GG got sold....

[WestRider]

3 hours ago, pretre said:

That actually is probably a negative for them since store-based magic took a few major hits in the last year. Any brick and mortar that relies on MTG to keep the lights on is crying right now.

I really don't know how that balances out for them. They've got a pretty diverse setup in their physical stores, lots of boardgames and minis and RPGs as well as cards, but they actually started out as a purely online MtG dealer. Might be working out for them, might not be. I don't know their actual finances or anything.

[Brother Glacius]

I was in GG yesterday and the whole vibe of the place was.....exactly the same. 🙂

[Guest]

16 hours ago, WestRider said:

I really don't know how that balances out for them. They've got a pretty diverse setup in their physical stores, lots of boardgames and minis and RPGs as well as cards, but they actually started out as a purely online MtG dealer. Might be working out for them, might not be. I don't know their actual finances or anything.

GG has a lot of pokemon card players too. And on game nights where they do a release party, they are packed, sometimes staying open as late as 1 or 2 am. And GG does some cool stuff. They managed to do an Ice Age blind draft event for MTG, maybe a year or 2 ago. Yeah, they got enough unopened Ice Age cards to do a blind draft  tournament. Pretty cool to me because I started in Ice Age. 

I'm told the RPGs at GG don't sell great. I think that's more related to it being common practice amoungst RPG companies to undercut the local stores with online sales. Pathfinder and D&D in particular, seem to have no respect for local businesses. 

Regarding GG, their GW selection is often better than an actual GW store's GW selection. Plus they sell and buy used GW (really wish the GW store was buying and selling used, but I understand why they wouldn't). 

[Sugarlessllama]

Well, Mox has online sales, multiple locations; and each location has a full restaurant and bar. Think of a nice brew pub with a Red Castle Games attached. They are always packed, and the magins on spirits is large. Especially when the only competition they have in that area in Portland is the GG kegorator. 

In terms of square footage, GG is larger in a single location. But given that Mox has multiple locations, online sales, and are present in a much larger metro area, they likely do much more in sales that GG. 

Not to mention the love Mox gets from Penny arcade and PvP. 

In other words, I think Mox is going to do just fine with their expansion into Portland. 

[pretre]

1 hour ago, Sugarlessllama said:

Well, Mox has online sales, multiple locations; and each location has a full restaurant and bar. Think of a nice brew pub with a Red Castle Games attached. They are always packed, and the magins on spirits is large. Especially when the only competition they have in that area in Portland is the GG kegorator. 

In terms of square footage, GG is larger in a single location. But given that Mox has multiple locations, online sales, and are present in a much larger metro area, they likely do much more in sales that GG. 

Not to mention the love Mox gets from Penny arcade and PvP. 

In other words, I think Mox is going to do just fine with their expansion into Portland. 

GG gets a full bar with the new owners.

On the second I'd bet you you're wrong, but I can't prove it so we'll just let it slide.

I'm sure they'll do fine.

[Sgt. Rock]

Mox Portland is going to have some issues to overcome. They have money to throw at it, but GG is an established brand, and gamers are creatures of habit. Once we find a store we like, we tend to stay there, festering in our own juices. Also, the location they've picked is awful. There's no parking anywhere, and on days when the Timbers are playing, it's going to be a damn nightmare trying to get there. Not every gamer drives, but most that do aren't interested in throwing their board games/TCG decks into a backpack, or, god help them, a case full of minis, to take on the bus or the MAX. 

I used to game at Mox Ballard in Seattle, back when it was still the only store they had and it was called Card Kingdom. It was a fun place, but as they've grown and changed, they've gotten to the point now where they really just want you to spend money and GTFO. They've proven especially unfriendly to minis gamers; last tournament I went to up there for Infinity, they couldn't wait to get us out, and they lectured us about our behavior because Mox was "a family store." They might have some success here in Portland, but I think they're going to struggle for the first year or two, if they make it at all.

[Guest]

Where is Mox? First time hearing about it.

[Yarbicus]

9 hours ago, paxmiles said:

Where is Mox? First time hearing about it.

Bellevue.  It is a fantastic shop.  While GG has size and selection, Mox has comfort and accommodation.  The tournament room is fantastic and easily handles any and all card and miniature games.  The game selection is solid but definitely focuses on "games that turn a profit." They also have a proven history of business savvy.

Portland is likely big enough for GG and Mox but I would definitely NOT bet against Mox.

[Duckman]

8 minutes ago, Yarbicus said:

Bellevue.  It is a fantastic shop.  While GG has size and selection, Mox has comfort and accommodation.

When did Mox Bellevue open, Yarb?  The one I am most familiar with is the one down in Ballard (that I never went to because it was 2.5 hours from my house on the east side).  I don't think I ever went into Mox on the east side...

[Yarbicus]

1 hour ago, Duckman said:

When did Mox Bellevue open, Yarb?  The one I am most familiar with is the one down in Ballard (that I never went to because it was 2.5 hours from my house on the east side).  I don't think I ever went into Mox on the east side...

It about maybe 4 years ago?  It is bigger and nicer than the Ballard one (but I was only at the Seattle one once).  

[Sgt. Rock]

The Seattle location has been around forever, but Bellevue opened I wanna say 6 or 7 years ago. It's been there for a while now. It's bigger and more comfortable, yes, but they still only have 4-6 tables for minis gaming, and there are certain games that the manager has flat stated they're not interested in supporting, no matter what the demand (Infinity comes to mind.) The one in Ballard used to be a shop that repaired diesel ship engines, hence the giant piston out front. It's actually three floors; the top floor is all Magic singles, and the basement is back stock for their retail. I never spent much time at the Bellevue location; I was living in Seattle proper by the time they opened up. In either case, they're pretty much the 800 lb. gorilla of their area. 

I'd agree that Portland is probably a big enough town for the both of 'em, and I certainly am not saying that Mox *won't* succeed, but they're going to have an uphill battle, and while I'm not betting against them, I'm not betting on them, either. 

[Yarbicus]

The regular play tables at Mox are nothing special but tournaments there (I did Malifaux a few years ago) are a real joy.  TONS of room and they bring food and drinks to you.

[Torg]

OK ... wait I thought MOX was the one to purchase GG... this is an entirely different store opening?  ok... not what I was thinking was happening.  I don't go to GG often (aside from the yard sales :)... )  And I probably won't get to MOX at all if its on the west side.  

 

-d

[Sgt. Rock]

No, GG got sold to an investor who pretty much plans on leaving it the same so he can reap the profits (from what I can gather.) Mox is moving down here as well, and they have a location they're leasing right next to Providence Park (hence my comment on Timbers games trashing their business.)

[pretre]

There's some more to the story as well, but a lot of that is limited to the parties involved.

Portland is certainly big enough for more gaming stores. We already have a million as it is.

[Torg]

12 hours ago, Sgt. Rock said:

No, GG got sold to an investor who pretty much plans on leaving it the same so he can reap the profits (from what I can gather.) Mox is moving down here as well, and they have a location they're leasing right next to Providence Park (hence my comment on Timbers games trashing their business.)

Ahhh ok.  I knew I got my wires crossed somehow lol.  

looking at MOX website - seems like it may be nice for a one-off night out with friends and family of gamers perhaps.  I don't see it as a regular stop for me just based on location.  Guardian Games has a nice location ... parking can be fussy but street parking in off hours seems easy enough.  Although I only go in there a couple times a year.  Their are lots of game store options in town these days - which is nice to see.  Back in the 80's-90's it was hard to find a consistent place to go and get stuff lol (still miss you military corner / bridgetown  😞 ).

As long as Guardian and Mox don't overlap to much (food, spirits and game environment) I could see them doing ok... Otherwise I'm not so sure there is room for them both.  Considering all the other options around town for game / hobby stores... even Guardian isn't a must go to location to get stuff.

-d

[Guest]

On 5/15/2019 at 7:12 PM, Sgt. Rock said:

Mox is moving down here as well, and they have a location they're leasing right next to Providence Park (hence my comment on Timbers games trashing their business.)

Poor Mox. That sounds like a terrible location for a friendly game store. Or anything that wants foot traffic. Really cruddy part of town (in terms of people encountered on foot, not the cost of the buildings). If they drop the "friendly" part, they'll probably do fine in that area....but I don't think they can compete with GG if they cease being friendly.  

That said, we could certainly use another game store. If you stop looking at it as a competition and start looking at it as a way of supporting GG by making their overcrowded weekends a little less crowded, that would be welcome addition to the town. GG has become very "full" lately. I definitely think Portland can support another game store, even another as large as GG. 

[Yarbicus]

Interesting about the location. The Bellevue MOX is also in an area with almost no foot traffic. It is definitely a "destination" location. Apparently, that works for them.

[Guest]

4 hours ago, Yarbicus said:

Interesting about the location. The Bellevue MOX is also in an area with almost no foot traffic. It is definitely a "destination" location. Apparently, that works for them.

No, I mean they'll have tons of foot traffic, but most of it of the criminal element. It's not foot traffic that you'd want.

Dunno why, but that providence park stop seems to be where all the people get off [the MAX] that I suspect are probably drug addicts/dealers, or otherwise criminally inclined. As a pedestrian, the businesses in that area have the least friendly attitude towards pedestrians (and usually really abused restrooms).

I kinda wonder if a game store could survive there. Might work if they charged admission...but, then again, I'd never go to a game store that charged admission.

[Sgt. Rock]

5 hours ago, Yarbicus said:

Interesting about the location. The Bellevue MOX is also in an area with almost no foot traffic. It is definitely a "destination" location. Apparently, that works for them.

Bellevue is also very much American Suburbia (I was born and raised in that area, it's dreadful.) As a result, everything is more spread out there, consequently, EVERYONE has a car, and they have a parking lot (albeit fairly small.) It's not like living in the city where there's functional-ish public transit, or things within walking distance of other things.