Why should I support local business over online?

Quote from Mr.Ritz : Just go into table top gaming and I notice local store prices are insane compared to the online competition. For example one table top game I was looking for was 29.00 online + 7 dollars for shipping or 35.00 2 day shipping amazon prime.. Or spend 100 and get free shipping.. The local stores in town wanted 50 + tax.. I don't mind spending 5 bucks more maybe 10 max to support a local store especially one built around a community that will abuse your store until you go under; however, 20 dollars more on a 30 dollar game is a bit much.

I'm sorry, but what is "table top gaming"? Are we talking, "Monopoly" "Sorry" & "Life"?

Quote from Mr.Ritz : I honestly think these game stores need to change their business model to renting board games out and selling things that cannot be purchased online. But they all seem stead fast in this huge support your friendly local game store.. I think this entire buy local movement is just supporting models doomed to fail.. Such as this 10% card which brings down the prices from rape with no lube to rape with a drop of lube..

Shopping 'local' has its benefits. Buying food from small farms for example is a great way to get good fruit and veggies.

I have a local store that sells wine and an unreliable source of craft beers. I go there from time to time, but I'd never use them as my primary go-to booze place. Their prices are a good 30- 60% higher, but she's a real nice store owner, so I don't take too much issue most of the time. I just try not to buy stuff that is sold elsewhere so I don't see the price difference as much!

The small stores that can change to a different business model seem to be very against doing anything different. Table top gaming stores pretty much rely on Magic TCG to support them all the way.. If that game ever fails you prob will see just about every gaming store tank, well the ones that are left lol..

Id love it if they just did away with selling games as they can't seem to even get close in price to online. Not to mention they don't even compete with each other. Call 3 shops in town and what do you know.. All of them were MSRP not a penny off... These stores rely on customers to pay 35% more at their store out of good will.. Horrible idea..

Quote from Danman114 : I'm sorry, but what is "table top gaming"? Are we talking, "Monopoly" "Sorry" & "Life"? Shopping 'local' has its benefits. Buying food from small farms for example is a great way to get good fruit and veggies. I have a local store that sells wine and an unreliable source of craft beers. I go there from time to time, but I'd never use them as my primary go-to booze place. Their prices are a good 30- 60% higher, but she's a real nice store owner, so I don't take too much issue most of the time. I just try not to buy stuff that is sold elsewhere so I don't see the price difference as much!

Yeah things like Monopoly but much more advance games with bigger boards and pieces.. Well not always but usually.





Local food markets are cheaper than the grocery store.. Grocery stores can't even compete with prices of fruit at the flea market as a grocery store imports that stuff halfaway around the world and sells it at a loss

Quote from Mr.Ritz : A ton of places run store fronts and online fronts. I honestly think it is silly in this day and age not to have an online presence in retail

It's stupid to not have an online store front unless you are selling things that cannot be shipped in a cost effective and reliable way. IE, shipping things that you can't protect, or that are just to heavy or large would be silly. I don't expect my local rock quarry will be doing business online anytime soon.

Quote from jplayland : It's stupid to not have an online store front unless you are selling things that cannot be shipped in a cost effective and reliable way. IE, shipping things that you can't protect, or that are just to heavy or large would be silly. I don't expect my local rock quarry will be doing business online anytime soon.

There is a shipping service for everything!!!!

Quote from jplayland : You are correct that there are a good number of small stores online. The difference between a mom and pop online store and a mom and pop B&M store is enormous though. A B&M store pays local property tax, sales tax is collected, they pay local workers, they pay rent on a store front. This keeps a lot of money in a local loop. You get paid by Main street hardware. You buy groceries down at main street grocery. Your friend Joe works at main street grocery, he gets paid. Joe buys hardware at main street hardware. The owner takes his cut and pays his employees and tax The loop repeats. The result, more money stays local, the location becomes more wealthy. An online store avoids many of these things. You have less employees, you don't need high cost store fronts, rarely is sales tax paid. The best place to spend your money from a community perspective is at a local shop owned and staffed by local people. The best place to shop as an individual is the place with the lowest price.

The money cycles, it just cycles to different places. In some way, it most likely cycles back, however the velocity of the cycling may not be as great as if it were local. Although I do not see why it must have a lower velocity.

Quote from kephael : The money cycles, it just cycles to different places. In some way, it most likely cycles back, however the velocity of the cycling may not be as great as if it were local. Although I do not see why it must have a lower velocity.

Unless a community has something that others from outside the community want, why would it ever cycle back? The days of manufacturing are gone, and as a result the flow of income back is reduced drastically.

The smaller local stores that survive understand that price is not the only thing that people compare. Value-added services is not just a catch-phrase but an important tool that businesses must learn if they are to remain competitive. If you are a store that sells table-top games, then creating tournaments, frequent buyer bonuses, special events such as game designer meet-and-greet or strategy workshops, all can be done to help you sell more games. If people don't want these things to go away, they will help keep you in business.

Quote from Danman114 : I'm sorry, but what is "table top gaming"? Are we talking, "Monopoly" "Sorry" & "Life"?

Sure. Ticket to Ride and Dominion are like Monopoly and Sorry the same way a Volkswagen Bug and Bugatti Veyron are both "cars".

Quote : I have a local store that sells wine and an unreliable source of craft beers. I go there from time to time, but I'd never use them as my primary go-to booze place. Their prices are a good 30- 60% higher, but she's a real nice store owner, so I don't take too much issue most of the time. I just try not to buy stuff that is sold elsewhere so I don't see the price difference as much!

I go local where they add value. Amazon reviews can give you good ideas where to start, but the guy that's been installing [item] for a decade or 3 will give advice that saves money in the end. I buy my beer from a regional chain where their beer guys are top notch. They've turned me on to quite a few excellent beers that I wouldn't have tried otherwise, and I'm a snob that's about to bottle a Tripel I've had in my temp controlled chest freezer for over a year. I'm that guy. An extra 10% is easy to pay for expert opinion.

Quote from Mr.Ritz :

I want that game so bad but I can't get my casual group to even play BSG so I know they won't do Eclipse. Alright, fine, we'll play 7 Wonders or Ticket again. Damnit. Can we at least play Dominion?

Quote from loop610bob : Sure. Ticket to Ride and Dominion are like Monopoly and Sorry the same way a Volkswagen Bug and Bugatti Veyron are both "cars".

I understand you're a snob but don't diss Monopoly which is as deep as any game that's out there. Sorry, Life, etc are games of dumb luck (hence "Family Games") but Monopoly is no different than Risk, Dominion, Settlers, etc when it comes to strategy, resource management, bartering, etc.

Quote from bonkman : I understand you're a snob but don't diss Monopoly which is as deep as any game that's out there. Sorry, Life, etc are games of dumb luck (hence "Family Games") but Monopoly is no different than Risk, Dominion, Settlers, etc when it comes to strategy, resource management, bartering, etc.

I'm not a snob, I just don't think Monopoly measures up as a "great" game. If we took someone that had never played and was totally into it and played Settlers, Carcassonne, 7 Wonders, Fleet, Monopoly, Agricola, Power Grid, Pandemic, Ticket, Netrunner, Puerto Rico, Flash Point, Goa, Galaxy Trucker, and Dominion, I'm pretty sure Monopoly wouldn't be a top 10. Monopoly is a great "first" game for all those concepts you mentioned, but I don't think it stands among the great board games.

Which hey! That's cool though. If you dig Monopoly, grab a few beers and some buddies and play the s^$% outta it.

I personally love the 60s VW Bug and would jump at the chance to drive one, but if you gave me the choice of a Bug or a Porsche 914, I'm driving the 914.

Quote from loop610bob : I'm not a snob, I just don't think Monopoly measures up as a "great" game. If we took someone that had never played and was totally into it and played Settlers, Carcassonne, 7 Wonders, Fleet, Monopoly, Agricola, Power Grid, Pandemic, Ticket, Netrunner, Puerto Rico, Flash Point, Goa, Galaxy Trucker, and Dominion, I'm pretty sure Monopoly wouldn't be a top 10. Monopoly is a great "first" game for all those concepts you mentioned, but I don't think it stands among the great board games. Which hey! That's cool though. If you dig Monopoly, grab a few beers and some buddies and play the s^$% outta it. I personally love the 60s VW Bug and would jump at the chance to drive one, but if you gave me the choice of a Bug or a Porsche 914, I'm driving the 914.

Perhaps. Which is why they make so many games, I suppose. Different strokes and all that.

Monopoly's the only game you mentioned that had its own game show on TV, though

I've only played about a third of the games you mentioned, but I'm pretty sure monopoly's the only one entirely focused on real estate management (hooray depression-era dreams!). So if you're into that sort of thing, you'll probably prefer it over wiping out viruses and setting up electrical systems.

Also, don't call it Power Grid if you're a snob. The real (and so-far-superior-that-it's-ridiculous) name is Funkenschlagen.

Quote from bonkman : Perhaps. Which is why they make so many games, I suppose. Different strokes and all that. Monopoly's the only game you mentioned that had its own game show on TV, though I've only played about a third of the games you mentioned, but I'm pretty sure monopoly's the only one entirely focused on real estate management (hooray depression-era dreams!). So if you're into that sort of thing, you'll probably prefer it over wiping out viruses and setting up electrical systems. Also, don't call it Power Grid if you're a snob. The real (and so-far-superior-that-it's-ridiculous) name is Funkenschlagen.

I'm not a game snob. I SAID IM NOT A GAME SNOB. Alright, maybe I'm a game snob.

Seriously, I would watch the hell out of Funkenschlagen: The TV Show. Especially if it were only in German.

go paint your figurines and roll your 20 sided dice elsewhere, nerds.

Quote from thikthird : go paint your figurines and roll your 20 sided dice elsewhere, nerds.

I'll have you know that I've not done either of those things in my entire life, waiting for the moment when I could say that I'll have you know that I've not done either of those things in my entire life.