Every so often either in posts here or in this regular and renowned DK series, self casually mentions trips to a local used bookstore. The primary reason is, of course, to try to unload some books. Given how overstocked and laden with unsold books that particular establishment is, it is understandable that they'd be reluctant to take on more, even if my offerings are pretty small beer in terms of quantity.
Yet given general concerns about independent bookstores, as SNLC'ed here and here, one can ask the same questions of used bookstores as with indie stores; why go there? Why not just go with e-books, or just use the library? Well.....
First, one has to realize that 3CM the loser is not very up-to-date on various electronic toys, like Kindle or Nook (heck, his cell phone is so old as to be a joke). But the more important reason is just that he's old school when it comes to books and reading, of being used to holding a book in his hands and flipping through the pages.
Plus, when I trade books at the establishment noted prior, I don't take cash, but always credit. (Things haven't deteriorated to the point where I need to take cash for books just yet.) So in that sense, I'm a good customer in that I'm not costing the store money that way. However, I'll also admit that I tend to spend only the value of the credit, because I'm somewhat tight when it comes to spending on books, which makes me a "bad" customer that way. Because the store has so much inventory, they're understandably tight themselves with issuing store credit (although I wonder if they realize that if they provide more credit, I'll take more books off their hands).
The hope that I have in the back of my head is that the books that I trade will sell, making the store's "investment" in taking them worthwhile. If nothing else, even with the relatively modest credit amounts that I've gotten from trade-ins there, I've managed to get some nice and slightly off-beat books (and even read a few of them). Some examples in each category include:
(A) From the store, read (and traded back - hmm):
1. Thomas Hardy: The Dynasts (a 1960's UK paperback)
2. Pushkin: "The Captain's Daughter" and other stories
3. Peter Kemp's history of the Johann Strauss family
4. A biography of the conductor Bruno Walter
(B) From the store, waiting to be read (and possibly never to be read):
1. Victor Hugo: Les Miserables (unabridged Signet paperback)
2. Thomas Hobbes: Leviathan
3. Roger Martin du Gard: The Thibaults
4. Ariosto: Orlando Furioso, Part I (Part II wasn't on the shelves)
This revelation of his taste in books may explain why 3CM can't find a female companion who'll put up with him, but he digresses, as usual. But you can see that these aren't exactly hot-selling items in the wider market, which may explain why the store owners put up with me trading what I do. Even though the stuff that I trade isn't best-seller material, the stuff that I take off their hands (if only for the moment) is pretty offbeat.
Of course, you could argue that 3CM could do just as well going to the library for these books. But that brings up the other element of why 3CM trades books at this place and gets new books: the elements of serendipity and surprise. Much of the time, I don't go in with an idea of what books I want to get when I go to that store. I just browse and get something that looks intriguing (within budget and credit constraints, of course). So there is no particular rhyme or reason as to my choices from there, as it's pretty much just luck. Not perhaps the best way to manage one's life or get what one wants (or thinks he wants), but there it is. Plus, if nothing else, it keeps the books in circulation, or something like that.
With that, I again leave you in the reliable hands and keyboard of cfk, as this is another absentee-landlord autobot posting from self, even if he can post tip jars (and thus his own loser story of the week) in advance. Otherwise, it's your turn to post the same, where you may not necessarily want to top 3CM in loserness.....