knock on your door, use your bathroom, and raid your fridge if they happened to be near your house? Likely you would not. Try talking to the employee on why in the store before acusing them of discrimination.

Seriously?

Do you expect to get a free drink at a restaurant just because you bought a sandwich? Doubtful.

Game stores aren't charities. Buy your own stuff. If you own your own stuff, bring it to the store.

I worked for GW from 1998-2005 and all during that time we had a very simple rule: Don't take the piss. In all three of the stores I worked in we were more than happy to allow people to use glues and paints as long as they didn't take the piss. It was fine to make a few models or to paint something quickly but when it came to glueing and painting large units it was a different story.

It also helped that we made sure that we had a very good rapport with the regular gamers who came in. All of them would bring along their own stuff and only ask us if they could use ours if they ran out or wanted to try something new.

The bottom line is as I've said before, don't take the piss. It is a privilege to use store items. But this privilege can quickly be taken away if it is abused.

Pretty much what everybody else said. I've been in a GW where a regular forgets glue or something....he asks the manager to borrow something and it's almost always a yes. I've also seen where the same person asks for the same thing repeatedly and the manager says "we do SELL that, do you want to buy it?"

GW is, if anything, pathologically unracist....they accept all people into their hobby, assuming you have a pocketful of cash to afford their product. The racist thing is ridiculous.

Buy some glue/paint/tools man. 90% of the hobby is painting and modeling, get your hobby on and buy the tools.

From a store owners point of view:

If I get to offer you the use of glue to put together a model, then I get a chance to be generous, and generally people are thankful for it.

Once it moves to "I'm entitled to free glue", everyone takes what I've given for granted, and abuses the priveliges. I don't get thanked, and get hassled if I'm out of a color at the painting table.


Many things start off as someone being generous, the generosity is abused, and the offer goes away. Something to remember when you make use of free scenery, table space, glue, late night gaming, snacks, a restroom, space to model or paint, a place to gather and talk to other gamers, etc.

sounds like the staff are being perfectly reasonable - It's nice of them to let people assemble new models using store supplies, and it's decent to allow people to make repairs to models, but Nice and Decent do not equal Mandatory, and if there's been abuse (like, for example, someone coming in and constantly using the store glue and never, ever bringing their own tools)

OP: buy fewer models, buy what you need to assemble and maintain the ones you have and stop mooching off your local store.

curran12 wrote:Jump straight to playing the racism card? Class act. Really class act. :|

Agreed. You don't just off-handedly suggest someone's a racist, not at all cool

Borrow the house glue to fix a model broken during the game? No problem.

Borrow the house glue/clippers/paint to build your army? Dont be a cheap bastard and buy yourself some glue and stuff. Post offices dont let you borrow tape to seal your box, they make you buy tape. To build your models, buy glue, its not that expensive.