So as the title suggests we get to see me (Eric) go on a Roy rant style bender. Since our competitor opened we have heard this a time or two (For those keeping track besides word of mouth our competitor also posted these ideas on their facebook. Then on yelp they recommended every game store in town including us but while all the others had what great game stores they were it was only mentioned we were a comic store.) But I digress the final straw was last night, at the game night we sponsor no less, was the latest time. It was pointed out (as business cards for our competitor were handed out) that it was not bad they opened up 3 blocks away. The reason it was not bad:
-because we were mostly a comic store and not a game store.
-we had a small game selection
-no gaming space
So I would like to address these and then add things I think make us not only a "game" store but the damn good game store.
- Our square footage is roughly 1/2 comics (on walls) and 1/2 for games (all on the floor fixtures). By their logic I can't be a good comic store but they seem to think we are. So if we have a good selection of comics why not games
- Facts about our "small" game selection. We have extensive lines in Warhammer/40K, Privateer Press, and Heroclix. In minis we carry 3/4s of reapers entire line. Over in RPGs we have 71 different systems totally some 371 different books. On the board game side (for this blog purpose non collectible card games count as board games but for the record we have about 115) Games + expansions we have over 400 games. If you take out non collectible card games we still have just under 300. And every week there is where from 1 to 5 new board games. The one area in which we are weak is CCGs. All we have is Magic because, to be blunt, the others sold like crap and were not worth the space.
- It is true we have no gaming space. That is why we help found the South Austin Gaming Group. They use to meet at Austin Pizza but when it got to big Jonathan and I looked at Rockin Tomato for the new venue. Which seems to have worked pretty damn well as the group as grown from a few people to 40+. As a side note I would like to point out that there have been at least 3 stores before we opened that were majority gaming space/ minority product. You will be hard pressed to find them now, they have all closed.
So now that I have addressed those point let me add a few more things -
- We contributed more than any other game store to Give to Game, not only this year but every year we have participated.
- We were the top sponsor of Board Game Bash both years. The only game store in town to really get behind Jonathan's efforts to build a Gaming convention.
- Our gaming library is with Jonathan and available at any SAG game night. We are addeding games to that every time we get new demo copies.
- Oh and we were the host for the official Steve Jackson Games 30th anniversary party.
Yeah we totally are not a game store. What on earth was I thinking.
