5 ms·

There are always the locally owned, independent bookstores. If any are left...

by lutorm 15y ago

illumen 15y ago
There's usually a really good indi book store right where the borders are(or used to be). Their tactic was to move in near the best, most popular store in each areas. I'm glad they're gone.
- ams6110 15y ago
  That's what they did here. The indy looked at what he was facing and didn't even bother. He sold his inventory and closed down before he lost his shirt. That was over a decade ago; now that Borders is gone, closed last fall. B&N is the only real bookstore left in the area. There are a couple of independents but they have very limited inventory and seem to make their living selling a lot of accessories, pens, and stationery.
runevault 15y ago
That last part of your statement is important. B&N and Borders drove a pretty large # of indy bookstores out of business (and Wal*mart killed a few more as I understand it, going out of their way to increase stock in certain areas until the Indies bought it, then going back to normal book habits). I hope this event helps cause a resurgence in the indy stores. I need to make it to the local Tattered cover soon, though I plan to make it for GRRMs signing end of this month.
- 18pfsmt 15y ago
  Good to see a mention of the Tattered Cover, as they actually have 3 locations. There was a Talk of the Nation segment[1] that covered independent bookstores, and how they are coping today just a few weeks ago (the Tattered Cover owner was guest). [1]http://www.npr.org/2011/06/30/137529480/how-to-make-it-as-an-independent-bookseller http://www.npr.org/2011/06/30/137529480/how-to-make-it-as-an...
  - runevault 15y ago
    Yeah one in Denver (I used to work next door to it) one in HR, and I can't recall where the third is. I'll have to listen to that later, thanks for the link.
ineedtosleep 15y ago
A lot of the ones I went to as a kid closed because of Borders and B&N. Now that one of the big companies are gone, would this mean more independent shops are on the way? I hope so.
snewman 15y ago
For me, growing up in Ann Arbor, Border's was the locally owned, independent bookstore. Then one day in the 90s, living in Palo Alto, I read that a local, independent movie theater (the Varsity) was closing down to make room for -- wait for it -- a Borders. That was the first I knew they had become a chain. A strange journey: from local indie, to indie killer, to dead.
- ccamrobertson 15y ago
  I'm really concerned about the Varsity now that Borders is going for good. I don't know whether the building has any historical protection, however, I wouldn't be surprised if it disappears given the suddenness of the Cal Ave tree snafu a couple of years back.
  - donw 15y ago
    I remember that. For those that don't know, California Avenus is part of 'old' Palo Alto, and has a bunch of boutiques, restaurants, and cafes. It was lined with shade trees that had been there since the city had been founded, and was overall a very nice place to be. A few years back, the city decided to, uh, beautify the area by cutting down all the trees, and this happened almost overnight. The street now feels like a seedy part of LA, and is nowhere as nice a place to be, thanks to the local government. Off-topic, but there's a fantastic bagel shop near the corner of California and El Camino that I highly recommend.
    - qohen 15y ago
      I thought that sounded familiar... http://www.paulgraham.com/californiaavenueoaks.html http://www.paulgraham.com/californiaavenueoaks.html
    - gtani 15y ago
      On topic, i think the Stanford U on-campus bookstore is the only good technical bookstore in the SF to Mountain View corridor now
    - deleted 15y ago
      [deleted]
stock_toaster 15y ago
Powell's in portland is great. https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Powells_Books https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Powells_Books
ConstantineXVI 15y ago
Oddly enough, the two Borders that were left in our town were ex-local shops Borders bought out a while back (all their own shops closed first).

There are always the locally owned, independent bookstores. If any are left...

by lutorm 15y ago

There are always the locally owned, independent bookstores. If any are left...

There's usually a really good indi book store right where the borders are(or used to be). Their tactic was to move in near the best, most popular store in each areas. I'm glad they're gone.

ams6110 15y ago
That's what they did here. The indy looked at what he was facing and didn't even bother. He sold his inventory and closed down before he lost his shirt. That was over a decade ago; now that Borders is gone, closed last fall. B&N is the only real bookstore left in the area. There are a couple of independents but they have very limited inventory and seem to make their living selling a lot of accessories, pens, and stationery.

runevault 15y ago

That last part of your statement is important. B&N and Borders drove a pretty large # of indy bookstores out of business (and Wal*mart killed a few more as I understand it, going out of their way to increase stock in certain areas until the Indies bought it, then going back to normal book habits). I hope this event helps cause a resurgence in the indy stores. I need to make it to the local Tattered cover soon, though I plan to make it for GRRMs signing end of this month.

18pfsmt 15y ago
Good to see a mention of the Tattered Cover, as they actually have 3 locations. There was a Talk of the Nation segment[1] that covered independent bookstores, and how they are coping today just a few weeks ago (the Tattered Cover owner was guest). [1]http://www.npr.org/2011/06/30/137529480/how-to-make-it-as-an-independent-bookseller http://www.npr.org/2011/06/30/137529480/how-to-make-it-as-an...
- runevault 15y ago
  Yeah one in Denver (I used to work next door to it) one in HR, and I can't recall where the third is. I'll have to listen to that later, thanks for the link.

ineedtosleep 15y ago

A lot of the ones I went to as a kid closed because of Borders and B&N. Now that one of the big companies are gone, would this mean more independent shops are on the way? I hope so.

snewman 15y ago

For me, growing up in Ann Arbor, Border's was the locally owned, independent bookstore. Then one day in the 90s, living in Palo Alto, I read that a local, independent movie theater (the Varsity) was closing down to make room for -- wait for it -- a Borders. That was the first I knew they had become a chain. A strange journey: from local indie, to indie killer, to dead.

ccamrobertson 15y ago
I'm really concerned about the Varsity now that Borders is going for good. I don't know whether the building has any historical protection, however, I wouldn't be surprised if it disappears given the suddenness of the Cal Ave tree snafu a couple of years back.
- donw 15y ago
  I remember that. For those that don't know, California Avenus is part of 'old' Palo Alto, and has a bunch of boutiques, restaurants, and cafes. It was lined with shade trees that had been there since the city had been founded, and was overall a very nice place to be. A few years back, the city decided to, uh, beautify the area by cutting down all the trees, and this happened almost overnight. The street now feels like a seedy part of LA, and is nowhere as nice a place to be, thanks to the local government. Off-topic, but there's a fantastic bagel shop near the corner of California and El Camino that I highly recommend.
  - qohen 15y ago
    I thought that sounded familiar... http://www.paulgraham.com/californiaavenueoaks.html http://www.paulgraham.com/californiaavenueoaks.html
  - gtani 15y ago
    On topic, i think the Stanford U on-campus bookstore is the only good technical bookstore in the SF to Mountain View corridor now
  - deleted 15y ago
    [deleted]

stock_toaster 15y ago

Powell's in portland is great. https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Powells_Books https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Powells_Books

ConstantineXVI 15y ago

Oddly enough, the two Borders that were left in our town were ex-local shops Borders bought out a while back (all their own shops closed first).