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I think I've noticed that my FLGS's are slowly but surely starting to stock more Pathfinder material. I was wondering if retail outlet orders are up in general, especially the last two months, or it's either a fluke in the Texas area or my imagination.
One guy at the register said, "Pathfinder, huh?" I didn't want to get into it with him, so I left my "behead 4e" tshirt in the car,...not that I knew what he meant by that...
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I think I've noticed that my FLGS's are slowly but surely starting to stock more Pathfinder material. I was wondering if retail outlet orders are up in general, especially the last two months, or it's either a fluke in the Texas area or my imagination.
One guy at the register said, "Pathfinder, huh?" I didn't want to get into it with him, so I left my "behead 4e" tshirt in the car,...not that I knew what he meant by that...
I know my FLGS would stock Pathfinder, if it was still open. The owner is part of my weekly Pathfinder game.
Gaming stores in SE Michigan are drying up pretty fast, but Barnes and Noble seems to be carrying more Pathfinder stuff. Of course a few friends are still waiting for them to stock the Beta.
The same BN hosts a 4E session the last Saturday night of each month. One of these days I'll sneak a peek and see if it's well attended, and maybe thumb thru some Paizo stuff.
Since my last FLGS closed I'll have to get off my lazy butt and find a new one.
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I try to promote Pathfinder every time I get a chance. If they don't have a Pathfinder Module, I have them order it. LB1 was sold out from the store's stock (they own three in the Austin/San Antonio area) and I had them reorder it for me from their distributor. I buy Modules off the shelves there even as I get my PF Subscription.
One good thing is that they are getting recognition. The campaign setting is sold out from the store that I go to.
Since my last FLGS closed I'll have to get off my lazy butt and find a new one.Where were you going before?
Masquerade, 10 and I-94. Before that Rider's Hobby at 14 & John R. Borders and BN in between. A couple of buddies frequent other stores but they're further out. There's a good store at M-59 and Mound but it's a bit of a drive.
Laziness and online purchases have kept me from looking too hard, but now that I'm GMing again it's time to shell out a few bucks. Might as well be to a store/publisher that actually supports my interests. Even better if I don't have to drive 10 miles to get to it.
The section of wall at my local store that's devoted to Paizo stuff is easily larger than Wizards' offerings right now. That wasn't the case when 3.5 was still in print - it took up half the wall and Pathfinder was a little one-row section. My how 4e has changed things for us.
Give it a year and 4E will have a ton of books to choose from. Just like we bought for 3.5. UNLESS we keep Paizo products flying off the shelves!
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Every time I hit my FLGS (The Source) they have Pathfinder and GameMastery stuff. I've given them big thanks for this and I hope they keep it in stock. Even though I have a subscription, I make an effort to buy a module, or an item deck, or whatever might even slightly pique my interest in order to make sure I do my part to keep it on the shelves.
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4E sales at my store have been down compared to when 3rd edition came out. Pathfinder on the other hand is outselling 4E. Even though I'm a Pathfinder fan, I do hope more people will at least give 4E a try.
I think it may be getting a little late for this. Those that have tried either have bought or haven't. I know I tried 4E and immediately canceled my pre-order (as did two friends of mine). The more time goes on, the more 4E sales will wane (they've already likely peaked).
Interesting news though on Pathfinder outselling 4E at your FLGS.
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When 4E was announced our FLGS was very excited and promoted the whole 4E experience. When I asked about Pathfinder I received very rude and cold responses. I could not find anything from Paizo on the shelves and when I asked about ordering something they would not do it. Not from Paizo. When we talked about Pathfinder, they said Paizo was hurting the entire industry by promoting a competing game.
Once 4E came out, and he got to play it, the owner of the store changed his tune a lot. He described 4E as great for a Saturday afternoon to kill. For campaigns he would continue with 3.x using some Pathfinder and some 4E and even some 2E.
Suddenly there is a lot more Paizo product on the shelf. The Harrow cards that I had tried to order- and was told that the publisher (Paizo) no longer had them in stock- was on the shelves, along with several modules, Rise of the Runelords, and the Chronicles Gazateer.
So far, shelf space wise, Pathfinder has a larger footprint. The books are set flat and face out and cover about 4 feet. 4E is shelved spine out and has about 2 feet. They have an entire case still for 3.x close to the door.
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It was my FLGS that first gave me the heads up about Pathfinder. I had been asking about some 3.5 splat books that were no longer in print, and mentioned I wasn't thrilled about what I had been reading about 4e. He told me to check out Pathfinder - and a week later I found out that an old friend from High School had been running RotRL for the last year and absolutely loved it.
Didn't take much more than that to get me to take a serious look...and I'm here to stay. My Beta softcover and campaign hardcover are on their way and I'm about to start up my own RotRL campaign in the next month.
So I have much thanks for the guys at my local store who pointed me this direction.
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I stopped by my most Friendly FLGS The Bearded Dragon in Oneonta, NY, to order the Knights of the Old Republic Sourcebooks for Star Wars Saga edition, and had a chat with the store's owner and showed him my copy of the Beta. He immediately placed an order for 3 copies.
This guy really knows how to put the "F" in "FLGS" - he sponsors all kinds of games, has plenty for board game nights, always willing to chat about games and gamers, and very cognizant of what it takes to keep his customers happy and interested in his goods.
If I can get a more local job, I will be spending time running/promoting PFRPG in this store, because I know he will get behind me.
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This has been discussed before but I will mention it again. Most Game Store owners are gamers and therefore they all have their preferences and ideas about 4e and Pathfinder just like the rest of the community. It seems that a lot of people who do not really know anything about Pathfinder and are hot on 4e think that Pathfinder is a threat to D&D. I personally think it is the salvation of D&D. I bought the 4e core books and will pick up the FR setting but other than that probably just the adventures they release. I am not going to buy all the other books that come out.
One of the owners of The Compleat Strategist in New York City told me tonight that the Beta rules have been doing brisk sales (along with the FRCG as well).
Only two FLGS's left in town. One changed owners and is focussed almost exclusively on Warhammer stuff. He'll order in stuff you request and keeps a very small amount of new WOTC and Exalted books in stock: still has a bunch of old 3.0/3.5 stock from the previous owner. Doesn't keep Pathfinder on the shelf though.
Second place is well diversified. Big. Looks like its doing reasonably well. Lots of board games (one day I gave up counting the various versions of Monopoly at 50), hobby shop stuff (model trains etc.), Warhammer, and even Webkinz! No Bella Sara, though :(
It keeps a larger, more diverse collection of rpg's, but all behind the counter which bugs me a bit. Really friendly guys there who will stand, pass stuff to you and chat but still...
Anyway, second place stocks the Pathfinder AP's, looks to have the complete 1st AP and part of the 2nd. I asked about Pathfinder RPG Beta and guy said it was sold out, he knew Paizo had sold out completely at GenCon, and he'd had "lots" of people asking for it in the store. He said Paizo would "have to" do another printing, and I didn't have the heart to tell him Erik Mona didn't sound optimistic about that in another thread. He was enthusiastic about Pathfinder RPG and that was pretty neat to see.
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I preordered the beta but went to my FLGS to pick up a table copy of beta for my group.
A friend of mine had picked his up there on monday but when i got to the store on wednesday i didn't see any.
I asked about the beta and they were sure they had a few copies.
They checked the new product shelf and the paizo section - sold out.
So we had a talk about the beta and how unusual it is that a beta edition of a rules set is not only being distributed but selling well.
They were also out of the campaign setting and said they had ordered it but the armory was out and had it back ordered from paizo - anyone else run into this?
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RPG Superstar 2009 Top 8
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My FLGS stocks keeps Pathfinder in stock because they recognize "that it is a quality product". The owner prefers 4e but hopes that I will order any Pathfinder product I want through him and looks forward to reading PRPG.
My VLGS (Very Local Gaming Store) was a lot snottier about Pathfinder when I first started going in. They still pronounce Paizo 'Pee-yah-zoh' but they smile at me when I come in now which is a change. They also 'support' 4e but I notice that Pathfinder has a more prominent space in the store right now.
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I was at my FLGS (well not really my FLGS, just a FGS about a 20 minute drive away) and I bought the latest Pathfinder Adventure Module. At the register I thanked them for stocking the Paizo products and encouraged them to keep it up. His response (paraphrased was essentially):
"They put out a great product, so I intend to keep carrying them as long as they put out the quality of stuff they do. Thanks for letting me know though, the feedback is appreciated."
When I commented it was a nice alternative to 4E he laughed and just said:
"Oh I know."
Chief Creative Officer, Publisher
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Anyway, second place stocks the Pathfinder AP's, looks to have the complete 1st AP and part of the 2nd. I asked about Pathfinder RPG Beta and guy said it was sold out, he knew Paizo had sold out completely at GenCon, and he'd had "lots" of people asking for it in the store. He said Paizo would "have to" do another printing, and I didn't have the heart to tell him Erik Mona didn't sound optimistic about that in another thread. He was enthusiastic about Pathfinder RPG and that was pretty neat to see.
It's looking like your game store manager might be right. We probably will do a reprint of the book. But even if I hit that switch tomorrow, it'll be at least 10 weeks before the books hit the stores.
Fortunately, we still have hundreds of copies in the warehouse, so they are not technically out of print yet. We sold out at Gen Con, but Paizo itself is not (yet) sold out of the Betas.
I am not confident that will be the case in two weeks when I get back from Gen Con UK, though.
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Chief Creative Officer, Publisher
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By the way, I find this thread HIGHLY illuminating. I encourage everyone to keep spreading the word and to keep posting reports of store visits here in the forums.
I love hearing about what is happening with the products after they leave our warehouse!
Thanks, guys!
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One of the owners of The Compleat Strategist in New York City told me tonight that the Beta rules have been doing brisk sales (along with the FRCG as well).
I haven't been to the Strategist in years. I am talking to my old group and informing them of Pathfinder (they dont know much about it as they havent been following the game in a while, though still playing). On another note, NONE of the Barnes and Nobles I go to carry any DND products these days...
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I posted this in other threads, but since Eric asked, I may as well repeat myself here.
The Sentry Box in Calgary is awesome as a gaming store. it carries pretty much every paizo product I could think of. I didn't see some of the newer stuff(they only had the first half of the second AP in stock, for instance), but I was assured that's because it's sold out. they carry the APs, the modules, the assorted books, even the Compleat Encounters. in fact, they had most every accessory I could think of. in terms of other stuff, pretty much the only three books I couldn't find in any line were the Tome of Horrors 1 and 3, and the Wurst of Grimtooth's traps, though I was able to pick up 3 of the older books in that line.
If you're ever in Calgary, go to The Sentry Box! you will not regret it.
(Incidently, it turns out they even carry the Planet Stories line.)
It's looking like your game store manager might be right. We probably will do a reprint of the book. But even if I hit that switch tomorrow, it'll be at least 10 weeks before the books hit the stores.
Fortunately, we still have hundreds of copies in the warehouse, so they are not technically out of print yet. We sold out at Gen Con, but Paizo itself is not (yet) sold out of the Betas.
I am not confident that will be the case in two weeks when I get back from Gen Con UK, though.
Good to know. Thanks!
Hmmm... Can I stand to wait that long if you do another printing? Nope. And realistically, my nerves wouldn't handle the chance I might miss it entire, so... to the Paizo Store! I'll reward the FLGS with a Paizo purchase another time.
Thing that bugs me about that second store I mentioned, is the behind the counter thing hurts the Pathfinder brand. I think one of the strongest selling features for your products is the immediately apparent quality when flipping through them. Since that store keeps it behind a counter, you lose the casual shopper who can't randomly pick up a product and think, "wow this is good". I'll have to ask them next time why the setup; must have been some pretty bad mojo in the past.
The section of wall at my local store that's devoted to Paizo stuff is easily larger than Wizards' offerings right now. That wasn't the case when 3.5 was still in print - it took up half the wall and Pathfinder was a little one-row section. My how 4e has changed things for us.Give it a year and 4E will have a ton of books to choose from. Just like we bought for 3.5. UNLESS we keep Paizo products flying off the shelves!
OR... Paizo will have their own Pathfinder license and licensed products that a lot of the 3PP (especially us over here at LPJ Design) will support. I am hoping this will happen as soon as possible I have a few ideas that I think will work VERY well with Paizo.
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I grabbed the last 'beta off the shelf at my store Wednesday (it was the only one I saw anyway).
They had PF's (I think) 3,4,5,6,I think most of the second ap, one 13, and two 12's.
They had the Last Baron; I think that's it. It's been hit-or-miss to score the gamemastery mod's there; don't know if they sell out or just carry limited supplies, though lately I'll see the last one or two show up, disappear, and show up again.
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I stopped by my most Friendly FLGS The Bearded Dragon in Oneonta, NY, to order the Knights of the Old Republic Sourcebooks for Star Wars Saga edition, and had a chat with the store's owner and showed him my copy of the Beta. He immediately placed an order for 3 copies.
This guy really knows how to put the "F" in "FLGS" - he sponsors all kinds of games, has plenty for board game nights, always willing to chat about games and gamers, and very cognizant of what it takes to keep his customers happy and interested in his goods.
If I can get a more local job, I will be spending time running/promoting PFRPG in this store, because I know he will get behind me.
dude! i grew up in oneonta!!! man, when i was a little 1e whelp, i had to go to morris or binghamton to find gaming stuff. brezee's would have some TSR stuff, there was a book store on elm street that carried some gaming stuff, and the walden books in the southside mall had a gaming section (picked up MERP stuff there), but no minis, no dice, and no runequest/t&t/traveller/james bond/marvel/champions/V&V etc...
i moved to florida in 86. loved enterprise 1701...
[edit]: my old friend chris talked about opening a gaming store there. is the owner an oneonta native?
[second edit] the guys at midnight games (west side of houston) are pro paizo, and i think one of them watches the boards here. they personally don't like 4e much (for aesthetic reasons, they're old school) but they support both games on their shelves. they're also open to allowing a pathfider game in the gaming room (if they haven't started one already - haven't been by in a couple of months)
nan's (the VERY lgs - walking distance) carries paizo stuff as well.
I'm afraid things down here in the Maritimes aren't looking good for Paizo. One FLGS hasn't stocked anything since Seven Days came out, the other store got Scarwall, but missed number nine. Neither has stocked a gamemastery since Crown of the Kobold King (which I bought) and Beta's and campaign settings are nowhere to be seen I'm afraid.
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Chief Creative Officer, Publisher
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OR... Paizo will have their own Pathfinder license and licensed products that a lot of the 3PP (especially us over here at LPJ Design) will support. I am hoping this will happen as soon as possible I have a few ideas that I think will work VERY well with Paizo.
We are working on the free license language and compatibility logo, and everything will be available for other publishers to review months in advance of the release of the final Pathfinder RPG rules next August.
For now we want to keep everyone focused on the Beta playtest of the core rules.
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Chief Creative Officer, Publisher
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I also remember Books-a-Million had a motherlode of PF product; it's clear on the other side of DFW from me in Grapevine, so I don't get out there that often. That was maybe 4-5 months ago.
Books-A-Million's RPG buyer is a gamer who knows his stuff. I am thrilled at the support that company has shown the Pathfinder brand.
And I LOVE reports of stores that are ordering the full line. I think a lot of stores were skeptical about the appeal of Pathfinder in light of fourth edition, but the vocal support (and buying) you guys have showed them has really changed the tune.
We really appreciate it.
Please pass along my personal thanks to the stores that carry our products.
--Erik
PS: And if they are also carrying a full line of Planet Stories books you have my permission to kiss them full on the mouth.
Local game stores here (Victoria, BC) have a good stock of Paizo product, be it the Pathfinder issues, the modules, the cards, battle mats... prominently displayed beside the 4e material, even.
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Chief Creative Officer, Publisher
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I'm afraid things down here in the Maritimes aren't looking good for Paizo. One FLGS hasn't stocked anything since Seven Days came out, the other store got Scarwall, but missed number nine. Neither has stocked a gamemastery since Crown of the Kobold King (which I bought) and Beta's and campaign settings are nowhere to be seen I'm afraid.
Out of curiosity, does this store participate in free RPG day?
Where I live central VA, there is a B&N, a Waldenbooks, and three gaming stores and a Books a Million in the general vicinity.
B&N barely carries any WOTC, let alone anything else, maybe one or two Exalted books and the Serenity sourcebook. They do have 3 or 4 copies of the three new core books. Walden has the WOTC corebooks, but that's it.
The gaming store that is close to where I work has a decent selection of WotC stuff, primarily the 4th ed stuff, but no Pathfinder. One of the other gaming stores I have not been back in since I first went there a year ago. Run by gamers with absolutely no customer service skills. The third gaming store had a decent selection of the AP's and a couple of modules. Haven't been back since the Beta came out, so don't know what they got or didn't get.
Books a Million has a huge selection of both 3.5 and 4.0 stuff, but again haven't been back in a while and at the time there was no Paizo stuff. See that Erik has posted while I was typing, so I will definitely have to check the BaM here this weekend if they are supporting it as much as Erik has indicated.
I'll have to make the rounds this weekend to see what's changed.
OR... Paizo will have their own Pathfinder license and licensed products that a lot of the 3PP (especially us over here at LPJ Design) will support. I am hoping this will happen as soon as possible I have a few ideas that I think will work VERY well with Paizo.The section of wall at my local store that's devoted to Paizo stuff is easily larger than Wizards' offerings right now. That wasn't the case when 3.5 was still in print - it took up half the wall and Pathfinder was a little one-row section. My how 4e has changed things for us.Give it a year and 4E will have a ton of books to choose from. Just like we bought for 3.5. UNLESS we keep Paizo products flying off the shelves!
That works too! Amazing what quality product can do.
Still no Beta at my local BN. I have my copy, but looks like my group wants at least 3 more. I'll talk to them about a bulk order from the Paizo store.
BTW, I've just started GMing Pathfinder using the Beta and the Hollow's Last Hope module. My group's response to the Beta and the module has been off the charts. I haven't seen them this attentive in a long while.
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Chief Creative Officer, Publisher
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Barnes & Noble has not ordered the Beta, and I'm very much OK with that. We do not have enough product left in the warehouse to handle even a "small" order from them, and a lot of those copies would be tied up in inventory or shipped back as "damaged" (it's a softcover book) and thus out of the hands of gamers. We might do enough on the reprint to truly take it into the mass market, but not for this first one.
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Well, I'll give out a shout for the places I've seen them
Lone Star Comics all over the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex
Game Chest in the Valley View Mall in DallasBarnes and Noble; I think I saw just the Monster Book there at Firewheel Mall in Rowlett, Tx.
Where in DFW are you at?! I'm in Arlington myself.
Both Arlington Lone Stars as well as the Hurst location have a FEW books. They all recently got the PFC Darkmoon Vail books. I haven't been in this week so I don't know if they got anything else new. I pester them on a REGULAR basis about Pathfinder and when they are going to get the CS etc. in.
GenX in HEB has a TON of AP books. The guy there is kinda meh about just about anything I ask him about. Not my favorite store at all.
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BTW, I've just started GMing Pathfinder using the Beta and the Hollow's Last Hope module. My group's response to the Beta and the module has been off the charts. I haven't seen them this attentive in a long while.
Sorry to go a little off topic here but...this is encouraging. I'm starting my group on a combo of HLH and CoTKK in a couple of weeks using the Beta. I hope it goes as well. I think it will. One of the guys I've been trying to get to read through the Alpha/Beta for some time now has FINALLY read it. He apologized for doubting me. He claims it knocked his socks off. Hope he'll still feel the same once we start playing.
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I saw the CS at the "flagship store" on Mockingbird; I was kinda low on funds at the time.
I picked up the Beta at the Mesquite Lone Star. It was the last one on the shelf. I live over in Garland by Lake Ray Hubbard; Mesquite is on my way home from work.
LOL now that Pathfinder's hopping, I enjoy the Wednesday or Friday stopoff that was made bitter by Dungeon and Dragon's cancellations.
I thought if Lone Star had a book at one store and you requested it at another, they'd hook you up though...I got a Cadillacs and Dinosaurs graphic novel shipped over to my side of town once that way.
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One guy at the register said, "Pathfinder, huh?" I didn't want to get into it with him, so I left my "behead 4e" tshirt in the car,...not that I knew what he meant by that...What store was that?
Mesquite. I wasn't quite sure what he meant; if he was happy or gruff; and I didn't want to get into it or nothing. For all I know it might've been anti-4e shamen frohe(?)
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I saw the CS at the "flagship store" on Mockingbird; I was kinda low on funds at the time.
I picked up the Beta at the Mesquite Lone Star. It was the last one on the shelf. I live over in Garland by Lake Ray Hubbard; Mesquite is on my way home from work.
LOL now that Pathfinder's hopping, I enjoy the Wednesday or Friday stopoff that was made bitter by Dungeon and Dragon's cancellations.I thought if Lone Star had a book at one store and you requested it at another, they'd hook you up though...I got a Cadillacs and Dinosaurs graphic novel shipped over to my side of town once that way.
if the same dude owns the lone star chain that owned them in 94, his daughters are...wow... (saw them at dalcon one year working his merch table. they had the "um, dad's making us do this, keep away, unwashed gamers" look, but they looked good while being aloof...)
PS: And if they are also carrying a full line of Planet Stories books you have my permission to kiss them full on the mouth.
Tongue, too?
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if the same dude owns the lone star chain that owned them in 94, his daughters are...wow... (saw them at dalcon one year working his merch table. they had the "um, dad's making us do this, keep away, unwashed gamers" look, but they looked good while being aloof...)I saw the CS at the "flagship store" on Mockingbird; I was kinda low on funds at the time.
I picked up the Beta at the Mesquite Lone Star. It was the last one on the shelf. I live over in Garland by Lake Ray Hubbard; Mesquite is on my way home from work.
LOL now that Pathfinder's hopping, I enjoy the Wednesday or Friday stopoff that was made bitter by Dungeon and Dragon's cancellations.I thought if Lone Star had a book at one store and you requested it at another, they'd hook you up though...I got a Cadillacs and Dinosaurs graphic novel shipped over to my side of town once that way.
IDK; there's been a couple really cute girls in there working at either store; with pink hair and that sorta thing. I'm 39 and married so I don't get all excited or anything.