Used Bookstores

We visited a bunch of used bookstores on our trip to the coast. At first, I was feeling kinda judgmental about them. Many of them are messy, cookie cutter, unfriendly, badly organized.

After a few more visits, I figured what the heck, each store is different, each store reflects the owner's personalities and desires.

Than a few few more visits, and I thought: the hell with that. These stores are really run badly.

Bookstores are not healthy. They aren't prospering. At least most of the ones we saw on our trip.

But I'm not surprised. Because -- in my oh, so humble opinion -- they're doing it wrong!

They're just doomed.

You can see their desperation, their total cluelessness. They are bound and determined to do it the same way they were taught (an extraordinary number of them worked for other bookstores first), the way it has always been done. Never mind that it doesn't work anymore.

They get a mule-headed look in their face when you suggest that if it isn't working, they might want to try something else.

I felt like saying, "Try something, anything! Even if it's wrong!"

I can say this, because I know none of these people will be reading this. Every store I went into, I would say, "I've had a store in downtown Bend for 28 years." Not one. None of them, even the few friendly ones, asked the name of my store.

Which is a symptom of what's wrong. They aren't curious.

I tell you, anyone who walks in my store and tells me they own a store will get a friendly, "Cool! Where at? What do you sell? How's it going?" And hopefully, even more information will be exchanged. "Hey, what's really selling for you? You discovered any new tricks or techniques."

This was the typical bookstore visit. "Hi, I'm visiting from Bend. I've had a store in downtown Bend for 28 years...."

"Huh." Put his or her face back into a book. (Sign of something wrong there -- they should be working, not reading!!!!!! Talking to customers is part of the frikken job!)

I was so not impressed. I'm not saying my bookstore is the best thing since sliced bread, but we're trying. Not everyone is enamored (Timothy) with the way we're doing it -- but I can tell you that it's working. And it's working because we aren't doing it like these guys in the valley and coast are doing it.

Our trade policy is different, our organization is different, the books we highlight are different, how we handle the books is different, our pricing is different, our cleanliness and spaciousness is different, our friendliness (well, Linda's friendliness) is different, and on and on.

I think none of these guys are reflecting what is actually selling in new bookstores. None of them have figured out that new fiction sells really, really well. That tradepaperbacks are the future, that hardcovers aren't orphans, that books are more or less a commodity, not a rarity. That variety is the spice of life. That you shouldn't impose your biases on what you carry, but your store should carry in proportion what is actually in demand.

Don't decide, for instance, that you don't like science-fiction, and are going to only have 2 shelves worth, but you love knitting, and you'll have two bookshelves. If you get enough material traded in for 3 shelves of science fiction, and one shelf of knitting, then that is the level of interest that is out there!

Try something new, is what I'm saying. Don't just sit there and gather dust and mildew and mold, and grungy covers. Get off your butt and straighten the damn books!

There seemed to be two spheres of influence that I noticed. Within a hundred miles of Powells, everyone does it the Powells way. I still think putting used books with new books makes all books look used. But even more importantly, none of these stores are Powells; they don't do the volume, they don't have the selection, they don't have the systems in place. It works for Powells, obviously, but I can tell you it ain't working for these small used bookstores.

The other sphere of influence is a store in Lincoln City called, Robert's. Everyone within 50 miles of Robert's does it his way; straight 2 for 1 trade. But only Robert's looked as though he was doing well, and it was for the same reason as Powells: he had a huge selection, which was worth browsing. They others looked as poor a church mice, and I'm not surprised.

One was teetering on her last legs. (I'm really using the cliches up today, aren't I?) She was down to selling books for 2.00 each. I sort of said, why don't you charge something, even if it's a 10% surcharge, something to bring in the cash to pay your rent, upgrade your books, etc.

"Oh, no," she said. "I'd lose all my customers!"

"You mean, all the customers who don't spend money? Who just trade?"

She just looked at me, and I left before she tottered over and wheezed her last breath right in front of me.

So they all look really poor, like they're barely feeding themselves. But maybe they aren't doing it for the money?

They all looked miserable, too. Like they couldn't figure out why it wasn't working anymore. (Not that they'd change even if they did figure it out.)

Anyway, I can now see why used bookstores are having so much trouble.

P.S. Linda wanted me so say, there were a few friendly people we met, and a couple of nice stores. But I didn't want that to get in the way of my rant.