Comments on: Oxfam Bookshops Are Killing Real Used Bookshops http://www.rodcollins.com/wordpress/oxfam-bookshops-are-killing-real-used-bookshops A Site About Everything and Nothing Tue, 07 Oct 2008 17:25:09 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=1.5.2 Comment on Oxfam Bookshops Are Killing Real Used Bookshops by: Rod http://www.rodcollins.com/wordpress/oxfam-bookshops-are-killing-real-used-bookshops#comment-4752 Mon, 13 Aug 2007 15:49:58 +0000 http://www.rodcollins.com/wordpress/oxfam-bookshops-are-killing-real-used-bookshops#comment-4752 Hi George there's much in what you say. many book shop owners have been their own worst enemies. Sitting there waiting for the public to bring you stock them just putting books on the shelf is no onger enough. Bookselling is a real business now and unless real business ethics are followed they will go to the wall. As the billionaire Ross Perot once said when told how lucky he was: <i>I find the harder I work the luckier I get !</i> Cheers Rod Hi George
there’s much in what you say. many book shop owners have been their own worst enemies. Sitting there waiting for the public to bring you stock them just putting books on the shelf is no onger enough.
Bookselling is a real business now and unless real business ethics are followed they will go to the wall.

As the billionaire Ross Perot once said when told how lucky he was:
I find the harder I work the luckier I get !
Cheers
Rod

]]> Comment on Oxfam Bookshops Are Killing Real Used Bookshops by: George http://www.rodcollins.com/wordpress/oxfam-bookshops-are-killing-real-used-bookshops#comment-4749 Mon, 13 Aug 2007 13:37:42 +0000 http://www.rodcollins.com/wordpress/oxfam-bookshops-are-killing-real-used-bookshops#comment-4749 Comb the shelves of every book venue in your area for the books you know your customers will buy. Don't be afraid to mark them up to cover your costs and your time. Do not price your books to try to entice the bargain hunters - you don't want those customers! Organize your books and genres to make it as easy as possible for you and your customers to find them quickly. Continuously expand and improve your inventory - customers will not frequent a store that is stagnant. Simple - but not easy. Good luck! Comb the shelves of every book venue in your area for the books you know your customers will buy.
Don’t be afraid to mark them up to cover your costs and your time.
Do not price your books to try to entice the bargain hunters - you don’t want those customers!
Organize your books and genres to make it as easy as possible for you and your customers to find them quickly.
Continuously expand and improve your inventory - customers will not frequent a store that is stagnant.

Simple - but not easy.

Good luck!

]]> Comment on Oxfam Bookshops Are Killing Real Used Bookshops by: George http://www.rodcollins.com/wordpress/oxfam-bookshops-are-killing-real-used-bookshops#comment-4748 Mon, 13 Aug 2007 13:24:28 +0000 http://www.rodcollins.com/wordpress/oxfam-bookshops-are-killing-real-used-bookshops#comment-4748 Hello everyone, We operate 4 used books stores in Calgary, Alberta, Canada and have been in the business for 19 years. We are not familiar with the Oxfam stores of course but have been in business long enough to have lived through many of the vagaries which plague the small business merchant. In hope that it may be of comfort to someone out there - I would suggest that there are always going to things going on outside yourself to make your situation a little less pleasant than we would like. About 5-6 years ago, when our business seemed to be having a particularly hard time of it, I came across not one but two different books that had the same message - the gist of them was - when difficulties and/or hard times come into your life - welcome them! It seems the natural yearning for mankind is to attain a state offering some sort of peacefulness or equilibrium even though we see all around us that that is not nature's way - things are either in the process of growing or preparing to die. Difficult times invariably present an opportunity to shake ourselves out of our slumber and reassess our situation. What we do when difficulties arise determines who we are to become. Our greatest opportunity for growth occurs when we are forced to really dig deeply within ourselves searching for the answers to overcome whatever challenges we face. Like everything in life - it is simple - but it ain't easy. How to combat a charity bookstore? WORK YOUR ASS OFF! Hello everyone,
We operate 4 used books stores in Calgary, Alberta, Canada and have been in the business for 19 years.

We are not familiar with the Oxfam stores of course but have been in business long enough to have lived through many of the vagaries which plague the small business merchant.

In hope that it may be of comfort to someone out there - I would suggest that there are always going to things going on outside yourself to make your situation a little less pleasant than we would like.

About 5-6 years ago, when our business seemed to be having a particularly hard time of it, I came across not one but two different books that had the same message - the gist of them was - when difficulties and/or hard times come into your life - welcome them!

It seems the natural yearning for mankind is to attain a state offering some sort of peacefulness or equilibrium even though we see all around us that that is not nature’s way - things are either in the process of growing or preparing to die.

Difficult times invariably present an opportunity to shake ourselves out of our slumber and reassess our situation. What we do when difficulties arise determines who we are to become. Our greatest opportunity for growth occurs when we are forced to really dig deeply within ourselves searching for the answers to overcome whatever challenges we face.

Like everything in life - it is simple - but it ain’t easy.

How to combat a charity bookstore?

WORK YOUR ASS OFF!

]]> Comment on Oxfam Bookshops Are Killing Real Used Bookshops by: A Retired Bookdealer http://www.rodcollins.com/wordpress/oxfam-bookshops-are-killing-real-used-bookshops#comment-4685 Sun, 05 Aug 2007 15:57:11 +0000 http://www.rodcollins.com/wordpress/oxfam-bookshops-are-killing-real-used-bookshops#comment-4685 Here is one for you to think about then. A couple of years ago, I had a phone call from a Charity Bookshop. Would you believe a member of the public walked in off the street and left them with a First Edition Hobbit in a dust wrapper and a First Edition set of The Lord Of The Rings in dust wrappers, plus other items. " You got it someone had tossed away thousands ". If they are daft enough not to go to their Local Bookshop or Specialist Bookseller and get a proper valuation or cash offer ..... well you know the rest, makes my blood boil, especially in this heat. ( The Lord Of The Rings = The Fellowship Of The Ring + The Two Towers + The Return Of The King = ££££ ) Here is one for you to think about then. A couple of years ago, I had a phone call from a Charity Bookshop. Would you believe a member of the public walked in off the street and left them with a
First Edition Hobbit in a dust wrapper and a First Edition set of
The Lord Of The Rings in dust wrappers, plus other items.
” You got it someone had tossed away thousands “.
If they are daft enough not to go to their Local Bookshop or Specialist Bookseller and get a proper valuation or cash offer ….. well you know the rest, makes my blood boil, especially in this heat.

( The Lord Of The Rings = The Fellowship Of The Ring + The Two Towers + The Return Of The King = ££££ )

]]> Comment on Oxfam Bookshops Are Killing Real Used Bookshops by: Rod http://www.rodcollins.com/wordpress/oxfam-bookshops-are-killing-real-used-bookshops#comment-4683 Sun, 05 Aug 2007 15:04:36 +0000 http://www.rodcollins.com/wordpress/oxfam-bookshops-are-killing-real-used-bookshops#comment-4683 WoE you can tinkewr around the edges of a bookshop but much depends on local trade, is there enough, or if you have visitors, daytrippers or tourists. Granted some shops have missed a trick or two but ... Few actually survive on their own as thriving businesses. Few are run be a younger generation, many rely on second incomes. They're disappearing at an alarming rate with many places unable to even support one outlet. Charity shps and car boot sales etc have driven prices down to a point when they simply become unviable sadly ! Like most things in life, many take them for granted and will only miss them when they are gone Best RC WoE
you can tinkewr around the edges of a bookshop but much depends on local trade, is there enough, or if you have visitors, daytrippers or tourists.
Granted some shops have missed a trick or two but …
Few actually survive on their own as thriving businesses. Few are run be a younger generation, many rely on second incomes.

They’re disappearing at an alarming rate with many places unable to even support one outlet.
Charity shps and car boot sales etc have driven prices down to a point when they simply become unviable sadly !

Like most things in life, many take them for granted and will only miss them when they are gone
Best
RC

]]> Comment on Oxfam Bookshops Are Killing Real Used Bookshops by: Witches of Eastwick http://www.rodcollins.com/wordpress/oxfam-bookshops-are-killing-real-used-bookshops#comment-4681 Sun, 05 Aug 2007 10:32:52 +0000 http://www.rodcollins.com/wordpress/oxfam-bookshops-are-killing-real-used-bookshops#comment-4681 Rod, We're only really familiar with the one vintage bookshop whose owner goes to a lot of trouble to window dress the business regularly and offers friendly advice to the expert and novice alike. Are these other owners making the most of their premises? In a world where attractiveness counts big time, do these shops look boring? There are programmes on tv that focus on why businesses are failing and then go on to turn them around with new layouts etc. The one thing that we cannot dispute is 'when it's gone, it's gone', same thing goes for our local grocer so we try to support them as much as possible. Good luck to all one-man bands out there. WoE Rod,

We’re only really familiar with the one vintage bookshop whose owner goes to a lot of trouble to window dress the business regularly and offers friendly advice to the expert and novice alike. Are these other owners making the most of their premises? In a world where attractiveness counts big time, do these shops look boring? There are programmes on tv that focus on why businesses are failing and then go on to turn them around with new layouts etc. The one thing that we cannot dispute is ‘when it’s gone, it’s gone’, same thing goes for our local grocer so we try to support them as much as possible. Good luck to all one-man bands out there.

WoE

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