Just because we're a SF specialty store...

[Dreamstalker]

...does not mean I can jump into the future and get you something that isn't out yet (can I add that to the list of powers I wish I had?).

One from last week at the game store (besides the old coot who wouldn't leave, resulting in me being chewed out by the owner for taking too long to close...I'm not counting the drawer in full view of a non-regular and I'm definitely not leaving the register until the count is done, ergo I can't do the DB backup until the reg is closed down).

I get a call about some gaming book, I think it was a White Wolf Scion tome. Yes, a street date had been announced, but one of the first things I learned was to not trust publisher street dates on gaming materials and to use our main game distributor as a guideline. If they have it, it's out. If not, it's not and they probably don't know the real street date either.

Not-a-gamer-and-you-could-tell: Do you carry White Wolf books?
Me: Is there one in particular you're looking for?
NG: White Wolf.
Me: What game?
NG: Scion.
Me: Do you have a specific title?
NG: [title that I can't recall off-paw, not being up on the newer games]

I go to our distributor website, surprise none in stock anywhere and no street date listed save for Not Yet Available.

Me: No, I'm afraid we don't have that one and I don't have any information on a release date, if--
NG: *click*

Not five minutes later, the phone rings again.

NG: Whitewolfscion[title] (all in one breath. Amazingly, I somehow knew it was him and hadn't closed out the distributor page yet)
Me: We don't have that one and I have no info on the release date, you would need to contact Wh--
NG: *click*

Not released yet means not released yet.

Anyone care to hazard a guess as to how many MA game stores he called that night and did the same thing?

[AnaKhouri]

I hate that! The most extreme case was a guy who asked for the third book in some trilogy by Margaret Weis (can't remember what the series name is). Problem is, the book has not been released yet and there is no street date. Yet the guy INSISTED he had bought it at our store before. I told him it wasn't possible as the book was not out yet. He said it was. Repeat far too many times.

Finally he says, "Maybe it was a mistake and you put it out too early."

Which is when I snapped a little. "I don't see how that's possible since according to MARGARET WEIS' OFFICIAL WEBSITE she has not even finished writing it yet!"

[chainedbarista]

i'm guessing it's the last book (d&d with the character mina) for that series.

then there are those who are surprised by a new release and don't know how to handle it (omg...it's new, the end of the world has arrived) or do the same if their favorite is discontinued.

bets the loser called everyone and his mother, for me, i'm betting on him calling and calling, thinking more calls = magical appearance of the desired item.

[CaroPhoenix]

Just let those who want gaming books to know that you cannot release any books before the street date. I know if you sell D&D books before the street date, WoTC (Wizards of The Coast) can take away your ability to sell their product for the lifetime of your store. Should be end of story, but I'm sure you'd have to explain it slooooowly.

[BookstoreEscapee]

Just let those who want gaming books to know that you cannot release any books before the street date. I know if you sell D&D books before the street date, WoTC (Wizards of The Coast) can take away your ability to sell their product for the lifetime of your store. Should be end of story, but I'm sure you'd have to explain it slooooowly.

I loved people who would complain because the street date was Tomorrow and why couldn't we just sell it to them Tonight. Because we're NOT ALLOWED!! And if we do they won't let us sell the next one and then you'll complain because we don't have it. And we'll get fined and the bigwigs won't be happy.

[cinema guy]

Street dates work because distribution is relatively slow. If the distributor is in Chicago, the books are going to get delivered to Chicago relatively quickly but to Dallas several days later when the truck gets there. Meanwhile gamers in Dallas desperate to get their sweaty palms on the latest Something: the Something Else game form White Wolf will have ordered it by mail from a store in Chicago and a Dallas loses the sale.

[Dreamstalker]

I loved people who would complain because the street date was Tomorrow and why couldn't we just sell it to them Tonight. Because we're NOT ALLOWED!!

Oy, I got that at my old bookstore for both HP releases that I worked. Eventually, I think a coworker had to say that Scholastic could tell who bought copies before midnight and would come after them...

cinemaguy, love the link.

[Becks]

Anyone care to hazard a guess as to how many MA game stores he called that night and did the same thing?

If he only called you twice, I'm sure he called a lot of other places.


Quite frankly, I'm shocked at him. Quitting after the second try? No perseverence. Tsk tsk.

[cinema guy]

cinemaguy, love the link.

Critical Miss is a damn funny webzine. It is a shame it is so very infrequent.

[Dreamstalker]

If he only called you twice, I'm sure he called a lot of other places.

Quite frankly, I'm shocked at him. Quitting after the second try? No perseverence. Tsk tsk.

He probably called every game store on the east coast, if not east of the Mississippi. He must know something about proven transporter technology that the rest of us don't.

[Mark Healey]

On the 21st I'm going to get a bunch of calls and walk in requests for Harry Potter Book7. Mind you that this is a used bookstore and we usually don't see new titles until they've been out for six months to a year. Although with things this popular it will probably only be a couple of weeks.

I'm going to be going to a big box store for mine. If only I could find one with an exact change/HP only line so I could get it and get out.