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| Author |
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| 25 new of 67 responses total. |
mziemba
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response 34 of 67:
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Oct 30 17:57 UTC 1997 |
I've heard pretty good things about www.amazon.com, an online bookstore with
a pretty cool set-up. In addition to having a pretty large selection, special
ordering, and an impressive search engine, it allows users to record comments
about books. This provides an interesting way of learning more about books
that have piqued your interest.
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rcurl
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response 35 of 67:
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Oct 30 19:40 UTC 1997 |
I've baught from amazon.com, and some others like them. It is very convenient
and one can get real bargains, My pet peeve, though, is that they are not
open about the cost for "shipping and handling", which can kill those
bargain prices.
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danr
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response 36 of 67:
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Dec 7 16:29 UTC 1997 |
This is interesting. When I first entered this item, many moons ago,
there were no on-line bookstores. Now there are quite a few. In fact,
I'm working on opening up an online bookstor of my own specializing in
engineering books.
As was noted, Community Newscenter is long gone, but in accordance
with the dictum that nature abhors a vacuum, a new one has popped up
in its place. Main Street News now occupies the space that was formerly
an Elmo's t-shirt store. (Actually, I think Elmo still occupies a bit
of space in the back.) In addition, the new Border's has a better
periodical selection than at the old location, Shaman Drum has an
interesting magazine section, and Tower Records and Books on South U.
has a big selection.
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omni
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response 37 of 67:
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Dec 7 17:25 UTC 1997 |
I found a really good resource for "books that the stores in ann arbor don't
have", which is http://www.abebooks.com This site has a search feature by
author, title and keyword. This is how I found a copy of Caryl Chessman's
"Cell 2455, Death Row". I have also found some others that were mentioned
in the series I saw on the History Channel, the 50's.
Can't wait to read Peyton Place. ;)
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mwarner
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response 38 of 67:
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Dec 20 12:52 UTC 1997 |
One problem with Amazon.com is that I know they list books which are out
of print and completely unavailable, and which they never have and never
will stock. Plenty of real bookstores can special order books, which is
all Amazon does for the vast majority of titles. In addition, a bookstore
with a defined subject area will stock specialty titles and buy
remaindered books about to disappear from general circulation of special
interest to their clients. All of which provides specific sources for
specific types of books, which Amazon.com doesn't do and will never do.
If you have a specific topic of ongoing interest to you, it is in your own
interest to find a book dealer who supports that topic in depth and in
turn support them.
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rcurl
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response 39 of 67:
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Dec 20 18:52 UTC 1997 |
I ordered a book from amazon.com, and they came back after a bit and told
me the price had increased. This fits with what Mike says above, since
they can't keep updating prices for the enormous numbers of books they just
list but don't have in stock. I felt like it was false advertising, but
I don't think I have any recourse to get the originally listed price.
However I have gotten remaindered books from them for lower prices than
I could find elsewhere (until someone mentioned they had found a title
I wanted at some book warehouse, for a lower price than I had paid
amazon.com).
What I do is search a whole slew of online book vendors for best prices.
I'd only have a vendor do a search for me, however, if it was a must-have
out of print book.
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omni
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response 40 of 67:
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Dec 20 19:40 UTC 1997 |
I go to Little Professor. If they don't have it, or cannot get it,
it can't be gotten. I have never been disappointed.
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rcurl
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response 41 of 67:
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Dec 20 20:45 UTC 1997 |
"it can't be gotten" is too strong. No bookstores can have total access to
every existing book source.
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omni
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response 42 of 67:
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Dec 21 07:26 UTC 1997 |
Maybe that is a little too strong. Still....
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mcnally
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response 43 of 67:
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Dec 21 19:42 UTC 1997 |
I'm sure this is heresy in a bookstore item but I find that if I want
it and it's hard to find it's usually easiest to get it from the library
on an inter-library loan. Somebody, *somewhere* is going to have it and
libraries are amazingly good at finding it and getting it for you (and
charge you far less, I suspect, than what it costs them to do so..)
It's unusual that a book turns out to be one that I just *have* to own
unless it's a reference book of some sort or some textbook or technical
manual that I must consult frequently.
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mwarner
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response 44 of 67:
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Dec 22 01:40 UTC 1997 |
Libraries aren't bad news for book sellers. They, too, buy their books
after all. I can think of many titles that are supported greatly by
institutional buying of libraries. To get favorably reviewed in one of
the major library journals is a stroke of good fortune for a book, not the
kiss of death. Most book authors/publishers would be extremely happy to
be widely circulated among libraries. Many will never see the inside of a
Borders or Barnes and Noble unless they are shopping for the mass market
titles of others. I would say that the existence of public libraries has
led to my purchase of more books than bookstores alone ever would have.
By the way, if you are going to publish a book you wish to be considered
by a library journal, the major publications require that a review copy be
in hand several months *before* the stated date of publication.
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mcnally
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response 45 of 67:
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Dec 22 05:25 UTC 1997 |
Libraries, however, *are* in a sort of competition with book retailers
and since this is the bookstore item..
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mwarner
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response 46 of 67:
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Dec 22 21:08 UTC 1997 |
I may have been taking a somewhat wider view in suggesting that libraries
supplement and even support book retailers. I was also taking a very
practical view, as I am a book retailer. Our very small company also does
some limited distribution & wholesaling, and right now we are trying to
interest libraries in a very worthwhile title that we have given as wide
exposure as possible within its (and our) niche, but would love to see in
libraries.
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mwarner
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response 47 of 67:
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Jan 21 00:17 UTC 1998 |
An interesting footnote about amazon.com: They just contacted us in
search of a title, which they bought from us for $15.00 & shipping. They
paid the normal retail price because the book is out of print and not one
which we wholesale. They also paid for the phone calls and employee time
to track us down. I assume whoever took Amazon's bait will end up paying
substantially more than we have the book available for, and still hasn't
found a book dealer with the inventory they are in search of, however
many zillions of titles amazon claims. I also assume that amazon will
lose on the deal. We're fairly easy to find on the internet, in spite of
being extremely small because we are so specialized, i.e. reasonably easy
to search for by topics of interest (caves & bats).
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gillmore
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response 48 of 67:
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Sep 25 16:02 UTC 1998 |
Is Mike Warner the only other person still in this conference? I wanted
to rhapsodize about Dawn Treader Books, but no one will read it,
apparently.
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rcurl
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response 49 of 67:
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Sep 25 16:19 UTC 1998 |
"here"... :)
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remmers
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response 50 of 67:
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Sep 25 16:30 UTC 1998 |
I'm here too. Please feel free to rhapsodize -- I always enjoy
stopping in at Dawn Treader, never knowing what treasure I will
find.
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rcurl
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response 51 of 67:
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Sep 25 16:56 UTC 1998 |
I've probably purchased more books from the West Side Bookshop than from
any other local used bookstore. Recently, though, my purchases through the
web (where one can search enormous inventories by subject, title, etc)
have exceeded those from shops. Shops should put their inventory on their
own computer, for customer use, though many of them are listing their
inventories with web sites like ABE.
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remmers
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response 52 of 67:
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Sep 26 00:35 UTC 1998 |
What's the URL of ABE, and what are some other good URL's for finding
used books?
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rcurl
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response 53 of 67:
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Sep 26 06:58 UTC 1998 |
http://www.abebooks.com/
http://www.outdoorbooks.com/obbargai.htm
http://www.bibliofind.com/
http://www.fishnet.net/~sandcat/misc.htm
http://hamiltonbook.com/
http://www.interloc.com/
http://www.outdoorbooks.com/bargain.htm
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remmers
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response 54 of 67:
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Sep 26 10:59 UTC 1998 |
Thanks much!
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gillmore
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response 55 of 67:
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Sep 26 13:04 UTC 1998 |
Has anyone read Glen Cook's 'Black Company' books, or 'Garrett, P.I.'
books. I keep hoping that there is one I missed.
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rcurl
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response 56 of 67:
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Sep 26 14:17 UTC 1998 |
Hmm...I was just copying URLs from my bookmark file, in #53, and didn't
notice the duplication....will have to clean that up.
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mwarner
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response 57 of 67:
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Oct 14 00:58 UTC 1998 |
try www.mxbf.com as well. It is a sort of "super book search" that combs
several databases in a single go. I have had the best results on
bibliofind overall.
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denise
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response 58 of 67:
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Feb 19 00:48 UTC 2007 |
Instead of entering a new item, I'll re-activate this one...
So what's new on the bookstore scene? With a Borders now at Arborland, is
the one downtown still there? I'm assuming it is. I still don't like the newer
Borders as well as the original one on State St... [but Border's does have
a better magazine selection than many other places I've been to]. Are there
still a lot of independent bookstores in the area and how have the bigger
stores affected them? [ie, B&N, Borders...].
One independent store that I really liked is on 9th Street in Durham near the
Duke campus. It's a bit eclectic and fun as well [and they frequently would
have authors come in and do readings for the public]. Do any of the
bookstores in this area do that?
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