Is it Cheating on Your FLGS if You're in Another Time Zone?

Truth be told I don't have a FLGS (Favorite Local Game Store) there is one local comic store where I live that has some game stuff and I do visit them almost weekly to pick things up, but it it isn't *my* store, my *favorite* store......it's just the only local game store.

Not knocking the store, I still support them, but I do miss having an actual FLGS.

Sometimes I travel for work and when I'm on the road I do like to stop in and check out local game stores. I've seen (mostly) some real hole-in-the-wall places that seemed to basically live off of CCGs, some smaller shops that just happen to have RPG stuff on the side, and even a few *holy crap, this is awesome* game stores.....and at least one the game stuff was less than 1/4 of the store!

I have more of a retail background than I really wish was on my resume, so I understand (better than most) what it takes to run a retail store and know just how much *fun* (seriously, can you feel my eye rolls) running a game store would probably be. If I had to have an endeavor to lose money and could do a specific type of diversification.....I'd consider it, but then I'd probably save some cash by paying a buddy to simply kick my ass for suggesting it.

I'm not saying you can't run a game store and you cannot make money doing so....just retail kind of sucks and the nerd/geek/gamer "dream" of owning and running a game store would most likely be a nightmare (technically still a dream.....)

......anyway I'm on this trip and I stopped by two hobby/game stores. One was closed, as in out of business, and the other was a tiny, deep shop loaded to the gills with product. Fully half the store was devoted to models, but there was a HUGE selection of RPGs, more old than new, a ton of dice, minis......most everything you'd expect in a game store. While there wasn't a ton of any particular product, what was there was quite varied. I found a ton of minis I haven't seen out in the wild, which I scooped up, along with a tool that you'd expect to find in a model shop, but I haven't seen yet.....a set of tiny drill bits.

You might wonder why I'm not naming this shop........it's a social media thing for work to post where I'm at for work. I'll update this after the fact next week when I make a post. (Edit: It was the Hobbit Hobby Shop in Fayetteville NC)

There were a few things I really wanted to pick up, but I only have so much room in my luggage, so I kept it to what I got:

My Game Store Mini Haul....almost $75!

Now clearly I visit game stores while travelling, but for those of you who travel.....do you make side trips/visits to local game stores? If so, would you like to know which ones are worth visiting? Maybe we'll get together a list.....or not.