I've been curious how others feel about their local game shops. Do you prefer to go in, see wall to wall product, buy and leave? Or do you prefer a shop that offers space for gameplay? What do you like/dislike about how some shops are setup? What are they missing?

personally,

I've found many shops to be cramped (rather than expanding space, they simply cram more tables and chairs into the room). The bathrooms also look/smell like they haven't been cleaned in months. It's also nearly impossible to find private game space/rooms.

What would be on your "wish list" for a local game shop?

I am giving my answer from the perspective of a LCG player.

The ideal game shop would have the chapter packs before any web shop. It would inform me at once when the cards arrive. For this service I would pay list price instead of the discounted prices you get online. Of course the owner would inform people just buying the core set about playing groups in the city.

The game store would host leagues and regionals. It would offer a lot of demoing of games.

I don't like brick and mortar shops that just have high prices and don't offer good service.

My ELGS has space outside the store for card players, so in that respect it's great. But the E is for expensive. We don't even get to pay list price over here. The price of the small stuff is well over twice the US RRP[1], while larger boxes end up 50% more than I'd pay with shipping from the usual sources. So in other words the ideal store would be pretty much like my local one, but actually try to compete on price . The other things aren't enough to make the premium worth it.

[1] I'm assuming that the store pays some amount less than RRP + shipping here. Even if that's not the case, the pricing is wild. Nearest store in a neighbouring country manages to charge the same for one adventure pack+shipping as ordering from CCG Armory.

Clean. Gaming space. Friendly atmosphere and staff who know what they sell. Organized play a plus. Carries or can order the games I want.

To be fair, I must admit that I co-own a game store. And these were the primary criteria I based the store around when my family and I opened the store.

@evil - outdoor space sounds nice, do you get to take advantage of it often? (coming from a guy in AZ where summers are 110+ in the shade)

@JJ - checked out your store, looks like a nice place to grab product and play some games... I've seen you around the AGOT forums here offering great advice. As you said, knowing your product is a must. Is it cool if I send you a PM?