Entitlements, it’s a dirty word nowadays. Officially, it means: something that has been earned. Unofficially we use it as something that we feel we deserve.
As Warhammer players, we feel that we’re entitled to a free gaming space. “I bought paint here today, that means I can play here all day.”
Let me go ahead and break this down for you now.
That $4.50 you spent doesn’t even come close.
The store does not get the entire amount, usually only about 45% of that. Even if we assume they got the entire $4.50, you’d have to buy a heck of a lot more paints to “earn” that free table.
Rob’s done the math on this multiple times; it costs a game store roughly $70 -$140 per month to keep ONE game table (in rent).That’s 15 – 31 pots of paint a month.
“Yeah, but more people than me use that game table. There’s at least 20 people at the game store, and we all share that ONE table (you’re a liar) so, I can divide that cost by 20. So, I only have to buy like 4 pots of paint.”
No, you can’t! That math does not include the cost of terrain, the lighting, the heating and cooling, the cost of personnel to keep the store open…. Oh, and um, a profit? You know, that thing the pays the game store owner’s bills: rent, food, utilities and ballet practice for his daughter?
When we go to any entertainment venue we’re expected to pay money. Bowling ally, Pool Hall, Golf Course, Arcade, you name it! A lot of the times you have to pay just to get in. Sure, you can drop in and watch a game, maybe that’s free, but to play you have to pay.
Today, we’re so used to advertising picking up the bill that it’s easy to forget the absurd amount of money that’s poured in by companies to generate content for us to watch and read.
Yes, we drop a fair amount on plastic toy soldiers, Games Workshop is doing well, it’s had a number of years at the top of the miniatures market but it hasn’t grown recently.
That Family Owned/Local Game Store might be a little run down, well, there’s a reason for that and I just described it above.
While you’re out there saving 25% on your next purchase they’re paying for your table. You didn’t earn that table; you’re basically stealing that table. Whatever it is you think you’re bringing to the game store: your sparkling attitude, your amazingly painted army.. I’m here to tell you, it’s not enough. Grass, Gas, or A** , nobody rides for free.
If you play at home, go ahead, get that 25% off girl!
If you play at a store, please, for hobby sake, buy something of the shelf from them and not just a pot of paint here and there…
“Keep the hobby alive!!”
