The Forge Archives

I just wanted to let you all know I just got Sword and Sorcerer and Sorcerers Soul on special order from my FLGS.

I have only begun to read them but in a word WOW OMG WOW!

Hi Ace,

And don't forget to tell your FLGS guy what a wonderful person he is to order them, and how other people could well appreciate such a good game and its supplements if they were on his shelf.

Best,
Ron

My LGS had S&S on shelf, but the counter guy actually made fun of me for buying it. "Sorcerer? You mean like Tome & Blood? Oh, wait, I get it, you want that game that's dead." The consumate saleman, he is. Still better than last week's "Why you want Godlike? Everyone says it's just another superhero game. There's a very good reason you don't see a lot of WWII superhero games, friend."

Quote from: Henry FitchMy LGS had S&S on shelf, but the counter guy actually made fun of me for buying it. "Sorcerer? You mean like Tome & Blood? Oh, wait, I get it, you want that game that's dead."

That's when you say, "Well, gee. In that case, I guess I won't GIVE YOU MONEY...instead, I'll buy it direct from the author. Sure, it's extra for shipping, but I don't have to deal with fuckwits like YOU."

And then, I dunno. Kick him in the groin or something.

Unfortunately, given the pay rates for retail sales, and the decided non-glamour of working in a game store, game shops tend to get Hobson's choice for employees.  A strong tendency to look like the record store staff from High Fidelity.

Well, I wouldn't've bought it there... except, well.... they had it on the sale rack. My pride is easily bought with cheap supplements.

Quote from: Ron EdwardsHi Ace,

And don't forget to tell your FLGS guy what a wonderful person he is to order them, and how other people could well appreciate such a good game and its supplements if they were on his shelf.

Best,
Ron

Interestingly enough I had a conversation with the game store's owner about "whats selling" a while back.

The long and the short of it, the only things selling are WOTC D&D, a little Rifts, GURPS and Whitewolf. A few other games move from time to time.

Since the store is barely profitable right now the owner can't stock games that don't move. I blame it on the conservative and clannish nature of the  local players.

There is some hope howver I am soon to be playing either Arrowflight or The Riddle of Steel. Not too long after I will demo Sorcerer and see if I can spark some interest and get the owner to order a copy for the shelves.

And I manged to get him to restock All Flesh Must Be Eaten so who knows...

Hi Ace,

Your store is caught in the classic trap of trying to judge "what sells" by looking at what they ordered big in the first place. It's a path to madness and destruction. Several factors keep retailers from understanding their problem.

1 - They exercise "social selection" in their stores, granting favors and attention to those who buy the games that the retailer has already sunk a lot of money into. Thus the clientele's "preferences" come to reflect the deep-order tactics of the retailer.

2- Since retailers order once every two months (or even once a month), and since gamers learn to use and like games over the span of many months, there is no easy way for the ordering policies to reflect buyers' habits of play. Every order is a long-term crapshoot based on short-term "evidence."

3 - Over time, the clientele tend to shrink, as more and more actual gamers get weary and frazzled with each "next big thing," and as the retailer gets freaked-out at all the money he has sunk into, and effectively lost on, games like Deadlands, L5R, Trinity, D20 of your choice, Fading Suns, etc, etc. If you go by the month, sure, these games "sell," or did for a while. If you go by the six-month scale, they're a huge money-sink.

And don't even ask me about Warhammer 40K and other GW stuff. Talk about retailers putting their hands in blenders and smiling through the pain.

Anyway, it's an old and unattractive story.

Best,
Ron