>I've been visiting card stores for more than 20 years, and I've seen firsthand the evolution from clean, well-kempt, and respected establishments to "clubhouse" stores. I think what we're witnessing is a desire by Magic players for more informal, "vape nation"-type atmospheres. This has the unintended consequence of creating stores where new players, long considered the lifeblood of Magic, would rather stay home and play Hearthstone.
Thoughts?
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Most nerd stores are run by people who love their hobbies but are often blind to business sense. They hire their friends, stock games that wont move, or hook up with poor distributors this coupled with poor policing of their own stores/communities means you either have a very laid back store or a sticking neckbeard hole in the wall with little new blood coming in.
Really there are a lot facets to this though. I left magic because I like kitchen table play rather than sweaty tourney grinders and assholes.
>clean, well-kempt, and respected establishments
>LGS
Lolwut.
Vaping is old news, gramps. Find something new to meme about.
Who are you quoting?
Find a new place, dude. My LCS is well lit and well kept.
Some guy on Reddit
My experience with gaming stores only goes little over a decade, but I would't describe any I've seen as "clean, well-kempt, and respected establishment"
There's a store like this near me. It's so shit. Cluttered, old collectibles piled on top of old collectibles, no room to breathe, only furniture is folding tables and chairs, the gaming area is actually an unfinished basement with a dirty toilet and a shop sink. This place is literally a sty that I will never visit again.
What's weird is the only other patrons I've met are both women, and both apparently play Commander there occasionally and like the store. Doesn't make any damn sense to me
I guess I have never encountered any of those clubhouse-esque stores since most of the LGSs in my city are "clean, well-kempt, and respected establishments"
Either nostalgia or perhaps they can play their games in peace due to obscurity of the store?
I probably should not be aroused by that image
Probably because it's the only store in the county, honestly. I mean they both defended it by saying how nice the employees are, which they are. But if something better comes to the area I expect that store to close down
Personally, I'd rather attend a better store and use it as an excuse to visit out of county friends
Is Hearthstone any good? I thought it would fade away like most card games, but Blizzard knows how to appeal to the masses, I guess
I don't think that the places described or the norm. But I would agree that I would rather stay away from the trashier looking LGSs.
>"clubhouse" stores.
never seen these
>"vape nation"-type atmospheres
like, what? a place where to smoke a blunt?
I agree, my LGS owner hired his two best friends, they are lazy fucks who have been intending to paint the Shadow War Armageddon
terrain since its release date
one of them was supposed to be the Shadespire/Necromunda expert and the other one was supposed to be the paint expert, the former hasn't even assembled the starter and the latter hasn't launched the Saturday morning paint classes. they are missing several Citadel & Vallejo colors (has to buy my nuln oil and sepia washes in the LGS the other side of the city) and haven't ordered my brushes for like the third month, so I guess I'll just buy them online
the owner keeps buying flashy new boardgames from Cool Mini and Kickstarter. he will play them once with his friends at the LGS and then bin them in the back of the store
other than that the store is ok and the people attending are nice and clean. the place is well lit, well ventilated, and the parking is free. the public restroom is always clean and both the staff and the customers have been respectful about it (no niggers vandalizing the walls or stealing the toiler paper)
Same.
It looks as if it is inviting us into it's flesh cocoon.
>both women, and both apparently play Commander there occasionally and like the store
Sex slaves in a sex cult.
I've seen it a thousand times.
It's shit, but it's easy for middle schoolers to pick up and play, so it's popular.
Whats that image? Its cool.
Also, I think it depends on the store and what they cater too. My LGS is mostly focused on Magic but they keep a section for RPG players in the centre and a little wargaming table for the Battlemace guys. The staff is also friendly and the owners push towards being friendly towards new customers because its easier to make a sale if the person likes you.
>Whats that image? Its cool.
Are you in upper NJ? There's a shop exactly like that around me. Last I went, they got rid of a lot of junk so now there's actually room to move.
... Maybe