Ok maybe you are assuming too much sure i buy some LEs and the like online, but I always support my venues....Daishi too maybe there is really a market for both.

BTW IF A STORE IS ONLY MAKING ITS MONEY OFF MW AND MK THEN THEY WILL INEVITABLY GO UNDER lol a buisness undiversified dies every time.

I am not talking about a store trying to survive on just one product line. Both of the stores I am talking about had space set up for people to play whatever they wanted. They had Games Workshop displays, MTG, D&D, Wizkids, you name it. People would buy 40k online because they could save 10%. MW at $295 a case instead of $325 instore. MTG at $85 a box instead of $99. They were only saving 10-15%.Then they bring all this product in and expect the store owner to fork out rent, untilities, staff payroll, etc. and donate them game space to play in. And now we have no game store in town. We have a Hobbytown that will sell you product but will not give you space to play. And we have a non-game store venue that runs approved play. We have no place to go play a friendly game in the evening after work or on the weekends. If you are buying by the case a store will most likely cut you a discount. If you a buying a booster at a time by the time you pay S&H you are not saving the 40-50% you think you are anyway. An you will eventually find yourself with no place to play.

Look if you all are so stiff up about prices do what my friends and I did. Each of us picked a faction we liked. Each of us buy boosters and stuff and we just out right give our non-faction stuff to the other 6 ppl in the circle. And when a game happens like the last one, we just all ask the Republic guy for a piece and do an otherwise faction pure army. ^_^.

Also, buy cases from your venue. We saved on shipping. We made him happy as all hell. And all was good. It is important to have good ties with your venue, they are your buddies (but they are buisnessmen afterall)

Oh, and don't buy 'cases' and stuff off of ebay. Do you know why they sell them for less? because they bought a case and they already opened the heavy boxes and sold the uniques and so on. now they are just being greedy and tricking people into buying junk.
I'm not saying they are all bad, but that happens to be the trend.

Yeah... I think I've said my peace.

"And now we have no game store in town. We have a Hobbytown that will sell you product but will not give you space to play. And we have a non-game store venue that runs approved play. We have no place to go play a friendly game in the evening after work or on the weekends. If you are buying by the case a store will most likely cut you a discount. If you a buying a booster at a time by the time you pay S&H you are not saving the 40-50% you think you are anyway. An you will eventually find yourself with no place to play."

Well they should plan better, I think. Our venue has tables for play, but they organized nights for each group. There are nights for RPGs, nights for WH and other minatures games, a night for clix games, and there is a room devoted just to card playing. They never have these issues.

Typically people buy their Warhammer and other minatures stuff from them. I don't know anyone that buys that stuff online, thought probably a few people do. People buy their RPG stuff, modeling stuff, board games and many card games from them. They sell all the clicks games, and still seem to sell a fair #, but I've never heard them worry about going out of business because of people buying clicks online.

I can only guess this store was very small, and didn't have enough other revenue other than clix to make it. I'll never buy a case from them for almost the full price, when I can get one for 280 online. Not that I will now, since the new retirement rule is going to happen. :p

I'll still buy boosters online though, and everything else from them. They don't seem to be hurting at all. There will always be people that always buy soley from the store. Kids typically because they don't have access to credit cards in most cases, some adults because they don't mess with online ordering. I find it hard to believe any store has the majority of its customer base buying soley online for all its products. That's just.. weird. You must live in Silicon Valley or something. ;)

fleabitfox

Everyone can do what they want. It is a semi-free country, after all. But, if you're not buying your products from the place(s) you play, you're not supporting those venues.

Like I said, that's up to you. Just don't try to justify it. And don't be too surprised if the local guy goes out of business.

As always, if the shoe doesn't fit . . .

Why can' tyou buy mechwarrior on line if it's cheaper, and buy other products at the shop that you don't buy on-line (like sourcebooks, novels, comics, etc.) The venue gets supported and you get mechwarrior cheaper. Just a thought.

Let me try another example to get my point across.

Would you buy food at McDonalds and try to eat it at Hooters?
After all McDonalds was cheaper but they do not have pretty girls to look at. And why should Hooters mind, after all you are going to buy your drink at Hooters to go with your McDonalds food.

<sarcasm> Oh, yes, of course Hooters wouldn't mind. They are getting enough money from the drink. </sarcasm>

I agree with you 100% man. people who don't support their venue, then request a free place to play at it, are completely and udderly stupid. Yea, I said it. PEople need to support their venue to keep it open, and then when idiots complain b/c the venue charges and/or goes under. stupid people. support your venue and they stay open so you can enjoy playing on their tables, hanging with some friends, etc.