MaryJanesFarm Farmgirl Connection

All Forums

General Chat Forum

Reading Room

Irritated by big book store

Note: You must be logged in to post.
To log in, click here.
To register, click here. Registration is FREE!

Screensize:

UserName:

Password:

Format Mode:

Format:

Message:

* HTML is OFF
* Forum Code is ON

Smilies

Check here to include your profile signature.
Check here to subscribe to this topic.

T O P I C R E V I E W
texdane	Posted - Mar 04 2011 : 05:24:19 AM Hi Girils, and fellow readers, Hope you don't mind but need to vent. A few years ago, we had cute little mom and pop bookstores here. Then Barnes and Noble opened up. But then, Borders popped up everywhere, and the little bookstores went out of business. I actually like Borders, especially the one that opened nearby only three years ago. Audrey and I go in and spend time browsing the books and magazines, and maybe sitting in the cafe a bit. We have made lots of purchases there. When they opened, they forced all the little stores in the center to all move their stores to the other side of the square in order to have room for the biggest store in the center. Now they are closing. Now the little bookstores are gone, more jobs are lost, and all the little stores left in the square are losing the big draw to that area, and a vast, empty store is being left empty. This kind of thing keeps happening in our area. Big stores move in, drive everyone out, then go belly up. Now where am I going to go for books? I have the kindle software on my phone, not the same as a lovely book, and ordering books online is not always an option. Sigh.... Nicole Farmgirl Sister #1155 KNITTER, JAM-MAKER AND MOM EXTRAORDINAIRE http://sfgblog.maryjanesfarm.org/
24 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First)
kathleenshoop	Posted - May 25 2011 : 11:11:58 AM I'm lucky that I have an independent book store down the street from me...unusual and so so fortunate. There's nothing like the people who work there--they adore books and will order ANYTHING I need even if they don't stock it normally. I have to admit, I love a book in my hand, but I'm loving my kindle. I keep going between the two things. And even if I buy a friend an ebook gift card, I enclose it in at least one hard-copy book. Kathie http://tinyurl.com/3mf8bz9 Author, The Last Letter, The novel for every daughter who thinks she knows her mother's story...
Sheep Mom 2	Posted - May 18 2011 : 6:55:32 PM You can thank the book publishers for the price hike. They set the prices not Amazon. I was especially peeved at the books not having audio - as I like for the Kindle to read aloud when I am spinning or working on my art. At first all the books would read aloud, now very few if any do. I know I can buy the audio versions but the unabridged versions can be really expensive. That was one of the reasons I bought the kindle in the first place. Random house started it but now it's spread to most publishers. I too was shocked that the e-version was two bucks more than the hard back. Go figure. I guess Random House (the first to do this as usual) wasn't happy making money without the printing costs. Blessings, Sheri "Work is Love made visible" -Kahlil Gibran
texdane	Posted - May 18 2011 : 2:25:56 PM I have kindle on the iphone. It's great for book club picks, and handy to whip out when I find I am waiting somewhere. But I do, always, still love a book with pages! Oh, and recently a book I wanted was more expensive on Amazon for the Kindle version than a brand new paper copy! When it first came out it was opposite. Nicole Farmgirl Sister #1155 KNITTER, JAM-MAKER AND MOM EXTRAORDINAIRE Chapter Leader, Connecticut Simpler Life Sisters Suburban Farmgirl Blogger http://sfgblog.maryjanesfarm.org/
DeborahLee	Posted - May 16 2011 : 12:45:25 PM I do try to support our local indie bookstore but for mainstream, NYTimes fiction, they are not competitive in pricing or availability and they often do not have some of the specialized fiction I like to read. I heavily use my Kindle (I don't mind ebooks, especially for fiction) and I keep an Amazon Prime account. I live in a small town and even our Walmart is slow to get recently released material (videos and books) in (and I really do not enjoy shopping at Walmart). While Amazon is not the same as being able to browse through a physical bookstore, I've found it very handy to have the Amazon Prime membership---especially since it costs a lot for me to drive an hour to someplace bigger. A recent example---I love John Sandford. He's one of the authors I'm willing to buy my own copy and not go on a waiting list. The ebook for his latest, Buried Prey, was actually a bit more expensive than the heavily discounted hardback edition ($14.72)---so I pre-ordered the print on Amazon and had the book the day it was released everywhere, without having to find a store. (It will end up being passed around to several friends as well.) Deborah Professor, librarian, writer and farmgirl!
texdane	Posted - Apr 06 2011 : 3:31:14 PM Karen, How cool you lived here! Actually the Borders wasn't right in SH, but in Southbury...do you remember the "Kmart Plaza"? Nicole Farmgirl Sister #1155 KNITTER, JAM-MAKER AND MOM EXTRAORDINAIRE Suburban Farmgirl Blogger http://sfgblog.maryjanesfarm.org/
vintagediva1	Posted - Apr 06 2011 : 08:39:50 AM Catherine. I remember when there was just one store in Ann Arbor and it was great. They lost control when they sold out to the big boys and today I read that they are considering moving their headquarters out of Ann Arbor Micheke www.2vintagedivas.etsy.com www.sissyandsisterstitch.etsy.com www.dreamingofsprintime.etsy.com Love that good ole vintage junk
Lady Woodworker	Posted - Apr 05 2011 : 5:49:28 PM This is an interesting thread. I did not know these things about Borders. Nicole, I lived in Sandy Hook when I worked in Newtown in the early 2,000s. I can't think of where that Borders would have been but that's such a lovely area and it is a shame to see sprawl and empty buildings take over. Sorry you are losing your store. Maine, for all its faults and troubles is extremely good at keeping box stores and chains out of the state. We have kept Walmart out of a lot of areas. We do have some Walmarts in the bigger cities but they have a much smaller presence than they wanted to have here. Also, Maine doesn't allow billboards, which I find refreshing. I also like that, in many places, you'll see a McDonalds in an old style building, rather than their usual brick with arches. There are ordinances that force this and I have always appreciated it. Having grown up in Illinois--where my hometown is now dying from sprawl--what we have here in Maine is a big change and I am glad to see that determined citizens can make it can happen. Another upside of this is that the one Borders I know of in the state is not chosen to be closed. Having few stores like this keeps demand high. (Now if only we can keep our new governor from selling us out...or making us all die from embarrassment). Thanks, all, for sharing these very interesting facts, Karen Farmgirl Sister # 2419
texdane	Posted - Apr 04 2011 : 6:41:21 PM Catherine, How interesting. I didn't know they were named for "Borders Borthers". I remember when they first opened, no cafe, etc.. now I don't know where to go for books, and the internet isn't the same. Again, another business that just got too big, I guess. We were driving today and in our area there are just soooo many stores that are empty and closed, some that were open a long time, and most of them were mom and pop. So sad. Nicole Farmgirl Sister #1155 KNITTER, JAM-MAKER AND MOM EXTRAORDINAIRE Suburban Farmgirl Blogger http://sfgblog.maryjanesfarm.org/
urban chickie	Posted - Apr 04 2011 : 4:20:33 PM I moved to Ann Arbor when Border's was just a handful of stores. Back then, you had to take a test to work there. Now, I have always been an avid reader, and I know books. Even the ones I haven't read, I pretty much know the classics and back then I was up on all the book lists. I couldn't pass that test! I just adored Border's when it was the Borders brothers running it. But then they started expanding.....and then sold out to K-Mart. That was the beginning of the end. They were never the same. Back then, they were a one location megastore where the employees really KNEW books. Lots of comfy chairs and such but no cafe. I really miss those days! I have never been in a mom and pops store that compared to the Borders of back then in either expertise or variety. Catherine Farmgirl #1370 City Girl By Birth, Suburbanite By Location, Farmgirl at Heart
texdane	Posted - Apr 02 2011 : 3:51:30 PM We went in to one of the Borders stores that was closing last week because I was looking for a book I can't find. We walked back out without buying anything. People were pushing each other and grabbing stuff and buying everything they could get their hands on. It was a mess. Now it is another big, empty store (they are popping up all over here). Nicole Farmgirl Sister #1155 KNITTER, JAM-MAKER AND MOM EXTRAORDINAIRE Suburban Farmgirl Blogger http://sfgblog.maryjanesfarm.org/
vintagediva1	Posted - Apr 02 2011 : 06:31:52 AM I used to work at a small independent book store that was driven out by the big box stores. The people who work in these places don't really know books. We used to hand sell so many books because we knew Now, whenever I travel I seek out independents. and the rest of the time I get my books from the library. Michele www.2vintagedivas.etsy.com www.sissyandsisterstitch.etsy.com www.dreamingofsprintime.etsy.com Love that good ole vintage junk
embchicken	Posted - Mar 16 2011 : 07:45:37 AM Dianne - I agree with you completely! "Be the change you wish to see in the world" ~Gandhi embchicken.blogspot.com
textilelover	Posted - Mar 15 2011 : 2:30:01 PM Unfortunately, Americans care only about price (the cheapest) and not about paying a bit extra for quality goods or customer service. I would much rather shop at the local fabric store (if we had one!) or the local book shop (again, driven out of business) and pay more to the owner who supports the community or offers health care to his or her employees than to a chain who answers only to its stockholders. I much prefer a pleasant, personalized shopping experience (we are fortunate to have a local hardware store) than stepping foot into Lowe's or Home Depot. I believe the pendulum will swing the other way--back to the small business owner. Ask yourself, "What did Corporate America ever do for me?" Dianne in the Hudson Valley Sister #749 "Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication." --Leondardo da Vinci
embchicken	Posted - Mar 11 2011 : 7:15:28 PM Paperbackswap.com is a fantastic site. i have been swapping books this way for about 3 years and have not been disappointed. It's not just the big bookstores. When Home Depot and Lowes came into town we said goodbye to many of our local hardware stores. Hello Walmart - goodbye fabric stores and now Walmart has done away with their fabrics her in NJ. Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks goodbye neighborhood bakery/ cafe. Don't get me wrong these big places create jobs but I sure do miss the neighborliness(?) of small stores. "Be the change you wish to see in the world" ~Gandhi
barnagainkristin	Posted - Mar 11 2011 : 6:50:23 PM We have a very popular small bookstore in town with good values in how they treat their employees. I have heard them say they would rather go out of business than not give their employees medical insurance. Your post made me realize I better get in there and support them with the next book I buy so they don't fall to the big chains. Thanks for sharing this and reminding me it is important to spend a little more if I am able to help the mom and pop stores. barnagainkristin "Others Before Self"
prayin granny	Posted - Mar 05 2011 : 7:34:06 PM I agree about the mom/pop thing completely! My daughter works at Borders. So far her particular store is safe, but not certain for how long?! As in most cases, its bad corporate mgt. But as with all the other stories, you can bet these CEO's will walk away with million dollar unbrelka pkgs too! When did we begin to always reward those who perform poorly?? I really hope for the stores still open, there is a good outcome. Its a tough, scary time. And, sadly, my daughter has said that many customers have been very mean and rude to the employees since the company's bankruptcy filing. She has worked for Borders for nearly 6 years now and we are praying no more jobs are lost. With technology now, computers, e readers, etc.....I am concerned for the future of any bookstore and that really saddens me. Blessings, linda www.scatteredlittleblessings.blogspot.com Country at Heart
farmmilkmama	Posted - Mar 05 2011 : 2:02:57 PM We have a teeny bookstore here that just opened and its amazing the things they do for local writers and the like. You just don't get that from a big chain store (books or otherwise!). :) --* FarmMilkMama *-- Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken. -Oscar Wilde www.farmfoodmama.blogspot.com
texdane	Posted - Mar 05 2011 : 1:43:20 PM That's right, I did not think of that. Local writers don't get much support from the big ones. Didn't think of that. Sad... Nicole Farmgirl Sister #1155 KNITTER, JAM-MAKER AND MOM EXTRAORDINAIRE http://sfgblog.maryjanesfarm.org/
prariehawk	Posted - Mar 04 2011 : 5:03:47 PM I've heard that the reason for Borders filing for bankruptcy is because of Amazon, which apparently sells books at a loss and drives other stores out of business. Some of the small bookstores in St. Louis recently got together and formed an alliance. that may be the only way for the small stores to survive. I like browsing th big book stores but often a small specialty store has books that the big publishers overlook. Small bookstores are also more likely to sell books that are self-published (usually by local writers). Being a writer, I want to help support other writers. And small stores have a lot more character. Cindy "Vast floods can't quench love, no matter what love did/ Rivers can't drown love, no matter where love's hid"--Sinead Connor "In many ways, you don't just live in the country, it lives inside you"--Ellen Eilers Visit my blog at http://www.farmerinthebelle.blogspot.com/
SusanScarlet	Posted - Mar 04 2011 : 10:03:15 AM Have you tried Paperbackswap online? It's basically a used book exchange. You list your books, someone else chooses one of them, you mail to them (you pay the postage), and when they receive it they mark on line that it has been received and you get a credit so you can in turn order a book. We have been doing this for a few years and have never had a problem. It has really worked great for us.
Catherine L	Posted - Mar 04 2011 : 09:08:24 AM The same thing happened in our small community with fabric stores. When Walmart came in all the specialty fabric stores slowly went out of business. Now Walmart is what we are left with and the selection isn't all that great. Some Walmarts are doing away with the fabric department, I hope it doesn't happen here. It is at least an hour drive to the nearest fabric store. ~Catherine~ Farmgirl 2428
LeighErica	Posted - Mar 04 2011 : 06:44:16 AM That is such a shame...and you are right, they come in, drive the small businesses out and then they go belly up too leaving anyway......it is a shame. I honestly don't understand how Borders can be so financially distressed, because everytime I go to the one where I live it is packed with shoppers and people in the cafe. Hoping you find a sweet alternative or that another "small business" venture will open and replace the hole Borders leaves. There is always the library...and ours has a small coffee station too...maybe that would be a good alternative....hugs, Erica
FebruaryViolet	Posted - Mar 04 2011 : 06:20:07 AM Well, Borders just filed Bankruptcy, and closed most of their stores in the Kentucky and Ohio areas, except for 2. I've never been a big Borders fan or Barnes and Noble, but we do have a regional chain called Joseph Beth, that I adore. Unfortunately, we've never really had a lot of mom and pop bookstores in this area--I think we've always been "ripe for sprawl" but, oddly enough, in this economy, they're opening more and more. One just opened down the street from my office, so I can walk there on my lunch hour. Musings from our family in the Bluegrass http://sweetvioletmae.blogspot.com/
Marybeth	Posted - Mar 04 2011 : 06:15:34 AM It's happening here too. Maybe not with B&N but others stores leaving the monm and pops stranded and nothing to do but struggle and finally close. Big box--no heart. MB http://www.smallcityscenes.blogspot.com www.day4plus.blogspot.com "Life may not be the party we hoped for...but while we are here we might as well dance!"

Snitz Forums 2000