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Quote:

Change the "Fly a starship, save the Federation" to something else. Perhaps something like, "Explore the Starfleet Universe."

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By Michael Bennett (Mike) on Tuesday, March 23, 2010 - 09:03 pm: Edit

I was thinking even more generically than just attaching to the Federation. Bookmarks could be produced with images of Klingon ships and the old style Romulan ships, but have the same text on each type. The backs of the bookmarks could be identical.

I'll give a personal example. I read Star Trek novels while I do part of my daily workout on a recumbent bike at a local gym. Currently I use some old TOS bookmark cards as placeholders. When I open the book to read, I put the bookmark on a small ledge of the screen in front of me.

I am not embarrassed at all for anyone nearby or passing nearby to see the TOS bookmark, but I have been hesitant to have something sitting there that says, "Fly a starship, save the Federation."

Perhaps I am alone as a 51 year old man with this type of feeling, but I rather doubt it.

A bookmark of the same quality as the ones that ADB currently makes, but with a nice realistic aluminum brushed image of a ship and a catchy inclusive phrase such as "Explore the Starfleet Universe" would be very nice.

Using ships that are familiar to people who have watched Star Trek might go a long way in attracting their interest.

Provide bookmarks like these to stores that sell the product line and let them give them away to their customers. Our local store has just started a book room and I'll bet there are other stores that have book rooms, too. Free bookmarks would be a natural fit for those situations.

By Shawn Hantke (Shantke) on Wednesday, March 24, 2010 - 04:35 pm: Edit

How about an option on the cart with an additional fee for a signed copy of various books, or maybe sell copies of artwork signed by the artist. Or maybe a service where things could get sent in and signed and then returned for a fee of course. Or maybe a mini signed by the sculptor.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Thursday, March 25, 2010 - 11:28 am: Edit

If people ask Petrick or me to sign the game they bought, we do, for free. As for the artists, that could be logistically tricky. We'd have to send the items to the artists and hope the artist sent them back.

By Shawn Hantke (Shantke) on Thursday, March 25, 2010 - 01:26 pm: Edit

So not a possible small source of extra income?

By Jean Sexton (Jsexton) on Thursday, March 25, 2010 - 01:57 pm: Edit

Shawn, I know one author who used to do that sort of thing for free (the person paid shipping only). Bad Things happened to people's books -- they vanished in the mail, they were eaten by the dog, whatever. The author discontinued that service years ago and only offers an autographed bookplate.

I don't want to see Mike and Leanna have to keep track of people's books and hope the post office or UPS doesn't do something.

Very few people get away with charging for their autographs.

It's another reason to come to Origins! I promise to sign books with The Purple Pen of Perdition if asked.

By Michael C. Grafton (Mike_Grafton) on Thursday, March 25, 2010 - 04:37 pm: Edit

Shawn, IIRC my copy of CL 38 was signed by SVC and SPP. And I thought Leanna charged me a (very) nominal fee (I know I offered).

Well worth it if you have some special attachment to some issue.

By Shawn Hantke (Shantke) on Thursday, March 25, 2010 - 06:18 pm: Edit

It is not that I really wanted it, I just know that other manufactures offer limited edition or signed copies of some of their products for an increased price and thought that it might be a way for ADB to generate a little extra cash from products they are already doing and not eat up more precious design time and possibly using only a small amount of admin time for the benefit of more revenue. If it is not something that would be profitable or cost effective that is okay, it was just a suggestion. My idea was to maybe add a button on the cart to certain products, if you checked signed, it would get signed, and maybe add a dollar or something to the price and then the book would ship, if it proved popular then you could try having an artist singed print or something. Like I said it was just a suggestion.

By Jean Sexton (Jsexton) on Thursday, March 25, 2010 - 10:02 pm: Edit

Shawn, and thanks for it! You didn't know we already did the affordable part for free (smile). Keep thinking of neat things because you never know when you'll hit the jackpot!

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Friday, March 26, 2010 - 11:06 am: Edit

I checked with Leanna, and she has never charged anyone any fee for having me autograph something.

By Shawn Hantke (Shantke) on Friday, April 30, 2010 - 01:50 pm: Edit

The post about the upcomming Carrier Packs got me thinking, how about a Duel pack of the most famous ships? Like a Fed CA vs a Klingon D7 and include enough drones and shuttles to play the duel, or maybe a Gorn Ca and Romulan SPH and enough plasma and shuttles to duel.

Perhaps something like a Tournament Booster- include a hybrid SFB/FC color laminated full size card with the coresponding ship mini and the shuttles plus drones or plasma torpedoes it needs to fight tournament battles.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Friday, April 30, 2010 - 01:56 pm: Edit

Theoretically possible, but the stores want fewer packs, not more packs, and I'm having trouble getting the carrier groups accepted.

And don't even think of mail order only. The retailers hate "mail order only" (and consider it proof that I'm a scoundrel whose products they should stop carrying) more than they hate "excessive packs rearranging the same old ships".

By Randy Blair (Randyblair) on Friday, April 30, 2010 - 04:19 pm: Edit

Hmmm...
Yanno, I realize that retailers are important, but I never purchase anything in a store anymore (aside from food and the like). Maybe it's time to focus solely on the Internet presence? (not because I personally buy stuff only online, but because it's a trend that most folks are doing now)

Perhaps an Amazon or ebay store?

Just some thoughts...

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Friday, April 30, 2010 - 06:59 pm: Edit

No, it's NOT time to focus solely on the internet presence. We need our games on stores shelves as that is the BEST way to find new customers. It beats finding them on internet by ten to one.

We have had Amazon and Ebay stores. They didn't sell anything. AT ALL. The people who buy in those stores want discounts. We cannot give discounts or the retailers will drop our products. See part one.

By Randy Blair (Randyblair) on Friday, April 30, 2010 - 07:21 pm: Edit

Well, there's got to be a way to increase the customer base.
Are there any hobby type retail shops that are NOT carrying SFU products? (Sorry if that question appears particularly dense, but like I said, I don't frequent those places so I wouldn't know.)
If the answer is yes, what will it take to get them to stock ADB products?

By Loren Knight (Loren) on Friday, April 30, 2010 - 07:38 pm: Edit

I buy all my game material solely from stores (that which I haven't earned from ADB that is).

By Jean Sexton (Jsexton) on Friday, April 30, 2010 - 08:24 pm: Edit

Randy, it takes time. Either time from SVC cold-calling the store or from customers going into stores they frequent and asking them to stock the games.

Customers asking for a full load of games doesn't go over as well unless the store has those same customers on Game Days playing the game, talking about it, having a good time. Then new customers happen and they want games and back stock.

That is why SVC wants the presence in the stores.

By Randy Blair (Randyblair) on Friday, April 30, 2010 - 09:14 pm: Edit

@Jean - I've played SFB for 25 years. If a store is going to carry something, it seems like it would have by now.
Honestly, I don't even know what stores there are in my area, and I live near Detroit, where I would think there would be dozens.
Right now, is SFB or FC the big seller?

By Michael Bennett (Mike) on Friday, April 30, 2010 - 09:51 pm: Edit

Perhaps this is why ADB is producing those YouTube videos?

By Howard Bampton (Bampton) on Saturday, May 01, 2010 - 12:06 am: Edit

Ft. Lauderdale has 3 game stores (well, 2 plus a store that did comics, RPG, and board games). One had a few ADB products, but not the entire line by any stretch. A fourth store went under in the last couple of years. They had a few ADB products. Philadelphia has one in the suburbs in a tiny strip mall that without a GPS or the like only a local will find (might be more places that I do not know of). That place has most of the ADB lines (might not have some of the older products). A few comic book places near Atlanta had games when I was there in the late 90's. I can not recall what they stocked after all these years. A dozen game stores near Detroit would seem to be optimistic.

By Jean Sexton (Jsexton) on Saturday, May 01, 2010 - 12:38 am: Edit

Randy, stores start up all the time. Many times they will fail, but some will make it. Many times, those stores are started by someone who enjoys some aspect of gaming. If they aren't actively playing in the SFU, they may not even know it is still ongoing. (I do still hear regularly, "Gosh, I thought you guys were dead!")

The internet is great for selling you stuff you know you want. It tries to add some browsing with "Other customers bought X", but it isn't the same, not really.

The YouTube videos are great. They let folks know we are alive, they tip people over the edge when they are thinking about buying, and they can give retailers the reason to buy the product as well as some selling techniques. Like the internet method of purchase, you must know you want it before you want whatever it is.

By Randy Blair (Randyblair) on Saturday, May 01, 2010 - 01:37 am: Edit

How are the YouTube videos being marketed?
If you give me the links, I'll post it to my 4,600 Facebook friends and 2,000 Twitter friends. Some of them might be interested and spread the word.

By ROBERT l cALLAWAY (Callaway) on Saturday, May 01, 2010 - 02:02 am: Edit

omaha has 4 stores at current time 3 do regular game times one for sure does FC as for the others ADB are special order. the current recession has hit many small retailers hard. Lines with small turnover just are unable to be stocked on a regular bases.

By Jean Sexton (Jsexton) on Saturday, May 01, 2010 - 08:06 am: Edit

Randy, our YouTube channel is here: http://www.youtube.com/user/starfleetgames#p/u

Thanks for getting the word out!

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Saturday, May 01, 2010 - 11:56 am: Edit

The number of "game stores" is hotly debated. Most think around 1500, compared to 5000 back when the d20 craze and the clickybase craze and the CCG craze were going hot.

We're in somewhere between 150 and 300. Impossible to tell for sure. Also, "in" means anything from "a product or two" to "the whole line."

Any given retailer fills 90% of the store with the top 5 or 10 companies. The last shelf or two gets whatever happens to land there. Could be that a game publisher cold called them. Could be that a salesman at the wholesaler told them. Could be they saw and add, or talked to the publisher at a convention. Could be they like the game. Could be a gamer talked them into it.

Most stores, however, when any publisher they don't care call, either won't talk (the shelf is full and I make my money on the other 90% and that shelf is just there it hold down the gripes from quirky players about my not carrying their favorite game) or say "sorry, but my not-the-top-ten space is full" or "no, I heard XYZ froms somebody and decided not to carry it" or something.

We lose a few stores a year that go out of business, and one or two a year that stop carrying us. We gain a dozen or two a year for various reasons by various methods. We actually do better than 99% of publishers as far as continually gaining stores. But companies like Wizards of the Coast and Steve Jackson are in ALL of the stores. We're just not in that league.