MichaelC wrote:Since I work at one of the HPB stores in Indiana, the idea that the other stores in the chain are treating their customers this way is just mind-blowing. At the same time, it doesn't surprise me one bit (the Ohio stores especially seem to have all sorts of problems with pricing out-of-print materials for some reason).I don't run the Games & Humor section at my store, but I wind up pricing nearly all of the gaming stuff that comes through, whether it is current or out of print, because I'm the resident gamer of the store. I've been collecting TSR 1st and 2nd edition products for twenty years now, and I've never had a problem selling the classic stuff out of my store.I'm certainly not claiming to be a know-it-all (I'm far from it, in fact, and quite prone to mistakes), but I know how to treat the stuff so collectors and casual browsers alike will be apt to buy it. I've got a huge personal collection, so I know what to look for in most items. Modules and boxed sets are checked very carefully for completeness before being polybagged, and any missing item that I find deducts money from the price of the item. I also write up descriptions on post-it notes included in the bag to indicate what edition, what print run, and whether or not the set is complete; if it is incomplete, I list what is missing. The price sticker is also placed on a post-it note before being attached to the cover of the item, which makes it very easy to remove once you've gotten it home and pulled it out of the bag. Needless to say, we very rarely have these items sit on our shelves for very long - all the collectors in the city know to come to us for a very fair price on their gaming goods, and an indication of when something is missing a map, a handout, or some cardboard counters.I've told my managers about the Acaeum and requested that it be listed on the Intranet page with the other links to sources like Amazon, AbeBooks and eBay for helping pricers get their stuff right, but so far that hasn't happened. This isn't surprising, since all of that stuff is taken care of out of Dallas, Texas and not locally by us. A lot of what you get out of HPB (or any other used bookstore, really) depends on who is in charge of the sections. When you get somebody who knows LPs in charge of the LP section, you get a great selection of stuff at cheap prices, and someone who has an eye for the collectable items that should go out for more than fifty cents or a buck. When you have somebody who knows nothing about LPs doing the section, you get a lot of trash to sort through in the hopes that you get a couple good deals and almost nothing pulled aside and showcased for the collectors. Sadly, from what I know from personal experience, many stores in the company do not have these types of people in these jobs and their shelves suffer for it.Just thought you might like to hear from somebody who works for the store and actually tries to get stuff right.
Center_Stage_Hobbies wrote:Yeah. And remember HALF PRICE is just that.So when you come across an OCE WHITE BOX, remember, half of $12.00 is SIX DOLLARS.We have a real jackass at one of the three stores around here - he runs the games section, and is a gamer himself. When the "good stuff" comes in (he does this by his own admission), he prices the items at 1/2 price and then sets them aside for himself to purchase with his ADDITIONAL employee discount.All of the gamers in greater Cleveland used to wipe out that 1/2 Price's gaming section quite frequently...now, there's four shelves of so-so garbage priced at what he "thinks" collectors can pay. I had to laugh at the beatdown 1E Monster Manual marked at $9.98.What a tool.
MichaelC wrote:Since I work at one of the HPB stores in Indiana
Keith the Thief wrote:Do you know of any plans to open a HPB store in Huntsville, AL? Or perhaps Nashville, Chattanooga, or Birmingham? (All are within 100 miles of Huntsville).Thanks,Keith
MichaelC wrote:Right now they seem to be focusing a lot on the midwest: new stores and renovations for Illinois and Ohio seem to be the word right now. There's a new Chicago store that's going to open up either at the end of 07 or start of 08. Other than that, I'm not aware of any new stores going up.- Michael
brute wrote:Thanks for the good post Michael.
serleran wrote:Hey, thanks. That's not too bad. Pittsburgh has 2, and its only about 3 hours away... I could do that trip sometimes.
serleran wrote:*uses mental control* Need to open a store in Buffalo, NY.... get out of the near-Midwest and go east, damnit.
sleepyCO wrote:Need to get out of midwest and east and open in Colorado . . . Colorado Springs, Denver, and Pueblo...!!!
Serl, I wouldn't waste my time if I were you, unless of course you have an wierd desire to pick up sh*t loads of 2nd edition splat books.
Center_Stage_Hobbies wrote:I saw those too...and got several of the ones that were marked at $2.98...left most of the $4.98 stuff there, as it was SERIOUSLY rocked.Great Northern's half price is where gaming guy used to work - the one who "roots through" the gaming stuff and keeps the good stuff for himself. Apparently, either he's gone or he has all the 1E stuff he needs.I used to pick up AMAZING things there...3.5 books for $9.98....The 1/2 Price in Rocky River just had several copies of the D&D 3.5 Dungeon Masters Guide II for only $12.98.
