Originally Posted By alexbook ^--In general that's still true, with some exceptions and limits. For example, the amount a bookstore returns to a publisher isn't supposed to exceed a certain percentage of the store's purchases from that publisher. Also, the bookstore doesn't generally get money back from the publisher, but instead gets credit good against future purchases. Then there's the condition of the books--the publisher, at their discretion, can choose to reject a return if the books are shopworn or otherwise "unsaleable." One of the big questions in the Borders bankruptcy will be how much help the publishers want to give the company. If they decide to hold Borders to the letter of their contracts, Borders could be stuck with a lot of unsaleable merchandise.
Originally Posted By mawnck >>At the Borders Group Inc. store on Broadway near Wall Street, box sets of Stieg Larsson’s best- selling “Millennium” trilogy, including the “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo,” sat on a table near the door last week on sale for $69.39 -- a liquidation markdown of 30 percent. The set costs half as much on Amazon.com Inc.’s website, where it was listed for $34.58 -- with free shipping. Amazon’s Kindle e-book editions were even less, priced at $27.97. At Wal- Mart Stores Inc.’s website, the three books sold for $34.96.<< >>While slashing prices to convert every book, DVD and CD into cash before their contract expires April 30, the art of liquidation requires they keep prices high for popular items. Once in the store, buyers may want to get all their shopping done and spend more, said Scott Carpenter of the liquidation firm Great American Group Inc. (GAMR) “Eventually, prices will get lower if it doesn’t sell,” said Carpenter, director of Great American’s operations for retail. << <a href="http://money.msn.com/business-news/article.aspx?feed=BLOOM&date=20110329&id=13230926" target="_blank">http://money.msn.com/business-...13230926</a> Caveat emptor.
Originally Posted By John3K The Barnes & Noble in my city closed a few months back, & I was sad, but thought: well, at least that should secure a slot for Borders (right across the street). Now Borders is closing (the discount has surpassed 20%, BTW). Now I'm starting to do what I should have done in the first place, which is to drive further if needed to support the independent bookstores. I'd actually forgotten how awesome those places can be.
Originally Posted By Labuda Good point. We have an AMAZING independent book store here in Austin called Book People. I don't visit it enough. Maybe Saturday I'll go down then head across the street to the main Whole Foods and have a nice lunch at the deli.
Originally Posted By Dabob2 I used to patronize a local Brooklyn indie book store all the time. The owners knew me by name and vice versa. It was a downright nice experience to go in there. Sadly, they closed a couple of years ago.
Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan The Barnes & Noble in my city closed a few months back, & I was sad, but thought: well, at least that should secure a slot for Borders (right across the street). Now Borders is closing<< Same here! Both were a favorite hangout for me. I live in a city of 200,000+, and there is now exactly one book store left -- Half Price Books. It's a great book store, because they buy people's used books, so it contains a very eclectic mix of stuff. But that said, it really is sad that we've lost both Barnes and Borders here. Spent so much time and money there through the years, bringing both my kids there.
Originally Posted By John3K <... I live in a city of 200,000+, and there is now exactly one book store left -- Half Price Books.> LOL, it sounds like we live in the same city! And I wrote to the city manager, mayor, the entire city council, special focus groups within the city, etc., to talk about the absolute embarassment for a city of this size and, uh, self-importance to be left without a single NEW bookstore. I threw in, of course, explicit mention about loss of jobs & tax dollars-- and what neighboring cities I'LL be going to in order to spend money on books & whatever. NO REPLY AT ALL. It's a shame.
Originally Posted By TomSawyer Be sure you compare the prices before you think you are getting a deal at Borders. <a href="http://consumerist.com/2011/03/not-many-deals-at-borders-liquidation-sale.html" target="_blank">http://consumerist.com/2011/03...ale.html</a>
Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan I can't go into these places when they're going out of business. Too depressing. Even though I've been a customer for years, I can't go in and pick over the bones. (Which is dumb, I know.)
Originally Posted By Mr X It's a weird sort of transitional time we live in, isn't it? I mean, not only bookstores per se (obviously online is easier and cheaper...but something is lost!), but also perhaps the end of paper books in general! Oh, the stories we'll tell to our grandkids, eh? (already Little X noticed my favorite website, noted on my computer as "LP" (she pronounces it "lup" lol), and when she went to google images to try and figure it out for herself she saw a bunch of LP Records...and she was like "what's an l.p. record, daddy?", and I was like "well, dear, back in the olden days, we used something called a "record player", which had a needle and it dropped down........". <---feels old
Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan >>Oh, the stories we'll tell to our grandkids, eh?<< We won't tell our grandkids stories. That's what our holographic avatars will do. ; )
Originally Posted By fkurucz "we used something called a "record player", which had a needle and it dropped down" A lot of kids are unfamiliar with the source of the sound of a needle being dragged across a record (which is still used for comedic effect in TV shows). When I explained it to my son, he was like: "So that's what that is!
Originally Posted By fkurucz "We won't tell our grandkids stories. That's what our holographic avatars will do." That's what the TV/DVD player do now.
Originally Posted By Tony C I don't really care for Half Price Books. Not because of the selection or the low low prices. But because the books obviously were pre-owned, which means they could be filled with germs. Several books could have been in the bathroom while someone went number two. That just weirds me out.
Originally Posted By plpeters70 I bought an iPad last year, and told myself that I was going to quit reading paper books because I had spent so much money just buying the iPad. Since then, I've been pretty exclusively e-book - and I'm actually really enjoying it. While I do miss walking through the shelves of a bookstore to find a new read, it is nice to be able to just get any book instantly whenever I want, and to be able to store hundreds of books on one device, and access them at any time. While it's sad to see these stores go, maybe this will actually end up being a boon for libraries? Remember when people used to just go and borrow books for free instead?!
Originally Posted By alexbook Libraries are struggling. One public library near me has started a program asking patrons to buy books for them. They're got their wish list up on Amazon. Oddly enough, due to the way accountants operate, there seems to be plenty of money to build new libraries, even as money for book purchases and employee pay is being slashed. When I ask about this, I get some doublespeak about "funding streams."
