Any roleplayers out there?

[ArcRiley]

I've been interested in starting a game store before.  The problem I keep seeing is the profit margin being far too low for what kind of effort you need to put into it.

Especially given that Amazon.com and other online retailers are giving 30% discounts and fast delivery.. to compete with that, IMHO, one would need an extremely low overhead store.  Perhaps a coop type place with membership dues to cover their use of the space to play and self-checkout of books/cards much like a vending machine.

However, on a profitability standpoint we have hundreds, eventually thousands of people moving to the state with certain interests.  Businesses starting up to fill those interests, responding to the needs created by this influx of new residents, are the most likely to succeed.

How about a computer store selling GNU/Linux systems?  perhaps combined with,

A phone store selling anonymous cell+voip/wifi service with OpenMoko phones?  Could resell/rebrand TMobile's service to start and expand with own cell towers as customer base grows

A "construction" company focused on alternative building methods, off-the-grid electric, etc would find more business than it could serve from free staters moving to certain counties w/ light/no building code laws

Based on the earlier convo about kilts showing an interest from free staters, building a machine to mass produce them with little labor and thus compete with utilikilts, neokilts, amerikilts, etc through local sales and an online store

Doing a joint venture with others to purchase an apartment building to rent to free staters with these forums providing ideal free advertising to fill them and keep them filled by people who would respect the building

I'm sure there's many more possible ventures which would work well given the markets we're creating ourselves.

[picaro]

I've been interested in starting a game store before.  The problem I keep seeing is the profit margin being far too low for what kind of effort you need to put into it.

Especially given that Amazon.com and other online retailers are giving 30% discounts and fast delivery.. to compete with that, IMHO, one would need an extremely low overhead store.  Perhaps a coop type place with membership dues to cover their use of the space to play and self-checkout of books/cards much like a vending machine.

Our strategy involved competing online, then renting space in a building reserved for the arts by the owner.  (Storytelling is an artform. )  It never achieved the "lived-in" homey feel of the older game stores.

How about a computer store selling GNU/Linux systems?

I'd buy this service.   Many people are interested in the security and stability of GNU/Linux without the frustration of getting the OS fully functional.  (Ubuntu is pretty... but frustrating.  Configuration hell awaits neophytes.  (crippled DVD playback, kludgey interpretation of IDE tags for MP3s... getting the the out-of-the-box media apps to work with camcorders, bluetooth cellphones, ipods, printers, etc.) 

Lots of other interesting ideas to mull over.

[Braddogg]

I'm into roleplaying.  Sometimes I like to dress up like a plumber, go over to a lady friend's house, and "fix her pipes."

[Dan]

As for profit margin: the markup on board games and RPG books is 100%.  In other words, the store gets them at half price.

Online stores are selling for usually something less than double, but closer to double than not.

As for the geek/GNU/linux store, it's called Fry's Electronics.    Simply incredible geek experience, yet most everyone in the North East hasn't a clue what I'm talking about, and have never seen the computer stores you might be able to make out from the I.S.S.

[Dreepa]

As for the geek/GNU/linux store, it's called Fry's Electronics.   

Others call in Mecca!