Eric, part of the AAM model was, the store bought a 12-pack prize-support kit from WOTC, limit of four packs ordered per month. So there was still revenue in it for the publisher, and the store could charge whatever fee they liked for events to defray that cost. That's one of the things I'd suggest, having that part run by the LGS.

I'm also going to suggest some ideas for possible download-and-print GM documentation prizes, like say commissions, that maybe the Ares graphics folks could work up as an "official game resource". Something in this case like an MS Word or PDF-with-fields template where the GM fills in the new player's name, his or her own, dates, etc., hits "Print," signs on the relevant line and hands it over.