Re: Wargames Stores

On Thu, 10 Jul 2003 08:12:02 +0000, "Richard Kirke"
<richardkirke@hotmail.com>
wrote:

>There are a few wargames stores (other than GW, which I think we all
agree 
>doesn't count) in the country, such as Keep Wargaming... but never
anywhere 
>near where I live!

Those of us on _this_ side of the pond can grumble, too. For one thing,
the
vast majority of the U.K. is within a single day's drive. You just do
not get
the single day game shows here in North America. Instead, you get big
shows in
the summer that run several days. Even still, it usually has to be a
vacation
trip (costing you lodging money, money to attend, money to get to the
location
in the first place).

For another thing, wargame clubs are almost always centred around stores
or
universities/colleges. Since shows are so far apart, you are usually
stuck
playing the games supported by the local stores. I have heard of wargame
clubs
in Britain that get together in pubs, and I just shake my head, wishing
there
was something similar here.

Finally, the U.S. banking industry sucks. Do you know that I can't get
an
international money order here in this town of 50,000 in anything other
than
U.S. dollars? I can't even get one at the post office! I can get an
international money order at the post office, but not in pounds
sterling. So,
unless you have a credit card, it's very difficult for a lot of
Americans to
mail order from the U.K. They can mail order from the U.S. without _any_
trouble as almost every grocery store sells money orders that work in
the
U.S., but you can't order outside of the country.

As for local stores wanting to go through distributors, I have heard
noises
from some stores stating that distributors _have_ threatened to drop
them if
they order by mail. If that's the case -- and I think it's illegal, but
can a
store really afford to sue his distributor? -- you are going to see GZG
products completely dry up in North American stores. This is a bad
situation
since so much gaming revolves around stores, or what people can buy from
U.S.
distributors. 

The best thing for Jon would be to set up some sort of mail order
distributing
system in the U.S., but I'm guessing it wouldn't be cost effective for
him. 

Allan Goodall		       agoodall@hyperbear.com
http://www.hyperbear.com

"The only normal people are the ones you don't know 
well!" - Joe Ancis