That seems, odd, i know that when i worked at a Toys R Us, when we got returns, we would Occasionally, and this was fairly rare, make sure they were sufficnetly damaged to return... ie bang up more so that they really looked like they had a real reason to be returned instead of a tiny scratch on somehting you just get from using it (and not talking media like DVD, Games etc other things). But we actually yeah had returns that got sent back to places, it seems odd that Wal-mart puts the stuff in the rubish pile.

One problem that I have noticed with my NSFLGS (not so friendly local game store) is that when he started facing competition he started treating his customers worse. Not placing special orders, lying to his customers, a whole gamut of stress related antisocial behavior that will cost him customers. He bad mouths his competition, and recently stopped allowing the use of PDF products in the store run games 'if you can't buy it here, why should I let you use it here?' Oy! (I had already stopped buying at his store, so this last is second hand.)

He has already lost me, I bought at the local store because of the service, and to support a local game store, by being a jerk he has made the lower prices that I can get at our local used book dealer (who special orders at 20% off) a better choice than going to the game store. And I have been dealing with Annie's Bookstop for more than a decade, so it also allows me to remain loyal to a local company if not a local game store.

The Auld Grump

Well, this is a local abberation, I suspect that most game stores do not have managers who get rude when on the defensive. Though I have seen it three times with three different stores... but not with two others. Stress does weird things to people.

One of the failed local stores lost their distribtor by not paying up, so started buying from another game store and jacking up the price 20%. They ended up getting raided for copyright violation... given that they had a big sign in their window saying 'We Have Bootleg Videos and Tapes!' this was not a big surprise to anybody but them.

Another was just a tax write-off. It went under after he started charging Dungeon Masters $15 to run games... He also ran tournaments (for a fee), entered them and won, spltting the prize with the 2nd place winner, who was the other judge.

A fourth went under following a messy divorce involving one of the female players and the back room of the shop. (Stupid, stupid, stupid! The owner on paper of the shop was the wife he was cheating on.) He also did the running tournaments and winning them thing.

The other two went quietly out of business under Bush Sr. - Them I feel sorry for, they were good people. (Dragon's Keep, and Maine Games, I miss you.)

But as I said, I have alternatives! There is a gamestore within 30 miles (which is what prompted the antisocial behavior). If I drove I would make the 30 mile trek, but I don't, so I don't. And Annie's Bookstop has been very good to me for a very long time. By his behavior he really isn't hurting anyone but himself. It is so stupid! There are groups that no longer even bother putting up notices at his store, they get a better response from Waldenbooks!

Sorry, I am venting. Up until he started getting competition he was a very nice guy, and had a very nice shop. Now his shop is suffering, he is delaying or not placing special orders, not restocking items that sell out... But he started behaving badly as soon as he had any competition, so it may have happened eventually anyway. As it is he would have to apologize before I would set foot in his shop again. And I don't expect him to.

The Auld Grump