I don't think it's doomed from the outset, but it certainly seems high risk.
It seems like a game store but without the obvious revenue source of selling gaming stuff. And game stores are notoriously difficult to run without going bust on their own. This seems near impossible to make work.
I don't think it's doomed from the outset, but it certainly seems high risk.
It seems like a game store but without the obvious revenue source of selling gaming stuff. And game stores are notoriously difficult to run without going bust on their own. This seems near impossible to make work.
There are studio-type places that have made a gaming 'den' type of business work (Blue Table Painting, for example) without strictly going the retail route (though BTP does do orders for customers) by monetizing through services instead of product.
I do think you're mostly right, though (and Deebaser's assessment is pretty definitive).
Can you not make up all the materials and things, and then rent a local public hall or meeting area a few nights a month and see if your advertising can get folks to show up? Charge a nominal entry fee and then provide cokes and things at a decent price and see how things go.
It would be very low risk for each individual session, you wouldn't have to sign any sort of lease, you'd not have to worry about the facilities. You'd get to gauge general interest and if things go well eventually transition to a rental space. You'd have regulars established and have a better idea of what kind of space you need.
Edit:
You'd also be able to get it rolling much sooner without such a huge commitment.
dispatch.o on
0
Options
zepherinRussian warship, go fuck yourselfRegistered Userregular
Can you not make up all the materials and things, and then rent a local public hall or meeting area a few nights a month and see if your advertising can get folks to show up? Charge a nominal entry fee and then provide cokes and things at a decent price and see how things go.
It would be very low risk for each individual session, you wouldn't have to sign any sort of lease, you'd not have to worry about the facilities. You'd get to gauge general interest and if things go well eventually transition to a rental space. You'd have regulars established and have a better idea of what kind of space you need.
I like this. Rent out an area for a day, and run a campaign, board game selection MTG tourney etc through it, sell convenience accessories for people there, and charge an entry fee for food and drink costs. I've seen things like this do 20 bucks a person and have pop and some pizzas delivered.
I don't live in Spring, but I have family there. I live out west of Houston. Fat Ogre employees were very friendly the times I've gone, I'm surprised you've experienced otherwise. Though I've only went once they were on Rayford or whatever that road is.
That's where I went, too. The first few times were when I just moved here. The last time before they moved off Sawdust, the person working there was *OBVIOUSLY* intoxicated. Very highly intoxicated, actually.
I went a few weeks ago and it had changed a bit. The guy was pretty friendly and helpful. The place was much bigger, too.
So I decided that this is probably a bit bigger than I had hoped. I still plan on starting a small business, however I think I am going to construct affordable gaming tables. The ones for sale online are upwards of $2,000. While I cannot match the hand-made quality of that in my little garage-shop, I can produce affordable tables that are very durable and look good. Here's the picture of my first finished one. I have several designs/variants already designed and ready for implementation.
Yeah, if you can come up with a good shipping and distribution system, that looks like an awesome thing to sell. I'd be tempted to put one in my game room, for sure. I'd want a darker stain for mine, though, to hide the drink stains. :P
Yeah, if you can come up with a good shipping and distribution system, that looks like an awesome thing to sell. I'd be tempted to put one in my game room, for sure. I'd want a darker stain for mine, though, to hide the drink stains. :P
You should figure out how to break it apart and allow easy reassemble (with instructions). Then put it in a box and ship it. You may have to send multiple boxes (make sure you make it as easy for you to send and build replacements as possible too). Because unless you're selling this stuff locally only, shipping it is going to be brutal.
not a doctor, not a lawyer, examples I use may not be fully researched so don't take out of context plz, don't @ me
+1
Options
Deebaseron my way to work in a suit and a tieAhhhh...come on fucking guyRegistered Userregular
Figuring out a way to market/ship those tables would be a much better small business.
Hell, throw some stain on there and try and sell one or two to your local game shops (even at a reduced profit) and figure out how to brand it such that the people that see it in the shops will know how to buy their own.
Yes, much better idea, as it doesn't require you to staff a store or anything. Table looks really nice as well. You may want to contact some local art students as well if people want more artistic flourishes (if you aren't an artist, no idea if you are)
That's a much more interesting idea for a gaming-themed small business. Much less of a headache than running a social space, and you shouldn't need to keep any stock if you are making custom orders. Perhaps you could advertise on gaming sites.
Yes, much better idea, as it doesn't require you to staff a store or anything. Table looks really nice as well. You may want to contact some local art students as well if people want more artistic flourishes (if you aren't an artist, no idea if you are)
Hell, pick up a wood burner and put a goddamn dragon on it.
Yes, much better idea, as it doesn't require you to staff a store or anything. Table looks really nice as well. You may want to contact some local art students as well if people want more artistic flourishes (if you aren't an artist, no idea if you are)
Hell, pick up a wood burner and put a goddamn dragon on it.
A dragon with an actual website url to buy one. :P
That table is really impressive, and would work as a standard dining room table as well - chuck a tablecloth on there and nobody would know it supports the massed armies of chaos and order for three hours a week.
Do you know any artists who work in metal or wood? I bet giving the option to add artwork to the top or the metal slideout bits would get a lot of interest.
I might be getting ahead of myself, but transparencies with grids of 1 inch squares or hexes that are designed to cover the table would create an instant battlemat, or maybe stain the wood in a light checkerboard pattern for a more permanent look? (I stress that I'm just using my Platonic ideal for a gaming table here. While you're at it, add an iPod dock for easy ambient music addition and some cup holders, and a rail round the rim to transport bowls of dip / special dice )
[Muffled sounds of gorilla violence]
0
Options
JohnnyCacheStarting DefensePlace at the tableRegistered Userregular
edited February 2013
The great thing about selling the tables is they'd be understood to be custom, so you could take a deposit, buy the materials with it, and build that table.
The only bad thing is you could get backlogged, and the logistics of delivering.
PS a great customization to offer would be some sort of spot or cubby for a projector ....esp if it was on, say, a lazy susan or something that was raised a bit. So you could point it at whatever wall you wanted?
I just read through the whole thread and yeah I think the gaming tables will be a much better small business plan. Hell I saw that table and thought it would look nice in my gaming room, of course it all comes down to cost, because a lot of those crazy custom tables do cost a ridiculous amount of money. Out of curiosity what would you price that table at?
I've seen those tables before and think that is a ridiculous price, of course they are entirely hand made and crafted to exact specifications, and the only reason they are successful is because they only produce a few a year if I recall correctly.
If you were to make more tables at a more affordable cost, I could see that being a fairly lucrative business. Of course lower prices means you would have to make more tables, but there will be a greater demand.
Overall, cost of wood and assembly puts it right around 1k. 1500 doesn't leave much room for staying profitable unless he made 5 tables a month (a high amount) so he's gotta figure out where he falls on a demand curve. I'd say 2k would be the sweet spot.
It's also a quality good that lasts decades, so that goes into the cost too. Ain't no walmart particle board there.
not a doctor, not a lawyer, examples I use may not be fully researched so don't take out of context plz, don't @ me
+1
Options
JohnnyCacheStarting DefensePlace at the tableRegistered Userregular
I've seen those tables before and think that is a ridiculous price, of course they are entirely hand made and crafted to exact specifications, and the only reason they are successful is because they only produce a few a year if I recall correctly.
If you were to make more tables at a more affordable cost, I could see that being a fairly lucrative business. Of course lower prices means you would have to make more tables, but there will be a greater demand.
Value is always relative, of course (some people will never buy a BMW when a ford taurus goes from A to B, and that's fine) , but compared to other high end gaming tables, IE pool, poker, with similar build quality, that is certainly a fair price, esp. on the models that fold up into a more utilitarian table when not in gaming use.
Deebaseron my way to work in a suit and a tieAhhhh...come on fucking guyRegistered Userregular
With respect, I disagree with KoolEagle. These sorts of tables are an extremely niche product and I can't really see there being much greater demand for cheaply made versions of them. Real furniture is expensive and creating crap IKEA furniture is a skillset wholly unrelated to woodworking.
+1
Options
JohnnyCacheStarting DefensePlace at the tableRegistered Userregular
Demographically, I think there is a HUGE home gaming market that doesn't overlap much with the "game store crowd"
The former can afford this product line, especially if it does double duty as a tasteful piece of furniture the rest of the week.
I just read through the whole thread and yeah I think the gaming tables will be a much better small business plan. Hell I saw that table and thought it would look nice in my gaming room, of course it all comes down to cost, because a lot of those crazy custom tables do cost a ridiculous amount of money. Out of curiosity what would you price that table at?
Hehe... that table cost less than $300 in materials. The ones on the internet are going for upwards of $2k - $3k
I also have designed several - all in a 3d program. I can sell the designs for $10 - $20/each if I want to. The top is one piece - 4ft x 8ft. Shipping it would be expensive, pushing the cost up a lot more.
I am very encouraged by your responses. I'm glad you liked the table.
I will tell you that my woodworking all came out of one thing; I wanted to build my own dice roller. All I needed was a sheet of wood and a jigsaw.
There's a kickstarter going right now for the "ultimate (computer) gaming desk" right now. Artisan geek furniture is the next big thing I think.
+1
Options
Donovan PuppyfuckerA dagger in the dark isworth a thousand swords in the morningRegistered Userregular
OP, if you can build solid, quality tables like the one in your picture in a modular form so that you can customise them (add dice rollers, underslung bookshelves, etc. etc.) for a good price (start at just under two grand and go up from there?) with a healthy profit margin built in, then you're set. Once you have a couple of jigs built, proven set plans to work from, and a nice lacquer gun for finishing, you could knock a couple together every weekend for as long as you can be bothered to. It might not make you a millionaire, but it could definitely pad your pockets.
OP, if you can build solid, quality tables like the one in your picture in a modular form so that you can customise them (add dice rollers, underslung bookshelves, etc. etc.) for a good price (start at just under two grand and go up from there?) with a healthy profit margin built in, then you're set. Once you have a couple of jigs built, proven set plans to work from, and a nice lacquer gun for finishing, you could knock a couple together every weekend for as long as you can be bothered to. It might not make you a millionaire, but it could definitely pad your pockets.
You could get up there quick if you're working a 9-5er during the week.
not a doctor, not a lawyer, examples I use may not be fully researched so don't take out of context plz, don't @ me
If you can make it modular and break-down-able for storage that'll help your reach. I cannot commit ~100 cubic ft of space to such a piece of furniture (since the "legs" are sheets, your posted table looks very fixed), but I could use it as a play table with the kids and a poker table a few nights a month (I'm not much of an RPG'er or adult tabletop gamer anymore).
Having stain and veneer choices would be good, and a way to slide or remove the personal trays.
Actually, if you can get the thing on a pallet and pack it that way then you're looking at $200-$300 freight which isn't too bad for such a large item.
It'll also stay safe since it won't be picked up and thrown around by package handlers.
Posts
It seems like a game store but without the obvious revenue source of selling gaming stuff. And game stores are notoriously difficult to run without going bust on their own. This seems near impossible to make work.
There are studio-type places that have made a gaming 'den' type of business work (Blue Table Painting, for example) without strictly going the retail route (though BTP does do orders for customers) by monetizing through services instead of product.
I do think you're mostly right, though (and Deebaser's assessment is pretty definitive).
Do you live in Spring?
One thing I've noticed about Fat Ogre is that the employees tend to be jackasses.
The last time I went in, though, it wasn't bad. He was actually helpful and not pissy that I took him away from his magic game.
Well, he also wasn't three sheets to the wind like the time I went in before they moved to their new location.
The Apocalypse Has Never Been More Fun
Secret Satan Wishlist!! Thinkgeek Wish List
It would be very low risk for each individual session, you wouldn't have to sign any sort of lease, you'd not have to worry about the facilities. You'd get to gauge general interest and if things go well eventually transition to a rental space. You'd have regulars established and have a better idea of what kind of space you need.
Edit:
You'd also be able to get it rolling much sooner without such a huge commitment.
I went a few weeks ago and it had changed a bit. The guy was pretty friendly and helpful. The place was much bigger, too.
The Apocalypse Has Never Been More Fun
Secret Satan Wishlist!! Thinkgeek Wish List
Bit clearer shot
The Apocalypse Has Never Been More Fun
Secret Satan Wishlist!! Thinkgeek Wish List
That's a pretty swank table.
@Cogliostro
You should figure out how to break it apart and allow easy reassemble (with instructions). Then put it in a box and ship it. You may have to send multiple boxes (make sure you make it as easy for you to send and build replacements as possible too). Because unless you're selling this stuff locally only, shipping it is going to be brutal.
Hell, throw some stain on there and try and sell one or two to your local game shops (even at a reduced profit) and figure out how to brand it such that the people that see it in the shops will know how to buy their own.
Hell, pick up a wood burner and put a goddamn dragon on it.
Do you know any artists who work in metal or wood? I bet giving the option to add artwork to the top or the metal slideout bits would get a lot of interest.
The only bad thing is you could get backlogged, and the logistics of delivering.
PS a great customization to offer would be some sort of spot or cubby for a projector ....esp if it was on, say, a lazy susan or something that was raised a bit. So you could point it at whatever wall you wanted?
I host a podcast about movies.
About 3 grand.
15k for luxury models.
If you were to make more tables at a more affordable cost, I could see that being a fairly lucrative business. Of course lower prices means you would have to make more tables, but there will be a greater demand.
It's also a quality good that lasts decades, so that goes into the cost too. Ain't no walmart particle board there.
Value is always relative, of course (some people will never buy a BMW when a ford taurus goes from A to B, and that's fine) , but compared to other high end gaming tables, IE pool, poker, with similar build quality, that is certainly a fair price, esp. on the models that fold up into a more utilitarian table when not in gaming use.
I host a podcast about movies.
The former can afford this product line, especially if it does double duty as a tasteful piece of furniture the rest of the week.
I host a podcast about movies.
That is the one I built.
The Apocalypse Has Never Been More Fun
Secret Satan Wishlist!! Thinkgeek Wish List
Hehe... that table cost less than $300 in materials. The ones on the internet are going for upwards of $2k - $3k
I also have designed several - all in a 3d program. I can sell the designs for $10 - $20/each if I want to. The top is one piece - 4ft x 8ft. Shipping it would be expensive, pushing the cost up a lot more.
I am very encouraged by your responses. I'm glad you liked the table.
I will tell you that my woodworking all came out of one thing; I wanted to build my own dice roller. All I needed was a sheet of wood and a jigsaw.
Yeah, $2000 in woodworking tools later...
The Apocalypse Has Never Been More Fun
Secret Satan Wishlist!! Thinkgeek Wish List
You could get up there quick if you're working a 9-5er during the week.
Having stain and veneer choices would be good, and a way to slide or remove the personal trays.
Good luck.
It'll also stay safe since it won't be picked up and thrown around by package handlers.