Quote:
Originally Posted by murraypaul
And yet, with the advent of Amazon, we have cheaper access to a much wider variety of books than ever before. So no, you don't have a small bookshop down the road, but you have the worlds largest bookshop ready to post you whatever you want. I'd say access to books is higher now than then.
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This has always been my feeling, although I was slightly secretly ashamed of it. Do I understand that Amazon has huge purchasing power and can offer items cheaper than local B&Ms? Yes. But the bottom line is that I want specific items, not roughly comparable ones, at the best possible price. The local B&Ms had a smaller inventory at a larger price. It always seemed like I was being pressured to support a model that was, in this day and age, inefficient. And I have a problem with that.
One of the big arguements has always been, "Well, Amazon will drive all of the little bookstores out of business, and then they will have no competition, and can raise their prices as high as they want". I haven't seen this, and don't see it coming. If it does, I will apologize for my part in the destruction of local B&Ms.
With regard to "culture" at the local B&M, I guess that's something that always escaped me. I don't interact with people at bookstores (I realize some people do), don't attend signings or readings or workshops, and don't seek advice from booksellers. So none of these things cause me to be willing to pay more for the same product. I am happy browsing for what I want on Amazon, and usually finding it for the cheapest possible price.