Yay Failing Book Stores?

[Tale]

How about a city with a population of around than 250,000 without a single bookstore?

Chapter closing on lone Laredo bookstore - Retail - msnbc.com

That sounds like a perfect opportunity for someone else. Unless that city really doesn't care about books.

 

[knifie_sp00nie]

Why are people on an internet message board complaining about a lack of book stores? The internet is much more economical and efficient. Amazon has practically every book and links to used books. There are other sellers besides Amazon or even the chance to buy directly from the author. You can find groups of like-minded people from across the globe to recommend books to you or let a computer make a suggestion. I'm really having trouble figuring out what's being lost.

 

[Rugger]

Why are people on an internet message board complaining about a lack of book stores? The internet is much more economical and efficient. Amazon has practically every book and links to used books. There are other sellers besides Amazon or even the chance to buy directly from the author. You can find groups of like-minded people from across the globe to recommend books to you or let a computer make a suggestion. I'm really having trouble figuring out what's being lost.

My primary complaint isn't regarding RPG books...though it's nice to check them out first, the internet tends to educate me as to whether or not I want/need a book.

I think my main gripe is looking for a novel to read. Call me old fashioned, but I've found so many great books (and some stinkers!) over the years by browsing book stores...Amazon doesn't quite fill that need to me.

-Matt

 

[Theo R Cwithin]

Why are people on an internet message board complaining about a lack of book stores? The internet is much more economical and efficient. Amazon has practically every book and links to used books. There are other sellers besides Amazon or even the chance to buy directly from the author. You can find groups of like-minded people from across the globe to recommend books to you or let a computer make a suggestion. I'm really having trouble figuring out what's being lost.

Being able to browse through a book before buying is really nice. For me, a bigger aspect is just being able to browse through any random book that catches my eye as I wander around the store. Internet isn't really good for that sort of thing, imho.

On a more philosophical level, bookstores and libraries are social things. I think it's nice to have a place to go and wander around with no stress, among other people doing the same thing. It's like going to a cafe or bar or park, but speaks to a different part of the soul than those places.

Frankly, I hope the internet can't ever wholly replace that fundamental human need for something resembling an in-the-flesh "community". But maybe it will. Whether that's a good thing or not...? That's a different thread in a different forum

 

[Jeremy Ackerman-Yost]

If what I want is great deals on books, those places weren't fulfilling my needs in the first place.

And that's fine, if you also don't care whether you even have book stores. Like everything else, choosing how you spend your money has consequences. You can choose to ignore those consequences, but they exist. If they don't matter to you, that's fine, but it might come to matter later. That's what happened to me.

Basically.... be careful what you kill.

 

[pawsplay]

Borders and other big chains are fine and all, but they really piggyback onto a specialty they have largely supplanted. The world can live without a B. Dalton in every mall, and when the economy improves, the mall bookstores will return. There is still a place in the world for a good specialty bookstore. It's a shame that the big chains, the online buying boom, rising paper costs, and problems with the dollar have done so much damage to the small retail bookstore, but good times will come again. In the meantime... support your booksellers.

 

[Ourph]

And that's fine, if you also don't care whether you even have book stores.

Oh, I care about having bookstores, but I'm quite content with the online kind. If anything, I prefer the convenience of shopping online. The better prices are just icing on the cake.

 

[Treebore]

I guess I can look at being lucky, I have no "local" book store, the nearest I am aware of is 50 or so miles away. So I already buy online by default and have already learned how to "survive" as a gamer and avid book reader without having a local store.

So the only thing I feel sorry about is for the lost jobs in a time when it is so hard to find a job.

 

[Scribble]

Being happy bookstores are closing just so you can get a great discount strikes me as rather self-centered.

Notice the question mark... That was my attempt at satire.

I'm not happy people lost their job.

However, seeing as this is a circumstance beyond my control, I AM happy I got the deal.

Borders may be failing, but last I heard Barns and Noble was doing pretty well? Has this changed (anyone know for real?)

In any case this store wasn't a big borders... it was just one of the mini mall ones, and in a mall that has failed, then tried to be reborn, and now appears to be failing again.

 

[Olaf the Stout]

Personally I don't know if I would be celebrating a failed book store, even if it was a chain store. Yes, you get a short-term bonus of really cheap books, but over time that will mean less competition and therefore higher prices.

Also, the less bookstores out there, the less places that RPG books are being sold. The less places RPG books are sold, the less chance there is of someone coming across those books, taking a look at them and then giving the hobby a go.

So overall I don't think this is a good thing long-term. YMMV and all that.

Olaf the Stout