Have used bookstores been closing in your neighbourhood in the past year, and wh

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   Janis Goadposted 11 years ago

   Have used bookstores been closing in your neighbourhood in the past year, and why is that happening?

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2. 61

   Penelope and Saraposted 11 years ago

   Not that I am aware of.  Although, I have to admit that I don't frequent the used bookstores in my area very often.  There aren't many and they tend to be over priced. 
   
   I'm just not going to spend 7-12 dollars on a used book.  I'd rather spend a few more dollars and just get it new I guess.

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   NowPonderItposted 11 years ago

   I haven't noticed any that have closed lately, but if there are many in your area that seem to be closing, I can only assume it's because of the economy and the world’s current situation. It is possible small businesses, like used bookstores, are just not as necessary or essential when compared to other things like food and toiletries at the moment. Besides all that, with new technology, it's easier to download a new book than search for it in a used bookstore, or even a library for that matter.

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   cat on a soapboxposted 11 years ago

   Hi Janis,
   We still have one big one that's been around for 50 years. They no longer buy books for cash but give store credit instead.They have also become far more selective preferring first editions and books with well-known illustrators. The internet is far more convenient and has less overhead. Why have a store front when Amazon will do?
   
   cat

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   mckbirdbksposted 11 years ago

   Used bookstores have been closing down for a decade. Multiple levels for the reasons. Less readers, and higher rents are part of it. Reading is not a popular activity these days. The Internet is the real answer, people would go into a used book store find what they wanted and then go in search of it online for a lower price. Inversely, they would look up the price dealers were asking for they titles then bring to the store a list printed off from the Internet and think they were going to get near retail price for their volumes. So the squeeze came from two sides, people asking higher prices so the inventory price escalated and the public could shop in the store, but buy online. Price wars began, many books can be found for one cent online. Next publishers will disappear as newspapers are disappearing.
   
   Don't get me started on eBooks.
   
   Mike
   Mockingbird Books

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   christen whalenposted 11 years ago

   books are cheaper to buy online and on kindles/nooks. the only used bookstore still in my area that i know of is run out of a lady's house -- she lives on the top story and the first floor is all bookshelves. she and her husband are the only two people who work there and the books generally aren't more than $5-$6, but it's difficult to compete with the internet anymore. if they had an actual storefront and had to pay rent and employees, i'm fairly certain they would be closed by now, too. i, however, hate paying shipping & handling fees and i refuse to read books on kindles, so i continue to give actual bookstores (used or not) my business :]

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   Old Empresarioposted 11 years ago

   In my part of the country, no. But the New-Book Stores are all going out of business.

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   TS Garpposted 11 years ago

   I’ve certainly noticed over a period of several years that indeed many of my old favorite books stores have either gone out of business, moved away, or completely bought out by another book store chain. Classic book stores and used books stores seem to be on the decline in my area, missing their status before the age of home computers as locations to find rare books, information, and oddities, a cultural hang-out for bookworms and readers who enjoyed these book stores were quite common many years ago and a good variety of them used to be everywhere around the city and suburb, but those days are long gone. Another factor is today’s dreadful economy making it hard for small used book stores to stay in business and with competition from newer mega book stores, the Internet (flow of information), new tech like iPads, and Kindle Fire; Book sales seem to be on the low as eBooks are on the rise set to dominate today’s market.

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