My rant about gaming stores.

[ApachePrime]

If you want your store to put up posters, get PUI to send free posters out. Wizards, Privateer Press, and Games Workshop send those posters you see to the gaming stores for free when they order product. PUI doesn't. This is why you don't see Pokemon posters, and why you do see Magic, Warhammer, etc. posters.

 

[Prof Clay]

If a local card shop actually tries, it can easily cultivate a large pokemon crowd, especially juniors.
BUT, the environment has to be kid friendly.

Most game shop owners that I have met, want to have Pokemon in their stores, but do not want to do the leg work to get things going nor do they want to commit the effort in the store to making the league what it needs to be. Some have even told me that Pokemon League is too much trouble....maybe that is why so many game shops close every year...they do not realize the cash cow they have.

Unlike other CCG's, you have to let the parents know the value of the game and make them feel comfortable having their kids in the store.

Our we have 2 local stores who both realize that there is a great potential for profit from having Pokemon leagues and are actually competiting for members.

 

[Ardoptres]

Leagues aren't even in stores here, lol.

 

[Team Cook]

I will ad that we, as players really need to support the stores more. I've run enough events in gaming stores and I've seen a trend that I don't like. Pokemon players are cheap, hate to say it, but it's so true. I know I started this rant but let's look at it differently now.

Let's say you're a store owner, ok I'm a store owner, lol. I got a shop called Mr. Mike's.

Some PTO or TO comes in introduces himself / herself, wants to bring Pokemon to my store, wants a league and tournaments, I say great, come on in. Next thing you know I got little piglets in the store, pee all over the floor in the bathroom (more sprinkle than tinkle), trash on the floors from pop packs, no one buying booster packs for the most part, a few players buying can or bottled drinks for a 1.00. Now, you've got that for 2 - 3 hours (league), they then leave, tables and chairs everywhere, place looks like a tornado hit it.

Tournaments, 5 - 7 hours of the same thing above, get the picture? We wonder WHY the stores arn't Pokemon friendly? WOULD YOU PUT UP WITH THAT? Nope, nada, that dog don't hunt!

Seriously, you how many times I've had to tell the boys and men to hit the toilet? Do I need to offer prizes to hit that huge white bowl?

We, as players need to support these stores more. If we have a store that will stand up and say "heck yeah, I'll have you anytime", gives us League space, gives us Tournament space, we NEED to SUPPORT the store. Look at it this way, What has Target done for you? What has TRU done for you? What has Walmart done for you? Well, Walmart has done a lot for me in the past but I'm no longer in Walmarts, stll love 'em though. But you get my point. they've done nothing. They don't provide you a place to play and visit with friends and their prices are ONLY .25 to .50 cents cheaper than gaming stores that sell Boosters.

Yeppers, I still got a rant, but let's do our part too.

 

[bullados]

Mike, I kinda can't support a store that sells picked over LA packs for $5. Not when I can get them for half that price elsewhere. Or a store that doesn't have Pokemon product to begin with.

 

[XxMarcTx]

Mike you'll be pleasantly surprised when you come to the states in San Antonio, we are represented and you gotta take it easy mister with all of that McDonalds and stress you'll stroke out man, stay cool

 

[homeofmew]

Pokémon Needs Drafts thats why MTG is so popular 8k or whatever it is drafts.
ever week- $15-$25~ w/e- but stores love it.

Seriously, you how many times I've had to tell the boys and men to hit the toilet? Do I need to offer prizes to hit that huge white bow

what about the girls? lol..

 

[Prof Clay]

Pokémon Needs Drafts thats why MTG is so popular 8k or whatever it is drafts.
ever week- $15-$25~ w/e- but stores love it.



what about the girls? lol..

I don't get stores love of drafts for MTG...They make very little from them. They have them because Magic players are inherently cheap and they get cards on the cheap for drafting

They need to have more standard tournaments, 5 dollar entry fee is 100% profit

 

[Team Cook]

Mike you'll be pleasantly surprised when you come to the states in San Antonio, we are represented and you gotta take it easy mister with all of that McDonalds and stress you'll stroke out man, stay cool

What are earth does this have to do with rants on gaming stores, lol?

You lost me at stress. I got no stress, I'm Mr. Mike, the big man, the boss, I got no stress.

Don't be a Big Mac hater.

Back to back posts merged. The following information has been added:

Mike, I kinda can't support a store that sells picked over LA packs for $5. Not when I can get them for half that price elsewhere. Or a store that doesn't have Pokemon product to begin with.

Understandable, I wouldn't support it either AND if I was a league leader, I'd move my league and never look back.

 

[dogma]

Listen up all my PokeKiddies, that's right, all of you are my PokeKiddies.

Seriously? Eeew

And, I agree with Cyrus on this at least. The Pokemon franchise has been almost completely marketed towards the younger age groups. While I generally don't have a problem with "hook[ing] em while they're young" (Carlin, Dogma)

I'm a little disappointed because the first time I read that, I thought you were somehow referring to me. Oh well :tongue:

As for the rest of your post, unfortunately until someone shows us hard financial data, nothing can really be said.

I would be surprised if a lot of what you said (especially about DP (the videogames) having strong sales because of the TCG) is actually true.

You lost me at stress. I got no stress, I'm Mr. Mike, the big man, the boss, I got no stress.

Don't be a Big Mac hater.

OMG your first post wasn't an aberration...

 

[Team Cook]

Seriously? EeewOMG your first post wasn't an aberration...

Those who know me, know I'm not normal, even my wife thinks I'm crazy. That's what makes me, ME. And yes, you're one of my PokeKiddies, lol, eeew, seriously, lol.

 

[dogma]

LOL, no you're not normal (only going by your posts on this thread :lol but that's cool.

Merging my two posts made me realise that I kinda sounded like a jerk - sorry! (But no, I'm definitely not one of your PokeKiddies, trust me on this. :biggrin

 

[homeofmew]

I don't get stores love of drafts for MTG...They make very little from them. They have them because Magic players are inherently cheap and they get cards on the cheap for drafting

They need to have more standard tournaments, 5 dollar entry fee is 100% profit

1. they are 8k sanctioned events.
2. they do get some money from the draft, even when there is a prize.
3. a lot of the store owners are a Tournament Organizer for MTG and can earn rewards they usually sell.

even if you have a standard tournament which store do; are also 8k events, but there is also a prize of a few packs and a FNM promo (it is is FNM)

In pokemon there is a limit of how many player rewards you can get per quarter I think it is 14 now? In MTG this is not so, for every 5 events you get 2 textless spell and for every 20 events you get a holo textless spell (like wrath of god) or something cool like that.
PLUS MTG player rewards are quite playable and wanted, unlike the Pokemon ones, unless it is rare candy or Roeannes, ect. But I can walk around with the little amount of textless promos I have and people do want them.

A side note: I lost my plastic DCI card at US nats I told them and they sent me a new one

 

[Pandemonium]

...at least you guys play in a store that actually has Pokemon product...

QFT.... no place around here has Pokemon product. (Excluding Walmart, things like that)

 

[Team Cook]

LOL, no you're not normal (only going by your posts on this thread :lol but that's cool.

Merging my two posts made me realise that I kinda sounded like a jerk - sorry! (But no, I'm definitely not one of your PokeKiddies, trust me on this. :biggrin

Come on dogma, don't be a PokeKiddie hater, lol. Show us the love, jump on board. Yeah, it's corny but it's fun and Pokemon is fun. See, I see ya smiling at my post. You're thinking "Man, this fat guy is crazy", yes I am. I'm a crazzzzzzzzzzy PTO. Look, who else would give homeofmew a cheeseburger for an avatar, which later got stolen by the hamburglar?

 

[CheeseEX]

This is why we, as the Pokemon Nation, need to get the word out. We need to show these stores that it's not the little kiddy game they think it is.

We need to find a way to tell these gaming stores that Pokemon is a great family game. we have a lot of moms, dads, brothers, & sisters playing.

Look, I like the gaming stores in my area, I just want to see more Pokemon related items, anything Pokemon.

i agre with that my 3 year old sister wants me to theach her how to play its a great family game

 

[GregWebster]

There is a serious problem with Diamond Distributors, the place I say 90% of game stores order their Pokemon through. Diamond runs out of Pokemon product after about a month, which is why many stores order their stuff through third parties and jack the price when they arrive.