There is no FLGS in Yeovil. There is a games store, but the selection is rubbish, and by all accounts the service isn't exactly friendly. There is a game store in Taunton, at which the assistant seemed quite reasonable on Saturday. However, again, the selection wasn't good enough to accept the pain associated with going that far. Also, as with all bricks-and-mortar stores, the prices were pretty damn high.
There are, apparently, a couple of likely stores in Bristol, and there are obviously a number in London, neither or which are beyond the occasional trip. However, by this point we've long since passed the threshold of pain. So, we're off bricks-and-mortar, and on to mail order.
The first problem with mail order is that people who work have a hard time receiving parcels. If the Royal Mail were smart, they'd only ever deliver such things on a Saturday or, better, to the nearest Post Office for collection. I guess we'll see what actually happens.
The big concerns with mail order are money and time. It appears that the cheapest way to get most books is from Amazon US. Yes, it's cheaper to order the things from the States and import them than to order from Amazon UK. This, of course, is dependent on the exchange rate, which is favourable at the moment. Of course, that's also the method with the longest lead-time. Also, you need to order a lot at once, or the shipping costs will kill you. (Also, note that books have free import duty and no VAT. Miniatures are classed as games, and CDs as software, both of which will have additional charges levied by customs. This, of course, negates any savings made using a US supplier - and because "Sharn: City of Towers" contains a CD, it risks an additional charge.)
There are other suppliers. Amazon don't stock everything, only the big sellers, and obviously aren't the quickest. Then again, since you're waiting anyway, what's a few weeks? And, if you order a large number of books every few months, you will quickly get to the point where you don't notice the lag, since you always have a new book to read anyway.
Krackers in Taunton isn't that bad, and if you're in the vicinity already (as I tend to go there on work matters about once a month) then it's our FLGS.
ReplyDeleteYeovil Collectors Centre I've been barred from, so I don't have a good review of them.
Ottokar's in Yeovil are surprisingly good, they don't stock a wide selection of books but they are friendly and will order any book in.
But for the Holy Grail, Leisure Games in Finchley, North London. It's not too far to get to for an occassional visit (I go twice a year) but be prepared to drop some serious money.