Still walking the line at the store.

Sales are so outsized this time of year, and because sales are almost as big for us on the week after Christmas, I won't know until Jan. 1, how I really did. Two or three really big days, or two or three really low days, could mean the difference between a good Xmas and a bad Xmas.

My second Christmas taught me a valuable lesson. I'd done very well my first Christmas, so I cheerfully stocked up for my second Christmas. It came, and nothing....an average month. As if someone had thrown a big, wet woolen blanket over the season. This was 1985, in the depths of Bend's mini-depression.

What I hadn't realized was, I was rewarded that first Christmas by my regulars, but by my second Christmas I was already old news. It was probably my worst moment, (competing with that one summer where it seemed like every sport card customer was yelling at me for overcharging, at the same time I was bleeding red...)

There are also the random really horrible weeks, as if negative ions float through the air. (Which are compensated by the random really great weeks.)

Got my week after Christmas invoice, and as usual there are a bunch of things I REALLY could've used the week before Xmas. Such as a Nightmare Before Christmas boxed set (hallo!!! Christmas?). Got my reorder of League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, and I am getting a case of Big Lebowski toys!.

I think I guesstimated pretty well on the boardgames. I even had someone come in who had been sent by Barnes and Noble (thankee!) to pick up a Settlers of Catan because they sold out. Unfortunately, they probably won't make the same mistake next year.

I swore I wouldn't do any more additions to inventory, but I'm thinking about creating a shelf of mainstream games, not everything, (I must have been asked for a couple of dozen random games this Christmas), but a good sampling. Maybe I can just do it so slowly, it won't impact on my normal budget...

I wonder how long we're going to go without a game store in town. I don't want to stock up, and then get blindsided. Unless I intend to do a full service game store myself...