It was an interesting day.  Had a lot of nice people stroll through and that was good.  Our event ran smoothly as well.  But of course as great as technology is, there were the issues. 

Still learning the system so it might have been operator error, but I don't think that was all it was.  If there's one thing about having a game store, it's that you have to know everything involved.  Aside from telling you not to do it that is.  The learning curve is immense.

Knowing all the games (just the basics at least) is the real killer.  Having ideas of basic values of the collectibles, and that is just the nerd stuff.  I swear that all of the red tape and administrative stuff is enough for a year of college.  There is also the tech aspect, the business stuff.  It all adds up to make it a nightmare.

Then comes the real kicker, having to make actual money.  The margins are incredibly thin and knowing all the corners is a must.  Just something as simple as how to get deals on shipping for online sales can save you a ton of money depending on how much you move online, which in this industry is a must.

There's also time management, which doesn't exist in the game store world, as there is always more to do.  Orders to make, cards to sort, social media/site update, double checking inventory.  It's a never ending battle and only so much time in a day.

Some might say I am being cynical, but one of the most highly recommended books for people wanting to open a game store spends the first third of it telling you not to do it, and for good reason, it's hard, complicated, and might turn a profit in 2-5 years.  Most game stores fail in that time frame (75%), so saying it's tough is an understatement and you have to do it for the love of games, not to make a fortune.

All that being said, I like it, always have, and someday i might recount the time I had a store in the past and why having partners isn't the way to go.........