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Game stores in NO (Read 8633 times)
ReverendKthulhu
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Game stores in NO
Mar 12th, 2008 at 9:28pm
 
Good day,

I was wondering if any of the old timers could point me in the direction of the local New Orleans game stores. I'm from NYC and am down here going to school. I was looking to see if there was a store people hang out at and where i might be able to pick up some used gamebooks.

I'm hunting for Call of Cthulhu, DnD, WE Star Wars, Alternity, Shadowrun, or deadlands

Thanks
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Re: Game stores in NO
Reply #1 - Mar 13th, 2008 at 5:28pm
 
I thought someone with a more informed answer would reply but since they haven't...

There are two gaming stores in the New Orleans area.  Galactic Games and Galactic something else.  Both seem heavy on the wargaming.  I tried, once, to go shopping for a minature and found both places to be uninterested in new business.  Maybe I just don't look like their sort of people but I got a bad vibe from both, like they wanted to ge back to thier minature game.

On the other hand, one of the former stark players used to go every saturday and play the minature thing with them and I think she'd did other stuff (movies, ren fair) with them.

Either way, they seem to be mostly interested in minature but they have some books.  I thought the selection was much like many od gaming stores.  They seemed to have some older books but they weren't cheap and it was all the more common for each game.  I didn't buy anything and I was bored and looking to spend a little.


For gaming books I usually go to the B&N on the westbank.  Not because its selection is any better but because its convienient.  I have tried a few of the comic book shops on the west bank and like the minature people, they seemed to think I wasn't their sort of geek.  They didn't have any gaming stuff.

Maybe its just me but the gaming and comic shops seem a lot more nichy than they used to be.  They all have magic cards and will sell you that but unless you buy their niche don't bother.  Maybe its just this area but I don't see how they stay in business.
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Re: Game stores in NO
Reply #2 - Mar 13th, 2008 at 8:04pm
 
Liam wrote on Mar 13th, 2008 at 5:28pm:
I thought someone with a more informed answer would reply but since they haven't...

There are two gaming stores in the New Orleans area.  Galactic Games and Galactic something else.  Both seem heavy on the wargaming.  I tried, once, to go shopping for a minature and found both places to be uninterested in new business.  Maybe I just don't look like their sort of people but I got a bad vibe from both, like they wanted to ge back to thier minature game.


It's not just you, Liam, I got the same vibe at Galactic Games.  Asking questions and getting answers, even just getting acknowledged in the store, was harder than pulling teeth from a stubborn mule.  As far as I know, Galactic Games is the only surviving post-Katrina store.  Someone correct me here if I'm wrong.

Anyway, I think as long as you want D&D minis or something from the D&D 3.5 category you're fine, but if you want something that's not, then good luck getting them to order it for you, or even the time of day for that matter.

Whenever I go in looking (it's been more than a year cause of the cold-shoulder vibe in there) for any Rolemaster, Chaosium (other than CoC d20) or other non-d20 or non-White Wolf stuff, blank stares and "never heard of it" are the typical responses.  Apparently, the owner and gamer-help are much more interested in playing whatever game they're involved in, or just chatting about, at the moment than in helping an inquiring customer. I mean, sheesh, is it that difficult to look up an item in a distributors book?  I thought that stuff was easy.  Undecided

These days, I never refer to a FLGS in New Orleans, only the LGS.  Support your FLGS indeed.  I get better service, and a more polite response from internet retail.  It's a shame too, cause about 10 years ago or so, Galactic Games used to carry a more varied inventory.   Sad
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Re: Game stores in NO
Reply #3 - Mar 13th, 2008 at 8:48pm
 
I was moving back when Katrina happened and only looked at gaming after Katrina.   There are two gaming stores with galactic in their name, both on w. esplanade in metairie.


Galactic Games Emporium Inc‎ -
3544 W Esplanade Ave N # 5, Metairie, LA
(504) 885-4263‎

Galactic Goods Cards & Comics‎
343 W Esplanade Ave, Kenner, LA
(504) 466-8470‎


Oops... one is in kenner... but its the same road. And going in, I couldn't tell them apart.
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Re: Game stores in NO
Reply #4 - Mar 14th, 2008 at 6:12am
 
I recall going to Galactic Games, but I didn't have a bad experience, though this was pre-katrina. They even had a small section for AD&D stuff which of course surprised me. Though I haven't been there in a while, but they were heavy on war-games even then. But my opinion isn't valid since I haven't been in since before the hurricane.

If your looking for gaming dice, a new person to my table said he called all the comic book stores and couldn't find dice. But there is a comic book store in Lakeside mall he said that sells dice. So hopefully that is somewhat useful information.

Sean (Karloff Klexion)
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Re: Game stores in NO
Reply #5 - Mar 14th, 2008 at 5:36pm
 
One of the two had a big wall of gaming books but to my eye, it didn't have obscure or the most recent books at the time.  As I recall there was  a lot of storyteller and D&D but just the more common books.  I just wasn't impressed but everyone should go once and decide for themselves.
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Re: Game stores in NO
Reply #6 - Mar 14th, 2008 at 11:22pm
 
Your guys comments really ring true to me. They were very engrossed in what they were doing, their Niche, for them to help me out with my questions. I got the same vibe red priest, and Liam got. I even put an advertisement up for this site, and they were all enthusiastic, until i came back the next they and they were using it as a coaster. They have dice there. Very few selection.

"comic book store in Lakeside mall" Thanks for the info, i might fallow up that lead. Of and karloff, i think I still have your gold die. I think you left it.
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Re: Game stores in NO
Reply #7 - Apr 13th, 2008 at 12:02am
 
Galactic games, is indeed a Wargaming store pretty much, and has always suffered from "Cliques"  The same thing from Wargames and Fantasy the store that proceeded it.  ( rather the one they put out of business)  I hang out there occasionally, and while the people are pretty nice, you have to be the one who starts talking to them, they are all going to absorbed in what they came to do.  The current store owner pretty much runs the store as a hobby, not as a profit making venture.  So investing heavily into a particular game isn't a wise move for him, unless Alot of people make sure he knows they will be buying the products.  One or two people at a time isn't going to do it.

Galactic goods on the other hand is in kenner, and the shop owner and his wife are pretty open to conversation (its a smaller shop, not many places for wargaming, and specializes in MTG and comics, I think) IF you talk to them first, about something their interested in (try MTG, or just general conversation)

BSI comics carries a little of everything (on severn, by lakeside mall), and was the home for the local RPGA for a while I think (I have no idea if they still go there)

Gamers conclave is across the lake on the northshore, as well as a couple other shops.  It ALSO recently changed hands (past year or so)  It has a younger group of wargamers, magic players and carries a large computer network for lan gaming.  Don't know too much about the current owner, but the last guy was pretty nice once you got talking to him.

Overall, regardless of what store you go to, you have to be the one who initiates any type of conversation.  Gotta remember we are all Nerds here and alot of us have a tendency to just shut out the rest of the world, and do what we want to do.  We like new friends, but going out of our way to find them, even when they walk in the door, is asking us to not be who we are.

Explain what you want, and let the owners know how many people you represent (essentially), and how often you guys will be buying (remember its a business, and I'm sure each of these guys has been burned by people saying one thing and doing another), and Keep Coming Back!  Nothing makes a shop owner trust you more (other then just buying GOBS of books) then just seeing you on a regular basis and talking to you, heck they may just start to remember your name!  Once that happens you should feel much more comfortable. 

Remember game shops are more of a social club then they are a retail store.  If you walked into a country club or bar off the street would you expect all the members to run right over and ask about your day?
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Re: Game stores in NO
Reply #8 - Apr 15th, 2008 at 5:51pm
 
ZigZagMan wrote on Apr 13th, 2008 at 12:02am:
Remember game shops are more of a social club then they are a retail store.  If you walked into a country club or bar off the street would you expect all the members to run right over and ask about your day?


No a game shop, by definition, is a retail store.  If they want to run it as a club, then they should just run a club.   Also, don't complain that people buy from the internet instead of your store when you give them no incentive to do so.

A country club isn't really a retail store, now is it?  So, of course I wouldn't expect a lot of attention at first, unless of course they wanted me to actually join that is.  As for a bar? Yes, I expect prompt-ish service from a bartender, depending on how busy the bar is anyway. Yeah, I pretty much expect any business to be at least somewhat interested in me as a customer.  However, if the owner is running his shop as a mere hobby for himself, then he really doesn't need me.  That's okay, I have the internet and don't really need him either.

Sorry, but it's just rude to treat a customer as an interruption, and nerds are not given a free pass.
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Re: Game stores in NO
Reply #9 - Apr 15th, 2008 at 6:26pm
 
Priest, Amen to that.

It all sounds like the typical New Orleans service industry.  The customer is more of an annoyance rather than a way to make retail income.  It's a surprise that some places even stay open.  However, if they are the only two left open, I guess they're a monopoly of sorts...and can act as they please.

Do these myopic shops carry everything one would need?

Good thing I have the internet.  Wink
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Re: Game stores in NO
Reply #10 - Apr 15th, 2008 at 7:19pm
 
Well if you need metal miniatures to games like warhammer, and Armageddon then I am sure you need a bunch of stuff. But that is about 70% of their store.

There are SOME books, D&D related, but there is the same amount of selection in a borders.

I met the own of galactic games the other day. Completely different experience from the other clerks he has working there. He was VERY helpful, attentive, and knowledgeable. I just hope he knows that other wankers he has employed there blow off customers.

It is so very much a club there. And I guess the games they sponsor are the games they have on the walls to temp the people playing to by shit. It is in interesting business model, but it does help to estrange us normalish role players, and I think New Orleans needs more tables for better networking. That is why Me and Liam started this site.

On a good note, the own said he would be welcoming of a sign going up in his shop advertising our site. I just need to make one. I just have my doubts as to the clicke/younger gamers it might bring in. Even though I can not stand an immature gamer, at my table in order for table top gamers to exist we need to get the kids hooked before world of warcraft does it.
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Re: Game stores in NO
Reply #11 - Apr 15th, 2008 at 7:32pm
 
And there I was thinking that a nerd opening a store for nerds and expecting them to be social first was a great business plan.... Grin


If the wargamers want an area to post meeting times, recaps of games, ads for tourneys at the local shops and so forth, I will make it.  I don't want posts that are purely commercial and/or spam, but gamers posting about any kind of table top gaming is cool.

I'm not sure how I'd feel about WOW people or MMUORPG people posting here.  I'd have to think about it.  But any social gaming group  that needs a way for people to meet locally is fair game. 

And if people want areas to talk about other D&D mechanics or other gaming systems, just say so.
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Re: Game stores in NO
Reply #12 - Apr 15th, 2008 at 8:51pm
 
Quote:
On a good note, the own said he would be welcoming of a sign going up in his shop advertising our site. I just need to make one.


Tell him to put this in his store!

Just bored and playing around...  Cool

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« Last Edit: Apr 15th, 2008 at 10:10pm by Ancient Goat »  

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Re: Game stores in NO
Reply #13 - Apr 15th, 2008 at 9:24pm
 
You can just put:

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as the URL.  If you go to that you will be directed to the forum.
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Re: Game stores in NO
Reply #14 - Apr 15th, 2008 at 10:24pm
 
wow.... nice. I will make a poster.
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