James Lileks on bookstore nostalgia:
It’s a matter of faith that we miss the small, independent bookstore. I do and I don’t. I recall one such store in a neighborhood where I lived, and the guy behind the counter was sour half the time, and put out books that seemed to suggest we were IDIOTS who needed to learn THE TRUTH about things. Many years ago in Dinkytown there were two – one specialized in poetry, which is really an iron-clad recipe for bankruptcy, and the other was a glorious second-hand bookstore with tottering piles of silverfish food on two levels. The latter is still there. Same guy behind the counter, 30 years later.
[HT: Robinson and Long ]
2 comments:
The small bookstores, especially the ones which sell used books, have largely become a thing of the past. Tough competition from the stores that sell “an acre of literature” as well as discounters such as Costco have sealed their fate.
I have a friend who owned a small used bookstore in the downtown section of a nearby suburb, the charming sort of establishment that we all remember fondly. He had been in business for many years at the same location and had gained a loyal clientele, but over a period of time his rent had tripled and others expenses were increasing as well.
In the end, he decided to let his store lease expire and close his retail business. All of the inventory was moved into his home and garage, and he began to deal exclusively on the Internet. I’m happy to say that his new business is flourishing, and he is prospering like never before. Along with one employee, he works a flexible schedule with fewer hours and far less expense. He maintains an extensive customer list which includes many of his former retail customers and corresponds with both new and old customers primarily by E-mail.
The only ones who miss the old store are those of us who happily spent our spare moments perusing through the many volumes he had to offer.
Anonymous,
Great story. An independent store closed in my neighborhood several years ago. I wish they'd tried the Internet option. The situation was similar to what your friend's bookstore had encountered.
I go out of my way to shop at some smaller bookstores. A few of them, such as The Poisoned Pen or Guidon Books in Scottsdale, have been able to survive by focusing on a particular genre. That can be a real challenge.
Post a Comment