Local Game Store Thread

I really, really want to open one but I'm unsure I'd be able to do so successfully. I'd need stock and the space to sell it in plus I'd want a play area for groups and preferably have a few small private rooms for rent for private sessions to play in. Anyone here ever run/work in one? How hard is it?

Please continue, I'm moving to Spokane in a few months and really want to know more about the gaming scene there.

(cont.) Downtown - This shop is on the back-end of its heyday. Or maybe I'm just nostalgic. A couple employees are rude as fuck. But then again, this is downtown we're talking about. One employee is a passive-aggressive "doesn't-approve-of-your-leather-jacket" type.

>What's the strangest or most unique thing about the store?

North - It's clean and brightly lit. It's mostly happy and not full of fedoras and emo fags. Loads of reasonably attractive female gamers. They don't forget your special orders.

East - The whole store is really tricked out like the inside of a 40K Space Marine starship, what are those things called? Yeah, heavy space marine vibe. The gaming tables are SICK! Best wargaming tables I've ever seen. It's a real labor of love for the owner, you can tell.

Downtown - The 6 foot green dragon near the entrance. It's next door to a bar, as-in there is a literal door in a wall of the game shop where you can walk into the bar. Another larger entrance is between the store and the commons. For being around for 30+ years, the store itself has a strange habit of changing locations. A lot. The latest space is the biggest they've ever had, with literal rafters. Very cold in the winter and hot in the summer. Loads of space for CCGs. And the orange paper mache magikarp.

>What do you wish they had more of?

I wish all the locations had more stuff that I buy. Every single one of them is out of stock/special order, etc.

>What would you change about it (Not necessarily bad stuff)?

See above. I'm not a control-freak really, so I don't want to change anyone. I just vote with my wallet.

>Any other stories or things you'd like to share?

It's always fairly low-key whenever I show up.

What are the store names? I got "Hobbytown USA". I assume one is called Uncles right? I just found it on a google search but the other could be a toss up of some others I found.

youtube.com/watch?v=JGhoLcsr8GA

^ That was all filmed in Spokane. It's a lot like that too, only without the singing. @2:21 you can see across the street from the Saranac. The FLGS is called Merlyn's, but it's more ghetto than the rest. There's a frequent flyer that hangs out there who's a dead ringer for Jame Gumb from Silence of the Lambs. Creepy AF.

North = Hobbytown
East = Gamer's Haven
Downtown = Merlyn's

This is the interior of Gamer's Haven, before they got the really good tables in (as-in it's annexed from the actual store!!!). All the girls are taken. Sorry.

That cunts socks man.

You sir are a gentleman and a scholar! May we face each other in honorable card and miniature wargame battles in the near future. Also D&D games or other RPGs.

Where I'll be living I'll be two stops on the bus from the Northtown Mall and I've been in the Comic Book Shop when I went up there a few years ago to visit my girlfriend's (now fiancee's) family.

You moving for college? It's a real college town, so no shortage of gamers (all games). The nerd base has recently grown to the size where they can support real comic con, game cons, etc. They hosted a couple, actually. Stan Lee and William Shatner showed up to one. Kuronekocon is coming up in a couple weeks. We'll be knee-deep in Weeaboos. If you're going to Gonzaga, you're within walking distance of Merlyn's. But if you're going to Whitworth, you're closer to Hobbytown. Gamer's Haven is way out there @ the Pines I-90 exit.

>How far away is your FLGS?
30 minutes by car from my hometown (during the holiday)
15 minutes walk from my apartment (during the school year)
>What's the owner like?
Friendly and passionated
>What's your favorite thing about the place?
A lot of things but I would choose the Magic un/commons box
It's a huge box in which they put magic cards from every set and sell them 10 for 1€, 25 for 2€
>What's the worst thing about your FLGS?
It's too far away during the holidays
>What's the strangest or most unique thing about the store?
The aforementioned box (and her Pokémon and WoW sisters)
Free of use board games (not 1 or 2, more like 20 different)
>What do you wish they had more of?
Interested employees

I might be going to college. Truth be told, my fiancee has schizoeffective disorder so we're moving there so her parents can help keep an eye on her. It's not the best of situations but I've been looking to go to college and/or start my own gaming company (more along the lines of writing/publishing games than running a shop, though at this stage in my life either is still viable I guess).

At least I'll be away from the literal boonies her in the midwest. I live in a small podunk town that unless you work for the state or at a fast food place you pretty much work selling meth. Yeah, it sucks. Neighbor actually got busted last week even.

I'll be off work until at least December as well (back issues) so I'll be hitting up all the game places to fill my time. See you around, user.

Those are diabetes compression socks user. Look at all the fat fucks in that picture...

> How far away is your FLGS?
its just a short trip down the road.
> What's the owner like?
Great guy. Gives Helpful tips for just about anything. Knows what hes doing.
> What's your favorite thing about the place?
The Little In store Competitions held every so often.
> What's the worst thing about your FLGS?
they don't keep a great deal of stock.
HOWEVER. whatever they don't have, They are more than happy to order. No shipping costs. all just for you.
> What's the strangest or most unique thing about the store?
It Moves about alot. Soon to be Moving into a much Larger Space. so they can put out More stock. More tables Etc.
> What do you wish they had more of?
Air Freshener Trees hanging around the tables.
For when the less Sanitary People come around.
> What would you change about it (Not necessarily bad stuff)?r Really just the size.
> Any other stories or things you'd like to share?
the staff are Super Friendly. if they are discussing stuff, they will happily Include you, they Veto Rule Lawyers. they keep the kiddies on a safe Decibel Range. they sometimes throw in a free chocolate and soda if you play a really long game.

>How far away is your FLGS?
I have two, one's exclusively magic, one's general. Both are about hour and half out by bus.

>What's the owner like?
Magic store is run by a really nice, if a little scatterbrained old lady. No idea about the other one.

>What's your favorite thing about the place?
I like that the magic store pays out in store credit, and that we can get tournies that fire regularly for modern, legacy, standard, draft, pauper, and edh.
For the other store, the wargaming tables are nice.

>What's the worst thing about your FLGS?
Magic store has a lot of people who get really, really salty.
Other store attracts the most cringeworthy people.

>What's the strangest or most unique thing about the store?
Well, my magic shop got robbed for a ton a few months ago.

>What do you wish they had more of?
Can't really fault the MTG place on inventory. Other shop really needs to increase the miniature stock.
>What would you change about it (Not necessarily bad stuff)?
Magic shop needs to get a little less competitive, although it's heading in that direction. Other shop needs more competitive events I think.

>Any other stories or things you'd like to share?
Can't really think of any.

>How far away is your FLGS?
5-10 minutes drive depending on traffic
>What's the owner like?
A cool dude. We played D&D Next beta for a bit before he ever opened the store. He's always got a personal project going. Most don't ever see launch, but there's always a good conversation to be had.
>What's your favorite thing about the place?
For an FLGS, the levels of sperglords and shitty human beings are quite low. There's also more girls because of regular applications of air freshener.
>What's the worst thing about your FLGS?
The actual store floor is a bit too small. The whole place needs a space upgrade.
>What's the strangest or most unique thing about the store?
The front of the store is "like hot topic, but for nerds, and with board games." Because of this angle, there's a lot of foot traffic from random people who aren't hardcore gamers.
>What do you wish they had more of?
I wish they had more support for the tabletop RPG crowd. All they've got is D&D and Tortured Earth.
>What would you change about it (Not necessarily bad stuff)?
I would convince the owner to get a bunch of kickass vending machines for the back (like the kind that makes coffee or pizza or something, given economic feasibility) so he could actually make money off of me and the other people who don't play TCGs. We want to give you money! Make it easier!
>Any other stories or things you'd like to share?
I met my GF there. :3

>I met my GF there. :3
Congrats dude! Didn't meet my fiancee from a game store but we frequent ours pretty often.

>Live in bumfuck nowhere rural England
>Nearest FLGS is hours away
>Student in Nottingham during term time
>Nearest FLGS is Warhammer World

I have three in the area.
>How far away is your FLGS?
All of them are in the city centre, one is just a bit south, but all are easily accessible.
>What's the owner like?
First is literally shitfeeding people with Pathfinder Society lies, directs publishing in my country and is absolutely horrible at it.
Second is laid-back and in a bit of a comic-shopping frenzy
Third, the southern one, I don't like much beacuse of personal reasons, but he is just a merchant doing his job.
>What's your favorite thing about the place?
The first has most of the pathfinder stuff i want but since it's led by idiots and gathers idiot kids i buy stuff online.
The second has a beautiful gaming area with a bar and lots of board games to try for the customers on evenings, and the comic book area has a good guy that sells them and jokes with customers.
The third has lots of space so hambeasts and WH40K kids can rant away from you.
>What's the worst thing about your FLGS?
First: everything. Crammed space, horrible manners, childish customers, disgusting sewers smell, and there are some guys that DM for money. And aren't even good at it. They just read paizo adventure paths and modules.
Second: employed a shitfaced stoner cunt who banned a couple of groups i'm in from the game area 'because we didn't buy enough drinks' but we've been there to buy drinks and food since the first opening so it's clearly lying about another stupid reason.
Third: too many 40K kids or yugioh kids, depending on the day you might actually appreciate the first, but the others are just an elementary school trip crashed into the shop.
>What's the strangest or most unique thing about the store?
First: how people keeps going to such a toxic place.
Second: it has a fuckton of comics and little actual RPG stuff but good board games. The game area is steampunkish.

Cont.

Third: nothing exceptional.
>What do you wish they had more of?
First: good management and space.
Second: good management and rpg stuff.
Third: more comics.
>What would you change about it (Not necessarily bad stuff)?
First: the entire store and people who run it.
Second: the shitfaced cunt and his kiss-ass sycophantic underlings.
Third: put a 'you must be this tall to come' sign or at least teach people who come in that if you want to deal about cards and you need your mom you are clearly in the wrong place.
>Any other stories or things you'd like to share?
First: i saw a GM playing pathfinder with a group of 8 people in the middle of the store. They were mostly tanned teenagers and their girlfriends. None of them was actually doing anything clever but the GM, being the jew he was, simply gave them victory every time without difficulties or real challenges.
Second: the guy selling comics keeps exchanging homoerotic jokes with habitues like me or other people. He's kind and never implies actual interest, as his wife comes often around and he's a very happy fella.
Third: I saw a 50-ish man come into the store and try to sell fake yu-gi-oh cards in exchange for new cards for his son. His son wasn't present. He then tried to buy a videogame as if it was a gamestop. He then mistook an Arkham board game for a vidya his son wanted. The owner explained the difference, the guy bought it anyway.

You don't need a lot of stock, you won't make money off selling niche games. Make your money off being a comfy place to be. More of a BnB than an LGS, that also happens to rent out/sell games (renting out games seems like it'd be a pretty good model honestly)

>How far away is your FLGS?
Game Time on 82nd Street in Indy. It's about 9 miles, but the traffic on 86th/82nd is usually pretty shitty. Mostly because of the malls though.

>What's the owner like?
He's pretty chill, wants to know everyone who attends at least semi-regularly by name.

>What's your favorite thing about the place?
There's a TON of players here, they usually run 50-player FNMs most weeks between standard and modern. They have more than enough space for it too.

>What's the worst thing about your FLGS?
Too many tryhards, but that's more the North Side in general from what I understand.

>What's the strangest or most unique thing about the store?
It's only the 2nd store I've played in for any length of time, so I'm not sure how unique anything is or isn't.

>What do you wish they had more of?
ANR and LCG support. They used to have a big community, but their TO got lured to another shop, promising to pay him $50 a night - and that shop ran all its customers away with being shits, so there's no OP at all anymore.

>What would you change about it (Not necessarily bad stuff)?
The singles supply seems really limited, I've noticed - as if they're expecting the collapse any day now. Stock up a bit more?

>Any other stories or things you'd like to share?
I'm very glad it's 9 miles to the shop and not 40 to the closest shop like it was when I was in ohio - they were good but that trip every week was BULLSHIT.

>Comic Book Store

That's the store on Merivale, isn't it?

>>How far away is your FLGS?
About half an hour.
>>What's the owner like?
Skeleton neck beard, really someone you wouldn't associate with unless you already knew him.
>>What's your favorite thing about the place?
They don't use Jew city pricing.
>>What's the worst thing about your FLGS?
The normal customers have been spending hundreds on their standard/modern/EDH decks so the more casual formats are dying.
>>What's the strangest or most unique thing about the store?
Neon Orange painted bathrooms.
>>What do you wish they had more of?
Counter space.
>>What would you change about it (Not necessarily bad stuff)?
Remove one TV and put a display with all of the more expensive merchandise.
>>Any other stories or things you'd like to share?
Owner recently revealed he spent $2,000 on his modern deck and lost to a well-built pauper deck.

What the fuck is up with your capital letters there?

>How far away is your FLGS?
About a 15 minute drive
>What's the owner like?
Really cool. Genuinely nice guy, works hard, and fosters a great group of people.
>What's your favorite thing about the place?
Clean, and well lit.
>What's the worst thing about your FLGS
Not really enough space for a lot of 40k/large miniature games, but Warmachine, Malifaux, and Guildball all have big communities.
>What's the strangest or most unique thing about the store?
They're turning the upstairs area into a Medieval style inn, for the RPG games going on up there.
>What do you wish they had more of?
More 40k players would be cool.
>What would you change about it (Not necessarily bad stuff)?
Nothing really, place is exactly how I like it.
>Any other stories or things you'd like to share?
Place is called Just Games in Upstate NY, here's a pic of my last Guildball game.

>How far away is your FLGS?
According to Google Maps, 27.9 miles from my apartment.

>What's the owner like?
There are four owners, actually, and it's pretty much a sideline business for all of them. They're all fairly young (under 35), and they're all actually into games, but they have different personalities. One is very organized and business-minded. Another guy thinks he's super creative, and he really tries, but stuff kind of turns out muddled. Then there's the guy who is always excited to try any new game, to the extent that he really doesn't have any space at home for new games. The last owner I don't know as well as the others, but he's generally friendly and helpful.

>What's your favorite thing about the place?
Either that they do a great job keeping the place clean and in good shape or that the owners are happy to bring in different games, etc. For example, I started painting my Imperial Assault miniatures (pic related) earlier this year, and I talked with the owners about if they could start carrying paints so I didn't have to drive 50 miles in the exact opposite direction to get miniature paints. They spent a while evaluating and planning, but now they at least have a small display of Army Painter paints.

>What's the worst thing about your FLGS?
The store is small enough that the only large game lines they really fully support are Magic, X-Wing, and Imperial Assault. They carry some RPG stuff, some WarmaHordes stuff, some stuff for Fantasy Flight's card games, but you just about have to special order things to get a full experience with those games. Likewise, the small size contributes to their still very limited paint selection.

>What's the strangest or most unique thing about the store?
For the store's size, it carries a ton of board games. I'd guess maybe a third of its shelf space is board games.

>What do you wish they had more of?
Paints (particularly Vallejo and/or Citadel), and maybe Star Wars Armada. I'd at least like to try it out with someone.

>What would you change about it (Not necessarily bad stuff)?
I don't know how I could accomplish it, but I would try to get more women to visit the store. Except for Magic prerelease and release tournaments and occasional special events, the place is such a sausage fest. It could be as easy as doing a better job reaching out to possible customers, because the store is kept clean and welcoming, and there are minimal Assburgers and neckbeards among the regulars.

>Any other stories or things you'd like to share?
The first time I went by, the store was really new. The inventory was so bad, so small, that I thought it would be a miracle if it lasted six months. Thankfully the owners realized early on that they needed to bring in more and hustled to fix the problem. Earlier this month they celebrated the store's four-year anniversary, and the place was packed to capacity.

Luckily, Philly has a ton of shops withing a half hour.

high Tier
Showcase Comics, Redcap's Corner

Mid tier
Alternate Universes, The Comicbook Store, Stomping Grounds, Brave New Worlds

Low Tier
GW

I'm guessing Virginia? You're CWC right?

>How far away is your FLGS?
It's in the same city.
>What's the owner like?
An insufferably contrarian asshole who hates everything outside his insular mindset.
>What's your favorite thing about the place?
Somewhat cheap NES games, excluding titles that sell for outrageous amounts on eBay..
>What's the worst thing about your FLGS?
Their inventory is mostly overpriced, the place smells like sweat and Cheetos, and the patrons are all social autists who can't seem to bring themselves to acknowledge the existence of other people, much less entertain a meaningful discussion.
>What's the strangest or most unique thing about the store?
The social atmosphere is like something from a bizarre alien culture where autism is heralded as a positive quality.
>What do you wish they had more of?
Patrons who don't suffer from borderline personality disorder.
>What would you change about it (Not necessarily bad stuff)?
Boot the current administration and try to create a more inclusive atmosphere that's suited for both hardcore gamers and newcomers to the hobby.
>Any other stories or things you'd like to share?
I once walked into the store to buy some gaming dice. A deafening silence fell over the store and literally everyone turned and glared at me the entire time I was making the transaction. I was actually a bit scared.

My FLGS is fairly new (only been open a little over a month) but so far it seems pretty nice.

>How far away is your FLGS?
About a 15-20 minutes' drive.
>What's the owner like?
It's owned and run by a couple who are pretty nice and have a lot of interaction with customers and often take part in some of the games going on themselves. It's pretty clear they're working hard and enjoying it. They also take the time to try and remember your name if you come there often.
>What's your favorite thing about the place?
The people I've met there are pretty cool and usually helpful to newbies (like me). They have a lot of events going on all the time even though it's new and have a selection of free games to demo if you don't know what to buy yet. They also have a wide variety of paints for models and even sell LARP clothing on the side.
>What's the worst thing about your FLGS?
It could be a little bigger; it does have private rooms if you want some peace from the crowded main room though. They also could have more games on display/for sale but again it is new and they are open to ordering things not in stock.
>What's the strangest or most unique thing about the store?
They have dire wolves! Or actually, just two really large dogs owned by the couple. They just walk around and let people pet them, it's pretty nice. The whole store is also themed, with a 'great hall' main room (complete with heavy oak tables and weapons on the walls) and medieval or star wars themed private rooms. It's one of the most noteworthy aspects of the store itself. They also have their own custom store branded dice.
>What do you wish they had more of?
Modelling supplies since I don't have any other place to buy them besides online.
>What would you change about it (Not necessarily bad stuff)?
Not too much yet. I want to see how it will grow and develop over the coming months (and potentially years)
>Any other stories or things you'd like to share?

You sound salty as fuck. The way you complain, just seems like you're the real problem.

What's the optimal distribution of anime/manga/RPGs/wargames/boardgames/cardgames/comics in a FLGS?

My bias is towards RPGs but I understand that board games and card games are the real money-makers and are needed in every store.

>dat pic
>Sweet Jesus
>cleanest most expansive non-corporate FLGS I have ever seen
>it's preternatural

>live in downtown St. Paul
>no good game stores
>everyone I know that plays any games are super autistic early 20-somethings
At least I met Brian Kibler at PTQ Minneapolis

>All the girls are taken. Sorry.
>36+ fatsos
>1.5 frumpy chubby nerdettes visible

Uhhh...you can keep them, thanks.

It's slimmed down a little since that pick, and the board game section has expanded more. That said, it's still very clean, bright and well ventilated. They were larger too but lost 1/4 of their floor space last year when some insurance company payed to buyout more floorspace from the little strip mall it's in which resulted in the play area shrinking by half (plus all of the private rooms going away).

Check them out if you're ever in Columbia MO, it's literally the best game shop I've ever been in.

>What's the optimal distribution of anime/manga/RPGs/wargames/boardgames/cardgames/comics in a FLGS?

Depends. I'd personally would love to see all of those in a store but usually the floorspace is quite limited. Ideally 1/4 is boardgames, 1/4 is wargames, 1/4 is a mix of card games and RPGs and the remaining 1/4 would be the anime/manga/comics section (though I think it'd be wiser to mix it with general media like DVDs and books that nerds and geeks love rather than just those three). Throw in video games somewhere and you have perhaps the game store to rule them all.

>How far away is your FLGS?
From my house? Like 25 miles.
>What's the owner like?
Morbidly obese, but very kind and a really cool guy. Though he does fake interest in things.
>What's your favorite thing about the place?
The fact it exists at all. I live in Mississippi.
>What's the worst thing about your FLGS?
They only cover the basics. Magics, board games, D&D, baseball cards, 40k.
>What's the strangest or most unique thing about the store?
It also sells baseball cards. Hell, it's called "Sports Cards"
>What do you wish they had more of?
40k or RPG books in general. A bigger client base would be better anyways.
>What would you change about it (Not necessarily bad stuff)?
Probably make it bigger. I wouldn't mind if they had a bar too. I would probably hang out there all the time if I could get a rum and coke or something.
>Any other stories or things you'd like to share?
They have the most weird con sumer base. Almost everyone is fucking weird and leads a really weird life. I just wish there were some more normal people.

>The fact it exists at all. I live in Mississippi.
Not many gamers in the South?

This is gonna sound strange to some of you, but one of my frequently visited game stores is a GW. The manager is a great guy, most of the community is fun to hang around with, and my experience there is generally very positive.

>How far away is your FLGS?
About 8 miles or so, it's a block away from my old college, it neighbors a lot of restaurants and markets. The old location used to be about 5 miles farther.

>What's the owner like?
He's a pretty chill guy, extremely reasonable, and his wife and kids sometimes pop in once and a while (important later)

>What's your favorite thing about the place?
There's always something happening here, like Magic or DND, or whatever. That and if you ask the owner, he'll gladly ship anything to the store for you to get.

>What's the worst thing about your FLGS?
It's tiny as fuck, and the pic related is the new location, the old one was about half the size and it doesn't help that there's so much unsold shit that clogs the walls and walkways.

>What's the strangest or most unique thing about the store?
I would probably say that there is an ardent no-cursing policy, mostly because his kids sometimes are there, as well other people sometimes waltz into the store.

>What do you wish they had more of?
More third-party books, or at least more items that aren't the usual fare of DND/Pathfinder/Boardgames. The place is about 60 percent comics, 40 percent games.

>What would you change about it (Not necessarily bad stuff)?
I would maybe reduce the prices of older items so that stock can actually clear and there is some actual breathing room in the store. That and get newer items.

>Any other stories or things you'd like to share?
-This store (not the new one, the old one) is where I actually first started to play DND, when I was starting college four years ago. I played the 4e Encounters tables there, and it got me into roleplaying games, which I've spread around to my other friends. I couldn't be happier for it.

-The store is pretty alright, and lots of good folk come and go, but there was a time where there was a ThatGuy at the store. I wasn't personally there for it since I was busy with college, but from a second hand account, it was really bad.(outta text)

LOL. 1/10 people here still believes it's literally satan worship. The ones who are gamers are usually people who are naturally enthusiast. Your know that type that always has to have something they are REALLY into? Yeah that's the other 8/10. Only 1/10 people who are into tabletop here are normal people who don't have some catastrophic reason their life is spiraling out of control or something.

It looks like in this case it was just for emphasis and/or enthusiasm. Siddown, snowflake.

>How far away is your FLGS?
10-15 mins depending on traffic
>What's the owner like?
It just a got a new owner last year. pretty chill guy.
>What's your favorite thing about the place?
Its pretty chill. only game shop in town, BAM sells stuff too but the selection is smaller.
>What's the worst thing about your FLGS?
getting in and out of the parking lot is a nightmare if you are trying to turn left. Its a pretty small parking lot too.
>What's the strangest or most unique thing about the store?
you gotta descend like 30 steps before you get in the store. It used to be a music shop.
>What do you wish they had more of?
RPG stuff. its mostly single issue comics and board games with some Warham and X-Wing stuff
>What would you change about it (Not necessarily bad stuff)?
the parking lot, the steps. that back door (see below). that I got the part time job.
>Any other stories or things you'd like to share?
It got robbed a few weeks ago. Some thugs pried the backdoor open, smashed cases (that weren't locked", and destroyed a statue display case. All to steal some comics and magic cards. They didn't even steal the really rare comics either. The assholes probably won't get caught either, no prints. Thank goodness nobody got hurt and the insurance will cover the damages.

I now have an image of street gangsters trading magic cards and trying to avoid the police
Like they have giant piles of Snapcasters in their trap houses
When they go to the strip club they tip strippers with Underground Seas

>How far away is your FLGS?
Thirty minute walk, 5 minute drive.
>What's the owner like?
Really cool lady that feels like the group mom, despite being like, 28 tops. Other owner is a really chill guy too, throws together weird EDH drafts with envelops filled wit shitty random cards.
>What's your favorite thing about the place?
The owners, definitely.
>What's the worst thing about your FLGS?
There's this fat old man and his kid that come in and every single time I've heard him talk, he's said some dumbass rightwing hate speech. I'm waiting for the day where he fucks up and says something REALLY bad so he can get kicked out.
>What's the strangest or most unique thing about the store?
It's like, the size of a hallway. Seriously small.
>What do you wish they had more of?
The only TCG they support is Magic, but they have board games too. I'd like to see other games get support.
>What would you change about it (Not necessarily bad stuff)?
Movie into a bigger building, definitely.

There's an image that goes something like this:

>a few nerds have fun doing a thing
>one nerd invites his normie friend. no big deal, he's cool enough
>normie friend brings his girlfriend, she complains and only is there because of normie
>soon, a few other normies are invited and rules change to suit more casual play
>original nerds are now the outcasts in the group

This has pretty much happened to my shop.

Anyone have the image?

Wow that's inefficient waste of space.

>Only RPGs and board games
>No tables
>That layout

What is this, Barnes & noble?

Theres 3 by me in Pittsburgh. Two are in Downtown (Ide's, Bill & Walt's Hobby Shop) and one in West Mifflin (New Dimensions).

Bill & Walt's is the nearest one to me. Nice little store with a cool as fuck owner who plays Iron Maiden and Black Sabbath all day. My favorite thing about him is he's always on top of MTG releases and always releases on time. My least favorite thing is his hours (12-6 mon-fri).

Ide's is the second farthest from me. He's up near the Greyhound station. I don't go there often so I can't really say anything about them.

New Dimensions is the farthest away from me at Century III Mall. My favorite thing about them is their variety and tournament scene. My least favorite thing is that there's no phone service in their location, so if you find something you like you can't check their prices and have to play it by ear. They're nice though.

Final referendum:
Bill & Walt's > New Dimensions > Ide's

>Two shops literally in the same strip mall
>Second one opened up by ex partner of the first shop's owner
>Has all the singles of MTG cards you could want but he's the biggest jew in the world
>E.G. Buying a single from him for $2
>Just before ringing me up he looks up the value
>it shot up just a minute ago to $9 for no reason
>Charges me $9 despite saying it was $2 a minute ago
>mfw

>How far away is your FLGS?
3 miles
>What's the owner like?
Not as cool as the previous owners
>What's your favorite thing about the place?
Close, near food
>What's the worst thing about your FLGS?
They stopped carrying any games other than 40k or MtG, they are slowly banning use of tables for non 40k or non MtG use.
>What's the strangest or most unique thing about the store?
Shares a bathroom with a Thai restaurant
>What do you wish they had more of?
Any of the games they used to have.
>What would you change about it (Not necessarily bad stuff)?
Diversify inventory, reinstitute the hygiene rules
>Any other stories or things you'd like to share?
Used to be a very cool store. Then the owners had a kid and needed more time/money so they sold it to a long time customer with more money than sense. Said person immediately handed it over to his parents, who generally dislike gamers, do not game, and seem to be trying to drive the store into bankruptcy to get rid of it.

The walls behind and to the right of the cameraman are covered in miniatures and wargaming material, cards are behind the counter which is kinda hard to see in the photo, and there is (or was until they lost the floor space recently) a gaming area on the other side of the slat wall.

Derp, they still have a game area it's just half as big and no longer has private play rooms. They still have the two bathrooms, one for normal people and one for the fat fucks who clog them and need the bars to lift themselves up from the seat.

Bostonfags, any recs for good shops? I occasionally go to Pandimonium in Cambridge, but they're mostly Magic and 40k. Looking for a shop that does more d&d shit.

I was thinking of have 5 sections to my store (ideally): selling space for the merchandise, game play area, private room area, "cafe" for drinks and snacks, and a "rent" area where you rent a game (board game or cheap but playable card games and the like). This doesn't include bathroom space and counter space per se but the idea is to be welcoming to most people.

The rent area would be done up as one of those lounge cafes, poofy cjlhairs and couches with wide tables between. Barring all else I could scrap that entire area and simply make the private rooms rentable and you can borrow a board or card game with it if you want.

As someone who has looked heavily into owning a game store, I have a some tips. Although I never opened because of personal circumstances, I learned a lot and plan to still get a store some day.

>Research, research, research! The more you know about owning a game store, the less chance there will be of things blowing up in your face. And from what I've seen, there's a surprising amount of things that can make your business fail that you might not expect. A few notable things you should look at are:
-Location. This is one of the most important aspects; a location can make or break a store.
-Local demographics and whether there's even a demand for a game store. If people aren't interested, you won't get customers. It can be annoying to find this data, but it's very useful. Figuring out what games are popular in your area is important too. More on this later.
-What NOT to do. Many people have made mistakes in the past. Learn from them so you don't make them yourself. Keep in mind that each situation is unique and what was a massive failure for someone else may be a huge success for you, but heed the advice of people who know what they're doing.
-Competitors. Yes, you do have competitors, whether you think so or not. Who else sells board games in your area? What big box stores (Toys R Us, Target, Walmart, etc.) are near you? Is there a place that potential customers hang out? If so, where and what type of business? And then there's Amazon. The bane of FLGS's everywhere. Competing with Amazon (or most internet sellers for that matter) will put you out of business, so don't even try. Seriously. I'll come back to this point too.

>cont.

>How far away is your FLGS?
30 minutes of driving. There are 3 others closer, but I don't like them.
>What's the owner like?
Cool guy that is really good at feigning interest, if he isn't actually interested, in whatever you talk with him about. Has a daughter that is there with him most of the when she is not in school and he teaches her about all the games.
>What's your favorite thing about the place?
Really large selection and tons of space. Carries board games, tcgs, rpg books, minis and paints and a good selection of all of them. It is purely table top stuff though, so no comics or old video games or anything like that. Also enough space to comfortably accommodate 80 people.
>What's the worst thing about your FLGS?
While they have competitive, if not outright better, prices on tcgs, minis, paints, and rpg books. They make that up by having stupidly expensive prices on board games, often 10% higher than msrp. Also if you don't play MtG, X-Wing, or 40k there is little if any players.
>What's the strangest or most unique thing about the store?
The store lets people bring in outside food without any problem and since there is a chinese restaurant next door the store smells like chinese food most of the time.
>What do you wish they had more of?
More players for games other than MtG, X-Wing, and 40k. Any players at all for board games.
>What would you change about it (Not necessarily bad stuff)?
I honestly can't think of anything I would really change aside from trying to promote more variety of games.

Continued

>Any other stories or things you'd like to share?
Two stories and neither involve the store I have talked about.
First is that some dude was banned from one of the other stores in town because he got so angry at losing some MtG game that he drew a knife out and started threatening people. Then when the owners wife tried to calm him down he tried to attack her and the owner stepped over and beat the crap out of him and told him never to come back. The dude was like 22. Definitely old enough to know better.

Second story was me being an ass and I am not proud of it.
>Living in another city and had lost my call center job for helping some people for free
>Have not played MtG in 4 years and know FLGS buys singles so figure that is a good way to get some extra cash
>Call and ask what to do, follow their instructions to fill out buy list on their website and organize cards. End up with about 300$ worth of stuff
>Go to store, employee starts going through cards for condition as I help a new pair of players learn how to play the Pathfinder card game
>Finish up, employee says it all looks good aside from like 2-3 in fair condition. Starts processing the order.
>Owner comes in at this time and tells the employee to let him look over the order. He goes through and takes out enough that it drops from 300$ to 120$. Tells me he doesn't want to take the rest.

>cont.

>I ask why. He just says cause he doesn't want to. I ask if there is a problem with condition. He says no he just doesn't want to pay out that much today. I ask why they have all this on the buylist if they don't have the money for it. He gets defensive at this point and say he does he just doesn't want to spend it. Then instantly goes into the I own this place you can either take it or leave it.
>I really need the money to pay bills so I accept but am pissed now cause I was planning on getting 300$, not 120$ and the employee was about to do it if the owner had not shown up.
>They keep all their bulk lands, commons, uncommons, and trash rares from all the expansions in open topped boxes on a table near the door.
>As I am walking out I go by the table and flip it with gusto over spilling probably 15,000+ cards all over the floor covering probably 1/4 of the floor space and continue walking out.
>Instantly regret it and if they had ran outside after me and told me to stop and come clean it up I would have, but no one follows me out.

I know it was stupid and I regret it. Plus will be moving back there in about a year. Hope 3 years will have been enough time for them to forget who did that and I can go play in that store again.

Please do go on! I'm still doing my reasearch but I always love anothers insight and perspective.

>>How far away is your FLGS?
30 minutes by traffic.
>>What's the owner like?
Jolly, buff, #nohomo
>>What's your favorite thing about the place?
They serve beer. Plenty of terrain. You can rent a locker for your stuff.
>>What's the worst thing about your FLGS?
Some of the regulars.
>>What's the strangest or most unique thing about the store?
Either the token kippah. (whoever is jewing the gets to wear it.) or The Peacemaker (14" black dildo for settling disputes and pacifying troublemakers)
>>What do you wish they had more of?
qts
>>What would you change about it (Not necessarily bad stuff)?
Tables & furniture arrangement. It's kind of counter-intuitive.
>>Any other stories or things you'd like to share?
It sunk the other LGS I've been working at part time. But I'm not jealous or anything. Can't argue against the beer.

>Talk to other game store owners, especially successful ones! Getting in contact with one might be hard, but even a half-hour conversation is worth more than you can imagine. You can find some facebook groups and other sites that cater to people opening game stores, with plenty of experienced people who can give you advice. If you want to talk one-on-one, try to find someone who's far enough away that you won't be competing for business with them. They'll be much more willing to share their tips and tricks with someone who will likely never cut into their margins than someone local. I recommend doing some basic research before reaching out, though. Asking simple questions that could be found with a quick google search is a quick way to prove that you're not worth their time. Asking about things like their turn rate, customer demographics, P&L, local advertising, and inventory management will make you look better and get them to open up more. (Make sure you know what all that means before asking, though.)

>Learn about how small businesses are run. Game stores are a bit different than the traditional business, but in general there's a lot of good principles that you can apply. If you can, taking a class can be helpful. I also recommend getting the Game Retailer Guide, which has a lot of relevant information to owning a game store: drivethrurpg.com/product/120862/Game-Retailer-Guide

>When it comes to online sellers and big box stores, competing is a sure way to run you out of business. What you need to do is offer things that they can't. Magic singles are a great example; while most people will go online for board games and whatnot, a lot of people would rather buy them in person. And places like Walmart don't have singles, since it would be too hard for them to organize and likely not worth the effort. Take advantage of that.

>cont.

>In addition to that, you have your main advantage against things like Amazon and Target: A play area. Building a community is very important, and making your store a place where people come to enjoy themselves when they have free time is a good thing. Without regulars, your store likely won't survive.

>On that note, make your store appealing to customers. People are much more likely to go to a clean and well-lit store than a gross and dim one. It'll also be much more attractive to non-hardcore gamers who wander in curiously, and you'd be surprised at how much of a good thing that is.

>It's very likely that there will be people who want better prize support or for you to stock specific things that aren't likely to sell. Although this could be an entirely valid complaint, it's best to usually ignore them. It will probably be hard to do, since these people will probably be some of your regulars. A FLGS owner I talked to referred to them as 'parasites'; they beg for things they what while spending very little money themselves.

>Something you might not expect that can be very useful is making your store, as one FLGS owner put it, 'mom-friendly'. This means that if a mother comes in with her child, she's comfortable shopping there. You may consider fa/tg/uys to be your most important customers (and they will likely make up quite a few of your regulars) but compare the average wealth of a fa/tg/uy to that of a non-gamer mother and her kid. The mother is a lot more likely to purchase more of the stuff at higher prices (unlike your hardcore gamers, who will probably consist of mostly cheapskates), especially if their kid becomes a regular there.

And now I'm going to move on to the most important thing I'm going to tell you. If you only remember one thing I've written today, remember this next point. I cannot emphasize this enough.

>cont.

>>How far away is your FLGS?
Ten minute walk. It's right in the middle of down-town just a quick walk from a few bars.
>>What's the owner like?
Really nice. He knows me by name and will talk shop if you ask nicely. He's consistently upfront and honest, I appreciate that.
>>What's your favorite thing about the place?
The people that go there. Everyone is extremely nice and welcoming. There is everything from legacy to standard and the drafts are always top quality.
>>What's the worst thing about your FLGS?
It recently changed ownership. Not that that's a bad thing, it's just the interior of the store is completely fucked for renovations.
>>What's the strangest or most unique thing about the store?
Besides the fucked ceiling? Probably the quality of magic players. Seriously some tip-top competition, the type of players that go to GPs and do well.
>>What do you wish they had more of?
Specific orders. Sometimes I'll want a certain card and it wont be in stock and I wont be able to order it. I'm looking at you Vorniclex and Craterhoof.
>>What would you change about it (Not necessarily bad stuff)?
Honestly? Nothing. I feel right at home and I'm awkward as fuck, it's a nice experience.
>>Any other stories or things you'd like to share?
I once bought 2 New Phyrexia packs and cracked a Puresteel Paladin, Gitaxian Probe and an Urabask. I also placed first at a prerelease in New York City for EM this past weekend.

Sorry, I bought 2 New Phyrexia packs like 2 months ago and cracked that jazz.

This may sound harsh, but it's something you need to hear.
YOUR STORE IS NOT A FUCKING CLUBHOUSE!

>"A FLGS is a great place to hang out, play games, and meet new people!" That's the customer's perspective. You can't afford to think like this. If you're trying to open a game store to be anything other than a business, stop right now. Yes, your game store can and even SHOULD be like the customer thinks it is. But a FLGS is, above all else, a business. If your favorite game isn't selling, stop stocking it. If a game you hate gets popular, add more inventory. If there are a bunch of people you can't stand who come in and dump shitloads of money, you'll just have to deal with it. (This is assuming that they're not bothering other customers. That's a bit of a different situation.) Owning an FLGS is a labor of love. You're going to have to put in what may seem like an insane amount of hours every week to stay afloat. Don't treat it like a hobby. Don't let people walk all over you when they complain about how they could get it for cheaper on Amazon. Don't think of it as a place that's just for people to have fun and play games. This is a business. Treat it like one. I don't care if your store is the most popular place in town; if you're not selling your inventory and you're not getting enough money to keep your store going, it's a failure.

From what you've been talking about, I feel like you're thinking from a gamer's perspective. And that's fine in Magical Christmas Land where everything works exactly like you want it to. But if you want to actually run an FLGS, RUN IT LIKE A GODDAMN BUSINESS!

>cont.

>I'll move on to one final point: Don't expect to make ANY profit in the first eighteen months or so. You're going to be in the negatives for a year AT A MINIMUM. When you get financing, make sure to include the cost for at least a year of operation. Your salary is included in this. There are various ways to calculate this, but I've heard a good general starting point is $30,000. That's right, thirty grand is a STARTING POINT. (It can vary depending on a whole bunch of factors, but it's extremely unlikely that you'll be able to start off with less than $25,000.) Don't assume you can start a store if you only have enough money for the first month of operation and initial inventory. That's a surefire way to go out of business. You WILL be in the negatives. And that's the cold hard truth. If you handle things right, you'll eventually start to make a profit, but in that first year, if you're not prepared, you'll lose the store.

All that said, I wish you the best of luck. It won't be easy, but if you are willing to make it work, it can be great. If you have any more questions, just ask and I'll try to answer them as well as I can.

And I apologize if the last two points were rude, but it's absolutely vital that you keep in mind that you're a business first and a place to game second. If you don't think of yourself as a business... Well, I already went over it.

There's only one gaming store in the entirety of the Montgomery area. It's not bad, but it's small and a half hour away. I only really go there for magic drafts occasionally.

Thank you! I'll be taking your points to heart.

Bampity

>How far away is your FLGS?
10 mins drive
>What's the owner like?
Weird, he's a skinny guy in his 50s or 60s but he's nice and very helpful
>What's your favorite thing about the place?
The selection (The only other stores around here are GW or only sell Magic)
>What's the worst thing about your FLGS?
Its in a basement
>What's the strangest or most unique thing about the store?
They stock more than just 40k and Infinity
>What do you wish they had more of?
Reaper and other more obscure miniature companies
>What would you change about it (Not necessarily bad stuff)?
Advertising, it only has a sign out the front and Facebook page to advertise it
>Any other stories or things you'd like to share?
Nope
pic related is the store