New Store opening soon

S

strago

Newbie
Hey there,

I'm in the works to open a new store specific to the LARP community in NH. The question i am posting here is, what sort of products would many of you like to see? What would any of you immediately look to buy if it were offered in a store, or how about with shipping? This post is especially for those who run chapters as i'd like to tailor not just for the PCs but the LARP organizations themselves. Please zip a reply or PM, i'd love to get some input!

Also, for anyone who has anything for sale & would like a more central location for selling, please feel free to contact me with what you have and a price you'd want; i'm considering selling things for others with a little extra in it for me to help cover the costs of my store...

-James aka Strago
 
A larp store would be FABULOUS... :twisted: In all seriousness.. A larp store would be great. What kind of weapons are we talking about? Kind of outfits? Etc. I know I would love to know the details.
 
I know I had trouble finding nice belts / pouches for under $20. Just an idea for you.
 
LordArtimus said:
A larp store would be FABULOUS... :twisted: In all seriousness.. A larp store would be great. What kind of weapons are we talking about? Kind of outfits? Etc. I know I would love to know the details.
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First, sorry for the delayed response...i've been busy trying to establish what I will be offering. For starters, the store name will be "The Larp Resource," and my goal in the end is to offer everything ranging from all types of weapons and actually inexpensive but high quality clothing to props, creature costumes, and masks. Hopefully i'll be able to find masks with designs that will make them more "combat-ready" than the everyday masks...still working on that one. My goal is to quite literally be a resource for all LARP organization needs when it comes to anything visual-related, primarily with a focus on medieval and high fantasy. My end goal is to offer not only a storefront but a central place for anyone involved in LARPs to go for what they need.

As for what weapons and outfits? I'm trying to get the input of people for what to make before I put all sorts of blood, sweat, and tears into things which aren't going to sell, so please, by all means post me those "I would love to see _____" messages and i'll do what i can to add it to my list!

-James aka Strago
 
Are you planning on opening an actual storefront store, or just an online one? I probably will never buy a weapon from an online store until I've witnessed firsthand the craftsmanship.

Lyonshells are big. The more places that offer those, the better, IMO.

In my ideal world, I'd love to see something like what customink.com does with shirts, but for tabards and period-esque garb, and as embroidery rather than dye jobs.
 
JP is onto something. It's easy for a LARPer to fine a tabard, it is not easy to find one with heraldry... especially one that would allow you to create custom heraldry. That would be bad-***.
 
Hey,

I am definitely working on a storefront as well as online; I already have the building, but as with products I'm still in the preparing phase and not opened yet. As for tabards with custom designs embroidered instead of painted-on, as with most of the products I'll offer, I plan on offering that custom as well. At the very least I have a method for custom-painting tabards that works quite well, and when the time comes i'll definitely be offering custom tabards, so be sure to keep me in mind and work on any drawings you'd want on a tabard!
 
here's another idea.

larp footwear and boot covers. medieval footwear is hard enough to find as it is...but depending on the time of year, weather conditions, site conditions, you just know you would rather wear your sneakers for the support they provide than those realistic ankle-breaking medieval boots. I'd love to see someone selling varying boot covers that would fit different sizes as well (i wear size 14 shoes so footwear is always hard to find)
 
There are so many ideas to sell in a larp store. From books of magic to different outfits.. to weapons. masks accesories. If you want an idea check out our counterparts in the UK. Especially Labyrinthe.
 
strago said:
As for tabards with custom designs embroidered instead of painted-on, as with most of the products I'll offer, I plan on offering that custom as well.
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Awesome. I highly recommend checking out customink.com's website, interface, and customer support for designing shirts. If you could get something like that wired up, I think you'd do exceedingly well.
 
Oh yeah, forgot books - saw some cool looking latex book covers on ebay - that kind of stuff might be good.
LordArtimus said:
There are so many ideas to sell in a larp store. From books of magic to different outfits.. to weapons. masks accesories. If you want an idea check out our counterparts in the UK. Especially Labyrinthe.
Click to expand...
 
Robb Graves said:
JP is onto something. It's easy for a LARPer to fine a tabard, it is not easy to find one with heraldry... especially one that would allow you to create custom heraldry. That would be bad-***.
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I agree with Robb.
 
James Trotta said:
Oh yeah, forgot books - saw some cool looking latex book covers on ebay - that kind of stuff might be good.
LordArtimus said:
There are so many ideas to sell in a larp store. From books of magic to different outfits.. to weapons. masks accesories. If you want an idea check out our counterparts in the UK. Especially Labyrinthe.
Click to expand...
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Yeah when I saw teh stuff they had over in the UK. My mind was blown. It's pretty awesome. I used to know a guy who owned his own LARP supply company. Not sure if he still does. He did a larp that was a combination vampire and nightbreed. It was pretty cool. I know I want to help. And to see a professional larp store open up on this side of teh pond. Would be a very good thing.
 
For those looking at this post....

First, I wanted to let you know my "placeholder" website is up; either http://www.thelarpresource.com or simply http://www.larpresource.com. I'm working on quite a lot regarding the business, and as of now my goal is to have the business open by late spring early summer, if all goes as planned. For those who visit the NH Deadlands site, the current building I am trying to acquire will be about 15 minutes from the Claremont site, so it'll be quite easy to pick up whatever is needed right before logistics at events...pending my getting the building of course.

I will continue updating as I have news, but for now just know that yes, I am trying to open a physical storefront, and also it will be here in the US! :D

-James aka Strago
 
One thing I know I've had a hard time finding is any type of women's armor. Something of that nature would definitely be appreciated. :)

-Ali
 
zehnyu said:
One thing I know I've had a hard time finding is any type of women's armor. Something of that nature would definitely be appreciated. :)

-Ali
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Hello,

Just wanted to say I did catch this; I will try to hunt down what I can; i'll add this idea to my list for certain though!

-James aka Strago
 
Hello again,

I wanted to update you all again on my store status; first, let me announce that I am now dealing directly with the brand Palnatoke for weaponry! Please see below for a link to both the homepage for Palnatoke as well as the catalog (unfortunately the catalog is in .PDF page format, so you'll need adobe to browse the catalog).
*Edit*
I brought all the weapons below to the Claremont (Deadlands) Faire day, and only one of the weapons was deemed unsafe; the rest are approved and thus I updated the below list. Also be sure to check the second page of this post, as I have copied my standard price list for all items for sale on there!

*Edit*
I bring good news...my weapons have been looked over by Gary from the Deadlands chapter, and most of the weapons passed his safety approval! This does not guarantee that any weapon bought through me is automatically approved, but it is looking like most of the weapons from my brand will have a high safety approval. I have updated the below list to properly reflect the changes in my item stock, as well as noted which two weapons were deemed unsafe and the reasons. Also, all weapons still available will soon have pictures on my facebook account for those who would like photos; I will be sure to let you know when they are available.

All weapons I am selling have a dark steel color blade, with a black handle/grip. To make browsing for the weapons easier I have separated by category; the Palnatoke catalog link can be found below; take a look and let me know if you like any of what I have available...

Squire series
Woodland – Long (40 inches) - $75
Marauder - Semi( 33 inches) - $80; Rust paint on sword (by design) - Deemed Unsafe (core is not centered, making the foam too thin on one side)
Cleaver – Long (40 inches) - $90; small chip near the tip (flaw), bloody paint (by design) - $10 discount = $80

Ragnarok Series (a side note regarding this series; all weapons are short length only, and the weapon blades are slightly softer)
Warrior – Short (30 inches) - $45 – bubbles near hilt (flaw), different pommel (by design) - $5 discount - $40 -*DEEMED SAFE*
Ninja – Short (30 1/4 inches) - $45 - Green hilt, different pommel (by design) - *Deemed SAFE*

Dagger Series
Tanto – Dagger (18 1/2 inches) - $50 – Different hilt (by design)

Regardless of purchasing a weapon, I want to thank you for reading this, and hope to see you in the future at my storefront!
Sincerely,
James aka Strago

P.S. Here are the links to the Palnatoke site:
http://www.palnatoke.com < the homepage
http://www.palnatoke.com/presentations/ < the catalog
 
jpariury said:
Out of curiosity, why Palnatoke exclusively?
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Hello,

This is the brand I am dealing with exclusively as they were willing to work with me right from the start. Also, I have purchased weapons from a few other brands out there, and have found this brand to have the highest quality while still remaining safe. I am not just saying this, but have field-tested other brands as well. *edit* Another piece of information to keep in mind is that the weapons I am offering are made with a "new" top coating on the weapons, which means next to no maintenance for the weapons. The shortsword I bought last year likely has this layer; the sword has seen its share of abuse, and I haven't seen any loss of the coat yet.

While I am on the subject, I do want to say that the Calimacil brand, though very nice looking, is one to avoid if you are looking for safety (and don't want to order through me). The weapon blades are basically hard rubber, and they are quite painful to be hit by; I have a fairly high pain tolerance, but had bruises to show after the test with them.

I hope this answers your question, and if you are interested in any of the swords, please be sure to let me know!

Sincerely,
James
 
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