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 Yonan wrote:

ids1984 wrote:

 Peregrine wrote:

ids1984 wrote:
These stores closing would be a bad thing, especially in an area with no alternative.

Sure, but the only reason there isn't an alternative is that the GW stores exist. Get rid of the GW stores and they'll be replaced by far superior independent stores.

I'm no fanboy and can see peoples resentment but how many of our first steps into the hobby where via a GW shop? No new blood no hobby.

Did you miss the part you quoted where it was mentioned it would be replaced by a superior store? The new blood wouldn't miss out on anything - they'd gain tremendously by not being introduced to a sheltered subsection of the hobby, but to the entire hobby.

If a new superior store opened, its pure guess work that one would. I'm not sure I would want to open a store in an area where the current market leader went out of business and couldnt justify a store.

ids1984 wrote:
If a new superior store opened, its pure guess work that one would. I'm not sure I would want to open a store in an area where the current market leader went out of business and couldnt justify a store.

Most people recognise the hugely flawed nature of the GW store plan, and that it doesn't mean a general hobby store would fail if a GW store does meaning there's likely ample room for a hobby store to open in its stead. If a place is small enough that only substantial subsides from GW corporate can keep a hobby shop alive there then sure, it's better than nothing. That would be a rare scenario, if existent at all. Hobby stores that don't limit their range to a single manufacturer draw a much larger crowd, as do shops that don't have ridiculous opening hours due to having 1 staff member.

 Yonan wrote:

ids1984 wrote:
If a new superior store opened, its pure guess work that one would. I'm not sure I would want to open a store in an area where the current market leader went out of business and couldnt justify a store.

Most people recognise the hugely flawed nature of the GW store plan, and that it doesn't mean a general hobby store would fail if a GW store does meaning there's likely ample room for a hobby store to open in its stead. If a place is small enough that only substantial subsides from GW corporate can keep a hobby shop alive there then sure, it's better than nothing. That would be a rare scenario, if existent at all. Hobby stores that don't limit their range to a single manufacturer draw a much larger crowd, as do shops that don't have ridiculous opening hours due to having 1 staff member.

I can fully accept the way they conduct business is very flawed and the single product line is very limiting.

But if independent stores are so superior why would they need a GW store to close down to florish and improve the hobby?

I can see the points but cannot accept closure of brick and mortar stores, regardless of brand in a specialist small hobby as a good thing.

ids1984 wrote:

 Yonan wrote:

ids1984 wrote:
If a new superior store opened, its pure guess work that one would. I'm not sure I would want to open a store in an area where the current market leader went out of business and couldnt justify a store.

Most people recognise the hugely flawed nature of the GW store plan, and that it doesn't mean a general hobby store would fail if a GW store does meaning there's likely ample room for a hobby store to open in its stead. If a place is small enough that only substantial subsides from GW corporate can keep a hobby shop alive there then sure, it's better than nothing. That would be a rare scenario, if existent at all. Hobby stores that don't limit their range to a single manufacturer draw a much larger crowd, as do shops that don't have ridiculous opening hours due to having 1 staff member.

I can fully accept the way they conduct business is very flawed and the single product line is very limiting.

But if independent stores are so superior why would they need a GW store to close down to florish and improve the hobby?

I can see the points but cannot accept closure of brick and mortar stores, regardless of brand in a specialist small hobby as a good thing.

If you're concerned about new people coming into the hobby, would you want a small GW store where the clerk is pushing little Timmy to buy a baneblade and worry about the rest later, where there's only one brand of over priced brushes, paints and tools? And the only game they sell is very expensive to start in?
Or...
A store with many options for games in different price ranges where there are several options for paints, brushes, hobbyists with many points of view, different games going on, tournaments and where they're not just pushing one company's corporate propaganda? Entry level games like X-Wing and maybe discount programs so its more affordable?

I see no reason for GW stores as they currently are to exist at all when the alternative is so much better in every way.

 Vineheart01 wrote:
i buy all my toy soldier related stuff from Gauntlet Games, the FLGS about 25min from my house. Not only is that where i play, but theyre cool people and provide a discount card the more you buy. Need to spend i think its around 100USD to get the card to do anything though, but then your next purchase is a huge discount.
May not be the best discount deal ive seen, but better than GW website offering zilch lol

This is what I can't understand. A lot of other companies give discounts or "rewards" for continuing shopping their all the time. This is why I feel GW don't care about us. Come in and get the frack out like I was a male gigalo or something like that. Wham bam thank you sir. It's like they don't want you to come back.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

znelson wrote:
We didn't spend enough at GW stores.... so they punished us with Escalation....

Everyone ignored it.... so they reprinted the rulebook.....

Not many people are buying Visions, so they are forcing to buy the Hard Cover version of it.

Davor wrote:

 Vineheart01 wrote:
i buy all my toy soldier related stuff from Gauntlet Games, the FLGS about 25min from my house. Not only is that where i play, but theyre cool people and provide a discount card the more you buy. Need to spend i think its around 100USD to get the card to do anything though, but then your next purchase is a huge discount.
May not be the best discount deal ive seen, but better than GW website offering zilch lol

This is what I can't understand. A lot of other companies give discounts or "rewards" for continuing shopping their all the time. This is why I feel GW don't care about us. Come in and get the frack out like I was a male gigalo or something like that. Wham bam thank you sir. It's like they don't want you to come back.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

znelson wrote:
We didn't spend enough at GW stores.... so they punished us with Escalation....

Everyone ignored it.... so they reprinted the rulebook.....

Not many people are buying Visions, so they are forcing to buy the Hard Cover version of it.

Look, you guys are going to buy this new product and LIKE it!

Hey, where do you think you're going?!? You can't just walk away, we OWN YOU!!

(jokes obviously...well, mostly)

 jasper76 wrote:

 greyknight12 wrote:
At a GW store, I can meet people who play 40K, WHFB, or LOTR. That's the only aspect of the hobby and the community GW stores support.

I'm curious...what would happen if you went with a friend to a GW store, and started playing Warmachine on one of their tables?

What would happen if you walk into a GW store and have a Battletech T-shirt that says at the bottom of the mech, "This is a Real Warhammer".

ids1984 wrote:
I can fully accept the way they conduct business is very flawed and the single product line is very limiting.

But if independent stores are so superior why would they need a GW store to close down to florish and improve the hobby?

I can see the points but cannot accept closure of brick and mortar stores, regardless of brand in a specialist small hobby as a good thing.

A good one won't need GW to close down, but if you're looking to open up a new FLGS in the area, it's a more profitable venture if you'd have the town to yourself. The point is that the diversity that a neutral FLGS offers over a GW-only store is a healthier thing for the hobby because it rewards the innovations that other companies in the market have created and overall forces bigger companies like GW to improve (or die).