Quote from: Shazbot79;434276Because working in retail is a soul-crushing nightmare.

Well, besides the obvious, of course...

Nothing specific leaps to mind but I'm pretty sure most of the lamest stuff I've heard has been from the owners and employees of the shops... political diatribes, pushy sales attempts, raunchy/racist jokes, long bloviations about Star Drek/Star Wars/LotR/Superheroes.

Late in the 3.5 era, father and 10-ish son walk into hobby shop in Tampa, and talk to the owner:

Father: "Hi. Do you have the D&D introductory game?"

Owner: "Nah, it sucks. You can only play it for 8 hours and there's really nothing else in it." Father and son left.

As near as I can tell, he was asking about the box set that comes with miniatures and stuff...it's not awesome, but it's pretty cool, and I had some fun playing with it when I was a Demo-guy (danged if I can recall the actual name of the Demo-guys, but that's what we were...Delegate?).

I browsed the store, it was a decent enough place, but not the most inviting. A sign out front said "Nobody under 18 allowed without an adult." No, there was nothing pornographic in the store, the owner, a 25-35ish male, just didn't want kids around.

He had some individual figures for sale, including a Drizz't for like $150. Just for fun, I told him that it went on E-bay for around $85.

"Yeah, I know," he said, "but the figure's worth alot more than that."

I saw no reason to argue. Store stayed in business at least 2 years, maybe 3 or 4.

Quote from: Simlasa;434287Nothing specific leaps to mind but I'm pretty sure most of the lamest stuff I've heard has been from the owners and employees of the shops... political diatribes, pushy sales attempts, raunchy/racist jokes, long bloviations about Star Drek/Star Wars/LotR/Superheroes.

You're trying to piss people off - aren't you?


- Ed C.

Quote from: Doom;434323Late in the 3.5 era, father and 10-ish son walk into hobby shop in Tampa, and talk to the owner:

Father: "Hi. Do you have the D&D introductory game?"

Owner: "Nah, it sucks. You can only play it for 8 hours and there's really nothing else in it." Father and son left.

I swear to God a 7-11 employee has more business sense than some of the loons running game-stores.

I mean, it's not even real salesmanship.  You're not selling hardware or landscaping vehicles that are big investments.  You're not cold-calling.  People walk into your store with disposable income already wanting to buy what you have (or at least having a general idea), and you (essentially) turn them away and tell them what they want sucks?

Shit, some of the employees who work under me at our ticket brokerage are socially awkward as hell, and yet they can finalize an 800 dollar deal in five minutes.  It's not that fucking hard if you have any ounce of sense and a willingness to be friendly and helpful towards your clients.

Quote from: Doom;434323I browsed the store, it was a decent enough place, but not the most inviting. A sign out front said "Nobody under 18 allowed without an adult." No, there was nothing pornographic in the store, the owner, a 25-35ish male, just didn't want kids around.

My old favorite LGS had a sign up saying there couldn't be more than 2 'students' in the store at any one time. He said it was because they'd had lots of issues with shoplifting.

Quote from: Koltar;434324You're trying to piss people off - aren't you?

Why? Did that piss you off? It's just my experience... generally the nonsense I overhear is coming from the guys who run the place.

Quote from: Koltar;434171That word used that way isn't really tolerated at our place. Considering the number of both Bi and gay regular customers who stop by our store in the past four years - that kind of casual use of ' gay ' as a perjoratrive just isn't acceptable.

- Ed C.

Well done, Ed.

Quote from: Peregrin;434328I swear to God a 7-11 employee has more business sense than some of the loons running game-stores.

A game store has the potential por being extremely profitable. Sadly, most times the owners are not very good businessmen, so I end making my shopping online.

Quote from: shalvayez;434270"I got laid last night by a real hot chick"
 
 Yeah, right, Pizza Face.

Should have asked how much she charged.

Random memories:

"I'm not into RPGs - I like D&D"

"I heard about role-playing games and I want to try one. I like Star Wars... Is there something similar?"
(clerk): "Sure: we have the official Star Wars RPG".
"Ah... Hmmm... No thanks" (exits)

"I'm a teacher... Do you carry games by C.G. Jung?" (in all fairness, this one made me interested in Jung)

"Our gaming association plays in spaces offered by the Italian Socialist Party... Of course playing doesn't make you politically involved" (official invitation to join an association)

"I was talking about when we put firecrackers in dogshit, and the clerk threw me out..." (heard outside a gaming store)

"Do you sell Magic cards?"
"Yes"
"Fill this" (produces a 3'x2' wooden box)

Heard from some dudes playing MERP in my local store:

"We must find this Aragorn guy, because if you get his sword you become King of Gondor".

(I then discovered that they had killed the Balrog and put his sword and flaming whip among the "carried magic items" on their characters' sheets. Which, in a way, made more sense).

As for as dumb things heard in a game store -over the past three years or so I've already posted at least 8 or 9 examples in various threads of that sort of thing.

Here is an ongoing classic:

Browser /first time visitor walks in, looks around after getting two thirds the way into the store:

"So what computer system do these games work with?"

Love it when that when is said while the person is standing next to RISHK or 'AXIS & ALLIES'.

-OR THIS ONE-
Usually a browser under 24 years old:

"Do you sell games?"

ME: "yes, we do ...These are all games...board games, card games, miniatures games, Role playing games, family games..."

Them with a deer in the headlights/elevator not reaching the top look:

BROWSER: "Uh...these are games?"

What they really meant to ask about was video games for their home system are silly handheld device.

- Ed C.

"We should only play the games that WOTC puts out because they have the official game, all others are rip offs" some smart mouth 12 year old was spouting this last month. My reply " Look kid I have been gaming longer than your PARENTS have been alive, so don't try to tell me what is and isn't a rip off."

Quote from: Peregrin;434328Shit, some of the employees who work under me at our ticket brokerage are socially awkward as hell, and yet they can finalize an 800 dollar deal in five minutes.  It's not that fucking hard if you have any ounce of sense and a willingness to be friendly and helpful towards your clients.

It also helps when the client walks up to you, money in hand, and tells you specifically what he wants.

Quote from: Reckall;434362Random memories:

"I'm not into RPGs - I like D&D"

Was that before or after 4e?

RPGPundit

"Vampire: Requiem sucks. Who wants to play after Gehenna?"

"I don't want to think when I play an RPG.  I think all day at work."