FLGS? What, did you forget the A? Why are you talking about flags on a gaming blog?
Silly patron, FLGS means “friendly local game store.” These are magical places where you are not a lone hobbyist trying to convince others that board games are awesome. These are places stocked with wooden bits, just waiting for you to plunk down your hard-earned (and sometimes hardly earned) cash. So do you have a FLGS? Do you shop there? Do you think others should? Answer in the comments!
@FarmerLenny answers:
I don’t really have a FLGS that’s super close, but I count Fair Game as my store. Since it’s not all that close, I don’t go in often, but I appreciate the friendly and knowledgeable staff. I also like that the store is laid out well, and while it’s obviously a haven for nerds, you don’t feel like you are bombarded with nerd vibes when you walk in. Basically, it’s a place I can take my wife without her feeling she needs a shower afterward. (Though it’s right next door to a yarn shop, and when we make a trip together, we usually split up.) This store also has open gaming on Saturday nights (though I’ve only played once; I’ve gone twice…).
The idea of supporting a FLGS is appealing to me, but I don’t do it as often as I’d like, mostly because no store really feels “local.” My store certainly is friendly, though.
@Futurewolfie answers:
I wish I had a more local FLGS, but even though my location is fairly close to @FarmerLenny’s, I prefer the oh-so-epic Games Plus. The place doesn’t look like much from the outside (each friend i’ve brought there has been quite underwhelmed at the front door) but upon entering it is much like walking through the wardrobe into Narnia. There are shelves and shelves of all the glorious things us gamers love. There’s the Warhammer 40k section, multiple large shelves of board games, and stacks upon stacks of RPG source books. The walls are lined with minis, there’s a section for landscape modeling, shelves of extra gaming bits like cubies and card sleeves, and boatloads of dice. Okay, so it is definitely geek city, and your non-gamer wife/girlfriend/friend may feel overwhelmed and uncomfortable there. But I don’t go there for them, I go there for me.
Unfortunately it’s really too far away to visit regularly, which is too bad because I wouldn’t mind participating in their gaming events. But I do take a special trip out there now and again, mostly to buy useful supplies like card boxes, bits, and RPG supplies. (Incidentally, this is a clear reason why mine and @Farmerlenny’s preference differs; Fair Game is a great store, but it’s exclusively board games, while I have a gaming group that plays RPGs as well).
If you’re in the chicagoland area, definitely give it a check-out.
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