Could you all help me?

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Could you all help me?
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Downsizer Forum Index -> Small Business Questions, Ideas and Advice

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Cathryn

Joined: 16 Jul 2005
Posts: 19856
Location: Ceredigion

Posted: Fri Jan 17, 14 5:40 pm Post subject: Could you all help me?
Think about your favourite bookshop and then can you tell me what makes it your favourite? For now, don't include the online ones and can you also keep in mind that although it might be your favourite is it the one where you spend the most money on books? I manage a small Oxfam bookshop and I want to give it a bit of a rearrange so that I can make as much money as possible. Thanks!

earthyvirgo

Joined: 24 Aug 2007
Posts: 7972
Location: creating prints in the loft, Gerlan

Posted: Fri Jan 17, 14 5:45 pm Post subject:
Mine is the small bookshop in Llangollen, for the following reasons: 1. They take National Book Tokens 2. They specialise in 'Arty', craft, cookery and local history books. 3. I like to try and buy books from somewhere other than Amazon. And yes, it is probably the one where I spend most money on books. EV

Luath

Joined: 03 Dec 2009
Posts: 761

Posted: Fri Jan 17, 14 6:05 pm Post subject:

Current favourite is the Oxfam (mainly books) bookshop in Sherborne. Extremely well organised, realistically priced, comfy seat if you want it (right beside my favourite shelves), lovely staff who don't mind you being in there for ages, nice cabinet with special books locked away but you can still see them well, light and bright and cheerful.

Although frantically trying to avoid book buying for now, this is where I've recently spent most money on books. I avoid the chains, and de-activated my Amazon account a while ago now.

Cathryn

Joined: 16 Jul 2005
Posts: 19856
Location: Ceredigion

Posted: Fri Jan 17, 14 6:10 pm Post subject:
Great, thank you both. It's the order/organisation that's bugging me. It's too random. It's too small for big comfy chairs but I'd like to find small comfy ones (for no money! )

Luath

Joined: 03 Dec 2009
Posts: 761

Posted: Fri Jan 17, 14 6:13 pm Post subject:
Only one wee comfy seat, wee bucket chair type, but I can fit my well-read a*se in it The shop is just organised along traditional lines, in sections such as natural history, British history, travel and so on. books are all clean and neat and tidy, shop is immaculate too. Not a large shop, but I love it

earthyvirgo

Joined: 24 Aug 2007
Posts: 7972
Location: creating prints in the loft, Gerlan

Posted: Fri Jan 17, 14 6:13 pm Post subject:

Cathryn wrote:

Great, thank you both. It's the order/organisation that's bugging me. It's too random.

It's too small for big comfy chairs but I'd like to find small comfy ones (for no money! )

What about a couple of folding chairs with a nice cushion offered if someone wants a bit of comfort?

EV

chez

Joined: 13 Aug 2006
Posts: 35935
Location: The Hive of the Uberbee, Quantock Hills, Somerset

Posted: Fri Jan 17, 14 6:50 pm Post subject:
I like the one on the steps just down from the monastery shop in Tenby. It's categorised roughly in piles, turning round is a major operation and you have to really ferret stuff out. But it's like mining for treasure and I love it.

marigold

Joined: 02 Sep 2005
Posts: 12458
Location: West Sussex

Posted: Fri Jan 17, 14 7:34 pm Post subject:

Locally I like Badgers Books because it's a proper secondhand bookshop with lots of little rooms crammed with interesting books and it smells like a secondhand bookshop should

There are books piled on the floor as well as in the shelves and you can often find interesting vintage paperbacks in the £1 boxes outside. The owners are friendly and knowledgeable. I'll be gutted when they retire and I should spend more money there. (Google badgers books worthing for pics)

I used to like Borders in Brighton because it had subject bays with seating you could loll about on whilst flicking through the extensive choice of books and nobody ever hassled you. It also had a cafe, toilets and a selection of unusual periodicals. Last time I went there it seemed to have a lot less varied stock than when it first opened and felt less relaxed.

I rarely buy anything in the local Oxfam bookshops because of their piss-taking prices and slightly snooty staff.

cir3ngirl

Joined: 13 Aug 2006
Posts: 4846
Location: Cirencester

Posted: Fri Jan 17, 14 7:50 pm Post subject:
Octavia's Children's book shop in Cirencester. She know her market and holds book clubs for all ages of children. I go in and say I want a book for Wes and she know just what he likes. She has regular books signings the best being Robert Muchamore. There are large cushions and seats to sit and look at books. She will order in any books she dosent have in stock.

frewen

Joined: 08 Sep 2005
Posts: 11405

Posted: Fri Jan 17, 14 8:18 pm Post subject:
I like Greyfriars bookshop in Colchester. It smells divine, it's cosy, and I feel like the rest of the world doesn't exist when I'm cocooned in there. The staff are so lovely as well and leave you unless you want to chat

sean
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42219
Location: North Devon

Posted: Fri Jan 17, 14 8:40 pm Post subject:
Our bookshop's closed. The people who took the site over still stock maps and local history stuff and will order other things but you can't browse. Blackwells on Oxford is my favourite bookshop ever. Dunno what it's like nowadays though. Foyle's was always utterly carp. Like shopping in soviet era East Germany.

Nick

Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 34535
Location: Hereford

Posted: Fri Jan 17, 14 8:42 pm Post subject:
It still goes on for miles, under the road.

sean
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42219
Location: North Devon

Posted: Fri Jan 17, 14 8:46 pm Post subject:
A member of staff there found me a surgery textbook when I didn't know the title, authors or publisher, just what shape and colour it was. Then told me that he didn't normally work in that department.

Nick

Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 34535
Location: Hereford

Posted: Fri Jan 17, 14 8:54 pm Post subject:
He wouldn't have been able to tie his shoelaces, but, yes, I'm not surprised.

Cathryn

Joined: 16 Jul 2005
Posts: 19856
Location: Ceredigion

Posted: Fri Jan 17, 14 8:57 pm Post subject:
I've spent years not going into bookshops, then when ours closed I started going back. I'm loving it. I remember being asked for books like that and finding them. It's a bit different with donations as you're not placing the orders nor necessarily keeping in touch with publishing. The antiquarian side is great though.

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