tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-529575095156315075.post1935186876090015043..comments2024-02-09T12:12:37.636-08:00Comments on best minimum wage job a middle aged guy ever had: Has Obama fixed things yet?Duncan McGearyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02857388833850939721noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-529575095156315075.post-65387967126936459132009-01-21T20:44:00.000-08:002009-01-21T20:44:00.000-08:00I hope you have a prettily decorated window to bri...I hope you have a prettily decorated window to bring people into your store. What about plants by your door in the warm season? What about a BUBBLE MACHINE. There is a very famous bookshop that has a bubble machine going most of the time right outside the door. It makes it fun, ladies come in, etc. What about getting some of your friends to stand staring into your window during tourist season? What about getting "living statues" for your window? That's always fun...I do hope you have a window...the Living Models (I used to do this) are people (mainly teens) that stand or pose and they stay so still that people are amazed. Like the Buckingham Palace guards, they don't laugh or move under any circumstances, unless assuming a new pose. You could have them holding books! <BR/><BR/>You could also have a Panga Paw-tograph day, giving our bookmarks with your kitty's footprint on it!!! I would buy something to get that.<BR/><BR/>I have to throw in here that I bet your wife's store is prettier than yours, if the blogs are any indication.Olde Dame Penniwighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11871888334179316997noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-529575095156315075.post-3694512677807238772009-01-21T16:36:00.000-08:002009-01-21T16:36:00.000-08:00Man, you're tough. I thought I'd get away with tha...Man, you're tough. <BR/><BR/>I thought I'd get away with that...Duncan McGearyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02857388833850939721noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-529575095156315075.post-18954724587095757962009-01-21T16:33:00.000-08:002009-01-21T16:33:00.000-08:00I'm uncomfortable with your usage of "inexorable."...I'm uncomfortable with your usage of "inexorable." Remember that "inexorable" just means "relentless."<BR/><BR/>Perhaps this:<BR/><BR/>Business closings seem pretty inexorable right now.timhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04558612755834018291noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-529575095156315075.post-27985575843025469152009-01-21T12:33:00.000-08:002009-01-21T12:33:00.000-08:00The problem is that the same people that buy multi...The problem is that the same people that buy multiple books, are often the same people that move to the lower cost options.<BR/><BR/>So the question is can you support the business based upon the casual "impulse" buyer instead of the serious, very active reader.<BR/><BR/>As you mentioned in other posts, the impulse shopper will generaly go after higher quality.<BR/><BR/>The question is will you lose the frequent buyer, the person who, like myself, used to walk into a book store and walk out with 10+ books at a time, as they convert to other methods for getting theri reading material. <BR/><BR/>A change more likely to impact Linda's store than yours.<BR/><BR/>The other item to watch is the age demographics at both your store and hers. I feel comfortable in predicting that the average age of buyers will tend to get older over time (weighted by dollar value of books purchased). So the model might get increasingly stressed over the next 10 years.<BR/><BR/>The good news for used books is that someone will probably turn to used books first during the down turn and then later over time discover the web based book exchanges.RDChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13033979029490801023noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-529575095156315075.post-33219940786503528902009-01-21T11:04:00.000-08:002009-01-21T11:04:00.000-08:00Yes, I know.But even loading a new book is an extr...Yes, I know.<BR/><BR/>But even loading a new book is an extra step for some people.<BR/><BR/>Like I said, if I'm catering to 'impulse' buyers, I'm actually going to be safer than catering to 'specific book' buyers.<BR/><BR/>Linda and I realized early on that we were going to make our living from 'books' buyers, not book buyers, if you catch the difference.Duncan McGearyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02857388833850939721noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-529575095156315075.post-78006749478805684182009-01-21T10:58:00.000-08:002009-01-21T10:58:00.000-08:00kindle is not dependent upon what people bring in....kindle is not dependent upon what people bring in. It is dependent upon what Amazon gets publishers to produce in Kindle format. Most of the Kindle files are copy protected and are restricted from trading, the same as with a number of items sold by Mobi (an e-book software producer and distributor that is now owned by Amazon).<BR/><BR/>There are some publishers, such as Baen that intentionally sell their books without copy protection. They actually have a free e-book library that contains a number of books by each of their authors, intended to raise interest in the authors works (built around the concept that once you get past the initial publication the demand drops off dramatically so why not give free access as a maketing tool)RDChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13033979029490801023noreply@blogger.com