Well, the Windows key ate around 6 paragraphs last time so I gave
up on posting the other day.  Here is the latest and greatest:  We
should be attending YoumaCon and ConClave if all goes well.  July is
dead from what we can see and only 1 event available in August so
far.  We will be attending StarCon the free games and anime
convention next year at Oakland University, Auburn Hills, MI as well
as MediaWest Con next Memorial Day in Lansing.  If we are large
enough, we may start splitting our forces so we can attend MarCon at
the same time.

     We came close to the break-even point last month, but had to
restock so are back down for now, but we are hoping to take the data
we have from the conventions to the bank again soon to see if they
might reconsider supporting a storefront for us.  People really DO
like this stuff!  REALLY!  (And now we can show them.)  So, thank you
to everyone who has filled out a Guild Pact so far, those numbers can
only help us in our bid.

     We are trying to sort things out with YoumaCon so we can be of
best benefit to them and them to us.  We'll see how things work out.
Anthony our protoge is questing for certification for Magic, Yu-Gi-
Oh, Pokemon, Neopets, WOW, and the like so we'll see how much we can
get sorted.  More later.

May God destroy the stupid window's key.  I just lost 4 paragraphs!!

     Well, just when we thought June was going to be a dead month for
us, Morgan came by and let us know that we can vend at a 10 day KANAR
event this coming weekend.  And JAFAX, which we had given up on,
suddenly showed back up on the radar.  So we may have some events to
attend after all.

      I apologize to those of you who are waiting on stuff.  I came
down with a nightmare cold last week and am still trying to get rid
of the last vestiges of it.  But for the person looking for a Bast
plushie, Anubis has been re-released but not Bast.  I will try
looking for one still.  We recommended a re-release of plushie dice
such as the 20, 10, and 4-siders.  We'll see what the manufacturer's
do.  Still no sign of the Slayers tv series although the movies and
some OVA's are available.

     There are some "classic" animes being re-released in nice box
sets right now such as Escaflowne and Oh! My Goddess.  We will be
watching for the release of Death Note, Claymore, and Sola.  These
are all reaaaaaalllly enjoyable...if a bit dark.  Also, 4Kids has
lost liscencing of One Piece and Funimation has taken it over.
Funimation will continue the storylines for now but plans to redo the
beginning so some of the things that got skipped will be reinstated
and characters who seem to come out of nowhere will be properly
introduced.  The animation isn't great but the storyline of One Piece
is supposed to more than make up for it.  Let us know if you will be
going to the same events as we are.  If you need something we will
try to bring it if we can.
                                        See you all soon!
                                         Rob and Carina

Well, we survivied the MediaWest Convention.  Our trip seemed to
be cursed with technical difficulties but we weathered them and got
to enjoy ourselves a little before the end.  MediaWest is a Sci-Fi
con with slash fanfic available.  We learned what slash was and
learned what a Mary Sue was.  Slash being stories with the male or
female leads being involved in some same-sex pairings while a Mary
Sue is a fanfic where the writer personifies themself in a new
character who can't do anything wrong and handily saves the day
(think of Anakin Skywalker saving everyone as a child-but the Jedi
Council all love him and his path is easy after being discovered).
Lots of different kinds of fanfiction were available but fortunately
for us not too many game or anime vendors so it went pretty well for
us.

      We got to sit near some fun vendors whom we hope to get to be
next to again.  Among the technical difficulties was the inability to
set up the Monstrosity (our huge rack) due to our proximity to the
fire doors.  However we have assurances that we will be able to next
time.  In the meantime we learned how very versitile the black pull-
apart racks from Target really are!  Thanks Morgan for the suggestion
to get them!  :)  We are signed up to attend again next year and we
are committed to StarCon in March of next year as well.  (By then we
should be able to hit more than 1 convention at a time if need be
since we should have more staff by then.)

      Rob's computer died as well so we couldn't show anime which was
a bummer.  But many people trusted our description and purchased
various anime which I am sure they are enjoying and hope to hear
about their opinions soon!  We are trying to see about a regular
sales website as it is past time we set one up.  I am checking with
our 'puter saavy friends to see who can do it for us.

      So this week's question:  What websites do you like and what
ones do you dislike and why?  That way we can peruse good ideas and
avoid bad ones.

--- In theguildhouse@yahoogroups.com, "webscav2" <Scavenger@...> wrote:
>
> Is there any chance we can get a commitment from you guys to show up
> March 8th 2008 for the next Star Con?
>
     We have to see if it conflicts with the other Cons.  Since StarCon
isn't being advertised and we can't talk about it your draw isn't
likely to be worthwhile for your vendors.  If I hadn't gotten my
personal friends to come last time we would have made $4.  That won't
draw the vendors in.  People who pay for the other cons seem to spend
money.  At the free cons they don't even bring their wallet.  It's an
odd trend.  I'll see when PenguiCon is next year and report back.  We
hope to still attend but it may well be worth your while to charge a
small fee for all-day everything and be allowed to advertise than to
get censored.  Pre-reg forms starting at the 6 month mark and intro
fliers at 9 months ahead confirming what games you are certain of (and
yes, vendors if they do indeed commit) will help you.  Ciao

Well, here we are in the wee hours of the morning preparing for
MediaWest Con.  We have in the new Cthulhu Pillows, lots of Pirates
of the Spanish Main, and Munchkin Bites 2.  Things that we couldn't
get in time:  Roaring King Ghidora and Roaring Cthulhu Plushes, IGOR
(card game), and SPANC-Space Pirate Amazon Ninja Catgirls (cardgame),
and our latest set of keychains including Tsubasa, Last Exile, and
Dark Cat.  This is too bad as we have the DVD's for most of these.
SPANC was a hard blow since it is a Sci-Fi convention with a pirate
theme.  When will such a game be more fitting?  But it is out of
print...for now.

      And for loyal followers:  Noelle-I have seen more of the Slayers
Movies available but no tv series or OVA's yet.  Roxann-am looking
out for Witch Hunter Robin style necklace, and want to order fantasy
styled coin neclace pendants when we have some extra cash available.
Hopefully this con will be good.

      Looks like we can't get into JAfax this year and we are trying
to get contact with MichiCon.  So currently no other cons on tour.

This week's question:  If we had a sales website up, how many of you
would use it and how many of you would wait for the physical store
front?  See you next week!

Is there any chance we can get a commitment from you guys to show up
March 8th 2008 for the next Star Con?

Now I have a question of my own, what would you think about using
something like a 'tab' system?  For instance you can register a credit
card to your account (only once) then when you go to make a purchase
you can show your membership (and maybe ID) and simply say put it on my
tab.. then the cashier could hit a button to have it ring to your
previously registered card.  That way you wouldnt always have to have
your card with you.

      Well, I've heard that some places do this but I can see WAY too
much potential for abuse.  Identity theft is no joke and I would hate
to have such sensitive information permanentally on our data base.  And
really, as adults we need to keep track of our identification anyway
and your credit card acts as a secondary piece of ID.  So at this point
I'd have to say no, I dont think we will be implementing such a
system.  If technology changes to insure a higher safety level in the
future we may reconsider.  It was an interesting question though!
Thanks for bringing it up!  :)

Well the convention trail continues!  We will be going to the
Palladium Open House this weekend to hob nob.  But after that you can
catch us at MediaWest*Con in Lansing on Memorial Day weekend.  This
convention is limited to 800 people so if you are planning to attend
you REALLY want to get in touch right away.  We will have the dwarven
stone dice again and more anime, plushies, and lots of pirate and space
themed wares.

      This weeks question:  Which would be more important to you-open
gaming space or a free anime viewing room?  We want both but if the
space is small we may have to have one or the other so let us know your
preference!  Ciao for now!

Ok, how to describe PenguiCon?  Fantastic?  I would have to say
PenguiCon was better than Anime Central and we were convention goers
not vendors at A-Cen.  From demonstration of how to make ice cream
with LIQUID NITROGEN to making stuff out of random items given out by
the Chaos Dispenser, there was a lot of things to do.  Panels were
running all day on Saturday on topics ranging from Nanotechnology to
How to Annoy an Audience.

      The room parties were really wild (geeks party down HARD!) and we
attended the God Hates Karaoke party on Friday for ribbons and
martini's but missed the Serenity and Home Star Runner ones.  Saturday
we wandered from the Literary Group's party to the Pre-Conclave party
(only 6 months to go) and the Guitar Hero II party to the Trojan Horse
party and Linux Programmers party (Programmers Gone Wild!).

       Yes, there really was a Trojan Horse in the room with a speaker
system up front and a smoke machine in the back run by remote
computer.    Rob came by that room as the people dressed as Romans
came out.  They were off to protect the Ninja Demonstration from
attack by the Pirates.  (Yes, that's really what was happening.  It
was surreal.)  The Pirates failed to make an appearance but Jesus
Christ showed up.  So the Romans went to hang out with him...hope this
turned out better than the last time it occured!  So...very surprising.

       The Dealer's Room was small but we were the only games and anime
vendor there!  So we did VERY well, and are working out what to order
and which Cons to hit next.  If we had 10 PenguiCons we would get our
storefront.  But for now, it will be a direct re-investment into
stock.  (And I haven't even had a chance to post about our 2 degrees
of seperation from Prince William!)

      Question for this week:  With plans for anime showing, nifty
decor and a play area, what other things would make you comfortable to
sit and play for hours at a store?  One person mentioned "real food"
i.e. not candy and chips only and we intend to add some cold
sandwiched and microwavable foods.  We also had someone put in for
comfy chairs which we heartily agree with!  So given these
suggestions, what else do you need during a long gaming session or
cosplay session?  Remember, we ARE listening and really want to know!

Well, we had the chance to hear back from Palladium Books and they
are excited about our store.  Since they are Michigan based also they
want to support our store as soon as we have a physical location.
Having met some of the movers and shakers of Palladium, we can honestly
say they are really nice people and if you are a lover of Palladium
games you will love our store.  ;)  We plan to carry a wide variety of
their products and give them a place of prominence.

      So this week's question:  What are your favorite games and what
are your favorite game systems?  Remember:  The squeeky wheel gets the
grease.  The store will be based around the preferences of the gamers
who respond the most!

Well, this week has been great.  We received the prototype of our
Guild House t-shirt and it looked really nice.  We are ordering some
in different colors to see how well the logo appears in various
monochrome shades.

      But bigger: We received our state tax license which is the retail
license we needed to order from some other vendors.  SO as long as
everything arrives in time we will have Dwarven Stone dice finally in
time for PenguiCon and plushie Cthulhu and Godzilla mini's for sitting
on your PC.  We are researching 3 new sites for a store front and,
yes, I will get on with the rewrite of the business plan now that I
have done more research.  We will be looking forward to seeing people
at PenguiCon!

      Rob may have his pet display project ready for PenguiCon also if
the weather warms up and stablizes.  Hopefully we will also hear back
from Playroom Games and Ape Games this week.  We will be working
towards new goals but this week has opened up new doors to us and we
will be pressing forward with glee.  Mwahaaahaaahaaa!  ;)

Well, Rob and Anthony had a good time and meet a lot of great
new people who were happy to hear about our up and coming store.  Rob
is inspired to work out a new style of display to take to
conventions.  We'll see if we can put it together.  As I mentioned,
our dvd order came just a tad too late to take to Marmalade Dog but
we will have it for next time.

     In reviewing the titles we covered:  Trigun, You're Under Arrest,
Riding Bean, Heroic Legend of Arislan, and Last Exile (utterly
fantastic title!).  But I had a couple more to cover but needed some
time to review myself.  Here they are:

      Ys:  Pronounced 'eese' I wondered if this anime would appeal to
gamers.  Then I got to the opening menu which is a video game
screen.  I think so.  :)  Ys has the art style of Bubblegum Crisis
and has a wide variety of appearances to the characters.  I like the
look a lot and it has a good mystery going on in the plot.  But it is
based off of a video game so it has  ALL the benefits and flaws of
such-like "How long has that girl been chained up in the temple just
waiting for the hero to arrive?"  or "Cool!  Monsters!"  All in all
it is a fun little romp.

      Cardcaptor Sakura-Did you watch "Cardcaptors" when it was
brought out in the US?  I APOLOGIZE IF SO!  Because Cardcaptor Sakura
is WONDERFUL!!!!!!!!  But Cardcaptors was a terrible hackjob of it.
In the original, Sakura is a gentle and kind girl who is good at
soports but not perfect.  She accidentally releases a set of
enchanted cards and must retrieve them as left on their own they play
havoc.  the series is 4 TIMES longer and MUCH DEEPER and BETTER than
what got released here.  It has the problems of a one-parent family,
and sibling-rivalry, grief for loss of a loved one, confused
emotions, and family estrangement issues.  This series got seriously
shorted by the translatiion.  I extol everyone to see this series.
Clamp did a great job right through to the end.  You will thank
yourself.

     Now for the question of the day:  What sort of foods/drink do you
like to have best when gaming or watching anime?

Wow!  Marmalade Dog 12 is going really well for us so far!  We
are meeting lots of new people and gaining new members for our
store.  There was an amazing demand for the Full Metal Alchemist
pocket watch.  So much so, Rob sold the one I gave him for
Valentine's Day!!  (I forgive him.)  ;)

      We should be seeing new faces on the list soon.  Our anime order
arrived today...too late for Marmalade Dog but in good time for
Penguicon!  We are trying to carry some stuff that both gamers and
anime fans will likely enjoy, the happy medium between the two
worlds.  So you can expect:

             Heroic Legend of Arislan:  Age of Heroes -If you have
never seen Arislan, grab it!  This is the show that made a gamer like
me love anime.  A handsome prince dethroned, a loyal bodyguard at his
side, and a small band of elite heroes gather to take on a huge
army.  It is the stuff of gaming legends, and here it is offered in
an anime format.  See how YOUR hero compares to these ones!

              Riding Bean -Weird name but cool movie about a snazzy
bodyguard/smuggler for hire called the Bean Bandit.  Set in Chicago
which is just a stone's throw across the Pond from Michigan.  Trick
car, fancy driving skills, and a double cross that leaves the Bandit
one step behind the real villians and only one step ahead of the
police.  Lots of fun!

              Your Under Arrest Vol. 1 -Tokoyo police with a fun band
of cops featuring two female partners and their coworkers fighting
crime and having fun.  I am told the art for the vehicles is very
accurate.  A show with a fun-loving modern feel, Your Under Arrest
has decent dialogue and stories and avoids some of the screechy
sounding stereotyped characters seen in other anime.  Very pleasant
for the Modern D20 player.

              The Last Exile -THIS SHOW IS WONDERFUL!!!  Set in a
world where steam technology runs everything, a pair of young mail
couriers try to follow in their parent's footsteps and find
themselves in the possession of a high risk delivery when the
previous courier dies.  There is well-done CG for the flight scenes
quite often and the whole series is just amazing.  Frontier world
with alternate power source and a touch of aliens make this a great
story.

               Trigun:  Vol. 1 -Old West in space, somewhat like
Cowboy Bepop and the TV show Firefly.  Vash is a man wanted for the
massive destruction that follows in his wake.  But the insurance
adjusters who meet a blond gunman who looks like Vash is said to
can't believe the happy-go-lucky soul could possibly be a killer.
What's the truth of the matter?  Watch and see!  Trigun starts light
and gets much more dark and serious as Vash's true story is
revealed.  Great for the Deadlands and CattlePunk gamers.

               Ys -a land beset by monsters and a young man on a quest
for an island utopia.  This is a fantasy styled series that looks
intriguing.  I will be reviewing it in greater detail late.  ;)

        Other things:  We should have some Fruits Basket and Chobits
bags arriving soon and Full Metal Alchemist Necklaces and more cool
keychains and wall scrolls including the Major from Ghost in the
Shell.  (If you are a fan you will be DYING to have this one!!)  I am
looking to see what items people want to buy next as well.  There is
an amazingly good chance we will be ordering more of the Full Metal
Alchemist pocket watches but we need to know what else YOU are
looking for!

        Would you like:  More Full Metal Alchemist stuff?
                         Helsing wallets/bags?
                         Naruto stuff?
                         Inu Yasha bags or stuff?
                         -and/or-
                         Fantasy jewelry cut from coins?  (I have a
dragon or unicorn cut from a dime that I love.  These are nice gifts
for gamer girls and guys.)  Reply and get your choices heard!  :)

Well, we are investigating a second location currently as the
owner of the first one is trying to charge 3x's it's taxable value.
Second location is likely only 1/3 as big but has a large lot.  Easy
access and ample parking are a plus, possibility of landscaping for
LARPing and outdoor reading.  Will be aquiring some anime with gamer-
style fantasy themes shortly to bring with us to Marmalade Dog and
PenguiCon.  We are hoping to have our retail website up in the next
month.  Once we have a price on the second location we will be ready to
resubmit the business loan and see what happens.  Cross your fingers.

Well another StarCon has come and gone.  The early headcount was
under 50 people so it was opened up to anyone without restriction.
Unfortunately, I could only contact a couple of people to let them
know that it was open to all.  There were 4 televisions dedicated to
video games at one end of the room and a large projection screen that
was used for the competition later on.  The anime was all new stuff
that isn't available over here yet, but it was in its own room so I
didn't get to see any of it.
      There was a wide assortment of snacks as usual, cheese and
crackers, chips and salsa and onion dip, a fruit tray, pretzels, and
lemonaide and fruit punch to drink.  (Free of charge of course.)  The
food court opened later on so people could buy Subway subs if they
wanted.  There were tons of games open since more people were
available to run than to play.  Guild House and Sundance Games were
the only vendors.
      Sundance were very kind and gave us lots of helpful suggestions,
our hat's off to them.  Chris Duemerling is hoping to rent an entire
floor next year and sell advertising to pay for it.  I hope it works
out, but they need to seriously start up immediately to determine
what and when and get out press packets or blurbs out to the
companies they want to both include in their booklet and for those
publications they will want to advertise in.  Fliers dropped off at
the other Cons would be a good idea, guys!
      Anywho, we did ok at StarCon.  Lots of guys came up to our table
going "Wow, this is neat.  But I didn't bring any money,"  Which I
can't wrap my brain around well.  You are going to a Con.  It will
cost you nothing to get in.  Snack food and drinks are FREE.  There
is no charge for parking.  Why would you NOT bring money to spend at
the dealer's tables?!  If it weren't for the women at the Con who did
spend money, it would have been a bust.  So thanks to the girls of
gaming!
       Indeed, it was the first StarCon that Red Dragon has not
attended in ages.  Tri Tac Games also decided not to show.  A lot of
work needs to be done if there is to be a successful StarCon next
year.  (Even the Camarilla group that shares space through the Gaming
Guild didn't know there was a Con this weekend.  That's just a lack
of a phone call.)  So I do hope they work hard and have a fantastic
one next year, but it requires real planning.  Cons are like dog
shows and the like, lots of calls and contacts and reservations and
event planning, etc.  They don't come together at the last minute and
get a large draw.  Advertising ahead is a must since people must know
it exists and must plan to take time off for it.  Securing site and
guests and game masters early is needed so have something concrete to
put on fliers.  I truly hope the next one will be fantastic.  It
would be prudent for a couple of the Con planners to hang out with
the organizers of YoumaCon or PenguiCon (who also attended OU in the
past)to really get a feel for what they do on a month per month
basis.  Best of luck guys.
    For us-Marmalade Dog is next!  See ya there!

Question of the day:  Of all the game or anime stores you've
visited, what was the best feature they had?

      We have been approved to attend all 3 days of Marmalade Dog 12 in
March and are working on securing a spot for PenguiCon.  We should have
Membership forms ready by StarCon so you can get $1 off any purchase of
$10 or more (can be a single item or a mix of items).  We won't be able
to do membership cards yet, but we will track purchases so you can earn
special bonuses.

      We have worked on the layout and are seeing if we can intersperse
a few clear display cases between some of the tables to help
mute/deflect sound some.  Hopefully it will help so there won't be
quite as much interferrence from other games nearby.  We are
brainstorming and coming up with some neat ideas that we will share as
we move forward in our planning process.

Ok,  For StarCon at Oakland University, Auburn Hills at the Oakland
Center February 17, 2007 we will have a lot of anime accessories to
sell.  We have a few wall scrolls including a dragon/tiger, a couple of
InuYasha, Cowboy Bebop, Evangelion, and a cute Sailor Moon one.  We
will also have a lot of keychains, and likely some dice as well.
      We should have some Chobits, lots of Full Metal Alchemist
(including a gorgeous XL t-shirt), Some Naruto, InuYasha, Negima, and
maybe some Samuri Champloo.  If we're lucky some cute Fruits Basket and
Chobits bags will arrive in time.  If we are not lucky, we'll have
those and Kenshin and Ghost in the Shell items available between
ConVocation and Marmalade Dog Cons.  We won't be able to get the
Dwarven Stone dice at this time.  If all goes well we will have those
and other neat gaming items by Summer.  We will try to have some dice
available though.

     We are looking for Michigan Cons to attend so send us your
suggestions.  (And we are starting up the re-write for the SBA so we'll
see how that goes.)

Well, our first attempt at getting a loan from the SBA has been
rejected.  Not too surprising really.  I didn't realize I should have
adjusted my projections to make us look profitable within the 2 year
span.  Sheesh, a projection is just an estimate and needs to be
reasonable but I erred on the side of caution, foolish me.  Well, we
are of course pressing on.  We will be at StarCon and I am setting up
accounts with our distributers today, hopefully will be able to order
by Monday.
      So far we have some decent wallscrolls and a couple of nice t-
shirts in XL sizes.  We will update as teh exotic stuff comes in.  Our
booth will be the one to visit!  Sales from this will get some of our
permits going and we will begin building an online site to generate
internet sales as well as hitting the convention trail to build up
funds.  If we can show the SBA that there really IS a market for this
stuff here we can get to the store front stage.  I honestly didn't
expect to get everything to work on the first try but we have continued
our research and will keep coming back with more and more information
so they can see we really can make this thing work.  Hang in there!
The ride is just starting!!

Well we are slowly aquiring stock for StarCon.  We have some
Inuyasha, Kenshin, Evangeleon, and fantasy wall scrolls so far.  If
anyone has a particular anime they love and want collectables from it,
let us know.  We will also be offering some rare expensive types of
dice you just don't see available much as well as plushies, keychains,
etc.  Filling out the full membership form will get you a discount at
the con (and at the store's grand opening should we get that far).
Keep your fingers crossed, we need to hear back soon to keep our time-
table where we want it.  More later!

We will be attending StarCon at Oakland University on February
17, 2007.  The school has enacted a dumb rule (due to mace at a dance
one night) that only students may attend-UNLESS they are running
something or are vendors/special guests.  SO!  Be sure to sign up to
run a nice little game for an hour or two and join us for a fun
afternoon that Saturday.
      StarCon is mostly gaming but has anime also.  Since the anime
side is often neglected by the vendors we are planning to get some of
the merchandise that you just don't see at the cons as much for our
table.  We'll post more specifics closer to the date but if you have
things you'd like from specific anime shows let us know.  We'll keep
you posted.  We also plan to bring something VERY special for the
gamers that you just never see available at the stores hardly at
ALL.  It's exotic and pricey so save up your money!! You'll hate
yourself if you don't!  Those who know how to get in touch with us
are welcome to do so and place pre-orders-but it's pay first to
secure items this way!  You will be able to pick them up at StarCon
or you can make other arrangements with us.  If for some reason the
item is out-of-stock you will get a full refund, however, if you sign
up as a member of the Guildhouse (fill out membership form, incl.
phone number so we can let you know if there is a problem with your
order) we can possibly offer you a substitute that has become
available and you will get $1 off any order of $10 or more and $10
off any order that is $100 or more.  So be sure to join us!

      Now then, bank called today and had us touch up a couple of
errors from the additions we put in the business plan.  The person
handling our case said it was pretty thourough.  I was happy to hear
that (it's like writing a senior thesis).  So it's being sent on to
Troy and we should hear back in the next week or so.  We will be
attending StarCo regardless of the status on the physical store.  If
we can start pulling in sales it will only strengthen our case.
There is more than one way to get this thing to work and we are going
to try and try until we get something going!   Wish us luck and pray
for the store!  We are doing our best to make it a reality!  :)

Well, I'm finishing up the business plan today and lucked into an
INCREDIBLE resource, MANTA.com.  This site gave us the much-needed
estimated annual sales of our competitiors so we can show the bank what
we can reasonably expect to earn.  Because of the size of the store
(3,600ft2 top floor and 3,200ft bottom floor) we have a reallllly high
target sales we have to reach.  And although Blue Dragon and Red
Dragon's numbers don't even come close, Wizzywig's hits/exceeds it.  So
the potential is there!  We'll keep you abreast.  In the meantime, what
among these things would be more important to you to know about a store:

1)  It tries to be environmentally friendly
2)  It uses good business practices that are employee-friendly
3)  It will work hard to get obscure items for customers
4)  It offers lots of promotional events
5)  It has the largest selection in the state
6)  Good handicap access
7)  Other (what is most important to you?)

    Ok!  Feel free to check out past topics and add input if you are
just joining us.  The more feedback we get the better we can be for YOU
personally!  Once the store is built it will be hard to ask for big
things.   Ciao!   :)

The store location would be in Pontiac, Michigan.  I'm waiting to
hear about the fate of the Blue Dragon.  Hope it comes through.  I know
what you mean about noise but I'm not sure if we can fix that one.
I'll chat with my husband about it.  Comfy chairs are a definate.  I'm
wondering if people would pay to use one with a shiatsu massager on
it.

      Haven't heard about the Adventure's Guildhouse.  It amuses me
though since our original gaming group in S. S. Marie was the
Adventurer's Guild and I got the Oakland University group to adopt
Guild into their name.  Makes me wonder what inspired them.  Heh.  But
we have our DBA so we're currently good to go with the name.

      We've started work on the business plan, talked to contractors,
sign companies, and city hall this week.  We need to get another
architect though so we're working on that.  We've got catalogues
arriving and are starting inventory lists.  Ducks are slowly lining
up.  We'll see how it goes.

--- In theguildhouse@yahoogroups.com, "myguildhouse"
<myguildhouse@...> wrote:
>
>     How much space should a gaming store have to actually support
> tournaments, open gaming, and the like?  How many tables would be good
> for everyone to be comfortable?
>

I don't know how many tables, or how much actual square footage, but
the big thing is have some walls.  I played out at the Blue Dragon for
like 3 years, and the problem eventually became a sheer noise issue.
We'd be trying to play our weekly D&D 3.5 game, and the card gamers
would get so loud we couldn't hear what was going on.  Different rooms
or some way to separate different groups so communication can happen.

On a different note, I think there is an Adventurer's Guild House game
store up in Flint. I used to belong to a Flint Gamers yahoo group, but
it seems to have died.

Also, where are you thinking about having this store?

Comfortable chairs I've seen posted on here, a definite need.

I've talked to Mike at the Blue Dragon, and he told me that the whole
issue with the store is differences between the owners, and that he's
planning to reopen within a month or two, hopefully in the same spot.
  He's got some money men behind him, and he's excited about the
changes.  Unfortunately, I don't know what the differences are between
the two.

Steve

How much space should a gaming store have to actually support
tournaments, open gaming, and the like?  How many tables would be good
for everyone to be comfortable?

What do people think of the "live" version of our Quetzalquoatl
mascot?  That's the feathered serpent pic on the home page.  Less
common than dragons but very pretty.  The logo will have an artistic
rendering of him.  He also translates very well to anthropomorphic mode
as well.  Am working on having logo t-shirts available through House of
Zeott.  But feel free to snag any of the gaming t-shirts or the Krystal
Visions Games logo shirts.  Purchasing those will help us too.  So
check out www.houseofzeott.com!

--- In theguildhouse@yahoogroups.com, "myguildhouse"
<myguildhouse@...> wrote:
  So far suggestions have been for comfy chairs for members
so
> they can sit for long game sessions in comfort.  To this end we are
> looking at having some of the comfy computer style chairs from
Office
> Max or Staples.  Any preference on these or durability information
is
> welcome

You might want to check the Ikea store. I know they've got a lot of
stuff for small business'. It's fairly close too.

Well, the layout and square footage of the store came in the mail
today.  So now we can talk to electrician, contractor, and architect to
get some decent estimates down.  Time to go shopping this week and
price out stuff for store like chairs, tables, vending machines, and
whatnot.  So far suggestions have been for comfy chairs for members so
they can sit for long game sessions in comfort.  To this end we are
looking at having some of the comfy computer style chairs from Office
Max or Staples.  Any preference on these or durability information is
welcome.

If you had the chance to help the environment when you grabbed a
chocolate bar would that interest you?  Would it be worth $2-3 for a
large organic chocolate bar for the pleasure of doing something good at
the same time?  Would you want conventional flavors like chocolate with
almonds or chocolate with crisps or unusual ones like chocolate with
cranberries or blueberries and marbled dark and white chocolate?

Well, we've gotten our DBA (doing business as) papers and started
our bank account and are now working on a web addy.  Sadly guildhouse
and theguildhouse are already taken on the .com and .net options.  So
do you think we should wait for one of those to open up, do the .biz,
or go with a slightly weirder addy?  And thanks to all of you for
joining us!