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Never been to a GW, but I can vouch for 2 things.

1. Nobody knows what tabletop gaming stores are until they walk in, where many promptly pull an about face and flee. I've seen several people enter and ask about consoles, games, and fixing broken consoles.

2. Customers are idiots. I used to work in electronics at Toys R' Us, and if there is one thing I've learned in life, it's to never underestimate just how clueless a customer can be. If I had a dollar for everytime I had to explain that the M for Call of Duty meant it was a mature rated game for people 18 and over, I would be a very rich man. For some reason, all the parents I talked to thought it meant difficulty level, as in M equals hard mode, T is medium, etc. It didn't take long to show Timmy's mom that M is for violence, gore, and swearing, to ensure that many a 10 year old did not receive black ops for christmas that year I got more than one dirty look from the little Timmy's who didnt get that cool M rated game. Made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside, like I was doing a good deed for the day :3

I agree, I used to think most people were decent, logical folks until I had a retail job. I'll never have a job again were the final consumer is my customer.

 MisterMoon wrote:
I agree, I used to think most people were decent, logical folks until I had a retail job. I'll never have a job again were the final consumer is my customer.

I know, I worked in the cafeteria at school, two older ladies came up and asked me the stupidest ever question \
"Do you know where the place i normally eat it is?" Like I know where she eats and where it is located.

 Milisim wrote:
Good thing GW dosent sel video games....

They would retail for over $99 each and break if you take it out of the package and use it.

That'd be good. New release video games retail at $120 here... :(

 Kaldor wrote:

 Milisim wrote:
Good thing GW dosent sel video games....

They would retail for over $99 each and break if you take it out of the package and use it.

That'd be good. New release video games retail at $120 here... :(

Yeah, $100 would be good. Although I think you can get it from big W for about 100 close to release...BARGAIN!

 MrMoustaffa wrote:
1. Nobody knows what tabletop gaming stores are until they walk in, where many promptly pull an about face and flee.

I saw the best one when I was having a game at my FLGS. I had a view of the street, and there was a couple walking down the road pointing out things. Likely not from the area. The woman points at the FLGS, so they both walk to the front door.

When they walk in, she screams 'oh GOD!' and they run out. Run out.

 -Loki- wrote:

 MrMoustaffa wrote:
1. Nobody knows what tabletop gaming stores are until they walk in, where many promptly pull an about face and flee.

I saw the best one when I was having a game at my FLGS. I had a view of the street, and there was a couple walking down the road pointing out things. Likely not from the area. The woman points at the FLGS, so they both walk to the front door.

When they walk in, she screams 'oh GOD!' and they run out. Run out.

Must have smelled the geek in the air and got spooked.

My local Store doesn't have the super strange things happen. (so far I have not seen any video game related stuff).

But several times i've been questioned what Warhamer is and what i do in my local store.

First one was before Collage English Class started.
It was way early and it was just me and another guy in the class room and he questions if i would like to join the chess club.
I say I played chess eons ago but now play Warhammer 40k.
he goes "Whats War Hammer 40k? Is it like Chess?"
I go "ummm. its a war game and has strategey like chess and such. it uses little models and such that kill each other"
He looks at me with the strangest look, and goes back to explaining about Chess Club (which i respectfully disenclined to)

Another was as i was shuttling in my many boxes of troops into the store (i have IG... lots of boxes for the troops and tanks). and my local store is right next to a Publix Grocery store.
A guy who was bringing his grocerys or something to his car and he looks at me carrying these 2 giant tool boxes with the 6th edition rule book tucked under my arm and says
"What do you all even do in there?"
"War Gaming. we have lots of these little plastic model troops and tanks and we have them kill each other in the games" as I put my fingures together to estimate the size of a standard guardsmen (or any GW infantry model)
"Huh?"
"Umm, its like a board game with Dice and such with the models"
He just shakes his head confused and continues to his car, and i head on into the store


The only store related event i could remember was early in my warhammer days (okay... it was 5th but still). little kids walk in (5 to 6 years old) both holding a massive binder each. and they walk up to the counter and ask if they have any Pokemon Cards. The guy at the counter is a gentle natured guy and he kindly tells them they don't carry Pokemon cards at the store. The kids look all disapointed but they soon notice the little warhammer 40k/fantasy models, and even see the Magic cards. Their eyes go wide as they watch intently as a battle between Space marines and my IG unfolds. I also had one of my early super heavy tanks (the Baneblade, Thunderfury) on display on top of one of my boxes. they look at it like its a holy Idol or something and set down their pokemon binders and begin to reach for it. I stop them from grabbing my $100 tank but i let them look at it anyways by setting it down table level for them to see it. A few minutes pass and the parents walk in... they quesiton if the kids found their cards but the kids are all excited and show them the Tank and all the little models fighting. The parents think its a neat thing until they see someones Slanesh Demons.... As you can imagine... Parents do what they do and they try to get the kids away from the "Mature" content of a Demonic female huminoid creature with no clothes on (I don't think the kids even noticed them). But before they leave. The kids manage to convince the parents to get them a tank each. One got a Predator, the Other got a Leman Russ battle tank.

I never saw them again but it was funny to me. I know when i was that little i had a binder full of pokemon cards (its probly buried in a pile of dust somewhere by now) but its was still a cool encounter and that the kids got themselves some tanks, even if the game they come from would be more then questionable to the parents!

A few stories generally more retail and my own personal experience.

Many moons I worked at Burger King, a few things stick out;

*First couple of years I worked at BK had some youngsters coming asking if we sold tickets for a nightclub, though this turned out to be some rumour that eventually died out.

*People ignore signs. Period.

*The couples who emerged from the same toilet together, on one occasion the man loudly proclaimed what they'd been up to.

*Oh and the Trolls who came in asking where MacDonalds was.

*One highlight was one evening a guy brought in a Noise Marine army with him and we got chatting about 40K for a good half hour.

Remembered a LGS story; went into my local store not that long ago and ran into a guy I used to play D&D with. He asked had I've seen our local GM recently, though when the GM's name got mentioned everyone from the staff to a couple of other customers who happened to be in all started ranting about the guy.

Yes, he's a rather popular chap.

I also once got flashed while in the store by a rather attractive, if drunk, passer by. True story.

 Azza007 wrote:
I also once got flashed while in the store by a rather attractive, if drunk, passer by. True story.

Lucky sod...

 BlapBlapBlap wrote:

 Azza007 wrote:
I also once got flashed while in the store by a rather attractive, if drunk, passer by. True story.

Lucky sod...

Hardly, that kind of person was probably just unleashing their crabs on those in the near vicinity.

Last time I gamed in my flgs, I took my big carry case (you know the GW green one for tanks and models and books and dice and EVERYTHING!). I got in the lift to go from the car park to store, carrying this big ass case by my side. There were about 4 or 5 other people in the lift with me, all looking at this case, then one of them pipes up with "That's a hell of a first aid kit you've got there buddy!"

Frivolity ensued...

I happened to then get to know that girl and we became good friends.

@kitch102 You should have told them it was a portable operating theater and you were on your way to carry out emergency surgery.

@Azza007 That would have been so funny if you'd said you married her.

aaaaaaaand Kitch feels like a rotten bastard now

Can't be arsed reading the thread but seeing as GW Belfast is in a shopping centre it happens a lot.

Although the last time it happened I overheard and it was actually not bad. The guys were looking for DnD style RPGs. Deathwatch and Rogue Trader style too.

A woman came into the local GW and demanded to get a refund for her defective vacuum cleaner, which she kept insisting she bought at this very store, and she wouldn't leave before getting her money back.

Not GW, but the store I used to work in regularly got asked if they sold games consoles.

And then there was the time when two middle aged guys rocked up, and set up a table for a game of dominoes...

 MrMoustaffa wrote:
Never been to a GW, but I can vouch for 2 things.

1. Nobody knows what tabletop gaming stores are until they walk in, where many promptly pull an about face and flee. I've seen several people enter and ask about consoles, games, and fixing broken consoles.

2. Customers are idiots. I used to work in electronics at Toys R' Us, and if there is one thing I've learned in life, it's to never underestimate just how clueless a customer can be. If I had a dollar for everytime I had to explain that the M for Call of Duty meant it was a mature rated game for people 18 and over, I would be a very rich man. For some reason, all the parents I talked to thought it meant difficulty level, as in M equals hard mode, T is medium, etc. It didn't take long to show Timmy's mom that M is for violence, gore, and swearing, to ensure that many a 10 year old did not receive black ops for christmas that year I got more than one dirty look from the little Timmy's who didnt get that cool M rated game. Made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside, like I was doing a good deed for the day :3

I think it would be more fair to say that people are stupid in general. I have just as many stories about cluelous store clerks. Why is it that walmart loves to staff their electronics section with 70 year old people that cant answer my questions. And why is it that the local gamestops all seem to be staffed with people that don't even play video games. Really, you work at Gamestop.

And you are doing a good dead +1 sir for saving my hearing from one more shrilly shreeking kid on a mic.

I dont think it is stupitityI think its more people out of their Element. I know very little about Tech or stuff, I go into a best-buy mobile in my mall and ask if they sell Ipods when they clearly sell only phones.

 MisterMoon wrote:
If you think about it, it's not terribly expensive. Lets say it's 500 bucks for an army. Another 100 bucks for supplies. So that's 600 bucks. That's an army you can play for years, you might spend 100 bucks a year on new kits to tweak it this way or that, but trust me, on what kids want, that's NOTHING.

I got a friend who's kids play sports, they spend 100s every year on USED equipment, and camps. Hell a gaming console costs half that and you haven't bought your first game. The same friend would talk about how parents would drop hundreds of dollars a pop on stacks of video games all the time.

In the end it's just another hobby, and it's cheaper in the long run.

It's not that expensive for an adult with a regular income. Try getting that $600 for an army on a $10/week allowance...

 Vulcan wrote:

 MisterMoon wrote:
If you think about it, it's not terribly expensive. Lets say it's 500 bucks for an army. Another 100 bucks for supplies. So that's 600 bucks. That's an army you can play for years, you might spend 100 bucks a year on new kits to tweak it this way or that, but trust me, on what kids want, that's NOTHING.

I got a friend who's kids play sports, they spend 100s every year on USED equipment, and camps. Hell a gaming console costs half that and you haven't bought your first game. The same friend would talk about how parents would drop hundreds of dollars a pop on stacks of video games all the time.

In the end it's just another hobby, and it's cheaper in the long run.

It's not that expensive for an adult with a regular income. Try getting that $600 for an army on a $10/week allowance...

So you don't have a video game console and at least 5 or 6 games for it? Because that's the same amount. Many many kids have this. It would also take about a year on your 10 dollar allowance. Also a little lecture for ya, when you move out on your own with a full time job it's not all roses. You'll see yourself with the same 10 bucks to have fun with. Don't say no one warned ya.

 MisterMoon wrote:

 Vulcan wrote:

 MisterMoon wrote:
If you think about it, it's not terribly expensive. Lets say it's 500 bucks for an army. Another 100 bucks for supplies. So that's 600 bucks. That's an army you can play for years, you might spend 100 bucks a year on new kits to tweak it this way or that, but trust me, on what kids want, that's NOTHING.

I got a friend who's kids play sports, they spend 100s every year on USED equipment, and camps. Hell a gaming console costs half that and you haven't bought your first game. The same friend would talk about how parents would drop hundreds of dollars a pop on stacks of video games all the time.

In the end it's just another hobby, and it's cheaper in the long run.

It's not that expensive for an adult with a regular income. Try getting that $600 for an army on a $10/week allowance...

So you don't have a video game console and at least 5 or 6 games for it? Because that's the same amount. Many many kids have this. It would also take about a year on your 10 dollar allowance. Also a little lecture for ya, when you move out on your own with a full time job it's not all roses. You'll see yourself with the same 10 bucks to have fun with. Don't say no one warned ya.

Yup, currently after all's said and done (various bills, food, etc) I've currently got roughly... £10-20 a month left over for hobbies. (15-30USD, so 3.75-7.50 a week). Occasionally if I'm lucky I'll get twice that in a month (I did this month, yay!, means I can get the Dark Vengence Starter kit september instead of october!). And I've been unsubtley dropping hints that I want Fire Warriors to my friends for my birthday in october (I only need 5 more boxes worth to finish my army!) and I personally buy on ebay / second hand locally / clearance offers / etc putting in dozens of low-ball bids and hoping I win 1-2 of them.

It's worked quite well in the end, I've got 3000+pts of Tau for around £60-80 and my massive amounts (12,000+pts) of Dark Eldar over the last 2 years for around.. £300-400, my Skaven for £80 (I've budgeted £40-50 (2ishmonths) for each allied 'splinter force' I'm now starting (each to about 1000pts), the first of which being Chaos - most of which will be covered by the Starter Kit next month.

I reccomend you trying the same, lowball ebay bids, etc, just be a bit savvy and keep your eye out for every deal, being prepared to repair / strip old models to make / paint into your own army and colours.

I also have an Xbox (that happens to be 4-5 years old now) and do the same for my games - I think my budget for any given game is only £5-10 these days, with some rarer exceptions. This year it's Mass Effect 3 and Halo 4 - everything else is ebay / preowend / 6-12months after release when it's £6-10 new.

Not at a Games Workshop store, but my FLGS got their phonebook... it was addressed to Universal Beans and Dips rather than Bitz and Games.
It was agreed that they needed to build a snack bar.

At my FLGS a temporary manager was watching the store and told me how he had a mother come in and want to return an Assault on Black Reach because the models weren't built and painted. She said that she bought one before that was already built and painted, and was NOT the display set (it plastic wrapped and everything, but all the models were fully painted inside). The manager spent like 30min trying to explain how that shouldn't be possible and that what she had was exactly what they sold.

GW Bristol a couple of month ago.

Guy walks in, browses for a bit then grabs a Tau Battle force and legs it.


Mans pon road is cattin' for Tau. Innit!

I was at my local GW and this guy's wife kept bending over the table every time he pointed somewhere like he was trying to distract me.

ScaredOfCrows wrote:
GW Bristol a couple of month ago.

Guy walks in, browses for a bit then grabs a Tau Battle force and legs it.


Mans pon road is cattin' for Tau. Innit!

Before or after the price hike. It if its before I don't blame him. Didn't have cash but wanted it before the hike. If its after...I definately don't blame him.

 Deadshot wrote:

ScaredOfCrows wrote:
GW Bristol a couple of month ago.

Guy walks in, browses for a bit then grabs a Tau Battle force and legs it.


Mans pon road is cattin' for Tau. Innit!

Before or after the price hike. It if its before I don't blame him. Didn't have cash but wanted it before the hike. If its after...I definately don't blame him.

You'd think he'd find something better to steal.

People can be smart but can be thick as a brick as a customer

Not GW but a electronics store

Customer came in abused me for selling them a faulty product (remote not working demanding a full tv upgrade as compensation) while he was yelling at me I opened the back of the remote and put the batteries in around the right way and pointed it at one of the tv's on the wall opposite and used the remote to turn the tv off and on. The crowd he had collected during his rant laughed at him. he then snatched the remote out of my hand and left

customer looks around ignoring all staff offers of help. then after 5 minutes pushes another customer out of the road and demands to see out carpet collection. carpet? we are an electronics store. did not the tv's, dvd players, game consoles, gps, computers on display give a big enough hint? The interrupted customer call the fool "you f---ing idiot this is a computer store." the rude customer then wanted the interrupted customer scaked before storming out screaming "I will never buy carpet from you again!"

the only people who do not have horror stories about customers are those that have never worked in sales. Some people are so stupid that I am amazed that they can think enough to walk and breath at the same time