John Danker said:
That's what I saw here too....that being, the local hobby store had it by the end of the same week as the Sneak Peak and the big retailers have yet to put a box on the shelf....JUST as it SHOULD be.
I understand your additude towards the Retailers vs Hobby Stores, but I disagree based on the principle that I just mentioned in my earlier post. Not many people have the resources to trek to the different locations where they might be able to puchase the latest sets. Hobby Stores already have had the advantage over Retail Packs with 000 Secret Rares, and the latest advantage of Ultimate Rares of Super Rares vs Ultimate Rare's of Rare for Retail Packs.
Now you further separate disadvantaged players by possibly making them wait for a whole month in order to gain better options in purchasing cards.
The Main reason Hobby Store's aren't profiting as well as their Retail Counterparts is based solely on their ability to market themselves.
How many of us can drive in one direction and blindly find a Walmart, Blockbuster Video, McDonalds, etc... usually within 5-10 miles from their home location.
Most Hobby Stores are found by word of mouth or extensive searching or calls placed using the phone directory. Then, most of them are in such out of the way places that they are not even that easy too find when you do get to the area.
I sympathize with Hobby Store Owners, but I really dont think that they should be allowed to dictate distribution. That would make them a Mini-Monopoly.
If you only have 2 Hobby Stores from which to purchase cards from, yet 10 Walmarts and 3 Targets, withing a 50 mile radius, that's a Monopoly considering your "forced" to purchase from them if you want them at all, based upon some bizarre rationale that Hobby Stores lose money if Retailers sell cards as well.
Considering that most Hobby Store Owners are working with a lower budget, would that not also mean that they would run the risk of running out of Product "faster" than a Walmart? I know I used to purchase Boxes from my local Store when I only lived 5 minutes away, and that most times, that wouldnt leave much product of the new set for anyone else.
Should I not buy a box if that handicaps his ability to meet his customers demands?
There is enough slices of pie for everyone to get a taste. Hobby Stores need to stop living in Dark Ages and put themselves on the map a little better if they expect to be competitive.
Instead of being part of the problem with getting new product, they need to come up with a better solution.
