In the midst of all the news about Border's Books, is this little nugget. 100 independent bookstores have been opening a year, lately.

Which means that Central Oregon has 4% of the new bookstores. The other 300 million U.S. residents get the other new 96 bookstores.

Doesn't that seem a little strange to you guys? We have a total population in three counties of 200k, which is what, 1/1500 of the population? But we have 4% of the new bookstores...? .We have, in fact, 7 independent bookstores in Central Oregon, or one for every 28,500 people, while the rest of the country has to make do with one for every 100,000 people. We must read a lot.

There is a Borders or a Barnes and Nobles for every 160 thousand people, so we've got ours....

Also interesting, to me, is that the new publisher of Harper Collins is making noises about "non-returnable" books, which of course has always been the direct comic market model.
We comic stores have chaffed under those terms, but I wonder if it hasn't saved the comic market? It may have made it tough on us, but it kept the publishers healthy, and, in my opinion, kept the worst abusers of 'credit' out of the system. Of course, it doesn't work so well in our favor if we buy non-returnable, and the mass market buys returnable....

Meanwhile, I have yet another example of why it's important to try to live in more than one eco-system, in case one eco-system becomes unfriendly. The new 4th. Ed. of Dungeons and Dragons is going to have an online component. I know they'll tell us that it is meant to expand the player base, but I suspect it will actually result in more customers buying online. Anime, with its downloads, is already a toxic eco--system; I believe DVD's and CD's are following the same extinct path, and I suppose it's only a matter of time before books follow.

Which leaves us with what, exactly? Material, impulse doodads that are connected to stuff that sells online? Impulse buying, in general? Or will that become so easy, that no one ever leaves the house?

What fun is that?

I think, I'm hoping, I'm betting, that it will take quite a long while before people completely give up on physically shopping, but only the best will survive.