Topic: Might be starting a gamestore, anyone with expericence?

[Heinrich von Kampfmann]

So this year has really got me thinking about life and what I want out from it. Might be a 30 years crisis, but the things I really care about, apart from family, are warhammer, magic and other various games. Started at seven years old with a box of questing knights and 23 years later I'm still passionated about it. I've talked about starting a association, got a group with members, but that requires a lot of work to do. Time is not on my side, with a full time stressful work with constant change of management, cutbacks, noise and a family at home. Having a kid myself also means I have sounds of children at home, and it's been hard to let go of work, since it sometimes just feels as I'm working, and not doing stuff for myself.

Having hit the wall for the third time in seven years  I'm really concerned about my mental health and memory. Right now I know I'm sick and that's why I do odd stuff like freezing in eggs or microwaving milk, having a hard time listening to conversations and other stress related issues.

But, what happens if I get burned-out a fourth, fifth, or more times? 35 years until retirement, how do I want to spend those? How much will my memory suffer, and in the long-run, I don't enjoy my work very much any more.

Spoke to my landlord, who is really friendly, business minded and got 3 empty spaces is the building we moved into in January. These spaces don't generate any income at the moment. Going to have a meeting with her, a view of the spaces and who knows, I might even get to do something I'm really passionated about. Trying to trade, buy and sale minis to create more armies for demos, lending out, getting terrain etc. People pay a montly fee for a place to work out, will they pay for a space to play in, if it has tables set up and ready to go, offering a painting station, play videogames?

Also selling paints, models, TCG etc, while offering the community something to do in the colder months. Co-operating with other companies for coffee, snacks etc. Setting up pre-releases, tournaments, campaigns, things I myself love.

[Artobans Ghost]

A space for gaming of all types from chess/board games to magic to miniatures surrounded by game related items, coffee station for sale to generate a cash flow has always appealed to me as well. You could hold tournaments/gaming events for a fee as well. Something to cover costs while the setup takes care of the mental flow. It’s so important to have something you want to look forward to.
From age 18 - about 50 all I did was work. 6 days a week and in 32 years I had only 4 weeks vacation. I had a family as well and when all is said and done, it was not worth the work effort. A lot of time lost.
My son is 27 and works all the time as well but vacations and time off are included and he wants out of the trades by 30 so a change is coming but it’s balanced. More than anything, your health and mental well being are the most important and if the gaming environment provides that, go for it but don’t expect great revenues. If it just pays for itself and provides an escape, then it serves its purpose.

[Heinrich von Kampfmann]

Yes Arto, that's exactly my thoughts too. It won't have to make me rich, but happy and looking forward to go up. Right now, going up at 6am, stressing to get ready and go to work, then pick-up at pre-school and go home until next day aint living, it's surviving. My wife's applying for work now too since her education is finished. All the economic responsibilities won't lie solely on my income. I make more than my co-workers, but money ain't everything.

I get one big game of warhammer in every year, but have lots of armies others could enjoy. I know almost every mini in and out, from reading the old catalogues from 2003 by GW. And know the prices too, points costs etc. I have made great deals in the past year, gaining me two armies of large sizes, from buying and trading. If I dedicate more time to it, maybe just one or two days from my other work, it will be enough and make those days bearable.  Time is scarce, life's short and I want to make the best of it. Some sort of legacy, something to look back to when I annoy the nurses at the retirement home by the story of Sigmar and the great battles of times gone by 
Like when my Arch Lector with mace of helsturm one-shotted a ethereal Slann "You need a five or more to kill him you know" as my opponent said before I rolled the dice or other cool stories. 

And I'll host a Eurobash for all of you, celebrating life and rolling dices! 

[Artobans Ghost]

Awesome all of the above☝️
Good luck in your endeavours.

[GamesPoet]

First ... take care of your mental health ... no matter what else.  It is an on going effort, not something that is suddenly going to change over night.  And a person will have up and downs.  I measure each day on a scale of 1 to 5, 1 the worst, 5 the best, and I am ok if I keep everything at a 3 while drifting into the 2s and 4s, but staying out of the 1s if at all possible, and that means not letting myself stay in a 5 mood for too long.  Finding a change of careers isn't easy, and that needs a stick to it perspective, realizing it isn't going to happen over night as well.

Next ... a business takes awhile to get going typically 3 to 5 years.  So when a person decides to do it, they got have a long term view, and stick with it, adapting and changing as new information and learning arrives.  It took me four years to get my business rolling, and then another 12 before I decided to really make something happen with it.  Then I put it into a growth mode for 5 years, and I'm sitting well currently, able to do things I otherwise couldn't, and perhaps could have gotten to move along sooner.  However, I wouldn't trade the sensibility of generally good mental health for having pushed the growth pattern back then, so I suspect things are good as they developed.  Also, going to continue to work my business for the next five years in a growth mode, although work smarter, not necessarily harder.

Meanwhile, I am looking at starting two new businesses.  One as a sideline for marketing my current business, so not sure how yet that'll work.  And the other might be a books and hobby store.  The latter has been brewing for years, and yes, I'll serve coffee.  However, what I'm thinking is that if I go down that route, the idea is to hire someone to manage it.  And as for me, I just own it, giving direction to the way it'll be marketed, and pay the manager a good salary, and maybe a couple of worker bee employees.  I really have little interest or knowledge in things like card games, although I hear tell that this can help pay the costs, with much else being side lines for making a profit.  I'm most interested in having a place of community, and not need to be involved with the day to day stuff of retail.  I might organize events, be around for community activities, yet generally run the place from a step back and a wide view.  It isn't a set in stone plan yet, so haven't finalized enough to put it into motion, and maybe I won't.

[Heinrich von Kampfmann]

That system sounded nice Gamespoet, with the numbers. I'm going to think like that too now. It's easy to get stuck on 5's, been there now for a few days and this business thing might be a result of it. Also using messanger and got in contact with others who run stores and do what I would like to do.

I've now seen two spaces, one small and one large. The small one would be cheaper to start in, and won't look as empty even if I don't have lots off products and gaming tables when I open. The large would look empty with the same amount of products and tables. Also rent would be twice that off the small one. Wouln't need to put a lot of effort into fixing the small space up, but would save income generated and then use it for more products.

If the landlord gets a income from rent, perhaps she would be willing to put some of that into fixing the larger space up, to enable my expansion, as that would in return earn her more money from rent.

I don't see myself hosting large events like warhammer tournaments or huge magic events in the beginning. But drafts or game days on Sundays would be doable. Covid-19 is still out there, not too many people travels like before yet so better to build it slow now, save money and start next year.   

[GamesPoet]

My 1 to 5 system is simple.  A person knows when they are having super or very blah days.  After those it isn't tough to be able to find middle of the row, and no when we're slightly better than that, or slightly in the blahs.  Then I try to keep balanced in the 3's as much as possible, because the energy drained in having a 5 day, and sometimes a 4, can spiral me into having a 1 or a 2.  Better for me to have a low key 4, or a not so good 2, and get back into a 3 without the high of a 5 or the low of a 1.

Seems like you're doing some decent thinking through this business idea of yours.  Continue to allow yourself to adapt and change over time.  Draft days around this area can usually be found on a Friday night, and I believe this is because of the schedule of things being released.  Weekend game days seem to be more popular on Saturdays, or differenjt days of the week for different games, say like Tuesday for Warhammer: AoS, Thursdays for 40K ... and stuff like that.  It could be on a different night, or even a different game that might be popular in your area at the moment.  I know one place that has a Flames of War crowd on one night  (although not my cup of tea, nor does it seem as popular as it once was).  Ebbing and flowing with what is trending can be key.  Things like Star Wars Legion as an example.

[Heinrich von Kampfmann]

My 1 to 5 system is simple.  A person knows when they are having super or very blah days.  After those it isn't tough to be able to find middle of the row, and no when we're slightly better than that, or slightly in the blahs.  Then I try to keep balanced in the 3's as much as possible, because the energy drained in having a 5 day, and sometimes a 4, can spiral me into having a 1 or a 2.  Better for me to have a low key 4, or a not so good 2, and get back into a 3 without the high of a 5 or the low of a 1.

Seems like you're doing some decent thinking through this business idea of yours.  Continue to allow yourself to adapt and change over time.  Draft days around this area can usually be found on a Friday night, and I believe this is because of the schedule of things being released.  Weekend game days seem to be more popular on Saturdays, or differenjt days of the week for different games, say like Tuesday for Warhammer: AoS, Thursdays for 40K ... and stuff like that.  It could be on a different night, or even a different game that might be popular in your area at the moment.  I know one place that has a Flames of War crowd on one night  (although not my cup of tea, nor does it seem as popular as it once was).  Ebbing and flowing with what is trending can be key.  Things like Star Wars Legion as an example.

Feeling like 2 today, not as much energy as yesterday. But still ok. Can't be hyper all the time, the wife is a bit fed up with me right now and I understand her. Basecoating a few models by brush due to heavy winds outside, blasting some metal. 

Having seen the spaces and prices for them also puts things in perspective. We want to buy a house within 3 years and we have decided long ago that I get a hobby room for gaming and painting. That might just be enough, no extra work or effort needed. Might run a company from there, if there's more space for storage.

The main day for a store would be sundays, as all other shops are closed, no coffeehouses open etc, a dead city almost. But people outside, looking into windows of stores, walking by etc. Just do what GW does, put cool things in the windows for people to stare at. Talk to them, get them inside without being pushy for them to buy something. Explain the games for them, let them look at the tables, scenery and all the things that got us hooked back in the day. Lots of people here have boats, dive etc during spring and summer, but come autumn, some shops close, it gets cold and windy outside and tourists go home. People I've meet who live here all year around complain that there's nothing to do, especially on sundays, yet... Sundays are for gaming! 

During summer, locals are busy with their hobbies, which I mentioned above, but tourists pour into the city. The population goes from 14 000 to 24 000. The toyshop is closed on sundays too. Might get some of those customers by selling  pokemon, but not getting hanged in the town square for selling stuff they carry. Just put a a logo of 40k, Age of Sigmar, Pokemon, Magic the gathering etc in my windows. That should get some attention from a distance to draw people towards my store. Then they see all these cool soldiers with guns, buildings etc.

The locals would come in to game and socialize during fall until spring, I'll run tournaments, campaigns, drafts, lend out tables for a small fee etc,  and tourists buy stuff in the summer when the locals are busy with other stuff. Simple right?

[GamesPoet]

Those are nice ideas, although keep in mind, 20% of your customers will be responsible for 80% of your sales, or around those amounts.

And 80% of the folks who aren't in the hobby that you talk with won't get into the hobby either, they just won't.  To be honest, you'll be lucky to get 20% of those into the hobby, 2 out of 10 would be considered a good ratio, yet that is on the high side.

[Perambulator]

Those are nice ideas, although keep in mind, 20% of your customers will be responsible for 80% of your sales, or around those amounts.

And 80% of the folks who aren't in the hobby that you talk with won't get into the hobby either, they just won't.  To be honest, you'll be lucky to get 20% of those into the hobby, 2 out of 10 would be considered a good ratio, yet that is on the high side.

Can't reiterate this enough. It's true in any business. 20% of your customers will also be responsible for 80% of your headaches so it's also important to know whom to say no to and whom to say to take their business elsewhere because, frankly, at some point it's not going to be worth the hassle to deal with.

[Heinrich von Kampfmann]

Those are nice ideas, although keep in mind, 20% of your customers will be responsible for 80% of your sales, or around those amounts.

And 80% of the folks who aren't in the hobby that you talk with won't get into the hobby either, they just won't.  To be honest, you'll be lucky to get 20% of those into the hobby, 2 out of 10 would be considered a good ratio, yet that is on the high side.

Very true. Might not be worth the effort after all. It's a niche franchise. But as a company I can get games cheap, crack one and allow people to try them out, for a small fee. Sell coffee, snacks etc. Lots of people visit the town by boat, selling board games might attract some more customers. Selling and trading used models could be a way, but I can't sell used stuff GW still sells, if I want their products, mainly the paints. Would use trading groups on facebook to get deals, sell them  in the store or charging a small fee for renting models and a gaming table for 2-3 hours or sell them online.

Could just rent the space myself to have a space for my gaming group, sell stuff on occasion, but a bit pricey for that. The cool thing is that I live in the same building, it takes about 30 seconds to get there from my flat. So even if I'm not open I can get there fast. We'll live here for at least 2 more years while saving up for a house.

I've done some observations during my way back from work or on my daily walks. There's a lot of older gentlemen hanging out during the day outside in the market square, ww2 games might interest them. Flames of war starter sets, for example, cost the same as any game, and it's a full game for 2 with infantry and tanks. I'll show them how if works and have tables set up for them  to game on. 

This building, where the empty spaces are, is about 400 metres from the market square and you can see it from the pharmacy. A new shop opening would get locals excited, always the same shops and have been so for at least 10 years. All sell clothes for women, no stores are targeting males, teenagers or kids above the age of 9.  The big shopping center is a 45 minute drive away and people tend to care for the local stores to keep them running. You wouldn't drive for 45 minutes to a store to buy pokemon cards for your kids and then drive all the way back on a friday. But if you could just let your kid go to the market with some friends, no hassle for you.

Pointed out to the landlord that this building isn't on the market square, and she wants the same price as the empty spaces there. Why would I go with hers it there is a better location, with a lot more people passing by, for the same price as hers? A way cheaper start for rent would allow faster expansion, and I'm not quiting my day job just yet. As a experienced teacher with a degree, finding work ain't hard so if this adventure would go down in flames, I could go back.

Still, this seems like such a opportunity to do something else and I can see a market for it, it's more than a hobby store, it's entertainment in a town where almost nothing happens when the summer ends, we're talking September until May. There is a cinema but it's runned by volunteers and good will. I could also sell RC boats, could get them cheaper than the toy store and cooler boats like warships, since there is water all around town and ponds a plenty. Some of the larger residential areas are built around large ponds.     

Anyway, going to put away some money from now on, think about this and research more, enjoy some games with the group I started, see what they're into, when the summer ends and vaccinations for people aged between 20 and 40 are done.