Hi All,
Today we have a rather unusual topic for our interview. We are interview Dom who runs the Fabricator’s Forge store/club out in Pittsburgh, PA. Now, full disclosure, I am a member of this club, but I also feel it’s one a good story to share as it shows how a European style club can operate in the US. However, I want to start a series looking at local FLGS owners, how they got into the business, and any interesting ideas other people can use in their own stores.
1. Tell me a bit about your background.
I’m the owner of Fabricator’s Forge, a gaming and hobby store close to Pittsburgh. I’m also a live streamer, content creator and opinionated online personality. I’ve been involved with Warhammer for almost 30 years now as I started playing when I was about 12 years old. My first model was Commander Dante (still the current model btw…) -I play a ton of different games and fully promote people expanding beyond one company as it helps build resiliency and new friendships! From about the year 2000 until opening my store (2021) I was an avid tournament player for both 40k and Fantasy. Starting around 2006 I also organized and judged warhammer tournaments and I now host four GTs a year at my store. Mostly all of experience comes from my tech job or community organizing. I never worked any retail until I opened my store.
2. What made you want to start a wargming club/store?
The other local miniature focused game stores in Pittsburgh area became complacent and disrespectful of their players. Quite frankly, we (local event organizers) built the 40k and AoS scene and the owners took advantage of that after many years. During the pandemic I was playing a lot of games at my house and decided to just open my own store because my huge group was tired of poor-quality stores. I had the finances, reputation and 20 tables of GT terrain ready to go. LP Note: The situation has improved a bit in the area since the store opened. Pittsburgh also has an inordinate number of gaming stores given its population.
3. Tell me about how the club operates? Has the vision changed over time?
Currently there are two, somewhat separate, entities. We have the store which operates the retail store element, and the second-hand models store. We offer a wide variety of games and supplies as you would expect in a larger game store.
Then, I have the club element which is membership based. This is probably the major difference between us and traditional game stores. I copied it from clubs I saw operating in the UK. Members pay a monthly fee for a large in store discount, 24/7 gaming access, storage lockers, and many other perks depending on their tier. Additionally, being a member grants access to the premium game rooms where they can play private games of dungeons and dragons, board games or miniature games.
There are players that don’t like paying a membership, but the one thing the Forge has excelled at is showing the value. It’s not just a discount, it’s not just access or perks, but it’s a community that constantly showcases the players playing their favorite game. The final part, and perhaps the most important aspect of the vision, is social media and community integration. Most stores do not utilize this because they are too focused on retail. The physical game store is important but I also operate a Discord server of almost 1000 local gamers that revolves around gaming at the Fabricators Forge. I also operate a Reddit and instagram that posts picture of players playing with their friends.
I can’t overstate this, showing gamers playing games is the easiest way to recruit more gamers. Over time, the scope has changed, but not really the strategy. At first, I limited space to members-only, but when I moved to my larger location I heavily invested in inventory and infrastructure. Now, the store has multiple full-time employees and is open every day so anyone can get a game in.
4. What made you choose this structure for the club? What advantages or disadvantages come with it?
I think the membership and community focused model is THE future of game stores. They have to adapt or they’ll die because retail just isn’t enough and customers will demand more. Why should they travel to your store just to buy something everyone else has? You need to provide them with a social experience because humans are one of the most social animals on the planet.
The advantages of my model is the sense of belonging, community and friendship that has developed among the players at my store. They aren’t just customers but partners in the sense of building the community. Each member that signs up is interested in playing games and introducing more to the hobby. From a financial level, the memberships allow me to grow the store based on what they want without huge risk. Community involvement also decreases theft and increases purchase loyalty.
Some of the disadvantages include increased scrutiny from a few vendors who see the club model as a direct threat to their own cult of personality. Additionally, by developing a para-social relationship with your customers you risk backlash if you make major social mistakes or act in a way which offends them. This isn’t necessarily the case in a normal retail store.
You also need the kind of personality that is inclusive, socially oriented and transparent. You have to be willing to explain how things work to your members because of the para-social nature This is similar to the way content creators online interact with their viewers. Also, this kind of public persona often puts me at odds with other store operators because I am constantly advertising and reinforcing the values of the Forge which may highlight issues customers may have with their own stores. Being a public persona attracts people to me but also requires careful consideration of what I say online.
5. What’s your vision for what the club and store will look like in 5-10 years?
I’d like to grow the Fabricators Forge by opening a few satellite locations that promote gaming to the north and east of Pittsburgh. Beyond just retail gaming I am planning on pushing private game rooms, content creation, live streaming, and event promotion. I see all of those as big areas for growth as players consistent want more gaming experiences not just products. I am actually considering opening up 2 more locations that are similar to the Forge in terms of sharing memberships, 24/7 access and inclusive gaming.
6. Any challenges or opportunities on the horizon that really excite you or keep you up at night?
I see the increased direct competition from my vendors as one of the largest sources of risk. Asmodee, Games Workshop and Wizards of the coast are all increasing their own capabilities to directly sell to customers and whenever that happens, they tighten their trade terms, or reduce available products available through trade channels. It’s one of the main reasons I diversify my products to insulate myself from a single vendor.
7. What advice would you have for someone who wanted to run their own store? Or were thinking about starting up a club similar to this one?
One of the lessons I learned is that you really need to have a lot of capital ($100-200k) to start up a hobby store since it’s simply NOT enough to only stock Warhammer products. You will get destroyed by established stores if you can’t provide a larger variety of games or supplies. My advice beyond the capital is to have a second job to sustain yourself and to sit down and think about what you are offering to the player base. My strategy was to provide high quality gaming instead of simple retail only. Lots of stores sell products but very few provide an inclusive and high-quality area for actual gamers. Write down your goals, your vision and what you offer better, and also what your competitions strengths are. Never play against their strengths, just focus on yours
Thanks Dom! If you are veer in the area come check out the store. I am always very interested in exploring how gaming clubs are structured and what traits add to their success. If you have any stores or clubs you would like me to reach out feel free to mention them in the comments!
And remember, Frontline Gaming sells gaming products at a discount, every day in their webcart!
