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This news totally made my day! Read the owner's (Noëlle Santos) poem "The Bronx is Burning with a Desire to Read": http://www.thelitbar.com/odetolitbar http://w

by Jun8 8y ago

This news totally made my day! Read the owner's (Noëlle Santos) poem "The Bronx is Burning with a Desire to Read": http://www.thelitbar.com/odetolitbar http://www.thelitbar.com/odetolitbar. How can the HN crowd help independent bookshops like these? Schedule a meetup at the venue? Help with the webpage? Free cloud hosting? Help with the books and/or legal?

noer 8y ago
Apart from buying things? I'd think that helping people discover shops would be tops. Leave positive Yelp & Google reviews, tell everyone you know about the shop.
- deveac 8y ago
  Mostly walking in to their shops with your feet and handing them your money though. Beyond your good suggestions of leaving good reviews and telling others, I'd suggest buying gift cards from these shops for people you need presents for, thus forcing them to patronize the shop at least once and upping the chances the store gets another regular.
  - lotsofpulp 8y ago
    And this is why I'd rather get nothing instead of a gift card.
    - bdowling 8y ago
      The way it’s described, it’s like a gift to the shop rather than to the card recipient.
      - lotsofpulp 8y ago
        Even if that’s not the intent of the gift giver, gift cards are always a net negative to the receiver versus cash, and a positive for the shop who gets cash before having to provide a product.
        deadmetheny 8y ago
        Which, in this context, is...kind of the point?
        JasonFruit 8y ago
        They may be a net negative versus cash, but they're still a net positive versus nothing at all — that is, it's a gift. There are all sorts of inefficiencies we engage in for the pleasure of giving and receiving gifts. Your attitude smacks of ungratefulness.
        deleted 8y ago
        [deleted]
        notbob 8y ago
        This is definitely my feeling, but e.g. my BIL prefers gift cards (NFL Shop and BWW when in doubt) over all other gifts including cash. He doesn't like "stuff", but he's frugal and otherwise won't spend straight up cash on himself. Goes straight into savings. I would never dream of getting him a gift card to help a shop, though. I get him gift cards for things I think he will enjoy but is too disciplined to spend money on for himself otherwise. It's actually a nice way to force myself to really think about him and "give an experience". Or, when I can't, some decent wings and a beer.
        ericd 8y ago
        They're not a net negative if they help the person get over their resistance to spending money on something they want. My idea of a good gift is something that a person wants, but can't justify buying it to themselves. You could say that that's worth less to them than the equivalent amount of cash since they didn't make that trade, but it definitely doesn't end up feeling that way as the recipient.
cushychicken 8y ago
How about buying a book from them?

by Jun8 8y ago

noer 8y ago

Apart from buying things? I'd think that helping people discover shops would be tops. Leave positive Yelp & Google reviews, tell everyone you know about the shop.

deveac 8y ago
Mostly walking in to their shops with your feet and handing them your money though. Beyond your good suggestions of leaving good reviews and telling others, I'd suggest buying gift cards from these shops for people you need presents for, thus forcing them to patronize the shop at least once and upping the chances the store gets another regular.
- lotsofpulp 8y ago
  And this is why I'd rather get nothing instead of a gift card.
  - bdowling 8y ago
    The way it’s described, it’s like a gift to the shop rather than to the card recipient.
    - lotsofpulp 8y ago
      Even if that’s not the intent of the gift giver, gift cards are always a net negative to the receiver versus cash, and a positive for the shop who gets cash before having to provide a product.
      - deadmetheny 8y ago
        Which, in this context, is...kind of the point?
      - JasonFruit 8y ago
        They may be a net negative versus cash, but they're still a net positive versus nothing at all — that is, it's a gift. There are all sorts of inefficiencies we engage in for the pleasure of giving and receiving gifts. Your attitude smacks of ungratefulness.
      - deleted 8y ago
        [deleted]
      - notbob 8y ago
        This is definitely my feeling, but e.g. my BIL prefers gift cards (NFL Shop and BWW when in doubt) over all other gifts including cash. He doesn't like "stuff", but he's frugal and otherwise won't spend straight up cash on himself. Goes straight into savings. I would never dream of getting him a gift card to help a shop, though. I get him gift cards for things I think he will enjoy but is too disciplined to spend money on for himself otherwise. It's actually a nice way to force myself to really think about him and "give an experience". Or, when I can't, some decent wings and a beer.
      - ericd 8y ago
        They're not a net negative if they help the person get over their resistance to spending money on something they want. My idea of a good gift is something that a person wants, but can't justify buying it to themselves. You could say that that's worth less to them than the equivalent amount of cash since they didn't make that trade, but it definitely doesn't end up feeling that way as the recipient.

cushychicken 8y ago

How about buying a book from them?