Blossom Posted July 27, 2007 Share Posted July 27, 2007 On Tuesday, my friend's book shop (Henry's Books) will pull down its shutters for the last time. Despite a valiant effort by Sarah, the owner, to compete against the large chains and internet book stores, she just could not continue any longer. Every time an independent book shop closes, I feel a little twinge of sadness (obviously magnified in the case of Sarah's shop) and feel that we will soon lose them altogether. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy browsing at Waterstones and Borders, but nothing beats a little, quirky book shop. I have come across many gems I probably wouldn't have seen in the big chains (as they probably would have been tucked away somewhere, if they had even been stocked at all). I will always have fond memories of Henry's, as the place I did my first ever book signing, and hope that there are still some independents that can buck the trend. Especially those second hand and specialist stores that smell so lovely... Amazon can't offer me that! Does anyone still have an independent book shop in their area, and do you use it (despite the fact the prices are often far higher than Amazon, etc). Kerri Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kell Posted July 27, 2007 Share Posted July 27, 2007 That's such sad news! I occasionally take a look in Bruce Millers, which has a pretty decent selection of books (among other things like music and musical instruments), but I'll admit that I mostly buy on-line from Green Metropolis these days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz Posted July 27, 2007 Share Posted July 27, 2007 In our town we only have very tiny second-hand bookshops, but no independent shops for new books. There is one in Malvern (12 miles away), so I try to go there as often as I can due to it being such a lovely bookshop. I too have found many little gems in there that I probably wound not have found in Waterstones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted July 27, 2007 Share Posted July 27, 2007 As far as I know there are no small independent book sellers around this area. We have only one second hand book store as well as the other one closest to me has moved to another small town about 50 miles from here. Of course there are some in the New Orleans area, but that is about 50 miles from me in the other direction. We don't even have all the large chains, Books-A-Million being the closest and a Barnes & Noble a little farther. So in rural or close to rural places there isn't much choice but to buy on line for those fortunate enough to be on line. I miss going into a book store and actually holding the book in hand, examining it, etc, but you take what you can get and count oneself lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Echo Posted July 27, 2007 Share Posted July 27, 2007 I think there are maybe one or two independent bookstores in my town, but they're both tiny and second-hand. We have both a Borders and a Barnes and Noble here, and that takes up most of the business. In my hometown, there is a wonderful independent bookstore, but that's a very special case (the island has laws against chain stores...they only have a McDonald's and a Starbucks). There are a ton of independent stores in Seattle, however. They're as common as coffee shops there. There must be just a ton of book lovers in my area! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Icecream Posted July 27, 2007 Share Posted July 27, 2007 It is sad when these quirky little shops close. For me, these shops have the look that matches what books are all about. Big chain bookstores can be far too modern and plain. I love my independant book shop for this reason, and also because I have bought some good books there, including some good local books. They have some good childrens books there too like Beatrix Potter and Winnie The Pooh. You can't get nice books like those just anywhere these days. The children's books are all nicely arranged too. I hope it is still there when Katie is older so I can take her in. It has certainly been there at least 15yrs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maureen Posted July 28, 2007 Share Posted July 28, 2007 It is true, the little book stores are lovely. Pity most of them are closing down, but it is so convenient to sit at home and order a book, it's no wonder these quaint old stores are losing the battle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samgrosser Posted July 30, 2007 Share Posted July 30, 2007 The closing of the independents makes me really sad - the trend of the international corporation seems to have infiltrated all walks of life. I'm rebelling in a small way - avoiding the big supermarkets when I can, shopping local. But it isn't always easy. I still try and buy a lot of my books at the wonderful Clifton Bookshop in Bristol which has been there since my childhood and I had the launch party of Another Time and Place there too. It was wonderful. A while ago I had a long chat with the owner of another long standing Bristol bookshop - this one a second-hand bookseller on Cotham Hill (the name escapes me for the moment) and he said that it was the charity shops that were doing him in. They don't pay staff, they don't pay for books - how can he possibly compete? I think it was really unfair of Oxfam to open a bookshop right next door to him. I understand that charities do important work, but if they're putting small businesses under, than that just doesn't seem right to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nicx27 Posted July 30, 2007 Share Posted July 30, 2007 We haven't really got any independent bookshops in Sheffield. The nearest thing is publisher's clearance type shops. We've got Waterstones and WHSmith and that's about the sum total of my choice when book buying. I have long wanted to open my own bookshop, but know that it would not be financially viable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Posted July 30, 2007 Share Posted July 30, 2007 Sam, the vast majority of charity shops that I know of are really expensive for books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NiceguyEddie Posted July 30, 2007 Share Posted July 30, 2007 he said that it was the charity shops that were doing him in. Not to ignore eBay. Brilliant for used books & if I want hardback titles (I hate paperbacks) by a particular author, it's the first place I would look. Ironically ofcourse, the charity shops are also being threatened by eBay as people sell their junk on there rather than taking it to a charity shop. But, leaving the above aside, any business that goes under should look no further than themselves. It's a fact of life that there will always be threats and if a business can't respond & compete then sad as it may be, it is just tough. As a consumer, I don't see why prices should be kept artificially high to keep a poorly run business going. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samgrosser Posted July 30, 2007 Share Posted July 30, 2007 But, leaving the above aside, any business that goes under should look no further than themselves. It's a fact of life that there will always be threats and if a business can't respond & compete then sad as it may be, it is just tough. As a consumer, I don't see why prices should be kept artificially high to keep a poorly run business going. Leaving aside the charity book shop issue for a moment, I think it's a little rough to condemn small businesses as being "poorly run" because they lack the financial clout to demand the same discounts from publishers as companies like Amazon and Waterstones. Independent bookshops don't keep prices "artificially high", they charge the cover price, and they offer a personal service and an eclectic selection of books you don't get anywhere else. I don't define that as "poorly run." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Polka Dot Rock Posted July 31, 2007 Share Posted July 31, 2007 ...The vast majority of charity shops that I know of are really expensive for books. charity shops in my town charge more then what woolworths and asda are charging for books. plus the clothers aswell. Michelle & Lovesreading: I hope you don't mind me asking - how much do those charity shops usually charge? I've read similar comments over the last months on the forum from different members. My local charity shops and those I used in Manchester are all very cheap. The few I've been to in London are reasonable, too. I wonder why they vary? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Posted July 31, 2007 Share Posted July 31, 2007 I haven't checked for a while, but they were anything around £2.50 to £4. I guess that's not horrendous, but with the likes of asda offering brand new ones for £3.73 or so, it does seem alot for a second hand book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Polka Dot Rock Posted July 31, 2007 Share Posted July 31, 2007 I haven't checked for a while, but they were anything around Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nicx27 Posted July 31, 2007 Share Posted July 31, 2007 My local Help the Aged charges around 70p or 80p for paperbacks, which I think is great. The Oxfam Bookshop in Sheffield charges more, probably around £2.50. Sam, I totally agree that independent bookshops are struggling to survive against the large chains, and it's nothing to do with being poorly run. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samgrosser Posted July 31, 2007 Share Posted July 31, 2007 My local charity bookshops charge Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Posted July 31, 2007 Share Posted July 31, 2007 However, when I can pick up cheap books in the charity shops, it allows me to try out new authors etc.. if I don't like it, I'm not concerned. I then always 'recycle' them back to the charity shop. When books are more expensive, I tend not to do that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Polka Dot Rock Posted July 31, 2007 Share Posted July 31, 2007 I find a lot of books that I want to read in charity shops, (mainly books that were first published a while ago) whereas Woolworths or Asda tend to stock mostly new releases. Me too: in supermarkets, there's very rarely anything I really want to read but I manage to find a lot of books on my 'Wish/Wanted' list in charity shops Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Posted July 31, 2007 Share Posted July 31, 2007 That's because you get ssuch wonderful recommendations from here! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Polka Dot Rock Posted July 31, 2007 Share Posted July 31, 2007 Very true! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NiceguyEddie Posted July 31, 2007 Share Posted July 31, 2007 Independent bookshops don't keep prices "artificially high", they charge the cover price, and they offer a personal service and an eclectic selection of books you don't get anywhere else. I don't define that as "poorly run." No, publishers kept the price artificially high through the net book agreement. I get just as good a service from Waterstones as I ever got from an independent. The threat to the independents was never Tesco & Asda who are great if all you ever read is James Patterson, Harry Potter & Jodi Picoult; it was Amazon - who posed the same threat to Waterstones. In this case though the thread was specifically about second hand bookshops. I picked up the example earlier of a BCA reprint for Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samgrosser Posted July 31, 2007 Share Posted July 31, 2007 I get just as good a service from Waterstones as I ever got from an independent. The threat to the independents was never Tesco & Asda who are great if all you ever read is James Patterson, Harry Potter & Jodi Picoult; it was Amazon - who posed the same threat to Waterstones. In this case though the thread was specifically about second hand bookshops. I picked up the example earlier of a BCA reprint for £5.60 advertised online. Frankly that book isn't worth 50p. If sellers try to demand prices like that they deserve to go out of business. As for the argument about charity shops getting their stock for free, well that's a bit of a red herring. Second hand dealers don't pay more than about 10p for a paperback if they have done their homework and found good suppliers. I agree that the supermarkets aren't the threat to the independents - like you say, their range is far too small - I think though that we were comparing their selection and prices with that of charity shops. And while you're absolutely right that Waterstones, Borders, etc face the same threat from Amazon, they are big enough to counter it by demanding huge discounts from publishers, and huge fees to get books onto the front tables, where sales are assured. I read in The Times a while ago that it can cost a publisher up to £30,000 to place a book on one of those tables. (And publishers only tend to invest that kind of money on authors whose selling power is already established) As for the second hand dealer issue, I'm no expert on the book business; it just seemed a shame that a bookseller who's traded very successfully for a great many years might not be around for much longer for whatever reason. I think that's what the thread was about, wasn't it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Echo Posted August 1, 2007 Share Posted August 1, 2007 I agree that Amazon can be a threat, but nothing beats strolling around a bookstore, picking up books at random, and finding hidden gems within its stacks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NiceguyEddie Posted August 1, 2007 Share Posted August 1, 2007 I agree that Amazon can be a threat, but nothing beats strolling around a bookstore, picking up books at random, and finding hidden gems within its stacks. I agree. Browsing on Amazon is not very easy. I buy more from bookshops than online. There are no independent book shops in Newbury other than a pricey second hand book store. But I like Waterstones. I don't really care that it's not independent. I think at times people get a romanticised notion of independent stores. Often it just means scruffy, high prices and poor service. As I said on another thread, my favourite book store is independent - it's a huge second hand book store in Wantage (about 20 miles from me). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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