Barnes & Noble doomed?

[mel]

Re: Barnes & Noble doomed?

Vulture sale.

I suspect like the Tower Records bankruptcy sale a few years ago, the deep discounts don't happen until most of the good stuff is sold and only the junk remain.

[GeckoGeek]

Re: Barnes & Noble doomed?

A little over 30 minutes in the upstairs line at Ward Center.

[Mike_Lowery]

Re: Barnes & Noble doomed?

So basically, five presidents out of 44 attended public school K-12. The rest realized it would not get them where they wanted to go, and at some point elected to leave the industrial-age cookie cutter curriculum behind, and attend private schools. That is the point. If we want the “collective thought” Mike_Lowery is talking about, we need to change our schools from the ground up. Only then, will we have a society capable of critical thinking.

I counted 10 on Leo's list - did I count wrong?

and by the way - this is a really good "thread drift" - its gone way off the original subject and it keeps drifting further away with every post! (which I also just contributed to )

Yeah, not exactly a drift. I'm just drilling down deeper into the decadence of American intellecualism, of which the collapse of the book retailer market could be a symptom. Granted, many readers are switching to e-readers, but for the past couple of years, the people I've seen in the book sections are college students and educators. Rare to see children and teens there. Where are they? CDs, periodicals, and Starbucks, if not sitting in front of a TV or computer at home.

Borders collapsing is a terrible sign for the whole industry. I feel for my friends who are writers and editors.

Yup, it's a symptom of a larger problem.



And yes, I understand that there are valuable bits of information and knowledge on the Internet, but so much can be just thrown up there on blogs and other forms of social media these days. It would be nice if kids could get into a bookstore and get that information form more credible sources. Don't get me wrong, I love the Internet for its ability to disperse information. It's the information on it that needs to be scrutinized, but it's so instantaneous, it's adorable--who wants to question instant gratification?

[Kaonohi]

Re: Barnes & Noble doomed?

I really like to LOOK at a book before I buy it.

I've been waiting for 2011 version of "Years' Best Science Fiction." I guess I'll have to order it via Amazon.....

[Pohaku]

Re: Barnes & Noble doomed?

I really like to LOOK at a book before I buy it.

Is this more for the feel of the book and being able to imagine yourself holding onto it and reading it? Or is it to skim and check out the table of contents and a few random excepts? 'cause for the latter, I do like how they have the "look inside" on Amazon or browsing in Google Books so you can get snippets of the real thing rather than just hoping it'll be what you're looking for.

[anapuni808]

Re: Barnes & Noble doomed?

Amazon lets you download a free sample of a book to your Kindle before buying it. Its usually 2-3 chapters. More than enough for you to decide if you want to read the whole book.

I like the convenience of have a Kindle. Other people have different views of reading and having an actual book. I quit being stubborn about having a "real" book in my hands. I just like to read - a Kindle enables me to read more and for less money and effort than it takes to go out & buy a book, that I then have sitting around in my house, creating a need to re-cyle it. Plus, I'm killing fewer trees by having an electronic version of it. and I'm still reading a "real" book - just in a different format.

Everyone has to make up their own minds and no matter how many people have gone over to the dark side and gotten an e-reader, it still comes down to a personal choice. We can go on and on................and on about brick & mortar book stores going out of business but maybe those stores should have looked at marketing trends and made some effort to keep up with the times. Businesses can also be "Luddites".

Just sayin................................

[Kaonohi]

Re: Barnes & Noble doomed?

Publishing on 'paper' is expensive. Hard-cover books even more. Books over 500 pages usually are split into 'trilogies' or the like, because books over 500 pages are twice as expensive to produce.

E-books are having an impact. Not only are the BIG stores going out of business, my favorite used-book store in Salt Lake Fringe area (stadium mall) will soon be closing. They are losing money. Never would have guessed.

Bye-bye books.

[Kaonohi]

Re: Barnes & Noble doomed?

Is this more for the feel of the book and being able to imagine yourself holding onto it and reading it? Or is it to skim and check out the table of contents and a few random excepts? 'cause for the latter, I do like how they have the "look inside" on Amazon or browsing in Google Books so you can get snippets of the real thing rather than just hoping it'll be what you're looking for.

No, I like reading anywhere without worrying about glare, power supplies or sensitive equipment.

I can drop my book, step on it, even get it wet, and still read it.

[Walkoff Balk]

Re: Barnes & Noble doomed?

http://money.msn.com/saving-money-ti...2cda&GT1=33009

Has the going out of business sale been disappointing here too?

[GeckoGeek]

Re: Barnes & Noble doomed?

http://money.msn.com/saving-money-ti...2cda&GT1=33009

Has the going out of business sale been disappointing here too?

I picked up a few things. A couple of DVDs from the National Archive. Seems the Border's regular price was better then anything I could find on the web - 20% off that was just icing.

Anything more I buy I'll have to use my phone to check on first.

[anapuni808]

Re: Barnes & Noble doomed?

No, I like reading anywhere without worrying about glare, power supplies or sensitive equipment.

I can drop my book, step on it, even get it wet, and still read it.

Kaonohi, I will accept that you will probably never get an e-reader! and I still like you anyway

For anyone else who may be considering the purchase: there is no glare with a Kindle (don't know about other brands). I use mine for about 2 hrs everyday and it holds a charge for about a month. Most people who buy these readers also get a cover/case for them to protect it if it gets dropped. I think most folks who spend over $100 on an item are careful NOT to step on it or get it wet. Its also bigger than a cell phone so its not likely to just fall out of your pocket!

as for getting a paper book wet? I dunno - I haven't had too much success with reading one after that.

[mel]

Re: Barnes & Noble doomed?

http://money.msn.com/saving-money-ti...2cda&GT1=33009

Has the going out of business sale been disappointing here too?

Haven't bothered to go to the sale yet. Maybe later in the month of August. This is going just like the Tower Records going out of business sale of 2006. The liquidator jacked all the prices of the inventory back up to regular retail (or maybe beyond) and then only discounted off the regular retail by 10% to 20% the first few weeks. Remaining stuff deep into the month (re: junk slow selling stuff) tended to go for the deeper discount as the store was cleaned out of all the better stuff.

Apparently the same thing is happening with Borders.

Understandably this is because the liquidator has bought the inventory from the bankrupt owner and needs to at least break even on that inventory. Oh well, hopefully some of the more obscure stuff will still be left and command a deeper discounted price.

[Frankie's Market]

Re: Barnes & Noble doomed?

I loved going to record stores, book stores and video stores I guess now I won't be able to do that for much longer...sad. I wonder what is the next thing to dissappear...libraries...movie theaters?

The communal aspect of the neighborhood book/record store (even if it was part of a homegenized national chain like Borders or Tower) is something that I miss. But for kids growing up today, it's a concept they will probably never know or understand. If they want to talk about music with other people, it'll probably be in some online forum.... or maybe some good old-fashioned chatting with friends at school.

[buzz1941]

Re: Barnes & Noble doomed?

Rainbow Books is going under too.

[Walkoff Balk]

Re: Barnes & Noble doomed?

Today is the last day as Borders closes its doors.