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I'll admit I do about 80% of my shopping online. I will always buy something from my LGS every so often, but its usually stuff that isn't wargaming All in all i believe you should be shopping somewhat at the store if you wish to pay their, and if your really don't see if your can work something out with the owner.

 Ketara wrote:

 Vermis wrote:
Who goes to a restaurant because they happen to be passing and see a bunch of people inside...?

I do. Especially if they're old people. Old people are always local and know where the best quality joint is for best value.

Better get yourself down to Eastbourne, you will be spoiled for choice!

 Kilkrazy wrote:

 Ketara wrote:

 Vermis wrote:
Who goes to a restaurant because they happen to be passing and see a bunch of people inside...?

I do. Especially if they're old people. Old people are always local and know where the best quality joint is for best value.

Better get yourself down to Eastbourne, you will be spoiled for choice!

Better yet when it gets colder hop on down to the good old Big Easy. We guarantee you will gain 20 pounds and will lover every little second of it.

I've had a GW Rep get mad at me because I ordered the Clan Raukaan book from the site to be delivered. He confronted me about (he was not a very good store associate), his exact words were "Do me a favor, next time you want something buy it from the store so I can get the commission." I looked at him square in the face and said, "you don't take paypal at the store and I had a loaded account that I wanted to spend." He responded by arguing I should have withdrawn the funds and been patient and waited 4 extra days for it to reach my bank account. Told him that wasn't my problem, if he had an issue with the way the company runs things he should take them up with corporate not me. (Also the store was 30 minutes away so driving all the way to a store to preorder an item and walk out empty handed, just to return a few days later wasn't ideal).

 Platuan4th wrote:

 Ketara wrote:
but in most cases, you quite possibly wouldn't have bought it if it hadn't been half the official price (due to being second hand).

I'm the outlier in this case. I refuse to buy pre-owned games that are still available new because I know it isn't supporting the creators and because of how places like EBGames work with regards to pre-owned.

Of course, I'm the sort that doesn't need the newest game immediately and plays vidja games so rarely these days that I can buy 1-2 games a year and still be playing the same 3-4 2 years later.

You do know that in most cases when you buy a new game, the creators don't see a cent? The person who made the game, the person who programmed the game doesn't see a bloody penny. All the money goes to the PUBLISHERS when you buy a new game. The publishers pays the developer company while the developer company pays the individual person. As I said in most cases. You think you might be supporting Blizzard, or Bungie, or who ever but the money goes to Activision or Electronic Arts. So you are supporting Publishers, not the developers.

kite474 wrote:
Better yet when it gets colder hop on down to the good old Big Easy. We guarantee you will gain 20 pounds and will lover every little second of it.

Ironically, I was skinnier when I lived in New Orleans than anywhere else in the country.

Davor wrote:So you are supporting Publishers, not the developers.

I am aware, yes. I'm sorry you seem to have taken offense from the word I typed. My point is that I prefer not to support the practice of how companies like Gamestop do used games, preferring that some portion of profits go to someone involved in the game's creation/publishing over it going purely to said store.

No offence at all Platuan4th, Just wanted to make sure you knew that. I thought the way I read your post you may have not know.

I understand your point, I do the same. I want to make sure I get sequels and support for the game I buy, so I always try to by brand new.

This article popped up today and might be of interest to some. A cafe where you pay $10 to play as many board games as you want - and hopefully buy some products (food and drink) while you're there. Or in other words, pay $10 to rent tablespace to play tabletop games on. Actually seems like a really cool place, damn yanks getting all the cool stuff ; p

 Yonan wrote:
This article popped up today and might be of interest to some. A cafe where you pay $10 to play as many board games as you want - and hopefully buy some products (food and drink) while you're there. Or in other words, pay $10 to rent tablespace to play tabletop games on. Actually seems like a really cool place, damn yanks getting all the cool stuff ; p

There's a bar here in Montgomery that supplies free games for free table space. Sure, you pay for the vidja game console usage(4 360's, 4 PS3's unless they've upgraded, and table with N64, NES, SNES, Genesis, etc.), but the boardgame space is free.

All the drinks are Sci-Fi, Vidja Game, etc. themed.

 Yonan wrote:
This article popped up today and might be of interest to some. A cafe where you pay $10 to play as many board games as you want - and hopefully buy some products (food and drink) while you're there. Or in other words, pay $10 to rent tablespace to play tabletop games on. Actually seems like a really cool place, damn yanks getting all the cool stuff ; p

My FLGS has a fully stocked and working kitchen, as well as serving coffee, with completely free gaming tables. Certainly makes it better when at lunch you can buy a burger and chips there, instead of leaving your stuff there to go hunt down somewhere to eat. Also makes 'pay where you play' easier, as even if I'm not buying anything hobby related, they're still getting money off me for food and drinks.

 Platuan4th wrote:
There's a bar here in Montgomery that supplies free games for free table space. Sure, you pay for the vidja game console usage(4 360's, 4 PS3's unless they've upgraded, and table with N64, NES, SNES, Genesis, etc.), but the boardgame space is free.

All the drinks are Sci-Fi, Vidja Game, etc. themed.

That and "esports bars" would be sweet, if I still went to bars hehe.

 -Loki- wrote:
My FLGS has a fully stocked and working kitchen, as well as serving coffee, with completely free gaming tables. Certainly makes it better when at lunch you can buy a burger and chips there, instead of leaving your stuff there to go hunt down somewhere to eat. Also makes 'pay where you play' easier, as even if I'm not buying anything hobby related, they're still getting money off me for food and drinks.

Sounds similar to my dream of running an Otaku shop with built in ramen bar ; )

 -Loki- wrote:
My FLGS has a fully stocked and working kitchen, as well as serving coffee, with completely free gaming tables. Certainly makes it better when at lunch you can buy a burger and chips there, instead of leaving your stuff there to go hunt down somewhere to eat. Also makes 'pay where you play' easier, as even if I'm not buying anything hobby related, they're still getting money off me for food and drinks.

This is pretty much exactly what I had always planned to do if I was ever in a position to open a games store. Make it as much a comfortable hang-out for gaming as a store...

Very partial to the idea of nerd heaven. The FLGS I've been to were basically retail area + card tables + large wargaming tables up the back. Occasional events. It was functional but not .... gezellig (dutch word... hard to translate, cosy comes close). I get that feeling from clubs, but I'm sure it's possible from shops and that would go a fair way to helping do it.

Given the decline in high street retail, perhaps an open game cafe or bar is a better line of business than a shop.

It would likely be a way of market segmentation - get the perhaps more affluent inner-city types interested more in a variety of smaller games with less barriers to entry in a nice social atmosphere. To get the tabletop wargamers you'd need lower rent premises due to the higher table space requirements, storage requirements for terrain and what not... more complicated no doubt, but even then there's a variety of wargames that are much easier in that regard such as Blood Bowl, Space Hulk, Deadzone, Dreadball and so on that straddle the line between board game and wargame and with lower time requirements for the games.

That's the idea. However, you have to be careful with a bar or cafe since the product you sell can damage the games you provide. You also need even more space, so you have the standard 4x6 foot tables, then you need places for drinks and snacks that's stable enough not to spill.

In the US, there are stricter laws about what places can sell alcoholic beverages.

Here in London there is a very active game group called London On Board that has a Meetup page and does events nearly every day of the week, having grown from one night and one Sunday per week. They usually meet in the function rooms of pubs.

Most members are keen boardgame players and bring their own games to play, accepting the risk of damage as the price of a guaranteed supply of players.

Boardgames are more portable, and easier to set up and get into than tabletop wargames, of course...