Re: Fleet Book Availability?

> Date: 	 Thu, 30 Jul 1998 07:58:48 -0700
> To:		 FTGZG-L@bolton.ac.uk
> From: 	 Sean Bayan Schoonmaker <schoon@aimnet.com>
> Reply-to:	 FTGZG-L@bolton.ac.uk
> Subject:	 Re: Fleet Book Availability?

> Ground Zero Games <jon@gzero.dungeon.com> wrote:
> 
> [snippage]
> 
> >I really don't know what the heck is going on with the US
distribution
> >system. GeoHex have had copies since the beginning of June, and they
wasted
> >no time (AFAIK) in shipping them out to distributors.
> >Distributors who tell stores it is unavailable either don't know what
they
> >are talking about, or simply can't be bothered.
> >I would strongly recommend that if you think you have given your
store a
> >fair chance to get it for you, and they've failed, you should order
direct
> >from GeoHex.
> 
> Berkeley Top Line (aka Berkeley Game Distributors) has their copies,
and
> has been shipping it for at least a couple of weeks now. If your local
> store wants to contact them, the number is 800.424.4263. I used to be
the
> sales manager there, and the main buyer told me that my enthusiasm
alone
> increased sales on the whole GZG line. (Can you say zealot?)
Unfortunately,
> I'm not there to push it now.
> 
> In defense of distributors, however, it helps to understand how they
work
> with regards to new product. They solicit orders from their customers
> roughly two to three months prior to the release date. If they don't
find
> out about the product till one week prior to it becoming "available,"
they
> still need that lead time to get the numbers (and very few will get a
> couple of copies to sell while this goes on).
> 
> I personally went into BTL (BGD) and told them about the Fleet Book
when I
> heard about it from this group so they would have the necessary lead
time.
> I don't mean to bag on KR, because he's a very busy guy, but they
hadn't
> even heard of it two months out. When I received my copy, I took it in
so
> they could scan graphics for their pre-order form. Products with
graphics
> sell much better than those with only a description.
> 
> Anyway, if other distributors only had a month to play with...
> 
> 
> Schoon
> 
Schoon is right about solicitation.  Its the ease of releasing 
product in the UK and the use of the web to spread info that makes 
the US market seem slow to pick up new product.  And Schoon, I didn't 
have a two month lead time to give them!!  Berkeley Distributors, by 
the way, sure do miss your expertise when it comes to GZG and Geo-Hex 
products, buddy.  They keep calling and asking questions though, 
shows their heads are in the right place! My previous remarks concerning

distribution in this country do not include the good folks at 
Berkeley.  Besides, they have their own market in their own country, 
California!!  Now if we could just get them to open a warehouse in 
Texas . . . !

KR, Geo-Hex