Buying Local

The topic of where we buy our models comes up frequently in the miniature wargaming hobby. The reasons for either are both varied and valid. Some people buy locally because it supports the place they are currently playing. Others buy online because it is cheaper and they are playing in their homes or the home of a friend. I do a bit of both personally. I tend to order models through my local shop unless there is an insane deal or the item I want is something my local store can not order for me.

The reason I am discussing this topic is because my reasoning for buying local when I can is a bit different from the reasons I have seen other people give. I do not play games often. Maybe a handful of times per year right now. Last year it was a bit more, but life is about fluctuation. I can get those same games in at other people's houses or invite others into my home. I buy from my local store because the store inspires me.

There are simple ways. Seeing somebody's painted models is always a bit of a kick in the pants to get something painted myself. Having a planned game or event is also an incentive to paint something.

On a personal level, I had stopped painting years ago. My health goes up and down and I quit during a dip wherein I was unable to paint at all. I did not pick the brush back up later on my own. My local shop is responsible for getting me back into all kinds of tabletop gaming. I sort of had a toe in through reading magazines and forums or buying stuff here or there, but I was not playing nor painting. Upon returning I found somebody had replaced over half of my old paints with coloured bricks sitting in little pots. In a way, those paints were sort of representative of what I had allowed my life to become. My attitude, and therefore to a minor extent my health, is better for being involved in this hobby. That would not have happened if not for my local game shop.

It is not just myself however. There are some things my local game shop does that anybody can see. One example is running events to help raise money for a local food bank. Another local shop runs a fairly impressive drive for Toys for Tots every year. There are other ways my local shop helps that are not so evident however. There are other people with similar experiences to mine where the store had helped them on a personal level. Each of these have their own flavour and are not my stories to share here. It's weird being in a shared space where the majority of people are introverts, but it somehow works. I live in a Republican county in a Democratic state. Strangers here literally come to blows in public over differing political views sometimes. In the store people will set aside their different politics and disagreements to spend time together even if it is just for a couple of hours. I watch vets returning home that feel lost. The store provides a means to help them reintegrate into society more smoothly. My store helps give me hope in Humanity.

So I guess what it boils down to for me is that I do not support my local game store because it is a place to play. I support my local game store because it is a place to be a part of a community I want to be a part of. I can understand buying all of your product online if your local store is just a store or if you are already paying club dues somewhere. For me, the community my store hosts is worth investing in even if I rarely take the opportunity to be directly involved myself.

If you are ever in Fresno California USA and need to take a tinkle, then I can not recommend the CrazySquirrel Game Store enough. There is not only one, but two clean bathrooms. I guess there are some games and stuff open to play for free in the back as well, but really, it's the bathrooms that will keep you coming back.