The Dumbing Down of Bookselling

Granted Amazon is the Godzilla of the new book business and much of their energy has been channeled in redefining the new book business. And one must take their hats off to them for what they have accomplished. Of course, I am all for the independent bookseller and the independent spirit but one must always be open to change. Too many new booksellers spent their energy running for the hills, and not enough energy in attempting to transform their businessBut the real growth area in books is on the used, rare and out-of-print side of the equation. A side that...

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The Book , Anselm Kiefer and the Universe

In honor of the exhibit Anselm Kiefer: Heaven and Earth at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art Book Patrol will feature one of Kiefer's book related works until the exhibit ends at the end of January. We start with our favorite:Buch mit Flügeln (Book with Wings), 1992-94Lead, steel, and tinCollection of the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, Museum purchase, Sid W. Richardson Foundation Endowment Fund. © Anselm KieferSF Museum Exhibit here

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Amazon, Fulfillment and the Used Bookseller

The first chapter in Book Patrol's new biblio drama:"Are you really a bookseller?"In a new Business Week online article Jeff Bezos talk all about the advantages of their new fufillment program and then uses an unnamed marketplace bookseller as an example of the potential fruits of the service.I have no problem with Amazon offering their fulfillment services to businesses that sell their goods on Amazon and for many it is a wise and easy choice to make but for a legitimate used, rare and out of print bookseller it could be a potentially fatal mistake.First ask yourself these two questions:1....

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The Haggle Room

"Is the $100 a set price or is there haggle room" - an excerpt from a message we received from someone on EbayWhat is it about the book business that makes it such a fertile place for potential customers to feel they can shamelessly inquire about a 'better' price for an item?Time and again, whether in the shop, through an online sales channel or at a book fair we are faced with this disease of the trade. Is it due to the "used" tag that accompanies most bookshops? Sort of a flea market mentality inherent in the concept of "used"?As...

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