Quote from: signoftheserpentYa see this is the response from them (and others) to criticism of the place; 'we can't be expected to stock everything' or 'we can't stock stuff if you don't tell us what you want or tell us about it' or 'we can't know every game ever' (which is actually not the point - it's about knowing what at least is popular or is creating a buzz), 'you have to tell the shop what you want'.

That's the reasn i ask; if i go in and say 'why aren't you selling x', the answer will be 'we've never heard of x' (more than likely), or 'we can order it for you'. i don't want to order it, i want to buy it. if i wanted to order it i'd have done so at home online without traipsing into the shop on spec in hope.

Even then they will only be ordering with the assumption that it will only sell to me. Nothing changes.

It's all so depressing!

It sounds like you have a pretty dire shop (or shops) near you, it must be said...  Mind my asking you to name and shame?  I'm kind of curious, the only one I know of in the Southwestish area is Esdevium's one in...  Aldershot?  Part of me wants to pay a visit so I know what to avoid doing. >_>;

Is it a specialty games shop, or a comic/book shop that's expanded into stocking RP/gaming stuff?  If they give you those kinds of answers without at least bothering to ask you "tell me more about X, what's it like/about?", it's just poor service for a specialist games shop, given the nature of the customer base.  The other question on the other hand, is what sort of stuff are you asking for...?  Is it new supplements for "core" game lines you'd expect a shop to have, new games, random indie whatevers?  And if they don't have what you want, what /do/ they have?

I have a lot more sympathy for somewhere that's tried branching out into selling RPGs (like a book/gift/toy shop or similar) but doesn't know entirely what they're doing rather than somewhere that's set itself up as a specialist games shop (CCGs,board games, RPGs) and is just poorly run due to lack of foresight.  I agree with Drew on the staffing front.

Quote from: Abyssal MawGame shops are dead as of 1998. If I can't get it online or at Amazon.. I usually don't get it.

 oh so WRONG - our game store seem to be doing pretty well.
 We opened 3 and a half years ago on Halloween night 2003.

- Ed C.

Quote from: jgantsNah, as long as there are gamers with no real job skills and parents with money, there will always be new, poorly-run shops opening up to take the place of those that closed.

 My god this thread of full of cynics.

 How in the hell did I miss this on first go-round?

- Ed C.

 See my avatar ? those are the shelves of a thriving game store behind me.

Every cynic is, at heart, a fallen romantic.

Think on that before condemning the online shopper.

Quote from: GlauGIt sounds like you have a pretty dire shop (or shops) near you, it must be said...  Mind my asking you to name and shame?  I'm kind of curious, the only one I know of in the Southwestish area is Esdevium's one in...  Aldershot?  Part of me wants to pay a visit so I know what to avoid doing. >_>;

Is it a specialty games shop, or a comic/book shop that's expanded into stocking RP/gaming stuff?  If they give you those kinds of answers without at least bothering to ask you "tell me more about X, what's it like/about?", it's just poor service for a specialist games shop, given the nature of the customer base.  The other question on the other hand, is what sort of stuff are you asking for...?  Is it new supplements for "core" game lines you'd expect a shop to have, new games, random indie whatevers?  And if they don't have what you want, what /do/ they have?

I have a lot more sympathy for somewhere that's tried branching out into selling RPGs (like a book/gift/toy shop or similar) but doesn't know entirely what they're doing rather than somewhere that's set itself up as a specialist games shop (CCGs,board games, RPGs) and is just poorly run due to lack of foresight.  I agree with Drew on the staffing front.

well I wouldn't normally, but the company concerned already know since I've argued the point on their failed website (past tense; even when it was working they didn't seem to bother and I couldn't even find stock that i'd actually seen on the shelf). It's the local branch of Travelling Man. I've all but given up on them really (and it ain't just their lack of rpg ability either; we tried in vain for a year to do some stuff with ccg's they seemed keen on. All for naught.)

Quote from: signoftheserpentwell I wouldn't normally, but the company concerned already know since I've argued the point on their failed website (past tense; even when it was working they didn't seem to bother and I couldn't even find stock that i'd actually seen on the shelf). It's the local branch of Travelling Man. I've all but given up on them really (and it ain't just their lack of rpg ability either; we tried in vain for a year to do some stuff with ccg's they seemed keen on. All for naught.)

...Ah, it becomes a bit clearer now.  I've never been to a branch of TM that I've thought was remotely interesting.  Saw the one in York last year while up there for a training thing, and I've seen another one or two around the country, none of them really grabbed my attention in a good way.  The York one is just...  really spartan, and not in the "Tonight we dine in Hell!" way.  I think you just drew the really short straw there.

The local one is a clean place and the people who work there aren't offensive and smelly; they just aren't the right people for a place like this. It just saddens me that the hobby market is catered for by people who take the path of least retail resistance and think stuff will sell itself.

Quote from: KoltarMy god this thread of full of cynics.

 How in the hell did I miss this on first go-round?

- Ed C.

 See my avatar ? those are the shelves of a thriving game store behind me.

Yes, but game stores are a) in the decline, b) highly regional in nature. Just because you work for a thriving game store (that has not yet passed the five year mark - come back and talk to me when you're in year six) doesn't mean that some regions have not had the issues that posters in this thread have indicated. Like Drew pointed out about London stores, the metro Los Angeles region has seen a decline in quantity and quality of game stores in the last few years and has very few game stores compared to the 10 million people in the metro area.

Quote from: Koltaroh so WRONG - our game store seem to be doing pretty well.
 We opened 3 and a half years ago on Halloween night 2003.

- Ed C.

Well I agree with you on this point.

Are game shops dead? No.  Are they on the decline?  Yes.

Mostly because bad game shops are finally going under and the state of the hobby.   I think an industry report said that almost half of the game shops went under in the last year.

However as long as there are good game shops the shops will stick around.

Quote from: WilYes, but game stores are a) in the decline, b) highly regional in nature. Just because you work for a thriving game store (that has not yet passed the five year mark - come back and talk to me when you're in year six) doesn't mean that some regions have not had the issues that posters in this thread have indicated. Like Drew pointed out about London stores, the metro Los Angeles region has seen a decline in quantity and quality of game stores in the last few years and has very few game stores compared to the 10 million people in the metro area.

Woops, you said exactly what I said (But before I did).   You were so right I repeated you!

But seriously you are correct on what you have said.  I think I have even heard of game stores that were really good but because of the situation of the hobby and other factors they still went under.

Even having a good store doesnt guarantee you will stick around.  If the hobby stays in the slump it is in it could cause people to buy less and take out even good stores.

The good thing about the slump is at least it has taken out a great number of bad stores.

A bad game shop creates a bad perception about all aspects of the hobby IMO.

Quote from: signoftheserpentA bad game shop creates a bad perception about all aspects of the hobby IMO.

Most certainly. There was a game store in Pomona that my ex-girlfriend and I found once wandering around the downtown area. They stocked mostly Warhammer stuff, but the store was your prototypical "bad game store". Dark, cluttered, the clients smelled and were loud and the staff was rude. In fact, when we walked in I swear that every single person playing at one of the tables stopped what they were doing to look up at her. A miniature may have even fallen over to underscore their shock and amazement that a woman was in their store. They didn't utter a sound the whole time we were in there. I should note we had her tween son and daughter with us - prime candidates for getting interested in games. The staff acted like they were being put upon when either one of them asked a question about a product (I intentionally had them ask the staff instead of answering questions myself). As far as the staff was concerned they had a yuppie family that wandered in randomly instead of a veteran gamer and his girlfriend and kids in the store. She didn't want to go into any game store with me after that experience - I had to explain to her that wasn't a place I would normally have frequented.

To be honest if i ever walk into a place like that again i will make my thoughts known. That's just offensive.

Quote from: WilMost certainly. There was a game store in Pomona that my ex-girlfriend and I found once wandering around the downtown area. They stocked mostly Warhammer stuff, but the store was your prototypical "bad game store". Dark, cluttered, the clients smelled and were loud and the staff was rude. In fact, when we walked in I swear that every single person playing at one of the tables stopped what they were doing to look up at her. A miniature may have even fallen over to underscore their shock and amazement that a woman was in their store. They didn't utter a sound the whole time we were in there. I should note we had her tween son and daughter with us - prime candidates for getting interested in games. The staff acted like they were being put upon when either one of them asked a question about a product (I intentionally had them ask the staff instead of answering questions myself). As far as the staff was concerned they had a yuppie family that wandered in randomly instead of a veteran gamer and his girlfriend and kids in the store. She didn't want to go into any game store with me after that experience - I had to explain to her that wasn't a place I would normally have frequented.

I would imagine that also happened for the reason you mentioned and for the fact that many of them have probably never been that close to a women before.

I have to ask- Is that store still open?

Quote from: signoftheserpentA bad game shop creates a bad perception about all aspects of the hobby IMO.

correct.  If a would be gamer walks in and sees a bad shop with stinky people who are rude they are going to turn around and walk out and the hobby in turn may loose a potential gamer.