Well, whaddya think?

[Stir Young]

Borders Books is closing up....having a big clearance sale and closing their stores for good.  A few of the stores may be transfered to a competitor, but Borders is gone, finito, kaput.  It doesn't seem that long ago that they opened a store in the big town near me, and it was really something....we'd not seen anything like it before in these parts.

I gotta say, and speaking as an old retail guy, I never could quite understand why they had those coffee bars, and encouraged people to hang around there, seemingly not spending enough to justify the room they were occupying.

I learned as a young guy that retail stores should get 'em in the door, sell 'em something...and get 'em back out the door.  Books stores were the exception to that rule....they had to allow some browsing time, but I always thought readers seemed to just camp out at Borders.....they were encouraged to do so.

Yeah, I know that e-books, dotcom sales options, tweeting, FaceBook, TBD, and a host of other things now vie for our attention.  Maybe reading as we came to know it is dying....do we even need hand held, bound books anymore?

So, how will having no Borders stores around affect you?  I have to say that I've patronized Borders less and less over the recent years.  If I got a good coupon from them I'd go and use it, but I rarely bought anything at full price.  I have a large inventory of books I bought that I have yet to read, and I don't foresee myself stopping at Borders during the final clearance sale.

BTW, Borders is another Michigan based company hanging it up.  We've come to expect that kind of thing around here.

[Stir Young]

Vinyl, and the covers are kinda fragile....I'm glad you're taking care of them, Tee.  I don't consider that anal, I consider that prudent.

[Ruby Red Crystal]

I live in a tiny town with no bookstore so I only get to a Borders or B&N when I am in a city. I love wandering the aisles and sitting on the floor thumbing through the books trying to decide which I want to buy. 

I will admit that I got a Kindle for my birthday, I love being able to buy a book that easy and I know that when I am traveling it will make it much easier for me to take along my books. [like the Pittsburgh meet up in a couple of weeks] I already have a bunch loaded and ready for the trip. But I will never give a real book.

[TeeBubbaDee]

RRC, I drool every time I see a Kindle ad, but just can't seem to pull the trigger. Don't know what is holding me back. Maybe my obsession with buying books at yard sales for a quarter. (gasp, sometimes I pay .50 cents)

[Ruby Red Crystal]

So far all I have done is download free books, but I do love it. I am like you, I just bought a few books at a thrift store on Monday.

[Stir Young]

Aw, I don't foresee me ever getting a Kindle....I like the yard sale hunting too.  I'm sure there will be enough tradional books around to last my lifetime.

[Stir Young]

You sell some books in your store, don't ya, RRC?

 

[Ruby Red Crystal]

You bet we do..both vintage books that go for all prices and books that would have wound up in the landfill. Over 4000 from a school that was combining libraries and from our local library. We sell the for 25 cents each and the money is donated back to the school and library.

[Stir Young]

A good cause and a comforting thought that books don't hit the shredder.

 

[TeeBubbaDee]

RRC, I have a first edition of "A Child's Garden Of Grass" Condition is pretty good, with some light creasing to the cover, and in pencil " A groovy first edition" on the frontispiece. Any ideas to the value?

[Quinn]

BOOKS WILL NEVER DIE!
I hope.
I guess I can see the convenience of a reader, but nothing beats the feel and the smell of a book…


The Borders at the local Mall closed a number of months.
No loss. Their selection was horrible and their staff was not very knowledgeable or helpful.
A bookstore called Books-A-Million moved into the space. It looks the same as Borders did and the selection still seems poor. I don’t see myself spending much time there.

I must confess that I do buy from Amazon…it’s so hard not to, given their prices, but I still frequent the local independent bookstore…The staff is great, as is the selection. Browsing just isn’t the same online 

I’m also a huge fan of the library…books, music, movies---all free!

[CWO3ROBBIE]

Quinn, books a million has been in Northern VA for around 20 years. Most of their stores are like book warehouses. Lots of books cramed into a small space. No amenities. Lately I have seen BAM stores that have added some things like a coffie area. The only problem I have with big book stores is trying to get out without spending around $100. I do like public libraries. But, I've never been in one that allowed food and drink and the selection is usually behind the times.

[Stir Young]

I don't mind wandering through the book warehouse type stores, although I've not been in a B-A-M.  I enjoy reading some pretty obscure stuff, mostly of an historical nature.  Book warehouses are places to find that kind of material sometimes.