Quote:
Originally Posted by HarryT
The two are not necessarily mutually exclusive. Many (perhaps even the majority of) independent second-hand bookstores also sell online these days (eg via the "abebooks" network).
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Atlanta, my home town, use to have a number of used book stores. The major ones closed down some years ago. Any that are left are small shops with very specific clientele. They closed down well before ebooks were a thing, Oxford the biggest and best known closed in 1997. I think that they were hit by a combination of big box chain bookstore such as Barnes and Noble and the very narrow profit margin that left them vulnerable to big downturns in the local economy. Supposedly, one of the major factors in Oxford closing shop was the inability to service a loan they had taken.