hardback books are thriving.

[screwballl]

Originally Posted by CazMar

I find myself buying hardback or at least high quality soft cover books now and buying novels and textbooks only as ebooks. Perhaps the small book seller can stay afloat as a niche business, selling better quality stuff, but I think with online sales they are still competing with economies of scale. And how long before publishers really cut out the middleman and start selling direct to the public?

I think a better question is how long until authors post their own work and the book stores just order the books from a printing company that has rights to that authors books?

Or walk into the book store with your reader, press a few buttons, pay the store and walk out with the ebook?

[K-Thom]

Or walk into the book store with your reader, press a few buttons, pay the store and walk out with the ebook?

This so charmingly 20th centuryish ... why would I walk into a store when I just have to activate 3G and buy directly on my device?

I think a better question is how long until authors post their own work and the book stores just order the books from a printing company that has rights to that authors books?

Espresso Book Machine, no sugar please.

[Poppaea]

Originally Posted by Belfaborac

Sh*t, I'd love to have a bookstore like that..... You're a lucky guy.

I guess that's the secret to staying in business nowadays: Extremely good CS, home delivery and competent staff. In those big stores they are mostly apt to bring the books back to their place. When asked if they read the books they are recommending, they can't. They are recommending those books with the highest margin to everyone and that's it.

When I was young the vendor at my then favourite bookstore shaped my tastes tremendously with her recommendations and I am still grateful to her.

[astra]

I have not bought books on bookshops since 1998?
I discovered Amazon (*.com when I lived in Israel) and that was it (besides charity shops in the UK that sell second hand books too). I bought in bookshops (Waterstones) maybe 2-3 hard back editions in total since then. Why pay much more if Amazon is almost always cheaper. In fact very often much cheaper.
I guess hardback books keep up because they target a specific customer base. Who do you think buy hardbacks? People who want the books for collections. People who have to read a book the next day it is available. Ebooks have little affect on this market vs., paperbacks.

[elcreative]

What a patronising ill conceived comment... define older generation without insulting everyone over five years old...

Originally Posted by screwballl

Book stores are still thriving, mostly because the technology-limited older generation sticks to what they know works well, in this case paper books.
As they start moving on in age and less paper books are being sold, then I think we will see a much larger shift towards ebooks, just as music sales have slowed from physical media and expanded with mp3 sales.

[luqmaninbmore]

Originally Posted by astra

I have not bought books on bookshops since 1998?
I discovered Amazon (*.com when I lived in Israel) and that was it (besides charity shops in the UK that sell second hand books too). I bought in bookshops (Waterstones) maybe 2-3 hard back editions in total since then. Why pay much more if Amazon is almost always cheaper. In fact very often much cheaper.
.

To keep the money in your local economy as opposed to funneling it to Amazon or Walmart HQ? Because having a local bookstore adds something to the quality of life in a neighborhood that can not be denominated in dollars? I buy from Red Emma's because I like the concept of Red Emmas: a collectively run business where there are no bosses. Plus the food is good and they offer free internet (on linux PCs, no less) to the community. So I go there when I can and pay full retail. My other favorite bookstore, the Book Nook in Glen Burnie, sells used books and its prices beat the tar out of Amazon, so I get the best of both worlds there.

[Maggie Leung]

Originally Posted by luqmaninbmore

To keep the money in your local economy as opposed to funneling it to Amazon or Walmart HQ? Because having a local bookstore adds something to the quality of life in a neighborhood that can not be denominated in dollars?

Yes, I consider that when buying, too. It's not the deciding factor, but it's one of 'em. I like bookstores, so I spend money in them. "Liking" them is useless without spending money; they have bills to pay.

[Andrew H.]

Originally Posted by Poppaea

I guess that's the secret to staying in business nowadays: Extremely good CS, home delivery and competent staff. In those big stores they are mostly apt to bring the books back to their place. When asked if they read the books they are recommending, they can't. They are recommending those books with the highest margin to everyone and that's it.

When I was young the vendor at my then favourite bookstore shaped my tastes tremendously with her recommendations and I am still grateful to her.

This is a good story, but you left out the most important key to staying in business: having the government prohibit price discounting on books. This leads to competition on service, etc., all of which is good - but there's no competition on prices.

So this is not really relevant to what might happen in the US.

Books from Amazon in the US are 30-40% cheaper than those in independent bookstores. That, plus the better selection, is the fundamental reason why independent bookstores won't be making a comeback even if chain bookstores went away.

[GA Russell]

I believe there is a place for a sole proprietor who is an expert in a particular genre. I mean someone who has read every book in the store.

Many people enjoy going to the store and spending money. Women have the reputation of enjoying shopping much more than men do. Women also have the reputation of buying more books than men do. I think a small shop which caters to women (for example, children's books) would pay the rent.

I don't see potential for company growth, but it might be an ideal way for a semi-retired person to keep himself (more likely herself) busy.

[CazMar]

Originally Posted by GA Russell

I believe there is a place for a sole proprietor who is an expert in a particular genre. I mean someone who has read every book in the store.

Many people enjoy going to the store and spending money. Women have the reputation of enjoying shopping much more than men do. Women also have the reputation of buying more books than men do. I think a small shop which caters to women (for example, children's books) would pay the rent.

I don't see potential for company growth, but it might be an ideal way for a semi-retired person to keep himself (more likely herself) busy.

Probably wouldn't get much of my business - I am female and my last few book purchases have been philosophy books, ancient history and astronomy.

[Poppaea]

Originally Posted by Andrew H.

This is a good story, but you left out the most important key to staying in business: having the government prohibit price discounting on books. This leads to competition on service, etc., all of which is good - but there's no competition on prices.

So this is not really relevant to what might happen in the US.

Books from Amazon in the US are 30-40% cheaper than those in independent bookstores. That, plus the better selection, is the fundamental reason why independent bookstores won't be making a comeback even if chain bookstores went away.

This a yes/no thing. There are ways to circumvent the government prohibit prices and it is done. They sell the books as faulty even if they aren't. But still you have a point as for bestsellers this does not happen.

Anyway, there are good reasons to buy a bit more expensive sometimes, at least for me. My Mom buys there too and she loves history. One of the staff is married to an historian and whenever I ask her for a gift for my mother she asks her husband and then calls me to recommend something. This service and the possibility to have a 110% loved gift is worth nearly every price. So my mother has a different favourite sales person as I do and I am sure each of the staff has their own followers due to their different abilities.

I work in a small shop too and we try to give our customers a good time spending money as well as expert knowledge. A good sales person has the customers follow them to whereever they work.

[GreenMonkey]

I prefer e-books to paperbacks, and hardcovers to e-books.

I stick with hardcovers for books I really love. Add an acid-free book jacket cover and I've got something good for decades.

[JoelArnold]

I love my ereader, but I also love, love, love to be surrounded by physical books. I really don't know what will happen, but I hope that at least some specialty bookstores survive. They're also a great place to meet other readers and writers. I'd much rather meet an author in person at a reading/signing than online (although I love to meet authors/readers online, too - it's just not the same.)

[januaryman]

I had heard that on the radio as well. I just wonder if there are records of used book sales. I frequently pick up books are unheard of low prices through places like AbeBooks, or comparative shopping book sales sites, like bookfinder4u - I just got Chabon's "The Yiddish Policemen's Union" for under $5, shipped. And Dylan Thomas' "Portrait of the Artist as a Young Dog" for $3.95, shipped. If those are calculated into the mix (used books) then I bet the proportion is radically different, with "real" book beat out eBooks but a healthy margin.

And I can't even GET "The Anubis Gates," by Powers for my iPad. Of that title (one of my all time favorites), I have one paperback copy (for re-reading), one hardback for keeping and one collector's 1st Edition signed!

You can't get a signed eBook, right? ;-)