My venue is now going to charge a fee every week to play Mechwarrior. They say this is to cover the unsupported events. Does anyone else have to pay a fee? I was just curious if this was a common thing.

My venue doesn't, but my BattleMaster has thought about charging a couple dollars (2-3) per person on venue-supported events to get a booster (or boosters) to use the figures as prize support.

I pay 2 bucks at my venue, its for non superted and suported events. I dont find it to be a big problem. With CA the players even push for sealed when its venue provided prizes.

only 1 of the many venues I play charges. It is a 5 buck entry fee but you get a booster with it... So I'm getting a booster 1/2 off and get to play so I guess that's not a bad deal

Yes, depending on attendance and the prize.

WK basically hung the venues out by reducing prize support, so it's only fair for the venues to recoup a bit.

I came up with what seems (so far) like a good way to collect but make the players feel like they aren't paying a fee they get nothing for - Faction Pure Booster Draft. PM me with your email addy and I'll send a flyer jpg.

My venue does not charge a fee, but we have players choice tournies, and we are deciding to go in, and buy a booster of whatever set we all feel like, and giving it to the winner.

But sealed events are the only ones where a fee is needed. Besides, between 3 or 4 of us yesterday, we almost bought the entire case of CA he ordered.

That's an awesome way to get people in...

I play at one place that has charged $3 and another that's charged $2. All very reasonable IMHO. What would be unreasonable? Well, I think $5 would be around the cap, and I think it might be reasonable for someone to ask for that to be waived if s/he bought a booster.

There is one venue in my general area (about 45 minutes away, actually one of the closest aside from the one here in town) that sort of charges. They require that you have "store credit." This credit is acquired by spending money in the store, and for each $10 you spend you can play in any event they have for a week. Credit stacks, so if you spend $40 in one day at the store you can play in any and every event they have for the next 4 weeks, or $100 gets you 10 weeks, etc. On one hand you have to spend money, but on the other hand you're actually getting merchandise for it (ie buy a booster each week to keep your credit current). I have never actually played there but I don't particularly object to their system since they do provide a place to play and all they ask for it is that some of your purchases for the game of your choice comes from them.

My venue does not charge, and I have played at several others in the general area (each between 1 and 2 hours drive from my home in the middle of nowhere) and none of those charge either.

If a venue charges a reasonable price ($5 or less) for venue supported events, where they are actually putting up prizes themselves, I see nothing wrong with that. If they charge cash for WK supported events, however, then I don't think that is very right.

i dont have to pay

I play at several venues. Two of them charge a $5 fee, the rest don't.

I have found that the venues that have the fee provided better prize support for venue supported events. They both also have excellent battlefield mats, 3D terrain in the standard (and some non-standard) forms, and some other ameneties (such as loaner tapes, dice, and superglue).

I did not feel $5 was unreasonable, especially since one of them gives a 20% discount on all products bought after their events.

We have to buy a booster. But I think that is very fair. We have had 2 game stores in town go under because people thought they were only there to give them a place to play. They would go online and buy their stuff (Warhammer, 40K, MTG, MWDA) to save 10% then come to the store and play. Then they act suprised and mad when the stores close down and they no longer have a place to play. We play at the Coca-Cola Space Science center. They sell all the clix games in the gift shop. They are a business. They can not and do not provide us with play space just to be nice. They need to move product through the gift shop. So I have no problem with buying a booster as my entry fee.

If it is a WizKids supported event (sealed aside) what is wrong with charging?

Venues have to give up thier space to host these events. They give up valuable retail space...check into retail rent rates. $5.00 for 4-5 hours is NOTHING.

Support your venue. Without them? Yeah...that would suck.

My old venue has started charging $5.00 a tournament that the money collected will be used to "buy" additional prize support. Now the kicker is that he has a "MW Club" that you pay $5.00 so that you can get reduced prices on boosters, cases, and $1.00 entry fees. I see no point in paying that five dollars because my new venue gives me better case and booster prices than this club gives. So I go an play an dont mind playing $5.00 to play but not when everyone esle puts in a buck... I dont get my $5.00 worth.

its total poo ...if you ask me

Icy =)

Neither of the venues I frequent charges, but we do pool money to buy boosters for prize support on "venue supported" events. If either one started to charge, I doubt they'd survive. We don't really interfere with their business, and we usually buy enough stuff to make up for any losses they might have otherwise incurred.

My venue charge an entry fee of 4$cdn, but it is entirely given back to the players in form of prize support and fellowship awards.

I have seen venues charging an entry fee without giving anything back to the players. Needless to say, they no longer run tournaments since nobody was showing up.