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While I certainly don't have loyalty to any store/brand. I always support my local store when possible. I have seen a total of 7 game stores close around me in the 15 years I've been in the hobby. The one big store near where I live has great stock, cool people and a good discount on games I play so I buy from them whenever I can.

That being said there are times they don't have what I'm looking for or they do but the online discount for the same item they have is SIGNIFICANTLY better then the store. So I'll buy online.

Togusa wrote:

Spoiler:

 Genoside07 wrote:
On top of online sales; FLGS have to deal with the big box stores like Walmart.

I have literally seen a teenager (high school age) get mad and argue with a game store owner that the Yugi oh cards packs at Walmart was cheaper and he needs to match their prices.
The owner said he wasn't going to change his prices and if he wasn't stopping the guy from leaving to buy from some where else.
Then the kid got really mad, said Walmart was to far for him to ride his bike and his mom wouldn't take him.

Our walmart stopped selling all cards and game cards due to theft issues. It's gotten so bad, they have a checker at the door to scan each receipt as you leave. To make it even worse, I only ever see blacks, Hispanics or Indians getting scanned, they usually just wave me through no questions asked. It's more than a little uncomfortable.

Not to be whatever, but that's what you get when you shop at walmart.


but theft is a huge problem across all storefront retail and makes every...single...one of us pay more for everything.


I support my flgs(where I play every thurs)on most paint/hobby consumable/impulse purchases and they have tons of tables with terrain, are open till 10 and a gigantic selection. They do charge MSRP on GW stuff so I've been going for large box sets/purchases online due to the price differential.
The difference in price is magnified on the larger purchases

Shrinkage, they call it.

Or at least, that's what Morrison's supermarket in Britain called it in the late-nineties.

I don't play at my FLGS much, but I do support them. I've known them for years, and even worked there over a holiday season almost 20 years ago (damn I'm getting old). I run the occasional Battletech game there for demo purposes to keep them stocking Battletech stuff, even though I get a good discount as a Demo Agent.

I purchase the occasional GW thing as well, but cost keeps me from buying much of that, anywhere.

I mostly buy dice and chat with people there. I purchase my painting supplies from them. I always want to support a brick and mortar store, because people need jobs. My money gives other people money, and likely more than an online store. I don't mind paying a small amount more for that.

I get it, but it drives me a little nuts that people will happily pay $5 a dozen times, but won't pay $60 unless they can get it for 20% off

 LunarSol wrote:
I get it, but it drives me a little nuts that people will happily pay $5 a dozen times, but won't pay $60 unless they can get it for 20% off

Really? Putting in $5 a week isn't a huge commitment so its easier to do. If I have $100 to spend a week, then go gaming, I've got $95 to handle everything else that might come up. A $60 purchase means I have $40 left over.

Like I said, I get it; I'm just saying 12 bucks is 12 bucks, whether its 12 bucks or a dozen $1 bills.

Does your store add "value" to your customer experience if so buy there.

Now I don't purchase from lgs because I don't like the poor CS I generally receive there, I also have played with the same group of friends for like 15 years and we don't really desire meeting many new people. We all own 6x4 tables and a bunch of terrain that is hands down nicer than any stores (less hands touching it). However that is my unique situation and your situation will no doubt be different.

In other words there is no single answer to this, you've got to decide both based on your store experience and how you play games.

I suppose Im pretty brutal when it comes to buying. Ill always consider total cost of purchasing so always figure out if paying postage is worth it (although I resent postage costs - almost irrationally).

Ill only buy from FLGS if it's either convenient or a good price. I'll only buy from GW if it's convenient and usually only small items as the % saving a Local or online is can be nearly 25% - that can be extra units or boxes or a book in some cases if you save up your purchases and spend £80 to £100 to get free delivery.

I usually buy online, but only those that are cheaper including postage and I'm willing to save up my purchases to get that free postage. I usually will not buy from anyone who does charge for postage... unless it's for convenience again.

Large sites like Amazon have never been cheaper than the specialist sites online I've found (I'm in UK).
I will try to buy from a FLGS if it's the same price than GW or other places, but only if they are friendly or have other added value.

I notice that some of the card sellers do thing like Codex and smaller GW items for cheaper and they have lower free delivery thresholds so I'll try and go with them. You will not get the bigger items.

I'm on the West side of Birmingham UK so there's very few gaming shops near me. I generally cycle between Element Games, BattleGround Gaming UK, Chaos Cards, Magic Madhouse, Dark Sphere and rarely Goblin Gaming online. In person I only go to BattleGround Gaming if it's convenient (rarely) and occasionally slip to a GW when I'm at the shopping centres for other things.

I've tried very hard to support my local game store, but the straw that broke the camel's back was when I realized just how unhappy my interactions with the owner made me. He was always grumpy, and made me feel like he was doing me a favor ringing me up on regular $30 purchases that I was paying a good $6 over what I could buy them for online. I rarely get the chance to game, and when I did show up for game nights I would just sit around waiting for an opponent to show up.
I left feeling unhappy, poorer, and without any more games under my belt.