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 Post subject: Status of game stores in your area?
PostPosted: Wed Aug 06, 2014 8:47 pm 
Loremaster
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Don't know if this is considered a rant or just a summary of how things are...

I live in the greater Seattle area in the US, I have one official Games Workshop store and use to have three hobby stores that carried the Hobbit range. Of the three hobby stores, only one carried the blisters and still carries the new models when they come out. The other two only carried the first release, and then only the starter set and the box sets. They didn't sell too well (both owners stated that GW prices were too high) and they never ordered the next sets. Of those two, one owner decided to retire and sold his remaining Hobbits sets off at discount. The other store now has their remaining sets at 25% off, vs just having them sit on the shelf. At least the one store that still supports the range sells them at 20% off, but doesn't restock when they sell.

Online isn't much better, the stores I buy from that have GW at 20% off usually don't carry the blisters.

I guess GW has done what they set out to do, make them the only place to buy their products.

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 Post subject: Re: Status of game stores in your area?
PostPosted: Wed Aug 06, 2014 9:43 pm 
Elven Elder
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I used to have a few places that carried LOTR but one closed down years ago. Other than one of my two "local" GW's there's only a single place that sells Hobbit minis. The game just isn't popular enough around here

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 Post subject: Re: Status of game stores in your area?
PostPosted: Wed Aug 06, 2014 11:56 pm 
Kinsman
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We used to have many game stores in the metro Memphis area. Now there are a couple of good ones, but they don't regularly stock that much Games Workshop any more. Then again, we also have a Battle Bunker here.... so...

Once the Hobbit releases are done, it is very unlikely I will ever buy from GW again.
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 Post subject: Re: Status of game stores in your area?
PostPosted: Thu Aug 07, 2014 12:48 am 
Kinsman
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there are a few in my area that carry GW products, we had an official GW store here but it closed about 7ish years ago. none of the stores stock the Hobbit or LOTR but the guy I go to orders what ever you want he also offers a 20% discount when you pay ahead...but Hobbit and LOTR are just not that popular so you can't expect the shop owners to carry items they can't sell
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 Post subject: Re: Status of game stores in your area?
PostPosted: Thu Aug 07, 2014 2:29 am 
Kinsman
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I have enough trouble finding LotR stuff at my local GW stores...
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 Post subject: Re: Status of game stores in your area?
PostPosted: Thu Aug 07, 2014 2:58 am 
Loremaster
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No independent store I know of sells any Hobbit products. WH40K is the game of choice. The local GW has a limited selection of Hobbit models, which I find weird. Not even them sell their own products in store.

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 Post subject: Re: Status of game stores in your area?
PostPosted: Thu Aug 07, 2014 2:22 pm 
Craftsman
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i live in aus vic and the store i go to is independent and they still sell lotr/ the hobbit figures. and also a few people play it there (i converted some muhahaha) but ya there is only about 8 or so players that have the models and 6 that really play it.
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 Post subject: Re: Status of game stores in your area?
PostPosted: Thu Aug 07, 2014 4:12 pm 
Loremaster
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We all know that if more stores carried the product, it would draw more attention and maybe sales.
Also if GW advertised outside it's own circle then people who don't play WHF or 40K would hear about it and perhaps buy it. There is a huge percent of people who have never heard of Games-Workshop or it's products.

Now to the question, since any hobby shop is at least something I will include all types here, cause it is not just Hobbit/LOTr that is losing business;
1 - GamesBoro Worcester Ma, had about 12 tables, carried all ranges of GW and many indi, reaper, and tons of awesome things that I had never heard of and RPG books, Magic cards all that stuff. They went Out of Business Twice since 2000, closing for good by 2006.

2 Games Workshop Natck, Ma - had two tables and small corner store that was always packed with painters and players, some awesome people. Closed around 2007 for good.

3 - Newbury Comics carried GW range as an experiment for about a year in 2007/8 and are out of it.

4 - HobbyTown USA, Bellingham Ma, carried all GW range, also had RC cars, paints, model trains, tons of scenery, intelligent people there too. Out of Business 2006

5 - Hobby Time, Auburn MA, Carried testors paints and all the Woodland Scenics. The guy was an very old English Gent and painted historics. Great people he and his wife and I loved buying scenery stuff there. They closed up shop after several location changes in 2010.

6 - The Whiz - Westboro Ma, Most GW, Privateer, Reaper, and others, several tables, No Hobbit players there but I am on the forums for them. They have remained in business but they also sell toys, cards and have a deli attachment to the store. My friend and I want to do demo games there to help the Hobbit but not sure as the future of the hobbit is bleak and not sure I would want people to get into this expensive hobby when there are cheaper alternatives.

7 - That's Entertainment, Worcester Ma - Started carrying Reaper, always carried RPG games and comics. small GW section and citadel paints. I buy my paints there now to keep interest. Good store, they don't need the hobby stuff to stay in business as they are the largest comic store around. They do have tables and I may demo games there soon.


Summary - 5 out of 7 are out of business or not active in hobby. The other two have no Hobbit interest at this time though I know for sure that someone other than me buys Hobbit stuff cause the Trolls I was eying are gone and so are the warg sets and hunter sets. This is a good sign at least.
I would say that the hobby in general is suffering in the last 7 years. Not just Games-Workshop. But I think that many of us are now buying online and shopping smarter so that is why brick and mortar stores cannot stay open. They have rent to pay for the store and then a salary to pay there personal bills, online guys can work out of their homes and not have to support table space, advertise, or hire employee's and benefits or insurance, or inventory taxes... there are a whole bunch of ways online saves money and shuts down the hobby industry at the same time. No place to play, no exposure, and soon even the online people will be going OOB too.

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 Post subject: Re: Status of game stores in your area?
PostPosted: Thu Aug 07, 2014 5:17 pm 
Wayfarer
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My local GW has a good selection of LOTR/hobbit stuff, all the books, box sets but just no lotr blisters. This is all just in a corner 4 foot section surrounded by 40K and fantasy... but it's there. My local gaming store has next to nothing though, whenever I go check the area to see if there is anything new, you can tell someone may be buying the odd box of warriors but it's rarely restocked.
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 Post subject: Re: Status of game stores in your area?
PostPosted: Thu Aug 07, 2014 11:42 pm 
Kinsman
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Bronf wrote:
i live in aus vic and the store i go to is independent and they still sell lotr/ the hobbit figures. and also a few people play it there (i converted some muhahaha) but ya there is only about 8 or so players that have the models and 6 that really play it.


Where abouts is that? I'd dearly love to get a game in every so often.
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 Post subject: Re: Status of game stores in your area?
PostPosted: Fri Aug 08, 2014 7:51 am 
Ringwraith
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As far as I am aware nowhere in my home town carries and GW (there used to be a very small place in a shopping centre but it was more for comics than anything else.) The nearest GW is Belfast (75 miles away). I have no idea where the nearest stockist is in any other town and frankly, buying off the internet saves me a lot of time and hassle. There is a gaming group in the city but at the moment I have not got the time to look them up - they play a range of games including SBG.

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 Post subject: Re: Status of game stores in your area?
PostPosted: Sat Aug 09, 2014 12:38 am 
Ringwraith
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My local GW is 4 miles away and I've got quite friendly with them as of late, helping to promote their events. I actually feel sorry for the staff. It must be hard trying to sell a game for a company that has discontinued a lot of the miniature range required to play it.

My nearest Indy store is 7 miles away. It has a small Hobbit section.

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 Post subject: Re: Status of game stores in your area?
PostPosted: Sat Aug 09, 2014 12:44 pm 
Ringwraith
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(Mrs?) ukfreddybear said
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It has a small Hobbit section.


So medium and large Hobbits are not allowed. Typical... :)

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