How to get local companies to carry Hero?

[shnar]

I know it's best that I buy my Hero products from the local gaming shops, but the one here that carries some rarer games (i.e. Rolemaster and even Serenity) had never heard of Heroes/Champions before. What should I do to get them to start carrying the products?

-shnar

[ghost-angel]

I think it's best to buy from Hero directly - but I'm in the minority who thinks the B&M should go the way of the dodo.

If you want your LGS to carry any product (like Hero stuff) have them contact their distributor and order it. Just like any other major product. If they don't use a distributor (like Diamond) give them Darren Watts' email address.

[shnar]

Is that the best way though to get them to start carrying HERO? It seems like if I do that, they just order the one or two books I want to buy, but never actually carry Hero. I not only want to buy my books from them, but I want them to start carrying *some* inventory to get other gamers interested, etc.

-shnar

[Hyper-Man]

Is that the best way though to get them to start carrying HERO? It seems like if I do that, they just order the one or two books I want to buy, but never actually carry Hero. I not only want to buy my books from them, but I want them to start carrying *some* inventory to get other gamers interested, etc.

-shnar

If they also sell comics you can always try to cross-sell the superhero side of HERO via the Champion line of products.

[archermoo]

Is that the best way though to get them to start carrying HERO? It seems like if I do that, they just order the one or two books I want to buy, but never actually carry Hero. I not only want to buy my books from them, but I want them to start carrying *some* inventory to get other gamers interested, etc.

-shnar

Well, the only way you can get them to carry Hero (or any other company's) products in general is to convince them that they will make more money doing to than not doing so. How easy that will be able to do will depend largely on the person running the store.

[Hugh Neilson]

Bring a friend. Look carefully around the store. Start searching. Then discuss, at fairly high volume, "Do you see any Hero Games products?" "No, I don't. It seems odd they wouldn't have any Hero Games products in a credible game store." Then go ask the owner (ideally) when they expect to have more Hero Games products in stock. Clearly, they must be out of stock - no competent games store would not stock Hero Games, so it must be out of stock. Refuse to accept any other explanation.

"I guess I'll have to order online and you won't make any money from my game purchases, then" also can be motivational.

If they have an open gaming area, playing some Hero, especially as a demo game, might stimulate some demand as other players wonder what it is you're playing and want to check it out.

To me, Hero is a risky venture for a game store. The individual books are big, so there's extra $$ tied up in inventory if they bring it in and it doesn't sell. It lacks name recognition, being neither a licensed product nor d20. The owner needs to have reason to believe he'll make sales if he brings it in, or lose sales if he doesn't.

[Captain Obvious]

Start by ordering some Hero stuff through them. After a while, ask if they're planning on carrying the particular item you're interested in, but start ordering through them less and less. And buy stuff they get in without your asking.

If they never start stocking Hero stuff on their own, you might as well give up and order online; you'll have to drum up interest in Hero in a more personally active manner, because they ain't gonna do it.

[Derek Hiemforth]

Is that the best way though to get them to start carrying HERO? It seems like if I do that, they just order the one or two books I want to buy, but never actually carry Hero.

Yes, if you're the only person who asks for Hero, they'll probably just order it for you without actually carrying it. So the best way to get them to start carrying Hero is to recruit new players, so that you're not the only person who asks for it. Unfortunately yes, this can also be a horse-and-cart issue, where it's more difficult to recruit players to take an interest in a game that isn't already on the shelves of their local game store.

So while recruiting new Hero customers is the ideal solution, in the short term, you might also resort to simply recruiting other people to order Hero books for you. Just having multiple different people placing orders for Hero products may motivate the store to stock the line, even if the volume of orders isn't that high. It will make it look like there's more interest than there actually is.

If this seems sneaky, remember that you're doing this in hopes of generating a base of Hero players around the store who will take a legitimate interest in buying Hero products there.

[ghost-angel]

Asking them why they don't carry Hero products might also help.

[Derek Hiemforth]

Asking them why they don't carry Hero products might also help.

What?!? Direct dialog instead of Byzantine maneuvering??! Madness!!

[BobGreenwade]

If they have a gaming table, you could also try starting a Hero System game at the table, encouraging others to order Hero books. That will (or at least should) create the kind of interest a store needs to keep at least a few shelf slots open for Hero products.

[Steve Long]

Definitely some good suggestions being made.

Overall I think Derek's answer works best -- you need to show them that carrying the books (as opposed to just special ordering them) will make them money, and that means multiple repeated sales of books on a regular basis. If you can't do that, there's no incentive for them -- and you might as well order directly from us, since you'll get it quicker and to your door rather than having to get the store to do it for you (remember, we don't charge shipping for Online Store orders).

[Lord Fyre]

If they have a gaming table, you could also try starting a Hero System game at the table, encouraging others to order Hero books. That will (or at least should) create the kind of interest a store needs to keep at least a few shelf slots open for Hero products.

Not to dispute Mr. Long, but I feel that this is actually the "best" way to getting the store to notice Hero.

It also has the useful side effect of getting players in your area interrested in the Hero System. (and there is no real downside to that )

[azato]

For some reason the Alice's Restaurant story comes to mind. "If one person goes in asking for Hero they will think he is crazy and wont take his order. Now if two people, two people, go in asking for Hero...in harmony they will think ......"

All we need to do is come up with a ditty.

[BobGreenwade]

For some reason the Alice's Restaurant story comes to mind. "If one person goes in asking for Hero they will think he is crazy and wont take his order. Now if two people, two people, go in asking for Hero...in harmony they will think ......"

All we need to do is come up with a ditty.

"You can play 'most anything you want / Using the HERO rules."