Comments on: Independent bookstores, redux

By: Phantom Scribbler

Phantom Scribbler — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 02:25:28 +0000

Alas, I more or less agree with you on this one. There are a few independent bookstores that I will go out of my way to shop at, but in each case they offer me something that the friendly neighborhood Big Box Bookstore does not. (And, make no mistake, the closest Big Box Bookstore IS a lot friendlier than the closest independent.) As for ordering from an independent online, I have no objection to it, but it’s hard to make the case that it’s really worth it when doing so involves longer wait times, less availability AND more money.

I don’t think this issue is necessarily limited to bookstores, though. In general I try to patronize small, locally owned businesses over chains. But the people at a lot of these locally owned retail establishments are kind of jerks. If the prices aren’t better, and the service is rotten, then I feel like an idiot shopping there on principle alone.

By: styleygeek

styleygeek — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 02:49:59 +0000

So what do books cost in Canada? (Just curious for comparison with Australia, where it’s generally around $20–30 (US $17–$25) for a paperback, $50+ (US $42+) for hardcover, $100+ (US $84+) for textbooks.)

When Geekman used to live in London, I would fill my suitcase with books whenever I visited him: they were so nice and cheap!

By: Cougar Allen

Cougar Allen — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 03:45:21 +0000

How many independant bookstores do you actually hate? Are you actually hating on independant bookstores, or on two or three people?

By: wolfa

wolfa — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 14:49:45 +0000

Phantom, I don’t have that problem so much with other kinds of locally owned businesses — or when I do, there’s always another option nearby. I am occasionally too lazy to do part of my shopping at the supermarket, another part at the fruit and veggie stands, and a third part at the meat areas, though.

Styley, it depends. Paperbacks run from 8 to 12$, trade paperbacks from 12-25, hardcover from 24- whatever. It seems like the Canadian dollar is worth a very small bit more than the Australian dollar right now.

But the thing is, they print the US dollar price right next to the Canadian dollar price, and all of us, we can do the conversions and see we’re always paying 10-20% more. (We do have the bonus of getting books at the earliest publishing date most of the time, either UK or US.)

Cougar, I do not dislike independent bookstores in theory. In practice, though, there aren’t any nearby I like, because they seem to offer a big box experience, but with fewer books, less convenient layout, and more snottiness. Plus the higher prices.

By: sheepish

sheepish — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 17:23:00 +0000

I agree with you here. I like supporting local businesses, but only when they provide comparable or better service and value. In practice, this amounts mostly to patronizing local produce markets and butcher shops (cheaper AND better selection and service). The other two central pillars of my life: coffee and books seem sadly seem to be best served by chains in my locale. Coffee shops I rue, but walking into the miles of books shelves offered in the big box bookstores is something of a religious experience not to be found elsewhere.

By: wolfa

wolfa — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 17:51:36 +0000

Oh, coffee does not have that problem here. I’m surprised it does where you are.

By: sheepish

sheepish — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 17:59:00 +0000

It’s the specific neighborhood in which I live. I’m not about to drive for twenty or thirty minutes and pay for parking just to hang out in a coffee shop for an hour. Thus, it’s Starbucks for me.

By: wolfa

wolfa — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 18:04:03 +0000

I only go places with free parking. Also, the closest to me are a family-run place with weird hours (good coffee, though), 2 ordinary Quebec-only chains, and another small place with reasonably good coffee and weird hours.

There is a 2nd Cup, but it’s up a hill, and full of annoying people. No nearby Starbucks.

By: shrinkykitten

shrinkykitten — Sat, 21 Apr 2007 02:26:43 +0000

As a person who is reliant upon public transport, and who often needs to run a bunch of errands at one time, the big bookstores are much much more convenient. I too want to support the indies, but there are none in my neighborhood, none near where i grocery shop, none near where I change trains, etc. I would have to make a special trip to get to one, and I can’t even search their inventory on-line, as I can with Borders.

Sometimes too I make the mistake, when I am at the Indies, of thinking they know and like books, and I might engage them in a conversation. Nope, never. My borders employees are much more likely to be bibliophiles.

I will say, however, that in hippy college town we had the best independent bookstores ever. They were super convenient to get to, the employees were highly overeducated people who wanted to sell books so they could write their plays or novels in their free time, and they had tons of amazing employee rec cards all over the store, held awesome bookgroups, brought in amazing authors, and were very interested in developing relationships with the customers. Plus, one was actually our college bookstore (seriously the best bookstore in the world) and all students got 10% off all books.

By: shrinkykitten

shrinkykitten — Sat, 21 Apr 2007 02:32:07 +0000

Oh and to the other hot syntactician - styley - no wonder borders is closing there! Those are obscene prices for books! In the US, paperbacks (not those little supermarket ones) are maybe $10-15, hardbacks are $20-25 (but usually they have discount stickers on them for up to 30% off - even when new), and texbooks are $70 and up.