[Soapbox] Buy Retail

Several people have been asking about getting this or that through KR in
the US or Jon in th UK, but having been an intergral part of the chain
as
consumer, retailer, and ditributor, I have a somewhat broader
perspective
on what it really COSTS to go direct.

The main point is this: if you can get the stuff at a retail store in
your
area, DO IT. "Why in the world would I want to do that ?" you might ask,
"I
can get it quicker/cheaper from source X."

Simple, if your local retailer doesn't feel demand for the product, he
won't stock it, especially in today's tighter game market. If he doesn't
stock it, it doesn't get exposed to as many new players. Though the net
and
convention exposure are also important, they cannot substitute for a
gamer
flipping through the pages on the shelf of a store and deciding that
this
might be worth a go. That decision brings him to the net or convention
so
he can become a FT nut like the rest of us. Even better if a store clerk
is
a FT nut as well, but if it's not stocked, he can't very well tell all
his
customers that it's the coolest thing since sliced bread.

If not enough retailers carry the product, the distributor won't carry
it,
which has more far reaching effects. Now the retailers for a whole area
can't get the product - unless they order from someone else than their
regular distributor. So if it's asked for, they can't even special order
it
without extra effort. Once again, less exposure to new players.

All of this amounts to greater demand for the manufacturer, who with
bigger
print runs, can afford to make our beloved books slightly cheaper. Sure,
direct sales DO give them a bigger slice of the profit pie, but in
general
it doesn't make up for lost demand on the other side of the chain. Sure,
they sold one to you at a better margin, but they might have sold one or
two dozen to a distributor.

I hope that this hasn't bored anyone, but it is important to consider.
Of
course you can say, "Sure, you've got a Fleet Book already; you can
afford
to be on a soapbox." True, but this is something that I feel strongly
enough about that I'm also going to buy one from my local retail store.
After all, that way I can give one away as a gift, and get someone ELSE
hooked. ;-)

Schoon