Hello team. It's been my desire for some time to open my own nerd dungeon and an important part of that is doing my homework. So I thought I'd start by asking the online community what they think about. I'd particularly like to hear from store owners or people who have previously worked at or owned a store. I'd like to hear about what products sell really well, what ones have the best profit margins, what tips or tricks you used to get people in the door, how you competed with the online market, mistakes you made, opportunities you missed, how much start-up capital you used, how large your town was and if it had any competing stores, etc.

Basically anything you can tell me! And if you've never had a game store, then I'd like to hear about what you want in a store, what I could offer you, ways I could encourage you to buy from me instead of online, things you'd like to see on the shelf, etc.

As I understand it you'll want to stock magic and have a play area for it.

Avoid GW their contracts are notoriously anti retailer and they make you buy and display new releases in stupid quantities or they'll start messing up you're orders under supplying you and sending it late.

Offering food and pops a good way to increase income.

And have a loyalty scheme to reward them shopping with you instead of online.

The age old question,"How do you make a little money in the business?". Answer, "Start with a lot".

I owned a hobby shop back in the early 80s. A lot of the things I learned came about AFTER it opened. Most businesses fail in the third year. Biggest reason? Under capitalized. Figure how much you think you need and double or triple it.

There's a reason that "location, location, location is important. Too close to a busy intersection and traffic blocks access for egress and entering your parking area

There's a lot of costs that aren't figured into your operating overhead. Taxes, Workman's Comp, insurance, building codes, to name a few. Why building codes? You found an absolutely perfect place. Great location, a lot of parking, low rent and good foot traffic. But it needs some upgrades. The building as it stands may have been Grandfathered in and mandatory updates were not required. The changes you need may be substantial enough to require that the space be brought to code. That can be VERY expensive.

Want to hold gaming sessions in your store? You may have room for more people than allowed. The number of exits and their location and size will determine how many people you can have.

If you have the funds, have a professional draw up your plans. You'll be paying for their expertise and have someone to run interference with the building department. Which brings us to the two most important groups you'll have to deal with before you open the doors. The building and fire departments. Don't screw with either one. Do everything they say in the beginning and you'll never have a problem. Screw with them or give them a hard time they can make your life tough. Minor carpentry stuff you can do but electrical, plumbing and gas hire a contractor that's licensed in the city or county your business is in. If you are going to act as your own contractor and hire your subs, it's not a bad idea to ask the guys in the building department who you should stay away from. They shouldn't give you a list of who to use but they will tell you who to avoid or who they've had problems with.

I hope this helps. Not much info on how to run or stock your store but that's the easy part. Before you open the doors you need that little piece of paper entitled Certificate of Occupancy often referred to as a C of O.

Good luck!

Add a bar, and you're golden. Remember that buffalo wings and miniatures games do NOT mix. You'll need to have terrain for games (Infinity, for example, requires a LOT of terrain but is an absolutely AWESOME game) I have heard horrible things about GW contracts as well......... but they are still a BIG boy on the block. You'll want to at least be friendly and have the right size tables and terrain for them. If you don't mind me asking, what's your location? Certain locals seem to be more into historical gaming, but that could just be my perception.

EDIT: Also, if you want some advice/recommendations on audio-video systems and equipment, PM me. I'm a system designer in my professional persona.

GW used to be the big boy but now they are bleeding out and about to drop.

Age of sigmar screwed alot of flgs who bought in alot of starters that never sold, GW refused to take them back and the store owners can't even sell them at 50% off.

40k sells but they won't let you stock just 40k alone, even then sales of that have dropped because AoS spooked people and made them very nervous that their games next for the chop.

Thanks for the advice guys, there's a lot of food for thought there.

Don't just stock what you want to play. Stock what the community you are in wants to play.

Trying to do things that encourage the younger aged players to play guarantees your future revenue stream.

Decide if you want to solely be brick and mortar or if you want to mess with the competitive online market in order to purchase larger quantities of stock.

The successful shops I see around here put in a lot of time and effort, it's not easy!

Hello team. It's been my desire for some time to open my own nerd dungeon and an important part of that is doing my homework. So I thought I'd start by asking the online community what they think about. I'd particularly like to hear from store owners or people who have previously worked at or owned a store. I'd like to hear about what products sell really well, what ones have the best profit margins, what tips or tricks you used to get people in the door, how you competed with the online market, mistakes you made, opportunities you missed, how much start-up capital you used, how large your town was and if it had any competing stores, etc.

Basically anything you can tell me! And if you've never had a game store, then I'd like to hear about what you want in a store, what I could offer you, ways I could encourage you to buy from me instead of online, things you'd like to see on the shelf, etc.

RULE #1 -

* DO NOT * run a "hang out" for your buddies. This will kill your business fast. I have witnessed this first had a dozen times over the last 15 years...

I have never owned or operated a comics/gaming/nerd store but I've hung out in them all my life. Here is my $.02 and I might be overcharging

• Determine what niche you are trying to fill. What are your closest competition doing/not doing? That may be a need that needs to be filled in your area. It may also lead to cooperation between you and the other retailers.
• Not every game store needs a place to play, although it certainly helps. By far my favorite nerd store has been around for over 30 years and has never had room for more than 1 or 2 tables. Now bear in mind that this store has always been comics/books/roleplaying/miniatures in that order.
• Customer service is what will set you apart from the online retailers and other B&M locations. You will always have more lookers than buyers inside the store. Treat them well and they will buy something eventually.
• Food/Drinks almost always have the highest mark-up but depending on how you do it can lead to more licensing, inspection, etc. Vending machines and/or pre-packaged items are the easiest. If you decide to offer this, I would recommend not using a vending company. We have one at work, and we are only breaking even. Any potential profit gets eaten up by the middle man.
• You want a steady stream of repeat customers. Whether this new X-wing releases, comics subscriptions, a regular game night, a loyalty program, etc. You need to give people a reason to walk in the door.
• This is a personal one with me. Most would likely disagree. Offer used merchandise at reduced rates. As a book guy my FLGS has always had a used section and it is always a treasure hunt. Never know what might be on the shelf. Perhaps more practical, the owner would buy back any game or game accessory she sold. The amount paid depended on condition and how long ago it was purchased. It then went back on the shelf as used/returned merchandise at a discount. This serves 2 purposes. Players were willing to experiment with new games because if it didn't work out, there was some recourse. Likewise newer, younger, or cash-strapped players got to buy stuff they might otherwise not be able to afford.

I can't say enough how important atmosphere is. If you get that right, everything else will likely work out. The problem is I have no idea how to describe it. But let me try. My FGS is a 2hr drive 1 way. There is at least 7 or 8 stores closer. They have always been a comics shop first and everything else second. I am not and have never been a comics guy. They also have decided not to carry X-Wing while they do stock other FFG products. (They will order it for me though). Doesn't matter. They will always be my favorite store and I go out of my way to stop in and support them every chance I get. They have survived moving 3 times and have outlasted at 5 local competitors that I can think of that have come and gone. Something keeps everyone coming back.

Good Luck. We're pulling for you.

I have never owned or operated a comics/gaming/nerd store but I've hung out in them all my life. Here is my $.02 and I might be overcharging

• Determine what niche you are trying to fill. What are your closest competition doing/not doing? That may be a need that needs to be filled in your area. It may also lead to cooperation between you and the other retailers.
• Not every game store needs a place to play, although it certainly helps. By far my favorite nerd store has been around for over 30 years and has never had room for more than 1 or 2 tables. Now bear in mind that this store has always been comics/books/roleplaying/miniatures in that order.
• Customer service is what will set you apart from the online retailers and other B&M locations. You will always have more lookers than buyers inside the store. Treat them well and they will buy something eventually.
• Food/Drinks almost always have the highest mark-up but depending on how you do it can lead to more licensing, inspection, etc. Vending machines and/or pre-packaged items are the easiest. If you decide to offer this, I would recommend not using a vending company. We have one at work, and we are only breaking even. Any potential profit gets eaten up by the middle man.
• You want a steady stream of repeat customers. Whether this new X-wing releases, comics subscriptions, a regular game night, a loyalty program, etc. You need to give people a reason to walk in the door.
• This is a personal one with me. Most would likely disagree. Offer used merchandise at reduced rates. As a book guy my FLGS has always had a used section and it is always a treasure hunt. Never know what might be on the shelf. Perhaps more practical, the owner would buy back any game or game accessory she sold. The amount paid depended on condition and how long ago it was purchased. It then went back on the shelf as used/returned merchandise at a discount. This serves 2 purposes. Players were willing to experiment with new games because if it didn't work out, there was some recourse. Likewise newer, younger, or cash-strapped players got to buy stuff they might otherwise not be able to afford.

I can't say enough how important atmosphere is. If you get that right, everything else will likely work out. The problem is I have no idea how to describe it. But let me try. My FGS is a 2hr drive 1 way. There is at least 7 or 8 stores closer. They have always been a comics shop first and everything else second. I am not and have never been a comics guy. They also have decided not to carry X-Wing while they do stock other FFG products. (They will order it for me though). Doesn't matter. They will always be my favorite store and I go out of my way to stop in and support them every chance I get. They have survived moving 3 times and have outlasted at 5 local competitors that I can think of that have come and gone. Something keeps everyone coming back.

Good Luck. We're pulling for you.

Just wanted to say that you have the best forum name I've seen to date

I have never owned or operated a comics/gaming/nerd store but I've hung out in them all my life. Here is my $.02 and I might be overcharging

• Determine what niche you are trying to fill. What are your closest competition doing/not doing? That may be a need that needs to be filled in your area. It may also lead to cooperation between you and the other retailers.
• Not every game store needs a place to play, although it certainly helps. By far my favorite nerd store has been around for over 30 years and has never had room for more than 1 or 2 tables. Now bear in mind that this store has always been comics/books/roleplaying/miniatures in that order.
• Customer service is what will set you apart from the online retailers and other B&M locations. You will always have more lookers than buyers inside the store. Treat them well and they will buy something eventually.
• Food/Drinks almost always have the highest mark-up but depending on how you do it can lead to more licensing, inspection, etc. Vending machines and/or pre-packaged items are the easiest. If you decide to offer this, I would recommend not using a vending company. We have one at work, and we are only breaking even. Any potential profit gets eaten up by the middle man.
• You want a steady stream of repeat customers. Whether this new X-wing releases, comics subscriptions, a regular game night, a loyalty program, etc. You need to give people a reason to walk in the door.
• This is a personal one with me. Most would likely disagree. Offer used merchandise at reduced rates. As a book guy my FLGS has always had a used section and it is always a treasure hunt. Never know what might be on the shelf. Perhaps more practical, the owner would buy back any game or game accessory she sold. The amount paid depended on condition and how long ago it was purchased. It then went back on the shelf as used/returned merchandise at a discount. This serves 2 purposes. Players were willing to experiment with new games because if it didn't work out, there was some recourse. Likewise newer, younger, or cash-strapped players got to buy stuff they might otherwise not be able to afford.

I can't say enough how important atmosphere is. If you get that right, everything else will likely work out. The problem is I have no idea how to describe it. But let me try. My FGS is a 2hr drive 1 way. There is at least 7 or 8 stores closer. They have always been a comics shop first and everything else second. I am not and have never been a comics guy. They also have decided not to carry X-Wing while they do stock other FFG products. (They will order it for me though). Doesn't matter. They will always be my favorite store and I go out of my way to stop in and support them every chance I get. They have survived moving 3 times and have outlasted at 5 local competitors that I can think of that have come and gone. Something keeps everyone coming back.

Good Luck. We're pulling for you.

Just wanted to say that you have the best forum name I've seen to date

Lousy lab assistant though I'm still waiting for that brain.

The only game stores that I see that make it are ones that also sell comics. I think it's the dual business that supports each other.

Having enough gaming space is good.

My favorite game store has a "board game night" where he pulls out all the store games and lets anyone play for free. There are a lot of female gamers. There are families. There are kids. It's a nice environment.

I worked for a coffee shop back in the day that was called "The Third Place". It was based on an essay that some sociologist wrote about how everyone has work, home, and that third place that they like to go by default. The idea was to make the coffee shop that third place. I feel like good game stores are that third place for a lot of people. So, having a store that is nice to hang out in. Not in a dingy location or scary strip mall.

We're talking about this, right?:

I don't have much in the way of advice, but these guys should know what they are talking about.

I opened a shop with two of my buddies about a year ago. I sold my portion back to them after we got off the ground, because I really just wanted to help them start out. But I did learn a few things in the few months I was a store owner.

For one, the easiest way to "make" people spend money at your store is to hold as many paid tournaments AS POSSIBLE. Like, 4 a week at least. $5 entry, pay out exactly what you bring in as store credit. This locks the money into your system, and forces product to move without having to fight online pricing. Just make 100% sure you don't let people pay the tournament entry with store credit and make sure that is clear to everyone straight from the start.

Another thing, if Magic is big in your area, even somewhat, you need to support it. Those players spend sooooo much money and it is super easy to stock and run tournaments for.

Lastly, never buy into a new product line unless you have expressed interest from a large group. Have people sign up to meet a quota before you buy into something new, and if possible get a monetary commitment from them. Although that last part can be hard to persuade people into. But once you meet the quota and start stocking something, don't just blow it off. The shop I owned is super bad at keeping X-Wing in stock, so now just about everyone in our playgroup buys online.

I hope you can get something useful out of all that. Starting a store is tough, but it is really good life experience. If it is something you're set on, I wish you the best of luck in your endeavors!

Any time I start daydreaming about this, I look back at this list of information. One of these days either I will make it far enough into the list or I will keep finding things that keep me playing hobbies instead of investing in them:

Business of Gaming Retail

Start at the bottom and work your way up. Very eye opening. Very detailed.

Our store has a bonus system that works out to be about the same as online prices most of the time. For every $10 you spend, you get a stamp. You get enough stamps (10 stamps or $100) and you get $15 store credit.

Make sure to have a good play area. If you don't have a good play area for them to want to support you, why shouldn't they order online?

Magic the Gathering will bring you money. So will Pokemon if you can stand it.

Any time I start daydreaming about this, I look back at this list of information. One of these days either I will make it far enough into the list or I will keep finding things that keep me playing hobbies instead of investing in them:

Business of Gaming Retail

Start at the bottom and work your way up. Very eye opening. Very detailed.

Wow, this is great reading, thankyou!