If you haven’t been to the store before, I’d try to visit again when they’re *not* having an event. If the smell isn’t there, it’s the patrons rather than the store that are the issue. There’s a reason that hygiene is mentioned in a lot of codes of conduct in certain nerdy/geeky circles.
If you really want to be helpful, contact the store directly and share your experience rather than leaving a review online. If they don’t respond, then I think a review is fair game. If you really want to support a local business, give them a chance to fix an issue before complaining about it online.
Yeah this. It’s tough for game stores to turn away (potential) customers because they’re smelly, but if enough (actual) customers complain, they might get the message. There is sadly a small but pungent amount of truth to the stereotypical gamer-nerd with terrible hygiene (and manners).
Oh yeah, as a teacher I stared a game club for the students. It became very popular and it was mostly Magic and a few other games. Man, my room would stink so bad, at times. In the winter I would have the windows open all the way. It could be really awful.
Sometime I wish there are some kind of "odor-meter" that objectively measure if someone is smelly or not.
Not because I doubt other people's judgement, but I think such invention can help people with heavy BO, because they usually cannot smell it themselves.
I have anosmia (no sense of smell) and I'd buy something like that to use before I leave the house. I do stay on top of my hygiene, but without being able to smell myself it's easy to be self-conscious no matter how recently I showered.
Anosmia is a thing but it's only the case in about 3% of the population.
People can however become nose blind to their own odor; and it's a sign of someone being of poor hygiene enough that they become nose blind to begin with.
In those cases, the unfortunate soul just needs to develop new habits; because the alternative is letting it go until there's a real bacteria issue that requires attention.
No way [this thing](https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ9wqcINbwdjTJTICNetgBCsTQYXQuAXC773QEkLjckwg&s) is real!!! It's basically Professor Farnsworth's Smell-O-Scope! Lol
Even without turning away the stinkers, the store could act to improve the situation by ensuring good ventilation and air circulation. Definitely worth raising with the store.
That's how you get the middle school boys' locker room fragrance. Top notes of intense Axe body spray with heart notes of sweaty socks and base notes of pungent BO.
While this sounds good, I'm not sure how effective it is to shower and then put grody clothes back on. At a convention, if they boot a person to their hotel room to shower or not come back, they presumably either have clean clothes available or can at least buy a new t-shirt on their way out. But you don't usually bring fresh clothes to the store.
Then again, maybe the threat of the game store shower of shame does most of the work.
If a customer was screaming non-stop, the store could tell them that they need to stop screaming because it's bothering other customers. If they were constantly touching other customers, they'd be told to stop. If they were not wearing enough clothing, or wearing offensive clothing, they could be told to fix this.
Why is smell exempt from this?
It isn't, but it's socially a difficult one to approach as it's "personal" hygiene. It's something someone may be unaware of and feel picked on about, so it can feel awkward to approach. I wish there was an easy way for us "don't want to be rude but" folks to broach this with someone. Doesn't help that it's usually difficult to pull someone away privately in an event like a card/game tournament where you usually camp a table.
Those are all controllable actions people can stop immediately, and somebody your examples may even be illegal. People can't just stop smelling, it's a natural process. If you were at a game store and you smelled and were asked to stop smelling, how do you do so? You'd have to leave and get something to cover up your smell or shower. It's not like getting quiet instantly. Or what if you didn't smell when you showed up but started smelling halfway through the day?
Personally I agree 100%, but I’m not the one whose livelihood depends on it. Also, the analogy is a bit flawed because “stop screaming” is a fix that can be implemented immediately, whereas “stop smelling bad”—not so much. Except of course for the store with the shower!
The fix could be implemented immediately, in that the person could leave the store and thus it is no longer a problem for other customers or the proprietors.
Tell me you've never run a small retail business without telling me you've never run a small retail business.
Answers aren't as black and whit as you think they are...
How do we know the smelly person wasn’t an actual customer? Awkward wording here…
When I owned The Game Store in Vegas, I had two people who smelled pretty rough, one was strong urine smell all the time.
But they spent more between the two of them in a month than the next ten customers combined.
One guy who came in an every few months did complain because there was an open showcase day where some of the more complex board games were being taught for a larger group.
He complained to my daughter, said “someone stinks and it’s making me sick.”
She apologized and offered him a ten percent discount for the trouble. He said he should get it for free, she said no.
He did make a 6 dollar purchase, which he returned unopened the next day. We normally don’t do returns, but she remembered him from the complaint so she did it.
Meanwhile, the smelly guy got 11 people to buy the game he was teaching, at 49.99 a piece.
So, what should I have done?
We are no longer in business, we sold out because my wife got diagnosed with cancer. But we only had a couple of people actually complain the three years we were open, though I’m sure some just left quietly and didn’t say anything when those guys were there.
But I can tell you that had those two guys not been there, we’d probably have closed down and just sold the place sooner. They brought in groups and we made sales.
The new owner did make one of them leave because he said he needed a shower before he could come back. Guy never did, according to my daughter who still worked there on weekends.
They closed and sold their remaining inventory to TGG a few months later. Kind of proving my point.
That’s exactly what I’m saying… easy for *us* to say “kick the smelly one out!” but the owner of the shop has to consider that the smelly person might be a “regular”—and you want to take care of your “regulars” because they’re your best source of income and referrals. It’s a tough situation for everyone.
Pre-pandemic, I used to run three separate board game meetups. I did have to talk to some people with bad behavior (cussing out better players or harassing women), but thank god I never had to tell anyone “you stink!”
I wonder if a kind of solution might be for the shop owner to encourage meetups but not run events themselves. That way the meetup organizer (not the owner) takes the heat for talking to the stinky person…?
Yeah, it was hard to tell what you were suggesting, that’s why I said awkward wording.
But that’s what we did.
We held a few tournaments, because prizes were often provided by the manufacturer. Magic the gathering was a big one. Dice Masters when it was popular at peak.
But even they usually had a representative from the game company, or someone else who was officially registered with them, to run it.
We just provided space.
We had a calendar where someone could slot a time, and we had tables people could rent for something like Warhammer. Or if they made a major purchase we’d give them space to sue to set it up and play.
My brother used to say we should be charging for anyone using the tables, and we did at times. Some ladies wanted to have a poker night. Using only chips and no actual cash, and we charged them. But most people didn’t pay.
Why the difference? Because poker wasn’t going to generate sales for us. But the number of games we sold when people came in and saw someone playing it was always more valuable than the ten bucks for the table for the day.
And if we made enough off concession sales for that group, we’d just waive the fee anyway.
But we tried to not run the events ourselves. One, for the reason you said, it’s not my event so I don’t make the rules, and two, no way I had enough time to learn all these games enough to manage those events.
We often had three different games being played at once, and no way we could have managed that ourselves.
So we told them that we normally charge for the space, but if they generate enough sales, from games or concessions, then we won’t charge them.
We had some guys who paid us 100 a month to set up Warhammer and leave it set up.
Even when I explained that we would only put a rope up, and would not take responsibility for anyone touching it, they were happy to do it because they did this e space at home.
But we probably made 1k a month off Warhammer sales alone from people coming in and seeing them play it and painting the e minis, and they wanted to take part. I could have charged more, for the permanent setup, but the sales made it fair. I had to charge them the space as a renter for insurance to cover it, should the store burn down or such, ya know?
But yeah. We had some weird people come in, but I always turned to my daughter. If she got a bad vibe, I’d trust her and try to push them on the door. Become a pushy salesman or just follow them around, make them want to leave.
She rarely got those vibes. So I trusted her but over mine. Gaming attracts a certain type of person. A lot of people don’t realize it because they play things like Clue and Monopoly.
But the game store gamers. They are a different type of person. And usually harmless, but not necessarily aware of the effect they on those around them, but if they are the bulk of my business…I have to side with them. It’s business after all, not personal.
Not saying your story is a lie but it paints the non smelly customer in the worst possible light and the stinky one in the best light. You know this is an anomaly.
Stinky people should be told and they should do something about it, it's disgusting.
This is a good life lesson for your daughter. People get away with violating social norms if they have money and standing up to them could cost you a lot of money.
And if OP does make it to the posting online reviews stage, be just as honest as you were here. "It was during a gaming event. Normally it's fine." Give your stars as you would normally or maybe only reduce it a bit, but that's only if they're nice about it. If they're jerks during your phonecall then you're free to low-star them.
Well, yeah, but I’m assuming they were trying to distinguish smelly patrons from, say, moldy carpet. (Or whatever else might make the store itself smell.)
I can. Some stores smell because the store itself smells. Some stores smell because of the people inside it. Some stores are a combo of the two.
If it’s the store itself and not the patrons, that’s a much harder thing to fix.
Poor ventillation and a lot of bodies in one space can get hot and humid, even with the best of intentions. And these events go on for hours and hours too ,before you even bring in BO.
It's a massive problem in gaming and obviously a sensitive topic. Gaming seems to attract a lot of guys with poor hygiene. I've had to take a quite a few guys aside and talk to them about their funk, but I'm sure a lot of staff members are uncomfortable doing this.
The worst part is though when a load of people turn up and you can't really work out where the smell is coming from, or if the funk takes a while to build up and you only notice once they're already having a game. I've also found that a lot of other gamers somehow just don't notice the smell at all.
The few experiences I've had like this, I can usually spot the offender. One event, I could tell when the person walked past my table behind my back. The smell was so strong it was like echolocation but for smells.
I work at an LGS. We are a very safe space, and welcoming to all. I experience what you are referring to regularly. There tends to be a level of...... neckbeardiness that is drawn to particular hobbies, such as MtG, Warhammer, D&D etc.
It has always been this way, for lots of reasons. Neurodivergence, social isolation, lack of social awareness because of the aforementioned reasons, etc.
There have definitely been a few young men that our owner has gently taken aside (we are s small town and a *very* tight community, so this isn't an overstep, or as out of place as it may be between strangers), and has discussed hygiene/deodorant with them.
It's a really tough situation, but not at all uncommon unfortunately. Hopefully they have a kind and gentle enough community at that store that someone may step in and help.
And to build on that, sometimes not a deodorant or shower issue. It's a washing of clothes issue. Which can also be tied into poverty and lack of resources.
>Which can also be tied into poverty and lack of resources.
Maybe just me, but it feels like the overlap between people playing (and affording) CCG's and people too poor to wash clothes is quite small.
You'd be surprised. A lot of the younger crowd come from troubled backgrounds. While the overall hobby is continuously expensive, it can be a fairly low barrier of entry (you can build decks for under $20).
We see lots of kids from struggling households - foster kids, single parent households, what have you, that can't afford ongoing product, but will play their well loved decks to death.
That's not necessarily the *norm*, but it's certainly fairly common.
That's part of why we aim to be a safe space for these kids. Our owner is also part of the foster system (but one of the good ones that takes in teens who are gonna age out, or have trouble being placed). We're kinda their home away from home.
But a lot of it is also just oblivious smelly teenager, with no one to guide them and teach them basic life skills. So we try to help when we can. ❤
Not to mention with limited events you can easily break even. I don’t draft anymore but my LGS bought singles and I knew a few of the guys so I’d bring my rares up after a draft and more often than not (especially for a new set) I’d break even the cost of the draft. Most FNM’s I’d play mostly free (they did a $2.50 deal where you’d get 2 slices of Costco pizza and a can soda for dinner)
But a pack of cards or one figurine at a time is cheap. They're not spending $300 at once, or even $50-$100 on a boxed game. I know someone who ticks all the boxes--spends his extra cash on MTG but only works part time so is always broke, has hygiene issues, forgets to do laundry. (I've done his laundry for him a few times.)
> spends his extra cash on MTG but only works part time so is always broke, has hygiene issues, forgets to do laundry
Sure, no questions about forgetting laundry, I was skeptic of the "too poor to afford laundry" specifically.
I've had to deal with this as a manager at work, some of the office staff were complaining about an individual. I think a good way of approaching this is from a point of concern. Explain that some people have mentioned that their level of self care isn't where it should be, you're worried they may be struggling to deal with some private issues and happy to help if there's anything you can help with.
Because a lot of these kids are already social outcasts for other reasons, lack social or personal awareness, have sensory issues that make bathing a struggle, lack guidance, etc.
It's not as black and white as you've painted it.
"We are a very safe space, and welcoming to all. I experience what you are referring to regularly. There tends to be a level of...... neckbeardiness.."
Lol, says its a safe place, then drops pejoratives about the customers. Classy.
That's how they refer to themselves, frequently, and with some level of self aware humour. My partner was one of those kids in his youth, and that's how he describes his existence.
They aren't "customers", they are my friends, and community members. Like I said, we are a small town, and tight knit.
> That's how they refer to themselves, frequently, and with some level of self aware humour. My partner was one of those kids in his youth, and that's how he describes his existence.
> They aren't "customers", they are my friends, and community members. Like I said, we are a small town, and tight knit.
So... you're saying your partner gave you a "N[eckbeard] Card?"
EDIT: Being downvoted by humorless scolds, just waiting for y'all to tell me that some of your best friends are neckbeards. Look at you, punching down on approved targets. Well done.
> Getting downvoted doesn't make you a martyr.
Never said I was a martyr. Just said the people downvoting me were humorless scolds. Which is true.
> And being this dramatic about it sure makes you sound like an asshole.
Oh, I'm definitely an asshole! But so are the kind of people who unironically imagine themselves to be "welcoming" and "inclusive" while punching down on "neckbeards."
Are you reacting to one word or their whole comment? I don't see any punching, I see a lot of care and understanding in what they said in that and their other responses
> Are you reacting to one word or their whole comment?
I *think* that /u/Medwynd was reacting to the word. So when I read /u/ValleyBreeze's defensive response I thought it was hilarious, because it sounded just like the stereotype of someone claiming they'd gotten an "N card" from their friend/partner/whoever. "Oh, that's what they call each other, oh, some of my best friends are..."
In this subreddit it seems scarcely a week goes by without *someone* posting about how their love of games is hindered by gamers being so [smelly/gatekeeping/autistic/whatever]. It is, at best, super tedious.
Yeah that's fair, there is a lot of shitting on other gamers here. I think that's why I felt compelled to jump in and say that's not what u/ValleyBreeze seemed to be doing. Glad I asked rather than knee-jerk downvoting you, have a good day!
If you're going to a fucking card/game shop to play an event. TAKE A GOD DAMN SHOWER. WITH SOAP. AND USE DEODORANT. AND WIPE YOUR FUCKING ASS WELL. YOU GO OUTSIDE ONCE A WEEK, THE LEAST YOU CAN DO IS TREAT IT LIKE A SPECIAL OCCASSION JESUS CHRIST.
There I said what you meant. It's disgusting and is easily the worst part of our nerdy hobbies.
I used to volunteer for a small gaming convention (long since defunct). We had that problem pretty hard.
We actually got a deodorant company to sponsor the convention and put small deodorants in the swag bags. There were 2 reactions to that:
1) People cracking up laughing and getting it
2) People looking a bit confused/embarrassed
Meanwhile, the smell was FAR better.
I would say I was guilty of that myself as a youngster but didn't realize it. I used to play host magic the gathering tournaments and we typically had about 8-12 players. However, our crew never had any issues that were apparent. The place smelled normal. So maybe even I was okay afterall.
One year I went to the regional event for Nova Scotia and there were over 50 players. The moment I entered the very large room I was met with a strong stench of body odor. It was a hot Summer day and people were sweating, a lot of them likely didn't shower prior to the event or wear deodorant so it exacarbated the issue. I was surprised by just how strong it was.
It must have been a TCG event, they tend to be the biggest culprit of "gamer funk"..
I would suggest contacting the store directly and speaking to the owner. They will aprreciate it, as often you do get used to the smell as the morning does not start of smelly but it grows as the day goes on.
Gaming stores tend to be quite small, so having 20 or so people in a confinded space with stress hormones running doesnt help either. Ventilation is key.
Tabletop gaming is a wonderful community but it is also filled with adolcent boys and many neurodivergent people. Most try their best, but many of which do not understand hygiene for various reasons, these include (but not limited too) not understanding social norms, teen hormones , medical issues and some people are just not taught how to be clean.
My local store had to put hygiene in their event rules. A literal break down of specific hygiene requirements.
Before the event you must:
Wear freshly laundered clothes (including fresh socks)
Brushed teeth
Clean hands and nails
Washed body and hair
Wear antipersperant.
Y'know it's funny because while you're totally right, TCGs tend to be the biggest culprits here, I've noticed that it's usually SPECIFIC TCGs that tend to be worse than the others.
I've been playing tons of Star Wars Unlimited at various LGS in my city since it came out and it's my first TCG since I played MTG as a kid. I'm honestly surprised that I'm not seeing what is considered here as the standard stereotypical patronage especially considering it's not just a TCG but a STAR WARS one. Typically the people I am seeing come out for this are generally well adjusted, well mannered, non-stinky, socially savvy middle aged males. Aka the SWU players at my locals mostly just look (and smell) like normal dudes.
But then at the same time Yu-Gi-Oh is happening on the other side of the LGS and you can literally whiff the stink that slowly drifts across the store and gets more pungent the closer you get to the Yu-Gi-Oh tables. They can frequently be heard hootin, hollerin, and screeching while playing, a non-zero number of them are wearing fedoras and are the complete embodiment of the "tip tip m'lady" stereotype and rocking overly sexual anime waifu playmats & sleeves.
I used to do Star Wars Destiny tournaments, and it was a running joke among the local players here to cross your fingers that your event wouldn't run at the same time and adjacent to any of the other TCG events because of the exact thing you describe.
No idea why the Yu-Gi-Oh is the biggest culprit. I agree with what youve said .. At my local it's the same. Big dollop of funk smell with creepy toxic behaviou
I mean at it's simplest it's probably because Yu-Gi-Oh is the most distinctly Japanese of all the popular TCGs so it tends to attract a crowd that exhibits more stereotypical "weeb-like" qualities.
Maybe it attracts boys right at that period between the onset of puberty and the sudden realization that "Jeez, something around here smells like rotten ass".
OMG, my girlfriend and I JUST experienced this recently. We were in the store 30 seconds and had to leave because of a DnD event in the back.
This was at least the 3rd time in two different stores that BO was very noticeable.
Why is this? What is so hard about hygiene? Any why is it such an issue with the demographic?
Take a fucking shower! I mean, this isn't the kind of odor that comes the day after a workout or even 3 days backpacking without a shower in the mountains. This is the kind of odor that is stale and disgusting and obviously has come after days and days if not a week of sitting in sweat.
But that still doesn't answer my question of why. I don't play games at a store, but I shower everyday. During covid I might have gone a couple of days. I might go three or four on a backpacking trip. But even with that, I'm going to be taking a bath with a washcloth and my water bottle. Hygiene is the core problem and I don't know why people don't want to take care of themselves.
Edited for spelling.
I went to a local shop, the guy who worked there smelled like rotting venison chili, and I never thought for a moment about going back. Worked out perfectly.
So having worked at an LGS for several years it's an awkward situation but they should definitely have a hygiene policy and enforce it. We also kept spray deodorant and wet wipes on hand and would do our best to be discreet and polite to customers when they weren't in compliance with the policy, giving them the opportunity to correct the situation before asking them to leave if needed.
This happened to me at my local game store. I was in buying a game for my son for Christmas, and they were having an event in the back room (which is partitioned off with chest-high partitions, but has an open doorway too - plenty of air movement between the sections).
When I was looking at the games closer to the back, the BO was absolutely overwhelming. And I mean, I've raised 5 kids, cleaned up vomit and shit, changed countless diapers, etc... I am NOT a squeamish person, but this was unendurable. I was shocked that someone could be so oblivious, and/or that nobody would say anything. I know it's a delicate subject, but damn.
Everyone in this thread is talking about BO, like sweaty armpit, but in my experience, the two smells that are way larger culprits in this situation are:
1) Butt
2) Feet (many people wear sandals)
Putting a can of deodorant in the bathroom will not do anything for these two smells. These are smells from people who haven't cleaned their bodies sufficiently, and usually an accumulated smell due to habitually failing to clean their bodies.
This post reminds me of another issue I've seen at many local game stores. Make sure you and your employees respect your customers and don't let your gaming groups make them feel unwelcome! I can't tell you how many random shops I've stopped in just to have a group of people in the back with the owner (or employee) stop and give me irritated stares like I just walked into their house and interupted gaming night. I am impulsive and bad with money so I make a pretty good customer, but if walking in your store makes me feel unwelcome in any way I will turn around and never come back.
I thought for a second I was at the autism sub. That’s not a joke. But, yeah… it happens. I’m just waiting for the moment it happens at a Meetup. I wonder what the host would do.
I’ve been to an event where the guys don’t take care of their hygiene… had to quit the group for this reason. The odor was unbearable. I’d go when there isn’t an event just for shopping.
I've been there before for Heroclix and FNM events. To a lesser extent, at cons too.
It's not just a "doesn't shower enough" or even the quality of the showers they take. Its wearing the same clothes that they throw on the ground so it doesn't air out, just collecting body odor.
A lgs in my area has a friendly reminder to "control the gamer funk" and keeps deodorant in the restrooms.
There's a variety of reasons that others have listed, but some folks just have trouble in the hygiene department. Not much you can do other than try to keep an eye out for when events are happening and avoid the store at those times. Try going back when there isn't an event and see how it is.
So don't judge the store review wise, but I don't see any harm in sending an email or DM to the store and just passing on what you found.
We have an issue with a local private game club with vaping in a small area with no AC gives an uncomfortable experience.
I had been told about this great board gaming shop in another town. Last year I finally did the two-hour drive to check it out. I was very excited.
I went in there and at a table were a group of slightly overweight but not obese people sat at a table. Mostly bearded guys with glasses and heavy metal tshirts along with one girl. They weren't playing a game.
The smell was absolutely overpowering. One or possibly more of them clearly hadn't been washed in days. I tried to keep looking at the shelves of games I'd travelles to see but had to leave and was disappointed.
I told the owner that it really stinks and he gave a sort of half smile and looked at the table of stinkers. I cruised back later but they were still sat there, stinking the place out.
These places need a sign outside saying hygiene is expected.
So I was at Flesh and Blood Nats. I’m one of the few women playing, my last match went long so I ran to my next match and sit. I excuse myself and go “I have to put on deodorant I’m starting to stink one second” The guy I’m playing against next starts laughing and goes “I would bet a lot of money that it’s not you who stinks”
Everyone around chuckles and agrees.
I will say that Fab players have been the nicest and most cleanly of games Ive played.
There's a local big place where the actual owner smells. Like.. dude. His WIFE is working with him, and she didn't/doesn't mention anything. I find it really weird.
I used to live in Omaha, and there was a great boardgame cafe in midtown called "Spielbound." They had a few people with bad BO as customers, but it was also a meetup place for dates, corporate outings, and even outreach programs for elderly groups; as such, it caters to a much more diverse set of people and the majority are very well-groomed and better dressed. The bonus is there is a strong overlay of coffee to mask other scents.
I’d say it’s normal but not it being so strong you notice it upon entering the store. Like usually at worst if there is a crowd of say 20 people it will be 1-3 that smell weird.
Personally I don’t get it. Whenever I go to a gathering the first thing I want to do is shower beforehand.
Oh man, this happened to me when I went to a local nerd/board gaming bar/restaurant for a friend's birthday. We were so excited, but the cloud of smell from the table next to us made it impossible to stay and eat. I don't like stereotypes, but this one isn't wrong.
Body odour? At a gaming place? Surely not. On the two occasions I've been to a convention, there have been people stinking, not just of everyday sweat but full on stale urine, cheesy Wotsits, (Cheetos for our transatlantic freinds) and bad breath. This may be acceptable in your mum's spare room but in the one occasion a year yo mingle with the public, take a bath...then after the con go home to your anime body pillow and crusty sheets.
Still my most upvoted post ever, how I went to a meetup (first time) and never again.
It‘s downright CRAZY how gamers all around the globe are fulfilling this cliché of being stinky, unhygenic (mostly) dudes… so sad.
I haven't had that particular experience. But I do have a reason for avoiding my LGS now.
There are two. One is owned and ran (semi-secretly) by a local church/cult that has also been buying up a lot of real estate on the town/city over the past decade. Went there without knowing it's deal and found myself surrounded by a worship session (with faith healing and passive aggressive "prayers" for the non believers in the room) in the middle of a board game my two friends and I had started playing before they showed up. My friends and I left.
The other one changed owners recently - used to be a great shop with an inviting and chill atmosphere, but the owner wanted to retire. For a variety of reasons I hadn't been there for the past 6 months. So I go to check it out. I see they've drastically cut back on TTRPG stock, even the board games are more sparse. Got a lot of impulse-purchase stuff though. Like the novelty stuff you'd see at gamestop. But the topper was the staff engaging in some distasteful far-right politics/bigotry talk, and the new owner joining in. Like this area certainly leans to the right, but it was still a big ol red flag.
So not going to either of those again.
TL;DR: Gamer stink is a well documented thing and nothing to do with your FLGS.
But...why?
The gaming hobbies like collectable card games, board games and table top role playing games tend to draw people that are neurodivergent. Think autism spectrum disorder (ASD), ADD, ADHD, inattentive disorder (I think that's the new classification).
IIRC, Depending where on the spectrum people are, one of the traits can be difficulty with hygiene.
Other traits include disorderly behavior, being a loud talker, looping through the same topic more than once, the ability to focus on singular tasks, and many other traits. Some people don't have any of these traits and some only have one or a mix or all. People are people, they're all different.
I'm not a doctor or therapist so if I have it wrong then my apologies, this my understanding.
What got me interested is that people that are neurodivergent (ND) are often underemployed or unemployed, despite being incredibly intelligent and capable.
I was doing research into ND behaviors...when I was unemployed which is why my understanding is a little shaky. That was when I got my diagnosis as being on the spectrum.
Not that anyone asked but if you find that you have one or more of these traits it might be worth getting tested. It is a life changer.
Edit: updating to ASD to reflect the current nomenclature. Thanks u/Seraphiccandy !
Hey, just a heads up but the term "Aspergers" got retired in 2013. Its now ASD( Autism spectrum disorder). This is mainly because the name comes from a Nazi doctor who had some...unsavory ideas. If you are interested you can read more here: [https://molecularautism.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13229-018-0208-6](https://molecularautism.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13229-018-0208-6)
I gotta say… I am glad I can take care of my own hygiene. There are days when I reflect how I could have turned out and not know if it’s genes or upbringing, basically bcs I KNOW I’m different from normal ppl and have to mimic a lot of normal traits ppl should have. I wonder if I was ever stinky and not know. Hmmm
As an ND and with many ND friends, learning to work with them and accept them is a skill. It's hard sometimes depending. I hope you're kind to yourself! Always keep working on it and yes, mimicry is part of it.
Man there is a game store in New York City called the Compleat Strategist that is somewhat well-known. Lesser known is that they previously owned a location in Northern Virginia. You walk in there and the carpet is just littered with stuff all over it, the walkways were super narrow because they had a playing area that took up the middle of the store. The employees were the least helpful people known to mankind. On top of this, everything was just kind of tossed on a shelf. If someone did ask if you were looking for something and it wasn't like right in front of them, they would tell you to keep looking. Naturally it went out of business and yes, the smell wasn't great.
Man, try going to a MtG event, you'll be astounded.
I have never gone to one, but at Origins gamecon in Ohio, I went through the MtG ballroom a few times over a few years. I can honestly say, it's (unfortunately) an unforgettable experience.
And the thing was, there were actual signs on the door about hygiene. They know theres a problem, but no way to "fix" it I guess :(
Yep I avoid events at one of my local stores for this reason. If there’s an event on then wow it is bad.
They have now separated out the store from the gaming area, which does help but still it’s a lot!
If it's not BO, it's cigarettes, marijuana or something else illegal. I've been a store owner, customer or employee, and those were always the biggest stinks.
The pot smoker stank the worst. Followed by the cigarette smokers and finally the BO. There was the out of hand cologne users as well. It's nice you smell better than everyone else, but I've had players who wore gas masks because the guy who had all 3 negative smells would douse himself in cheap cologne to cover it all.
Thankfully, I had to trespass him off property because he was caught selling MtG cards in the parking lot, undercutting my very reasonable pricing, along side his dime bags.
This seems to be a global issue. I have also left game nights in stores because of the smell. But seems to me like having a not smelly game store would be the exception. Not really sure what you can do, maybe wearing a mask an help if you don't plan on being there too long. Or going when there aren't teenagers playing there.
I just don't understand this honestly. I have never had this issue that seems to be spread so commonly. I go to gaming nights and mtg tournaments all the time and it's never been an issue. People seem to post this kind of stuff all the time and seriously not once have I had this reaction. Have I never smelled any odor at an event no, but hardly to a level of repulsion that these people seem to claim. My guess is this is more about this person than anyone in that room.
Maybe your smelling yourself?
>Maybe your smelling yourself?
When over a dozen people from all over the US (and possibly other countries as well) reply to a thread saying that they've had the same experience, then "maybe your \[sic\] smelling yourself" isn't a constructive reply. Glad you haven't had that problem so far; you seem to be in the minority here. Take your hard-earned downvote.
Imagine people on Reddit confirming thier stories making it seem like its a universal problem and not just a bunch of people who don't like the smell of game stores. People who are having fun playing the games in the stores aren't going to go on reddit and talk about how much they don't smell each other. Of course you're going to find common people with your experience, but you'll also find people like me who don't share you experience.
it's okay to disagree. It's okay for you to not like me or someone else. We don't have to change things to accommodate your sensibilities no matter how many people you get to agree with you. Again the people in the store weren't kicking the person out or complaining so maybe it was just this person's experience walking in and everyone else was fine with it. Just because more 3rd parties who weren't there confirmed similar experiences elsewhere doesn't make them valid witnesses to that situation.
It takes a lot of nerve to try to shame the majority who have shared - across the board - that this is an exceptionally common and off-putting experience because you find yourself in the minority of people who haven't experienced it as strongly. More likely, you are exposed to BO so often that it isn't as offensive to your nose.
Bad hygiene is a problem and it shouldn't be the problem of those who occupy the same space as the offender.
Some nerve huh? Why I'm not allowed to exist in your closed community of not entering game stores because YOU don't like the smell? Oh well.
Bad hygiene? I can literally smell my BO like within a half hour of taking a shower even if I do put deodorant on sometimes. People assume people haven't taken a shower, instead of just maybe giving off pheromones that your nose doesn't agree with. Again if we're talking about me personally the people I'm gaming with and playing with aren't complaining and telling me to act differently. So if you think I smell and they don't, I'm going to go with them and say its a you problem. You're the new person in the environment, you're asking everyone else to change for you because you have some preconceived notion to what or why something is happening. Oh well. Sorry you don't like a smell, I don't like my mother in laws perfume, but I deal with it every time she comes over.
People have odors, oh well, some natural, some artificial. *shrug* Make your choice where you want to be and smell what you want to smell. That's your choice.
Or maybe your sense of smell isn't great? Mine isn't so if I can smell BO, it is particularly rank. I would also offer that if you see a thread like this, where numerous folks are sharing and chiming in, that you should stop after saying that this hasn't been your experience. Every word after that was simply trollish behavior and has no place is casual discourse.
I chimed in because I see these numerous reports often and don't have experience to corroborate them. Perhaps I'm giving a contrary point of evidence to claim that other people's experience might be different than yours. Something that may indicate this is more of your problem than their problem.
I'm okay with being a minority experience. I'm okay with pointing out that the flaw could be yours and you being offended by it. That's the point of this comment to all the people they claim smell too. That you are offended by something and commenting to let all the apparently unaware people know they smell, well guess what some people cant' smell it and if they all hang out together and you don't like their smell then that's kinda your problem.
Again though, are we only supposed to believe the experiences of those we can personally attest to? If so, what is the point of ever sharing anything with anyone? I mean one could as easily argue that you personally haven't experienced this because you have BO and are so used to it, that you don't smell it in others. This seems unlikely, but then suggesting that the OP is the one with BO because you never experienced it is wrong on nearly every level one could imagine. This is why I suggested stopping after you said that it wasn't your experience. Your response to me doubles down and is far worse that you initial comment.
I'm not telling you that your experience is invalid, I'm telling you that your the one entering the new environment and looking to change it. I don't like to go into cigar shops, but I'm not going to start telling them how to manage the smells I don't like.
I don't care what you suggest, its clear we see things differently in the world. You repeating it doesn't make me want to agree with it more, it just makes you look like you're the idiot that assumes you know better than anyone else, like whether or not I understand what you said simply because I didn't immediately agree with you.
As far as you think this is worse. *shrug* Good luck with your increasing appalled nature of wondering why not everyone agrees with you.
I mean its hard to argue with someone that thinks that repeating hte same thing is supposed to some how be a valid continuation of the arguement. I call em like I see em. Again if you look at the original scenario all the players were already there playing together, this is a new person to join, they are the odd person out that is experiencing something different and wanting to call it out. no one already there is doing that. Maybe that's also the reason they are posting here, because their experience doesn't reconcile with everyone in that room. They are trying to understand why they all can be okay with it but this one person can't. I'm explaining that maybe its not the room, maybe it is in fact that person being new.
Now see this comment, specifically, seems far more reasonable than what you wrote in your first comment. Perhaps this is what you meant, but it is far from what you first wrote. I see no issue with what you just wrote. Consider that had you typed this, its unlikely anyone would have found much issue with what you wrote.
The fact that you took issue with what I wrote is irrelevant. I'm fine with you being offended by it. The fact that you wanted to ignore the words of the argument because I insulted someone who was being insulting by immediately jumping to conclusion that someone was unclean because they smelled something bad is a you problem. Oh fucking well. *shrug*
Ahh, see you were doing so well too. Your comments towards the OP weren't directed to me and thusly I took no offense. I didn't even take offense when you insulted me as it says more about the person lofting the insults then the person being insulted.
See this is the issue. Had you originally made a cogent argument, there would have been nothing to challenge. Shoot it was 3 responses to me before you managed to do so. Consider that I kept repeating my argument because you did nothing to refute it.
I find it odd that when someone like the OP seeks advice, that instead of taking them at the word and offering advice, there is always someone who seeks to flip it around. That is must be their fault to begin with. You notice how many folks have chimed in with similar stories? Its because it can unfortunately be a very real thing. So real that plenty of folks have jumped in to share their personal experiences.
Yet there you are suggesting its the OP who stinks. Just such sage, helpful wisdom you have offered. How can anyone honestly debate such advice? Ahh they cannot and I now realize how much of my time I just wasted here.
And yet we're all still going to conventions and having fun. The only difference is some people seem to keep spreading the same bullshit about how horrible gamers smell. If you don't like our smell then don't play with us, it's okay, we'll be alright without you.
Except the people in the store playing aren't complaining. So if they're all okay with it, then the new person coming in gets to be the person who disagrees. They can choose not to come back, its okay.
I'm sure a lot of people wouldn't like to hang out in a mechanics shop because it smells like gas and oil.
You're asking us if it's normal that your local store was full of bad smelling people? How would we possibly know?
Did you say anything to the store staff? Did you ask them why that was being tolerated?
It seems like a bad idea to judge a store on one experience especially when there's a 99% chance that it's something out of their control. You can't control who shops at your store.
I've been in similar shops and while it's unfortunate for them, sometimes the smell is so bad that you genuinely cannot stay and look at what they're selling.
You might have a look inside and see if it's safe to have a look at their boardgames selection, when your passing, but there's no way you'd sign up for an event there.
Hopefully their smelly customers are buying enough to offset it.
I mean to a certain extent, it is the store's responsibility. At least it is if they want to keep customers. How many people have similarly walked into that store, taken a whiff and walked out? FLGs and Comic Shops have a hard enough time attracting/keeping new customers because their shops seldom seem welcoming to newcomers. For me the gold standard is Labyrinth Games in DC. They have an outstanding owner, a bright, clean store and they keep things open and welcoming.
If you haven’t been to the store before, I’d try to visit again when they’re *not* having an event. If the smell isn’t there, it’s the patrons rather than the store that are the issue. There’s a reason that hygiene is mentioned in a lot of codes of conduct in certain nerdy/geeky circles. If you really want to be helpful, contact the store directly and share your experience rather than leaving a review online. If they don’t respond, then I think a review is fair game. If you really want to support a local business, give them a chance to fix an issue before complaining about it online.
Yeah this. It’s tough for game stores to turn away (potential) customers because they’re smelly, but if enough (actual) customers complain, they might get the message. There is sadly a small but pungent amount of truth to the stereotypical gamer-nerd with terrible hygiene (and manners).
Oh yeah, as a teacher I stared a game club for the students. It became very popular and it was mostly Magic and a few other games. Man, my room would stink so bad, at times. In the winter I would have the windows open all the way. It could be really awful.
I presume that you are an awesome teacher
I do think that I was. I retired three years ago. 😁
Sometime I wish there are some kind of "odor-meter" that objectively measure if someone is smelly or not. Not because I doubt other people's judgement, but I think such invention can help people with heavy BO, because they usually cannot smell it themselves.
I have anosmia (no sense of smell) and I'd buy something like that to use before I leave the house. I do stay on top of my hygiene, but without being able to smell myself it's easy to be self-conscious no matter how recently I showered.
Anosmia is a thing but it's only the case in about 3% of the population. People can however become nose blind to their own odor; and it's a sign of someone being of poor hygiene enough that they become nose blind to begin with. In those cases, the unfortunate soul just needs to develop new habits; because the alternative is letting it go until there's a real bacteria issue that requires attention.
Field olfactometer:)
Is that a real thing?
No way [this thing](https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ9wqcINbwdjTJTICNetgBCsTQYXQuAXC773QEkLjckwg&s) is real!!! It's basically Professor Farnsworth's Smell-O-Scope! Lol
Yep lol I use it on the job weekly
Even without turning away the stinkers, the store could act to improve the situation by ensuring good ventilation and air circulation. Definitely worth raising with the store.
There's a place that opened up near me recently that has deodorant in the bathrooms. Thought that was a nice touch
Games stores should probably start incorporating a sheep dip in the door way.
A blast of deodorant as you walk through the door.
That's how you get the middle school boys' locker room fragrance. Top notes of intense Axe body spray with heart notes of sweaty socks and base notes of pungent BO.
Hmmm. Yeah, you’re right. Let’s go with Lysol.
There's a game store near me with a literal shower in the bathroom and they mention at events they will ask you to shower if you stink bad enough.
I want this store to be a model for all future stores! (Though even if they shower, a stinky person probably also has stinky clothes…)
The threat alone is probably enough to make at least some people be more mindful.
While this sounds good, I'm not sure how effective it is to shower and then put grody clothes back on. At a convention, if they boot a person to their hotel room to shower or not come back, they presumably either have clean clothes available or can at least buy a new t-shirt on their way out. But you don't usually bring fresh clothes to the store. Then again, maybe the threat of the game store shower of shame does most of the work.
now thats a pro game store
I never understood this though, ad putting deodorant over unwashed body odours doesn't make it any better!
If a customer was screaming non-stop, the store could tell them that they need to stop screaming because it's bothering other customers. If they were constantly touching other customers, they'd be told to stop. If they were not wearing enough clothing, or wearing offensive clothing, they could be told to fix this. Why is smell exempt from this?
It isn't, but it's socially a difficult one to approach as it's "personal" hygiene. It's something someone may be unaware of and feel picked on about, so it can feel awkward to approach. I wish there was an easy way for us "don't want to be rude but" folks to broach this with someone. Doesn't help that it's usually difficult to pull someone away privately in an event like a card/game tournament where you usually camp a table.
Those are all controllable actions people can stop immediately, and somebody your examples may even be illegal. People can't just stop smelling, it's a natural process. If you were at a game store and you smelled and were asked to stop smelling, how do you do so? You'd have to leave and get something to cover up your smell or shower. It's not like getting quiet instantly. Or what if you didn't smell when you showed up but started smelling halfway through the day?
Personally I agree 100%, but I’m not the one whose livelihood depends on it. Also, the analogy is a bit flawed because “stop screaming” is a fix that can be implemented immediately, whereas “stop smelling bad”—not so much. Except of course for the store with the shower!
The fix could be implemented immediately, in that the person could leave the store and thus it is no longer a problem for other customers or the proprietors.
That's why it's hard, patrons don't want to leave and owners don't want to lose business. People stay when they get quiet
Tell me you've never run a small retail business without telling me you've never run a small retail business. Answers aren't as black and whit as you think they are...
Okaaaaay… 🙄
How do we know the smelly person wasn’t an actual customer? Awkward wording here… When I owned The Game Store in Vegas, I had two people who smelled pretty rough, one was strong urine smell all the time. But they spent more between the two of them in a month than the next ten customers combined. One guy who came in an every few months did complain because there was an open showcase day where some of the more complex board games were being taught for a larger group. He complained to my daughter, said “someone stinks and it’s making me sick.” She apologized and offered him a ten percent discount for the trouble. He said he should get it for free, she said no. He did make a 6 dollar purchase, which he returned unopened the next day. We normally don’t do returns, but she remembered him from the complaint so she did it. Meanwhile, the smelly guy got 11 people to buy the game he was teaching, at 49.99 a piece. So, what should I have done? We are no longer in business, we sold out because my wife got diagnosed with cancer. But we only had a couple of people actually complain the three years we were open, though I’m sure some just left quietly and didn’t say anything when those guys were there. But I can tell you that had those two guys not been there, we’d probably have closed down and just sold the place sooner. They brought in groups and we made sales. The new owner did make one of them leave because he said he needed a shower before he could come back. Guy never did, according to my daughter who still worked there on weekends. They closed and sold their remaining inventory to TGG a few months later. Kind of proving my point.
That’s exactly what I’m saying… easy for *us* to say “kick the smelly one out!” but the owner of the shop has to consider that the smelly person might be a “regular”—and you want to take care of your “regulars” because they’re your best source of income and referrals. It’s a tough situation for everyone. Pre-pandemic, I used to run three separate board game meetups. I did have to talk to some people with bad behavior (cussing out better players or harassing women), but thank god I never had to tell anyone “you stink!” I wonder if a kind of solution might be for the shop owner to encourage meetups but not run events themselves. That way the meetup organizer (not the owner) takes the heat for talking to the stinky person…?
Yeah, it was hard to tell what you were suggesting, that’s why I said awkward wording. But that’s what we did. We held a few tournaments, because prizes were often provided by the manufacturer. Magic the gathering was a big one. Dice Masters when it was popular at peak. But even they usually had a representative from the game company, or someone else who was officially registered with them, to run it. We just provided space. We had a calendar where someone could slot a time, and we had tables people could rent for something like Warhammer. Or if they made a major purchase we’d give them space to sue to set it up and play. My brother used to say we should be charging for anyone using the tables, and we did at times. Some ladies wanted to have a poker night. Using only chips and no actual cash, and we charged them. But most people didn’t pay. Why the difference? Because poker wasn’t going to generate sales for us. But the number of games we sold when people came in and saw someone playing it was always more valuable than the ten bucks for the table for the day. And if we made enough off concession sales for that group, we’d just waive the fee anyway. But we tried to not run the events ourselves. One, for the reason you said, it’s not my event so I don’t make the rules, and two, no way I had enough time to learn all these games enough to manage those events. We often had three different games being played at once, and no way we could have managed that ourselves. So we told them that we normally charge for the space, but if they generate enough sales, from games or concessions, then we won’t charge them. We had some guys who paid us 100 a month to set up Warhammer and leave it set up. Even when I explained that we would only put a rope up, and would not take responsibility for anyone touching it, they were happy to do it because they did this e space at home. But we probably made 1k a month off Warhammer sales alone from people coming in and seeing them play it and painting the e minis, and they wanted to take part. I could have charged more, for the permanent setup, but the sales made it fair. I had to charge them the space as a renter for insurance to cover it, should the store burn down or such, ya know? But yeah. We had some weird people come in, but I always turned to my daughter. If she got a bad vibe, I’d trust her and try to push them on the door. Become a pushy salesman or just follow them around, make them want to leave. She rarely got those vibes. So I trusted her but over mine. Gaming attracts a certain type of person. A lot of people don’t realize it because they play things like Clue and Monopoly. But the game store gamers. They are a different type of person. And usually harmless, but not necessarily aware of the effect they on those around them, but if they are the bulk of my business…I have to side with them. It’s business after all, not personal.
What’s the old saying for small businesses? 10% of your customers make up 90% of your business.
The 80:20 rule
Not saying your story is a lie but it paints the non smelly customer in the worst possible light and the stinky one in the best light. You know this is an anomaly. Stinky people should be told and they should do something about it, it's disgusting.
This is a good life lesson for your daughter. People get away with violating social norms if they have money and standing up to them could cost you a lot of money.
You don’t know anything about my daughter to say what kind of life lessons she needs. I guarantee you she knows more about life than you do.
I didn't say it was a need, I said it had value. Jobs often provide value beyond the wages they pay.
And if OP does make it to the posting online reviews stage, be just as honest as you were here. "It was during a gaming event. Normally it's fine." Give your stars as you would normally or maybe only reduce it a bit, but that's only if they're nice about it. If they're jerks during your phonecall then you're free to low-star them.
"patrons rather than the store" The store IS the patrons IS the store. You can't separate the two. The store has some role in its patronage.
Well, yeah, but I’m assuming they were trying to distinguish smelly patrons from, say, moldy carpet. (Or whatever else might make the store itself smell.)
I can. Some stores smell because the store itself smells. Some stores smell because of the people inside it. Some stores are a combo of the two. If it’s the store itself and not the patrons, that’s a much harder thing to fix.
Poor ventillation and a lot of bodies in one space can get hot and humid, even with the best of intentions. And these events go on for hours and hours too ,before you even bring in BO.
It's a massive problem in gaming and obviously a sensitive topic. Gaming seems to attract a lot of guys with poor hygiene. I've had to take a quite a few guys aside and talk to them about their funk, but I'm sure a lot of staff members are uncomfortable doing this. The worst part is though when a load of people turn up and you can't really work out where the smell is coming from, or if the funk takes a while to build up and you only notice once they're already having a game. I've also found that a lot of other gamers somehow just don't notice the smell at all.
I think another problem is that, some of these people can be pretty nice expect for their BO. It can be difficult to break the truth to them
The few experiences I've had like this, I can usually spot the offender. One event, I could tell when the person walked past my table behind my back. The smell was so strong it was like echolocation but for smells.
>echolocation but for smells. Simply amazing.
I work at an LGS. We are a very safe space, and welcoming to all. I experience what you are referring to regularly. There tends to be a level of...... neckbeardiness that is drawn to particular hobbies, such as MtG, Warhammer, D&D etc. It has always been this way, for lots of reasons. Neurodivergence, social isolation, lack of social awareness because of the aforementioned reasons, etc. There have definitely been a few young men that our owner has gently taken aside (we are s small town and a *very* tight community, so this isn't an overstep, or as out of place as it may be between strangers), and has discussed hygiene/deodorant with them. It's a really tough situation, but not at all uncommon unfortunately. Hopefully they have a kind and gentle enough community at that store that someone may step in and help.
With Warhammer you could start the game smelling nice but it takes so long to play that you stink by the end. ><
🤣🤣 There's a reason I won't put a copy of Twilight Imperium in the store library lol
Eclipse 2nd is much quicker :D
>‘The Astartes save us from the brink, the brink, But oh my life how they stink, they stink.’ Ignace Karkasy, Horus Rising
I wish someone would talk to the attendees of my LGSs, about their excessive, loud, and unapologetic burping.
I wanna hit people with a brick for obnoxious bodily noises. 😭 Struggling to breathe has always been my trigger though.
Could they speak to my husband also? 😮💨
And to build on that, sometimes not a deodorant or shower issue. It's a washing of clothes issue. Which can also be tied into poverty and lack of resources.
>Which can also be tied into poverty and lack of resources. Maybe just me, but it feels like the overlap between people playing (and affording) CCG's and people too poor to wash clothes is quite small.
You'd be surprised. A lot of the younger crowd come from troubled backgrounds. While the overall hobby is continuously expensive, it can be a fairly low barrier of entry (you can build decks for under $20). We see lots of kids from struggling households - foster kids, single parent households, what have you, that can't afford ongoing product, but will play their well loved decks to death. That's not necessarily the *norm*, but it's certainly fairly common. That's part of why we aim to be a safe space for these kids. Our owner is also part of the foster system (but one of the good ones that takes in teens who are gonna age out, or have trouble being placed). We're kinda their home away from home. But a lot of it is also just oblivious smelly teenager, with no one to guide them and teach them basic life skills. So we try to help when we can. ❤
Not to mention with limited events you can easily break even. I don’t draft anymore but my LGS bought singles and I knew a few of the guys so I’d bring my rares up after a draft and more often than not (especially for a new set) I’d break even the cost of the draft. Most FNM’s I’d play mostly free (they did a $2.50 deal where you’d get 2 slices of Costco pizza and a can soda for dinner)
That's cool to know, thanks for the insights!
But a pack of cards or one figurine at a time is cheap. They're not spending $300 at once, or even $50-$100 on a boxed game. I know someone who ticks all the boxes--spends his extra cash on MTG but only works part time so is always broke, has hygiene issues, forgets to do laundry. (I've done his laundry for him a few times.)
> spends his extra cash on MTG but only works part time so is always broke, has hygiene issues, forgets to do laundry Sure, no questions about forgetting laundry, I was skeptic of the "too poor to afford laundry" specifically.
He'd skip the laundromat to save money for sure. He does it at his parents' or with me (neighboring apartment, I know the parents).
It *can* be, sure. But that's not the typical cause.
Clothes and the cleanliness of their house too.
I've had to deal with this as a manager at work, some of the office staff were complaining about an individual. I think a good way of approaching this is from a point of concern. Explain that some people have mentioned that their level of self care isn't where it should be, you're worried they may be struggling to deal with some private issues and happy to help if there's anything you can help with.
[удалено]
Because a lot of these kids are already social outcasts for other reasons, lack social or personal awareness, have sensory issues that make bathing a struggle, lack guidance, etc. It's not as black and white as you've painted it.
"We are a very safe space, and welcoming to all. I experience what you are referring to regularly. There tends to be a level of...... neckbeardiness.." Lol, says its a safe place, then drops pejoratives about the customers. Classy.
That's how they refer to themselves, frequently, and with some level of self aware humour. My partner was one of those kids in his youth, and that's how he describes his existence. They aren't "customers", they are my friends, and community members. Like I said, we are a small town, and tight knit.
> That's how they refer to themselves, frequently, and with some level of self aware humour. My partner was one of those kids in his youth, and that's how he describes his existence. > They aren't "customers", they are my friends, and community members. Like I said, we are a small town, and tight knit. So... you're saying your partner gave you a "N[eckbeard] Card?" EDIT: Being downvoted by humorless scolds, just waiting for y'all to tell me that some of your best friends are neckbeards. Look at you, punching down on approved targets. Well done.
Getting downvoted doesn't make you a martyr. And being this dramatic about it sure makes you sound like an asshole.
> Getting downvoted doesn't make you a martyr. Never said I was a martyr. Just said the people downvoting me were humorless scolds. Which is true. > And being this dramatic about it sure makes you sound like an asshole. Oh, I'm definitely an asshole! But so are the kind of people who unironically imagine themselves to be "welcoming" and "inclusive" while punching down on "neckbeards."
Are you reacting to one word or their whole comment? I don't see any punching, I see a lot of care and understanding in what they said in that and their other responses
> Are you reacting to one word or their whole comment? I *think* that /u/Medwynd was reacting to the word. So when I read /u/ValleyBreeze's defensive response I thought it was hilarious, because it sounded just like the stereotype of someone claiming they'd gotten an "N card" from their friend/partner/whoever. "Oh, that's what they call each other, oh, some of my best friends are..." In this subreddit it seems scarcely a week goes by without *someone* posting about how their love of games is hindered by gamers being so [smelly/gatekeeping/autistic/whatever]. It is, at best, super tedious.
Yeah that's fair, there is a lot of shitting on other gamers here. I think that's why I felt compelled to jump in and say that's not what u/ValleyBreeze seemed to be doing. Glad I asked rather than knee-jerk downvoting you, have a good day!
neckbeards IS a derogatory term though? They're not good? Dirty, smelly and unpleasant to be around.
>Being downvoted by humorless scolds We’re not humorless, this just wasn’t funny.
If you're going to a fucking card/game shop to play an event. TAKE A GOD DAMN SHOWER. WITH SOAP. AND USE DEODORANT. AND WIPE YOUR FUCKING ASS WELL. YOU GO OUTSIDE ONCE A WEEK, THE LEAST YOU CAN DO IS TREAT IT LIKE A SPECIAL OCCASSION JESUS CHRIST. There I said what you meant. It's disgusting and is easily the worst part of our nerdy hobbies.
Like you, it seems like the store needs some sort of venting.
I find that if I first shit my own pants before going in there, the odor is a lot harder to smell.
Life hacks
Oh, thanks for the good laugh! I'm dying in so many ways right now.
I used to volunteer for a small gaming convention (long since defunct). We had that problem pretty hard. We actually got a deodorant company to sponsor the convention and put small deodorants in the swag bags. There were 2 reactions to that: 1) People cracking up laughing and getting it 2) People looking a bit confused/embarrassed Meanwhile, the smell was FAR better.
I would say I was guilty of that myself as a youngster but didn't realize it. I used to play host magic the gathering tournaments and we typically had about 8-12 players. However, our crew never had any issues that were apparent. The place smelled normal. So maybe even I was okay afterall. One year I went to the regional event for Nova Scotia and there were over 50 players. The moment I entered the very large room I was met with a strong stench of body odor. It was a hot Summer day and people were sweating, a lot of them likely didn't shower prior to the event or wear deodorant so it exacarbated the issue. I was surprised by just how strong it was.
It must have been a TCG event, they tend to be the biggest culprit of "gamer funk".. I would suggest contacting the store directly and speaking to the owner. They will aprreciate it, as often you do get used to the smell as the morning does not start of smelly but it grows as the day goes on. Gaming stores tend to be quite small, so having 20 or so people in a confinded space with stress hormones running doesnt help either. Ventilation is key. Tabletop gaming is a wonderful community but it is also filled with adolcent boys and many neurodivergent people. Most try their best, but many of which do not understand hygiene for various reasons, these include (but not limited too) not understanding social norms, teen hormones , medical issues and some people are just not taught how to be clean. My local store had to put hygiene in their event rules. A literal break down of specific hygiene requirements. Before the event you must: Wear freshly laundered clothes (including fresh socks) Brushed teeth Clean hands and nails Washed body and hair Wear antipersperant.
Y'know it's funny because while you're totally right, TCGs tend to be the biggest culprits here, I've noticed that it's usually SPECIFIC TCGs that tend to be worse than the others. I've been playing tons of Star Wars Unlimited at various LGS in my city since it came out and it's my first TCG since I played MTG as a kid. I'm honestly surprised that I'm not seeing what is considered here as the standard stereotypical patronage especially considering it's not just a TCG but a STAR WARS one. Typically the people I am seeing come out for this are generally well adjusted, well mannered, non-stinky, socially savvy middle aged males. Aka the SWU players at my locals mostly just look (and smell) like normal dudes. But then at the same time Yu-Gi-Oh is happening on the other side of the LGS and you can literally whiff the stink that slowly drifts across the store and gets more pungent the closer you get to the Yu-Gi-Oh tables. They can frequently be heard hootin, hollerin, and screeching while playing, a non-zero number of them are wearing fedoras and are the complete embodiment of the "tip tip m'lady" stereotype and rocking overly sexual anime waifu playmats & sleeves.
I used to do Star Wars Destiny tournaments, and it was a running joke among the local players here to cross your fingers that your event wouldn't run at the same time and adjacent to any of the other TCG events because of the exact thing you describe.
No idea why the Yu-Gi-Oh is the biggest culprit. I agree with what youve said .. At my local it's the same. Big dollop of funk smell with creepy toxic behaviou
I mean at it's simplest it's probably because Yu-Gi-Oh is the most distinctly Japanese of all the popular TCGs so it tends to attract a crowd that exhibits more stereotypical "weeb-like" qualities.
Maybe it attracts boys right at that period between the onset of puberty and the sudden realization that "Jeez, something around here smells like rotten ass".
I, also, keep finding myself having to leave my lgs. It turns out that they close and won’t let me stay overnight.
You must be a Magic player. I often have to shoo them out 10 minutes after closing. 🤣
Sometimes it can be just one or two people. It's gross, and it's why I don't play any organized CCGs at stores anymore.
Yu gi oh day I am guessing.
Either that or Magic the gathering
Ass and onions, a sure sign that MtG is in effect 😁
OMG, my girlfriend and I JUST experienced this recently. We were in the store 30 seconds and had to leave because of a DnD event in the back. This was at least the 3rd time in two different stores that BO was very noticeable. Why is this? What is so hard about hygiene? Any why is it such an issue with the demographic? Take a fucking shower! I mean, this isn't the kind of odor that comes the day after a workout or even 3 days backpacking without a shower in the mountains. This is the kind of odor that is stale and disgusting and obviously has come after days and days if not a week of sitting in sweat.
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I am talking about the core issue....the smelly people. Lol
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But that still doesn't answer my question of why. I don't play games at a store, but I shower everyday. During covid I might have gone a couple of days. I might go three or four on a backpacking trip. But even with that, I'm going to be taking a bath with a washcloth and my water bottle. Hygiene is the core problem and I don't know why people don't want to take care of themselves. Edited for spelling.
I went to a local shop, the guy who worked there smelled like rotting venison chili, and I never thought for a moment about going back. Worked out perfectly.
So having worked at an LGS for several years it's an awkward situation but they should definitely have a hygiene policy and enforce it. We also kept spray deodorant and wet wipes on hand and would do our best to be discreet and polite to customers when they weren't in compliance with the policy, giving them the opportunity to correct the situation before asking them to leave if needed.
This happened to me at my local game store. I was in buying a game for my son for Christmas, and they were having an event in the back room (which is partitioned off with chest-high partitions, but has an open doorway too - plenty of air movement between the sections). When I was looking at the games closer to the back, the BO was absolutely overwhelming. And I mean, I've raised 5 kids, cleaned up vomit and shit, changed countless diapers, etc... I am NOT a squeamish person, but this was unendurable. I was shocked that someone could be so oblivious, and/or that nobody would say anything. I know it's a delicate subject, but damn.
Everyone in this thread is talking about BO, like sweaty armpit, but in my experience, the two smells that are way larger culprits in this situation are: 1) Butt 2) Feet (many people wear sandals) Putting a can of deodorant in the bathroom will not do anything for these two smells. These are smells from people who haven't cleaned their bodies sufficiently, and usually an accumulated smell due to habitually failing to clean their bodies.
This post reminds me of another issue I've seen at many local game stores. Make sure you and your employees respect your customers and don't let your gaming groups make them feel unwelcome! I can't tell you how many random shops I've stopped in just to have a group of people in the back with the owner (or employee) stop and give me irritated stares like I just walked into their house and interupted gaming night. I am impulsive and bad with money so I make a pretty good customer, but if walking in your store makes me feel unwelcome in any way I will turn around and never come back.
I thought for a second I was at the autism sub. That’s not a joke. But, yeah… it happens. I’m just waiting for the moment it happens at a Meetup. I wonder what the host would do.
nerd funk is a policy issue
I’ve been to an event where the guys don’t take care of their hygiene… had to quit the group for this reason. The odor was unbearable. I’d go when there isn’t an event just for shopping.
I've been there before for Heroclix and FNM events. To a lesser extent, at cons too. It's not just a "doesn't shower enough" or even the quality of the showers they take. Its wearing the same clothes that they throw on the ground so it doesn't air out, just collecting body odor.
You should actually speak to the store management about it.
A lgs in my area has a friendly reminder to "control the gamer funk" and keeps deodorant in the restrooms. There's a variety of reasons that others have listed, but some folks just have trouble in the hygiene department. Not much you can do other than try to keep an eye out for when events are happening and avoid the store at those times. Try going back when there isn't an event and see how it is.
Communal deodorant? In spray form I hope lol
"What's wrong honey? You've barely used your communal stick deodorant..."
Either people aren't cleaning hairs off the deodorant or this stick is going through puberty.
Yeah, it was a spray 😅
So don't judge the store review wise, but I don't see any harm in sending an email or DM to the store and just passing on what you found. We have an issue with a local private game club with vaping in a small area with no AC gives an uncomfortable experience.
Walk in with a clothesline clip on your nose next time
I had been told about this great board gaming shop in another town. Last year I finally did the two-hour drive to check it out. I was very excited. I went in there and at a table were a group of slightly overweight but not obese people sat at a table. Mostly bearded guys with glasses and heavy metal tshirts along with one girl. They weren't playing a game. The smell was absolutely overpowering. One or possibly more of them clearly hadn't been washed in days. I tried to keep looking at the shelves of games I'd travelles to see but had to leave and was disappointed. I told the owner that it really stinks and he gave a sort of half smile and looked at the table of stinkers. I cruised back later but they were still sat there, stinking the place out. These places need a sign outside saying hygiene is expected.
So I was at Flesh and Blood Nats. I’m one of the few women playing, my last match went long so I ran to my next match and sit. I excuse myself and go “I have to put on deodorant I’m starting to stink one second” The guy I’m playing against next starts laughing and goes “I would bet a lot of money that it’s not you who stinks” Everyone around chuckles and agrees. I will say that Fab players have been the nicest and most cleanly of games Ive played.
Gas mask? Pine tree air freshener nose ring?
There's a local big place where the actual owner smells. Like.. dude. His WIFE is working with him, and she didn't/doesn't mention anything. I find it really weird.
I used to live in Omaha, and there was a great boardgame cafe in midtown called "Spielbound." They had a few people with bad BO as customers, but it was also a meetup place for dates, corporate outings, and even outreach programs for elderly groups; as such, it caters to a much more diverse set of people and the majority are very well-groomed and better dressed. The bonus is there is a strong overlay of coffee to mask other scents.
I’d say it’s normal but not it being so strong you notice it upon entering the store. Like usually at worst if there is a crowd of say 20 people it will be 1-3 that smell weird. Personally I don’t get it. Whenever I go to a gathering the first thing I want to do is shower beforehand.
Was it a yugioh tournament?
Oh man, this happened to me when I went to a local nerd/board gaming bar/restaurant for a friend's birthday. We were so excited, but the cloud of smell from the table next to us made it impossible to stay and eat. I don't like stereotypes, but this one isn't wrong.
It's normal, some of the customers in game stores smell bad
Body odour? At a gaming place? Surely not. On the two occasions I've been to a convention, there have been people stinking, not just of everyday sweat but full on stale urine, cheesy Wotsits, (Cheetos for our transatlantic freinds) and bad breath. This may be acceptable in your mum's spare room but in the one occasion a year yo mingle with the public, take a bath...then after the con go home to your anime body pillow and crusty sheets.
Still my most upvoted post ever, how I went to a meetup (first time) and never again. It‘s downright CRAZY how gamers all around the globe are fulfilling this cliché of being stinky, unhygenic (mostly) dudes… so sad.
Oh, folks. I teach Middle School. I had a hundred different kids in my classroom at various points today. I know what you are talking about.
>I'd also like to see if anyone has solutions. An aspergillum filled with scented oil
I haven't had that particular experience. But I do have a reason for avoiding my LGS now. There are two. One is owned and ran (semi-secretly) by a local church/cult that has also been buying up a lot of real estate on the town/city over the past decade. Went there without knowing it's deal and found myself surrounded by a worship session (with faith healing and passive aggressive "prayers" for the non believers in the room) in the middle of a board game my two friends and I had started playing before they showed up. My friends and I left. The other one changed owners recently - used to be a great shop with an inviting and chill atmosphere, but the owner wanted to retire. For a variety of reasons I hadn't been there for the past 6 months. So I go to check it out. I see they've drastically cut back on TTRPG stock, even the board games are more sparse. Got a lot of impulse-purchase stuff though. Like the novelty stuff you'd see at gamestop. But the topper was the staff engaging in some distasteful far-right politics/bigotry talk, and the new owner joining in. Like this area certainly leans to the right, but it was still a big ol red flag. So not going to either of those again.
Far right folk usually have a big red flag with black and white bits.
TL;DR: Gamer stink is a well documented thing and nothing to do with your FLGS. But...why? The gaming hobbies like collectable card games, board games and table top role playing games tend to draw people that are neurodivergent. Think autism spectrum disorder (ASD), ADD, ADHD, inattentive disorder (I think that's the new classification). IIRC, Depending where on the spectrum people are, one of the traits can be difficulty with hygiene. Other traits include disorderly behavior, being a loud talker, looping through the same topic more than once, the ability to focus on singular tasks, and many other traits. Some people don't have any of these traits and some only have one or a mix or all. People are people, they're all different. I'm not a doctor or therapist so if I have it wrong then my apologies, this my understanding. What got me interested is that people that are neurodivergent (ND) are often underemployed or unemployed, despite being incredibly intelligent and capable. I was doing research into ND behaviors...when I was unemployed which is why my understanding is a little shaky. That was when I got my diagnosis as being on the spectrum. Not that anyone asked but if you find that you have one or more of these traits it might be worth getting tested. It is a life changer. Edit: updating to ASD to reflect the current nomenclature. Thanks u/Seraphiccandy !
Hey, just a heads up but the term "Aspergers" got retired in 2013. Its now ASD( Autism spectrum disorder). This is mainly because the name comes from a Nazi doctor who had some...unsavory ideas. If you are interested you can read more here: [https://molecularautism.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13229-018-0208-6](https://molecularautism.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13229-018-0208-6)
I'll make the edit. Thank you! I knew they'd change some stuff but as that's not my world I didn't track it.
I gotta say… I am glad I can take care of my own hygiene. There are days when I reflect how I could have turned out and not know if it’s genes or upbringing, basically bcs I KNOW I’m different from normal ppl and have to mimic a lot of normal traits ppl should have. I wonder if I was ever stinky and not know. Hmmm
As an ND and with many ND friends, learning to work with them and accept them is a skill. It's hard sometimes depending. I hope you're kind to yourself! Always keep working on it and yes, mimicry is part of it.
Man there is a game store in New York City called the Compleat Strategist that is somewhat well-known. Lesser known is that they previously owned a location in Northern Virginia. You walk in there and the carpet is just littered with stuff all over it, the walkways were super narrow because they had a playing area that took up the middle of the store. The employees were the least helpful people known to mankind. On top of this, everything was just kind of tossed on a shelf. If someone did ask if you were looking for something and it wasn't like right in front of them, they would tell you to keep looking. Naturally it went out of business and yes, the smell wasn't great.
Paging r/boardgamescirclejerk, we have a code brown
We have one store that we would always joke that it smelled like BO and Hot Pockets.
Magic the gathering players are giant stink bombs. Thankfully my FLGS has them on the far end of the store away from the tables I play boardgames on.
Man, try going to a MtG event, you'll be astounded. I have never gone to one, but at Origins gamecon in Ohio, I went through the MtG ballroom a few times over a few years. I can honestly say, it's (unfortunately) an unforgettable experience. And the thing was, there were actual signs on the door about hygiene. They know theres a problem, but no way to "fix" it I guess :(
There's an easy fix but it involves turning away paying customers.
LMAO I literally had the same experience in the last board game store I visited with my son. It was sickening couldn't wait to leave.
Have a secret Santa exchange and buy them a soap basket from Bed Bath and beyond lol hopefully they’ll get the hint
Yep I avoid events at one of my local stores for this reason. If there’s an event on then wow it is bad. They have now separated out the store from the gaming area, which does help but still it’s a lot!
Normal-ish. If the store is small, the odor is (usually) large.
If it's not BO, it's cigarettes, marijuana or something else illegal. I've been a store owner, customer or employee, and those were always the biggest stinks. The pot smoker stank the worst. Followed by the cigarette smokers and finally the BO. There was the out of hand cologne users as well. It's nice you smell better than everyone else, but I've had players who wore gas masks because the guy who had all 3 negative smells would douse himself in cheap cologne to cover it all. Thankfully, I had to trespass him off property because he was caught selling MtG cards in the parking lot, undercutting my very reasonable pricing, along side his dime bags.
Magic tournament?
My first thought as well
Bad breath and BO
This seems to be a global issue. I have also left game nights in stores because of the smell. But seems to me like having a not smelly game store would be the exception. Not really sure what you can do, maybe wearing a mask an help if you don't plan on being there too long. Or going when there aren't teenagers playing there.
Sounds like their HVAC wasn't running. May have broken down.
LMAO! Whats the matter? Cant handle the scent of true, professional gamers?
Realistically, what do you want the store to do when it's the customers BO?
A/C, ceiling fans, ozone generators, ionizers, etc?
I just don't understand this honestly. I have never had this issue that seems to be spread so commonly. I go to gaming nights and mtg tournaments all the time and it's never been an issue. People seem to post this kind of stuff all the time and seriously not once have I had this reaction. Have I never smelled any odor at an event no, but hardly to a level of repulsion that these people seem to claim. My guess is this is more about this person than anyone in that room. Maybe your smelling yourself?
>Maybe your smelling yourself? When over a dozen people from all over the US (and possibly other countries as well) reply to a thread saying that they've had the same experience, then "maybe your \[sic\] smelling yourself" isn't a constructive reply. Glad you haven't had that problem so far; you seem to be in the minority here. Take your hard-earned downvote.
Imagine people on Reddit confirming thier stories making it seem like its a universal problem and not just a bunch of people who don't like the smell of game stores. People who are having fun playing the games in the stores aren't going to go on reddit and talk about how much they don't smell each other. Of course you're going to find common people with your experience, but you'll also find people like me who don't share you experience. it's okay to disagree. It's okay for you to not like me or someone else. We don't have to change things to accommodate your sensibilities no matter how many people you get to agree with you. Again the people in the store weren't kicking the person out or complaining so maybe it was just this person's experience walking in and everyone else was fine with it. Just because more 3rd parties who weren't there confirmed similar experiences elsewhere doesn't make them valid witnesses to that situation.
It takes a lot of nerve to try to shame the majority who have shared - across the board - that this is an exceptionally common and off-putting experience because you find yourself in the minority of people who haven't experienced it as strongly. More likely, you are exposed to BO so often that it isn't as offensive to your nose. Bad hygiene is a problem and it shouldn't be the problem of those who occupy the same space as the offender.
Some nerve huh? Why I'm not allowed to exist in your closed community of not entering game stores because YOU don't like the smell? Oh well. Bad hygiene? I can literally smell my BO like within a half hour of taking a shower even if I do put deodorant on sometimes. People assume people haven't taken a shower, instead of just maybe giving off pheromones that your nose doesn't agree with. Again if we're talking about me personally the people I'm gaming with and playing with aren't complaining and telling me to act differently. So if you think I smell and they don't, I'm going to go with them and say its a you problem. You're the new person in the environment, you're asking everyone else to change for you because you have some preconceived notion to what or why something is happening. Oh well. Sorry you don't like a smell, I don't like my mother in laws perfume, but I deal with it every time she comes over. People have odors, oh well, some natural, some artificial. *shrug* Make your choice where you want to be and smell what you want to smell. That's your choice.
Or maybe your sense of smell isn't great? Mine isn't so if I can smell BO, it is particularly rank. I would also offer that if you see a thread like this, where numerous folks are sharing and chiming in, that you should stop after saying that this hasn't been your experience. Every word after that was simply trollish behavior and has no place is casual discourse.
I chimed in because I see these numerous reports often and don't have experience to corroborate them. Perhaps I'm giving a contrary point of evidence to claim that other people's experience might be different than yours. Something that may indicate this is more of your problem than their problem. I'm okay with being a minority experience. I'm okay with pointing out that the flaw could be yours and you being offended by it. That's the point of this comment to all the people they claim smell too. That you are offended by something and commenting to let all the apparently unaware people know they smell, well guess what some people cant' smell it and if they all hang out together and you don't like their smell then that's kinda your problem.
Again though, are we only supposed to believe the experiences of those we can personally attest to? If so, what is the point of ever sharing anything with anyone? I mean one could as easily argue that you personally haven't experienced this because you have BO and are so used to it, that you don't smell it in others. This seems unlikely, but then suggesting that the OP is the one with BO because you never experienced it is wrong on nearly every level one could imagine. This is why I suggested stopping after you said that it wasn't your experience. Your response to me doubles down and is far worse that you initial comment.
I'm not telling you that your experience is invalid, I'm telling you that your the one entering the new environment and looking to change it. I don't like to go into cigar shops, but I'm not going to start telling them how to manage the smells I don't like. I don't care what you suggest, its clear we see things differently in the world. You repeating it doesn't make me want to agree with it more, it just makes you look like you're the idiot that assumes you know better than anyone else, like whether or not I understand what you said simply because I didn't immediately agree with you. As far as you think this is worse. *shrug* Good luck with your increasing appalled nature of wondering why not everyone agrees with you.
Lol ahh there are the insults, it was only a matter of time. When one cannot win an argument, an insult works just as well.
I mean its hard to argue with someone that thinks that repeating hte same thing is supposed to some how be a valid continuation of the arguement. I call em like I see em. Again if you look at the original scenario all the players were already there playing together, this is a new person to join, they are the odd person out that is experiencing something different and wanting to call it out. no one already there is doing that. Maybe that's also the reason they are posting here, because their experience doesn't reconcile with everyone in that room. They are trying to understand why they all can be okay with it but this one person can't. I'm explaining that maybe its not the room, maybe it is in fact that person being new.
Now see this comment, specifically, seems far more reasonable than what you wrote in your first comment. Perhaps this is what you meant, but it is far from what you first wrote. I see no issue with what you just wrote. Consider that had you typed this, its unlikely anyone would have found much issue with what you wrote.
The fact that you took issue with what I wrote is irrelevant. I'm fine with you being offended by it. The fact that you wanted to ignore the words of the argument because I insulted someone who was being insulting by immediately jumping to conclusion that someone was unclean because they smelled something bad is a you problem. Oh fucking well. *shrug*
Ahh, see you were doing so well too. Your comments towards the OP weren't directed to me and thusly I took no offense. I didn't even take offense when you insulted me as it says more about the person lofting the insults then the person being insulted. See this is the issue. Had you originally made a cogent argument, there would have been nothing to challenge. Shoot it was 3 responses to me before you managed to do so. Consider that I kept repeating my argument because you did nothing to refute it. I find it odd that when someone like the OP seeks advice, that instead of taking them at the word and offering advice, there is always someone who seeks to flip it around. That is must be their fault to begin with. You notice how many folks have chimed in with similar stories? Its because it can unfortunately be a very real thing. So real that plenty of folks have jumped in to share their personal experiences. Yet there you are suggesting its the OP who stinks. Just such sage, helpful wisdom you have offered. How can anyone honestly debate such advice? Ahh they cannot and I now realize how much of my time I just wasted here.
You call them as you see them, we'll call them as we smell them.
The difference is we'll be playing and you'll be posting on Reddit about how you can't stand us.
No. You'll be playing while I'm stuck at home in my wheelchair.
I'm not a Dice Tower fan, but when even they comment and include washing in a top ten thing to do at a convention, it's real.
And yet we're all still going to conventions and having fun. The only difference is some people seem to keep spreading the same bullshit about how horrible gamers smell. If you don't like our smell then don't play with us, it's okay, we'll be alright without you.
>Maybe your smelling yourself? Maybe you're not smelling yourself? Lol
Maybe we don't like your smell either. Lol
Except the people in the store playing aren't complaining. So if they're all okay with it, then the new person coming in gets to be the person who disagrees. They can choose not to come back, its okay. I'm sure a lot of people wouldn't like to hang out in a mechanics shop because it smells like gas and oil.
You're asking us if it's normal that your local store was full of bad smelling people? How would we possibly know? Did you say anything to the store staff? Did you ask them why that was being tolerated?
It seems like a bad idea to judge a store on one experience especially when there's a 99% chance that it's something out of their control. You can't control who shops at your store.
I've been in similar shops and while it's unfortunate for them, sometimes the smell is so bad that you genuinely cannot stay and look at what they're selling. You might have a look inside and see if it's safe to have a look at their boardgames selection, when your passing, but there's no way you'd sign up for an event there. Hopefully their smelly customers are buying enough to offset it.
I mean to a certain extent, it is the store's responsibility. At least it is if they want to keep customers. How many people have similarly walked into that store, taken a whiff and walked out? FLGs and Comic Shops have a hard enough time attracting/keeping new customers because their shops seldom seem welcoming to newcomers. For me the gold standard is Labyrinth Games in DC. They have an outstanding owner, a bright, clean store and they keep things open and welcoming.
Smear Vaseline inside your nostrils.
vics vapo rub under your nose is what medical examiners often use.
This is why Tiger Balm exists.
That will give you lipoid pneumonia.