THE VIEW FROM BEHIND THE COUNTER

By: Alan Williams

Store Manager: Game Universe, Milwaukee, WI

Greetings and salutations! Welcome to (what I hope) will become a regular feature here at RPGLife, the View From Behind the Counter. Little snips of information here and there giving you the retailer's thoughts and perspectives on our hobby. 

Believe it or not, your local retailer is a human being! (Shocking, I know!) More than likely, he got into this business because he too is a gamer. Oh, he may not have much time to game anymore, but rest assured, behind that counter sits the soul of a true brother in arms. 

What exactly do we know about this mythic beast? Well, for one thing, he must truly love our hobby. Let's face it, there's no other way the man is going to dedicate his life to your games if he didn't! He has a deep appreciation for games (and gamers) of all types. He holds dear the games of his youth and yet, looks forward to new games with the same wide-eyed wonder we all feel when cracking the spine of a new book. 

At times his knowledge of games can almost be frightening. He can spew forth encyclopedic facts and figures on games new and old. He knows character generation, combat resolution, deck building protocol and system requirements for mapping software. Despite all of this (or maybe because of it)  he remains approachable and accessible. He always listens intently when you tell him about your character, your campaign or how you were in the Top Eight last weekend. He's always appreciative of those who take the time to share their love of the hobby with him. Gamers...well...gamers just make him smile. 

This IS your local game seller, right? Right? I mean, come on, how can someone NOT be pleased as punch walking into work everyday when they sell GAMES for a living?

Right?

...

OK, so maybe this isn't the guy that sits behind the counter at your FLGS. It happens. Sometimes the guy sitting behind the counter is cranky because the local Big Box Bookstore just marked their entire D&D line 40% off. Maybe he's upset because the Magic players that come in four times a week refuse to clean up after themselves despite numerous requests to do so. Maybe his distributor failed to ship him one of the biggest releases of the year. Maybe the guy is just tired. 

The thing is, the guy behind the counter is a complex individual...just like you. He's got games he likes and games he doesn't. He has his limits and faults, but he keeps doing what he's doing because he honestly likes our hobby. Show the guy respect and he'll return it in kind. Let him know you appreciate him and you've got a friend for life. 

The guy behind the counter wants to be friends with all of you. He wants to know and help his regulars in any way that he can. The game shop is a happy place, people come in because they want to be there, not because they have to. People seem to forget that sometimes. 

The next time you find yourself in your FLGS, think about the guy behind the counter. Ask for his advice or option, he'll be more than happy to share them. He's as much of a resource as the store itself. Who knows, you might discover you really do have something in common with the guy. 

That's the view from behind the counter. Hope it looks good where you're sitting.