As the title of the blog suggests, I am in the midst of a quandary. It happens to be a Warmachine related quandary. It also involves money, of which I have some, but not a lot. I'm still waiting for my portion of the bailout cash. :)
Anyway, my quandary is this; am I in any way obligated to support my FLGS financially, considering that I go there to play and have a fun time?
The root of my quandary (I have already expressed my displeasure in another forum with what I consider to be an entirely unnecessary "a" at the end of the word 'quandary') is that I still have a fair few models to purchase to complete my first 350 point list and I know I can find them cheaper somewhere else.
What it boils down to is that I still need my Blessing of Vengeance, maxed out Choir (6 models), a Devout, and a set of Wracks. All told, that is roughly $100 worth of models at retail, not including sales tax. I can acquire all of these models at my local hobby haunt. I can also acquire them online, via eBay or other sites, for an average of $2 to $3 off retail, no sales tax and in many cases, no shipping either. I'm on a budget. That budget includes some funds for fun and entertainment but it is the principle of the thing. Save money where you can. The flip side of the coin is that I feel somewhat obligated to support my local gaming shop because after all, I'm playing there.
What to do, what to do?
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I understand the budget...but I am a firm believer of supporting the FLGS. Many times, my guy cuts me discounts for loyalty. Maybe you will get the same treatment. He especially does this on some of the more expensive models.
ReplyDeleteSame here, Itchy. Believe me, I know what you mean, but I love my FLGS so much that I don't do many purchases at Gencon when I go. I make a list of the things I want to buy, perhaps purchase a book or two that I'm dying to get (like when I purchased Legends this past year), and take my list back to my guy at the store and say, "here's my pre-order list." And they give me a discount for being such a loyal customer. But, you also need enough minis to get into your first game...why not purchase what you need for your 350 pts as cheap as you can get them with the promise to yourself to expand your collection with purchases from your store later? Just some thoughts...
ReplyDeleteItchy, found you through Red's Lightning Strykes blog.
ReplyDeleteIn regards to your quandary I also have pondered on the same issue. The argument (and a strong one it is) that keeps coming up (both in my mind and from other people) is if you don't support your FLGS, there won't be one.
Look at the benefits your FLGS provides:
1.) A place to shop
2.) A (assuming) friendly atmosphere to play
3.) A way to meet new people
4.) A place to exchange ideas (not just gaming)
Now if you take the FLGS out of the equation you end up playing the game in your basement with a close circle of friends. After about 6 months your close circle of friends become predictable in their play style and you become bored in playing them and the game. Where will you go to find more people to turn onto Warmachine? You can't go to your FLGS because they're now closed.
Sorry for the rant, as much as I hate paying the extra (my wife has me on a tight gaming budget) I feel a need to purchase from my LGS.
I feel the need to comment on this "quandary", as if any of your significant others are like me, I think this is the PERFECT solution for gift ideas. Is there a website where gift cards can be purchased? I love my guy and this is the perfect gift for Valentines day and Birthday etc. This way you can support you local Game Store and I can still give him a great gift. =)
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