Great White Games/Pinnacle Entertainment Group

Redtwin

Back in about 2005 or so, I came across four SW books squirreled away in the back shelf of a local RPG store: the original core rules, Evernight, 50 Fathoms, and Tour of Darkness. I picked up the first two immediately. 50F seemed a little too weird to me at the time, and I'm not a war buff so TOD didn't appeal to me. About a year later, I went back and picked up 50 Fathoms based on what I heard on the forums.

It was a while before I got around to running 50F, and my gaming group disintegrated in a storm of drama in the middle of it, so there was a lengthy period of detente which is thankfully now over. I'm planning a new game, and I always regretted not getting Tour of Darkness, so I went back to the same old book store today. The book was still there, in the same place on the same shelf with the original price tag still on it. So I grabbed it, hauled it up to the front, and explained to the clerk that the book had been sitting there for six years and was now available online for a lot less money. I walked out with it for $20.

So, yeah. I cleaned out every SW book the place had, it just took me seven years to do it. Laughing

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catalac · Seasoned Joined: 05 Jun 2012 Posts: 247

ok thats sort of sad for business but pretty awesome too.

(on your sig: wow you found a relic that can kill things from fatigue bumps and bruises. *starts drawing up the stats for said vehicle relic for future use. *)

kreider204 · Heroic Joined: 19 Jun 2009 Posts: 1712

Had, I did something very similar at my local FLGS. For about two years, I went in once a month and bought a SW book. The only couple of I didn't buy were ones I found at the local Half Price Books for, well, half price. A year or so ago, they stopped carrying SW stuff. I talked to them, told them I'd keep buying stuff, and it's not like they ever stocked more than one or two copies of any particular book anyway, but apparently they aren't interested in taking my money ... Sad

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Redtwin · Posted: Wed Jun 20, 2012 10:07 am Post subject:

Cryonic · Veteran Joined: 21 Oct 2009 Posts: 814

Thankfully my FLGS doesn't suffer this kind of problem with stock just sitting around for years... The owner keeps on top of his inventory as well as being informed of what is available for the various games that are bought and sold. He loves to take advantage of us gamers to keep him up to date on what we like Smile

I've stopped wondering why so many of these businesses go under... poor management, poor inventory control, bad marketing... It costs a lot of money to have inventory just eating up shelf space for 6 years. Nice of him to give you a discount, but he should have done that several years ago...
Places like Half Price books survive by buying up the inventory of dead stores for pennies on the dollar.
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VonDan · Legendary Joined: 08 Jul 2008 Posts: 3249

At my FLGS (next to the Springfield Matt Groening used to visit and with a fat red head comic store guy) in over 20 years I have only seen 2 Savage worlds items and both were used. The SWXE three years ago and last month Savage World 1E. It also takes months to get them in when I special order

They have had a few things sit for years that get marked down every few years. And one time just to get ride of them gave me a bag of crap from the under $1 section (that i was the only one buying)
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Virgobrown72 · Posted: Wed Jun 20, 2012 8:28 pm Post subject:

My FLGS (Richmond, VA) likes to stay hotly current with Savage Worlds materials, as several members of the staff also play. I'm about to go pick up a copy of the Horror Companion soon!!! Wink

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VonDan · Legendary Joined: 08 Jul 2008 Posts: 3249

Vonether · Posted: Thu Jun 21, 2012 10:35 am Post subject:

I am confused. My store never has a problem with special ordering anything I ask for. Put a call in Monday, have it by Friday.

Do other stores not do that?

While it's nice to have it on the shelf, that doesn't stop me from getting what I need from the FLGS.

The frustrating part for me is that my FLGS has hit hard times and now uses a third-rate distributor who is notorious not keeping their stock up. The only way I got my SW Adventure/Int deck in under two weeks is because my FGLS store owner went up to Origins and was able to ninja shop for me.

TheLoremaster · Posted: Thu Jun 21, 2012 11:06 am Post subject:

Vonether · Posted: Thu Jun 21, 2012 11:10 am Post subject:

How bizarre.

The store has a "special order" clipboard that either the staff or you can fill out (You must include your contact info so they can let you know that it's in) and then they go down that list as they call in their restock to the distributor.

I can't imagine what the difficulty is.

One store I knew had a fear that the customer would change their mind, but then they had you pay in advance for a special order and they helped out two fold. (a committed sale and a reduction in special orders.)

Virgobrown72 · Posted: Thu Jun 21, 2012 11:37 am Post subject:

Hmmm.... that's kind of interesting. I'll ask my folks over at my FLGS (One Eyed Jaque) about their process for orders...
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VonDan · Legendary Joined: 08 Jul 2008 Posts: 3249

my flgs has been around for 25 years and it is the model for the one on the Simpsons (The statue of Jeddadia Springfield is two blocks away). For just about any thing else you make an order and he calls them in every Thursday and it is in Wednesday. At most another week if it is out of stock from the supplier. For some reason the supplier always says Savage World stuff is out of stock. I can only think that for this region the supplier does not carry much if any savage worlds.
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Vonether · Posted: Thu Jun 21, 2012 11:42 am Post subject:

Every distrub has a minimum order amount. Special orders is a way to nickel and dime your way to that minimum.

Our store has been around for 20 years and it only skipped making weekly order in the past few years.

Yep. It only took the Second Great Depression for the store to slow on making weekly orders. It doesn't help that two other stores have moved into the neighborhood.

Vonether · Posted: Thu Jun 21, 2012 11:45 am Post subject:

VonDan · Legendary Joined: 08 Jul 2008 Posts: 3249

Vonether · Posted: Thu Jun 21, 2012 11:52 am Post subject:

Erifnogard · Novice Joined: 14 May 2003 Posts: 33