intrizic Posted February 28, 2014 Report Share Posted February 28, 2014 Has DTG thought about moving the GW stuff to the back room walls? He can't for stop loss reasons As for internet cafe ideas I don't think an internet cafe is THE idea, I think it's just AN idea. I think the point is that Nathanial is looking for a better business model for the back room. Sorry If I ramble a bit, it's been a tough week. I think he wants to find something that makes more money than what we use it for, also this doesn't just effect us, there is a healthy Warmachine group as well. Guys, Nathanial isn't stupid, look at how he dominated his market. He destroyed the table top competitors in the area (Eagles), and the MTG competitors as well, which I think is more impressive. He's not going to jump to any conclusions, he will do his research. I think this is a gut check time for our club...... ....(A) is DTG our 'home' club house if you will ....(B) or do we attempt to find another house? If (A) do we collect dues to cover some rental agreement * can we subsidize rent by terrain days and teaching hobby classes **is anyone interested in this? **I think the importance of classes cannont be over stated, after watching a new guy stumble through picking up the hobby, this is low hanging fruit ***Maybe be the club buys store armies for each of systems we play, paints and maintains them as part of the rent ****We push more events, part of this will be educating ourselves on what being played in driving distance ( ex: Bolt Action at Mugu's, they are also heavy into 30k ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sounder Posted February 28, 2014 Report Share Posted February 28, 2014 I feel like dropping the game room would have a negative effect on Dtg's sales in that it not only brings in new clientele, but also promotes sales among his already established customers. I rarely walk into Dtg, buy something, then leave. All my purchases usually come either before, during or after gaming. Moving some product to the back could be a good idea also. I know that Fnm for me usually spawns an overspending spree as I spend my time post-games in between matches oogling all the singles cases..... On that note, I think the monthly/weekly fees would be the best way to go. I'd be up to throw down some fees in order to play on them sexy tables. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
generalripphook Posted February 28, 2014 Report Share Posted February 28, 2014 I think with all the new players we are gaining and the large amount of players we have, it wouldnt hurt just to buy from the store instead of other places, it may cost a little more but itll preserve our gaming location. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smashthedean Posted February 28, 2014 Report Share Posted February 28, 2014 I think enforcing dues would be pretty tricky and getting folks to keep up on them would be just as bad. The options for this would either be A) paying in person at the store every month, which would mean that there would be a ton of checking required for who is paying and who is freeloading or B) some sort of subscription to charge peoples' cards or accounts which would mean extra infrastructure costs for Nathaniel with his card processor and would still turn away new players... really anything aside from a straight up free game room is going to turn away new players, which I think could be a major problem if he goes forward with this plan. Now that said, I think a membership program with perks would be a good idea and something I would probably buy into. I think the key is marketing it as an extra thing that people committed the store can do to help out and not as a requirement that you need to get through the door. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VonVilkee Posted February 28, 2014 Report Share Posted February 28, 2014 Run more in store events smaller things with a buy in and participate in them. If one of you stepped up and ran a consistent fantasy thing I'd participate. We are never going to be as cost efficient as magic players but if we show we are willing to pay more consistently it is an easier conversation. Also shame on you guys for not already spending at the shop, this is teasing. as much as the shop where you play thing came up in here I figured we already were. I know I am when he gets the sentinels book in stock I'll grab one, I buy my magnets there cuz he has good sizes and it its a nice little thing to buy. Edit: also waiting on a board game for a bit isn't a big deal I get all that I get from him. Generally speaking I can wait for my own copy as we play each others. just my random thoughts 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huggies01 Posted February 28, 2014 Report Share Posted February 28, 2014 I believe that we have the smallest bit of right to bring this up with Nathaniel before he makes a final decision. Warhamsters were the biggest group to assist kicking his store off. We have been there for him. He at least owes us a chat. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
intrizic Posted February 28, 2014 Report Share Posted February 28, 2014 I believe that we have the smallest bit of right to bring this up with Nathaniel before he makes a final decision. Warhamsters were the biggest group to assist kicking his store off. We have been there for him. He at least owes us a chat. agreed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wiccus Posted February 28, 2014 Report Share Posted February 28, 2014 About the only times I buy stuff from places that aren't DTG are when I either cannot get the stuff from him as he can't find it with his distributor or when I have been waiting for an item for over a month and there are still no signs of it showing up any time soon. I think the internet cafe is almost a guaranteed loss. Those places were big for like 2 or 3 years about 10 years ago. I didn't even know that people still tried to make them work. He would definitely need a different idea than that. Dues seem somewhat logical but as everyone has said already they would be a nightmare to keep track of. Not to mention the fact that he wouldn't make nearly enough off of dues to make up for this apparent loss of profit he has with the back room. I honestly don't know what to do. I understand his predicament but can't help but feel a tiny bit betrayed due to the fact that he has told me at least a half a dozen times that he would never get rid of the space in the back room. I like the idea of more events but we also need to get DTG to help advertise these events. I think there was a single reminder on DTGs FB about the X-Wing day. He should have some sort of board up in the front room describing upcoming events. A lot of his customers probably don't regularly check his FB or just don't even know he is on FB. Anyways I plan on ordering a ton of Tohaa stuff from him this weekend to help show my good will even though I need cash for my trip this summer. Maybe show him some short term profits to show that we care and that we still would really love to game at DTG. This is a tough situation. If he does get rid of the game room then where do we refugees flee to? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMGraham Posted February 28, 2014 Report Share Posted February 28, 2014 If he does get rid of the game room then where do we refugees flee to? Brad's family moves out. Non. Stop. Sleepover. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smashthedean Posted February 28, 2014 Report Share Posted February 28, 2014 Brad's family moves out. Non. Stop. Sleepover. Count me in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wiccus Posted February 28, 2014 Report Share Posted February 28, 2014 I'm down! Now I hope Nathaniel kicks us out. Though your wife still has to pay for the house Brad and she has to supply us with unlimited pretzel rolls. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fix Posted February 28, 2014 Report Share Posted February 28, 2014 Hay guys, what's going on in this thread? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
intrizic Posted February 28, 2014 Report Share Posted February 28, 2014 Hay guys, what's going on in this thread? First rule of fight club.... OR The first step of world domination it's bit hazy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
X-Link Posted March 1, 2014 Report Share Posted March 1, 2014 Clearly he just needs to get a beer and wine license and put taps behind the counter. I don't know anything at all about the laws on this or how much it would cost, but nerds do like to drink and with all of the traffic he has in there from Magic players and then us, I imagine he could make some pretty good money. If that's totally unfeasible, I could see shifting to a membership or table fee system, but I don't see that likely generating the revenue he's hoping for, nor do I see a LAN space really being a big hit. also, I don't think Nathanial's principal table top game lends itself to a sustainable FLGS experience for either the end user or the FLGS. My intent is not to bash, but to point out, which was done is a much smoother way above, that branching out into other games will probably be key. Nathanial focus on a set of particular games, because of his fondness for them, may be part of the problem: note the use of the term 'may' I think a LAN area is a bad idea, personally. I've seen MANY of those businesses come and go. Asking people to travel and pay to play a system they already own that can already reach anyone in the world doesn't make sense. Also, giving up on a known but insufficient quantity (our sales) in favor of a whole new market with a lot of overhead seems risky. Up your sales rather than scrap them in favor of hopefully new ones. I agree that we should be trying to buy as much as of our nerd merch at DTG, it seems to have been taken for granted lately. Hell, if we can just show him a bump in sales for a little while, it may help alleviate his concerns. To this effect, I would recommend making your purchases on the weekends when Nathaniel is there so he'll notice that we do actually buy things. So, this is a problem I noticed the very first time I walked through his front door and plan on talking to him about. I know nothing about paperwork but store planning, beer, and selling I do know fairly well. Starting a "gaming bar" is something that bellingham I think desperately needs! However I don't know if he has enough space to capitalize on how to make it work. As proven by AFK tavern, and more importantly by the board game specific bar in freemont Card Kingdom. This can work very very well! Hell if we're all down there gaming at least there will be booze to keep our ladies fairly entertained! The biggest down side of all this is paper work, remodeling and loosing space for both kinds of gaming. But on the up side, we'd have booze, we'd be helping that business prosper a little and we'd still have 3-4 large gaming table... But we do need to make regular drinking spaces available. Its alot to to and take in but I think its a great way to go. Laning: These lan places area great idea! But not as a solo buisiness, there HAS to be something to be the real money maker. Yes they are loud, yes they are obnoxious but it will draw people to the loacation making more money. Having lan in a place is like having darts... they don't make money they entertain people. I have yards of ideas for this but this isn't for dark tower. Dark tower needs to be a place for games not crazyness. That is all. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sergentzimm Posted March 1, 2014 Report Share Posted March 1, 2014 I agree x-link. A fusion of Card Kingdom and AFK would work wonders here in Bellingham. If you didn't have to serve food it would be better, but stupid laws lol. Bars are damned tricky to run though so it's really a question of how much more effort it's worth to gain the revenue. Bar would be on the higher end of work and money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fix Posted March 1, 2014 Report Share Posted March 1, 2014 Absorb The Local, kick out the norms, knock a hole in the wall. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VonVilkee Posted March 1, 2014 Report Share Posted March 1, 2014 Absorb The Local, kick out the norms, knock a hole in the wall. No need to kick out the norms, they are just gamers that don't know better yet:P 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Munkie Posted March 1, 2014 Report Share Posted March 1, 2014 Stopped in to pick up my Gyrocopter tonight. He's now offering a 10% discount to any special order items to keep people loyal. He's also making that retroactive for orders people have placed but not yet received! Perhaps that will assuage feelings of betrayal? Anyway, the reason I mentioned the pay-to-play (in whatever form it may take) is if he did go that route, I could talk to him about a club arrangement. He's not stupid and I promise you he knows the consequences of disenfranchising us. It will be difficult to track, but if we collected the dues internally and paid in a lump sum, he might give us a club discount. Remember, he was a gamer first, and he'll do his best to do right by us. But he's got to balance that with the realities of raising a family in the 21st century. It bums me out to think about what might change, but really he has every right to re-evaluate his business model, regardless of the assurances he's made to all of us. Right now, we've got pretty much the best arrangement a gamer could as for: spacious, clean, comfortable, free. I hope things don't change, but if they do, I could probably settle for the second best arrangement a gamer could ask for 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sergentzimm Posted March 1, 2014 Report Share Posted March 1, 2014 Hell we wouldn't even need to knock out a wall just put in a hole to serve drinks through. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raak Posted March 1, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 1, 2014 Update: Last night over Zombicide Nathaniel said that he has now decided to leave the 8 tables on the left (as you enter the room) but is currently pricing equipment and looking into business models and ideas for the other half of the room. Whew! at least we still have .5 a room! I'm serious. That was looking grim. Table fees/Memberships (RFID or barcode) seemed to come up a lot. Not much else was said re: the future of the room. Just thought I'd put this up/out there. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
X-Link Posted March 1, 2014 Report Share Posted March 1, 2014 looking into equipment? That sounds promising.... Is he also looking into liquor licenses? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
generalripphook Posted March 1, 2014 Report Share Posted March 1, 2014 looking into equipment? That sounds promising.... Is he also looking into liquor licenses? More of xbox 1s and that line of equipment, right jon? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VonVilkee Posted March 1, 2014 Report Share Posted March 1, 2014 To be honest The right flank has been the really fallow half Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raak Posted March 1, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 1, 2014 looking into equipment? That sounds promising.... Is he also looking into liquor licenses? Naw.. No liquor license mentioned yet. I didn't bring it up - I was just kind of listening to him brainstorm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raak Posted March 1, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 1, 2014 To be honest The right flank has been the really fallow half Hey Brad can your Infinity Table can come live in my shop? ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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