Something that I have been thinking about lately is whether people pay where they play. More specifically, I am wondering if those that play at the FLGS buy most of their miniatures from the FLGS. I know many people that do, but I also know a number of people that don’t. What is your take on this issue?
Personally, I think that if you are lucky enough to visit a store that lets you play your games in their space that you should buy from them to support them. Maybe that support is a snack and drink, or something bigger like a miniature or Army box – but it should be something. Sometimes, I hear complaints from other customers that the game store sells a can of pop for $1 (they feel that is too much) or that miniatures cost more at the local store than they do online. Personally, I don’t mind paying $1 for a drink or paying a little more for my miniatures as long as I know the money is going to a place that I want to support.
My opinion…
- Pay where you play
- Buy what you love
I have not always been of this mindset though. I am a frugal gamer and have to push my hobby dollar as far as I can. There are plenty of models that I would love to own but don’t because I need the funds for other things – such as everyday living. I have been guilty of buying things from discount retailers to save money. But when you think about it, every dollar spent is like a vote towards something that you like. If a miniatures company gets enough money, they will keep producing what we like. If they fall short the company will have to close up or try producing something different.
For me, I find that there are three factors that I tend to look at when I plan a purchase. Availability, Speed of Delivery and Price. Usually, I prioritize my local dealers (especially the ones that allow me to game in their stores or local manufacturers) when choosing what to buy (and from whom). Sometimes I find that my local retailers can’t get me the products that I want and when that is the case, buying online is a great option.
As an experiment, I opened a web store for rule books. This Store is accessible through the “page menu” on any device and additionally at the bottom of the page on a computer. If you already have a favourite online retailer or FLGS that you like to support, I encourage that you continue to buy from them. But, if distance, price, or availability are issues – take a look at my web store and see if what is there can help.
Personally, I found some of the listing titles hard to find in my local market. I have also placed orders from a few local stores only to never have the products arrive. That said, I still do whatever I can to support my favourite FLGSs.
What do you think? Should FLGS be expected to compete with online retailers over price? How do you spend your hard earned Wargaming money? Please let me know on the comments below or over on Facebook.
Update: The Webstore was a nice to have on the site, but is limited by Country and did not draw in the returns that I hoped for, so I have decided to remove it from this website.
