Book Bargains.

[Tonyblack]

There's a bit of poetic justice to these huge book chains going out of business as it wasn't so very long ago that they squeezed the life out of the small independent bookstores.

It's interesting also that in the US, Borders (who haven't latched on to the selling of eBooks) is struggling, while Barnes & Noble (who have) are fairing better.

 

[Broccolee]

Borders closed down last year in Northwood.It was a real bummer,as I was visiting my sis and had planned on going there,I used to love it.They closed down real quick,too,the week before it was still there and then woomph there it wasn´t anymore. We looked in through the windows,all books still there,but just shut down from one day to the next.
I thought they had withdrawn from UK completely?

 

[deldaisy]

Well if bloody stupid Borders hadn't bought out OUR Angus and Robertson (an Australian company that has been here for 125 years I might add) it might still be going!!!!!! Angus and Robertson i mean.

 

[Tonyblack]

I was talking about Borders in the US, which has gone into receivership.

 

[deldaisy]

So am I...... we have had alot of American companies come over and take over Aussie companies.... Angus and Robertson was one of those.

 

[Tonyblack]

My comment was aimed at Broc's comment about Borders having pulled out of the UK.

 

[deldaisy]

Ahhhhhhhhhhh..... well see Borders US... has gone into receivership... and Borders US took over Angus And Robertson a while ago.... (Borders US owns A & G now) so since Borders US has gone into receivership.... A & G is going under with them.... and the same reasons as you said... they didn't embrace internet selling.

Nevermind....

 

[Penfold]

One of our largest book retailers is closing down..... its the one that always has the Terry Pratchett ones Books are expensive here apparently compaired with the rest of the world. And more people are buying them off the net. So sad.

its happening over here as well del, one has closed in swansea and the other is struggling nationwide, amazon is winning, i dont mind its cheaper for me i just cant browse anymore

Is it my imagination, or are there less 'old fashioned' second hand book stores around as well? I used to be able to spend hours browsing through them, breathing in that musty atmosphere and smell that only hundreds of really old books seem to be able to generate.

 

[Tonyblack]

It's all explained in Reaper Man - the death of the town centre and the rise of the out-of-town superstore.

 

[deldaisy]

Ahhh.... life imitating art imitating life scenario.....

 

[Broccolee]

I think there are some in Camden?
I definitly know of one there,but I think I passed some others,too.

 

[The Mad Collector]

Is it my imagination, or are there less 'old fashioned' second hand book stores around as well? I used to be able to spend hours browsing through them, breathing in that musty atmosphere and smell that only hundreds of really old books seem to be able to generate.

There are still pockets that survive, Cheltenham, Norwich and Bristol still hang on but the joy of a real secondhand bookshop where anything could be found and which gave rise to the idea of LSpace is sadly dying. I love them and treasure time spent perusing shelves looking for that golden find and with 4,000 books here most of which have come from these very types of shops I miss them a lot.

 

[chris.ph]

the works in swansea have a load of new fantasy books in so they should be nationwide as well, 20 quid for 12books cant be bad

 

[Tonyblack]

And I know I posted this on the Robert Rankin thread, but Poundland has Knees Up Mother Earth (first edition hardback) for £1.

 

[chris.ph]

cor a pound in poundland funny that

 

[Tonyblack]

cor a pound in poundland funny that

They have Dollar Stores in America, and everything costs a Dollar until you get to the till. Then they add tax, so you pay $1.09.

 

[chris.ph]

stop trying to squirm out of it tony this is cardiff we are talking about not arizona

 

[Tonyblack]

Squirm out of what? I think a quid for a first edition hardback is a real bargain.

 

[chris.ph]

nt to POUNDland in llanelli this morning and bought the robert rankin book fo surprise surprise a POUND

 

[Tonyblack]

Wow! Bargain!