When I was at school, one of my friends told me that he could see me owning a small, dark bookshop, wandering around it in a tatty dressing gown, and only opening when I felt like it. I'm beginning to see that as a tempting idea, although I would prefer not to have the Arthur Dent look.
Oh, god, that's my dream job! Not the dressing gown, though; more like battered evening wear, for me. Tatty tailcoats and dress-shirts and suchlike. And the shop would have a cat, and the books wouldn't be in any sort of order. And we'd give people free coffee.
hey-on-wye (or however you spell it) is actively full of such shops. and indeed advertises the fact. maybe you should move? :)
on another note - in your guise of shady book dealer.. where would be the best place to search for a copy of 'Paratwa' by Christopher Hinz .. that's under ukp40? (it's only a paperback scifi book for goodness sakes!)
Mmmm, Hay-on-Wye. Glorious place, but I could never afford to live there all the time. Not because of the cost of housing, but because I'd be buying bloody books all the time.
Re 'Paratwa'... where have you tried? AbeBooks (http://www.abebooks.co.uk/) is good for second-hand books, and Bookfinder (http://www.bookfinder.com/) is sometimes good (though very USA-biased, so while the books may be cheap you'll take a kicking on the postage). AddAll (http://www.addall.com/) is a metasearch like Bookfinder, but less USA-centric.
everything's in the US :( and addall is .. creative with their nomenclature ("total cost" would seem to be displayed price - not price+shipping which you might imagine).
seems like 16$ is the cheapest, from the states, shipping extra.. all the way up to 160$ .. sigh.
ebay.co.uk refered me to german sellers.. obviously ;)
IIRC, Hinz couldn't get a UK publisher for the second two of the Paratwa books (insert my standard rant here). So you probably are stuck with imports. The only alternative I'm aware of is hoping to get lucky at an Eastercon (which is where I got Swordspoint and One for the Morning Glory).
Mmmm, Hay-on-Wye. Glorious place, but I could never afford to live there all the time. Not because of the cost of housing, but because I'd be buying bloody books all the time.
But that's OK, because you can put them in your shady bookshop and sell them again. Possibly even at a profit.
I can see it now, lazy afternoons snoozing amongst the paperbacks.
I saw a programme about 'Hidden Paris', and one of the segments was about a bookshop hidden away down an alley that has beds in. If the owner likes you, and you have nowhere to stay, he lets you sleep in the shop in return for doing chores about the place. Sounded like a nice place, but it's probably a step too far.
Ah yes, Shakespeare & Co. It's on the river, the opposite bank from The Louvre, a short walk down from where Notre Dame is away from the centre if that makes any sense. I have a feeling there was an article in The Guardian about it a year or so ago, but can't find it. Maybe it was in a different paper.
After Henry by Simon Brett. Do you remember it (on either R4 or ITV)? The bookshop in that was such a shop - the shelving categories were things like: Books with talking animals; Books you ought to read to look well-read; Books that are quite useful to have around; Dull-but-worthy Victorian novels; Books where the hero makes a Big Discovery about himself somewhere around Chapter 32; Books with drippy heroines that you want to strangle. (I've made these up because my copy of the book isn't to hand but that's roughly the gist...)
When we win the lottery I'm opening such a shop. You can come and run it for me. :-)
Never heard of it, but, oh, wow. That's exactly what a bookshop should be. Sod the lottery, I'd be prepared to get loans and stuff and really make a go of that. It'd be wonderful. And Oxford would be just the place for it...
There was a great bookshop near me when I lived in NodNol, second hand & antiquarian, twenty four hours more or less (well, it closed during the morning, and was open at 3 am when I couldn't sleep, so clearly had the right attitude to hours), gave tea and coffee to the regulars (who occasionally brought in cake to share) and had an excellent shop keeper who bought books on the premise you'd like them based on past purchases and long conversations, and if you didn't want them then put them on the shelf. That was rather a long sentence. It was great. Unfortunately it closed - not due to a lack of money or staff - but because the owner emigrated.
Sounds like the old Voltaire and Rouseau, off Gibson Street in Glasgow's West End, just by The University. I was hardly ever out of the place as an undergrad. Sadly, the drink finally got to the owner (well, it was either that or he was going to set himself on fire), and the new owners just don't have any class.
Actively advised not to wait until you're grown up. In my case I'd be waiting a bloody long time.
Re reselling, I think that all the time -- on u.a.fs, in charity shops, everywhere. And I'm getting better at it with the books. Next summer I'm going to go round lots of car-boot sales and flea markets etc. and buy stuff to re-sell on eBay, see how much money I can make... fancy coming with me? Or we could even make a competition of it. And then sell the concept to a gameshow channel. :)
May I run the second-hand-records section of this enterprise?
- A (has been accused of being nearly every major character in High Fidelity. Only problem is they're charming and amusing, whereas I'm a witless, tactless, humourless twonk...)
I couldn't think of a better man (or woman) for the job. Come car-booting with us!
Re High Fidelity: I was going to say "the only problem is they're all a bunch of sad trainspotting wankers whereas you're interesting and caring and generally a Nice Person"...
Wossname, the guy who actually owns the shop - Rob? - is clueless, and fairly hopeless, but I get the impression that deep down he's actually a decent guy; just totally lost in the world. (Or so I thought, anyway.)
Well... yeah, he's a decent guy by the end of it. I think he has to overcome some of his trainspotterish-wankerishness to get there, though. Which is what it's all about, maybe. Growing up and quack and moo. I can't remember, actually, it's so long since I read it...
I had this idea for a Life Laundry business: you go to someone's house, they pay you by the day to go through the house and help them decide what to keep and what to throw out. You take away everything they throw out and sell it/recycle it/junk it. You give back to them a percentage of any profit made by selling what you took away.
You need at least two people, one to work with the person to say JUST THROW IT OUT and the other to inventory everything.
House clearances. All that stuff some dead person accumulated that his/her descendants don't appreciate. Offer a percentage of any net after your clearing & storage fees and other overheads. If I'd had a chance to sort through my grandad's stuff I'd have some very valuable sets of cigarette cards. And about 600 pencils.
A market stall in the right place would have lower overheads than a shop? But then you'd have to lug the books in and out every day...
I was actually thinking that, seriously. You could probably make a pitch about ebay selling along the lines of cash in the attic, and C4 would pick it up. Even better if it could feature sex with anonymous strangers somewhere along the line.
A competition where all the contestants start off with £100, say, and have to turn it into lots more money with the buying and selling of stuff, and for added bonus points you have to try to have sex with the anonymous strangers you're buying from/ selling to, and the person who has the most cash and sex at the end is the WINNAH!
No chance of reincarnating Black Cat Books at the top of Silver Arcade, is there?
It's not a business you start up with capital: I reckon these shops lurch into being on the day that someone realises they own so many books that their house is already a bookshop and enough of the books are already circulating among friends that 50p a go is a viable income.
You on about in Leicester? Last I saw, Black Cat were still trading on Charles Street. Not exactly cheap either, though I did pick up this rather nice Robert Crumb collection for less than a tenner.
Walton Street Books in Oxford was certainly like that -- he apparently had three times as many books at home as in the shop! If you asked for something and he had it at home, he'd bring it in for you. Nice chap. Then he left, and the bookshop turned into a proper bookshop, and was boring.
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no subject
Date: 2004-07-28 08:22 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-07-28 08:27 am (UTC)~sigh~
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Date: 2004-07-28 08:34 am (UTC)on another note - in your guise of shady book dealer.. where would be the best place to search for a copy of 'Paratwa' by Christopher Hinz .. that's under ukp40? (it's only a paperback scifi book for goodness sakes!)
no subject
Date: 2004-07-28 08:39 am (UTC)Re 'Paratwa'... where have you tried? AbeBooks (http://www.abebooks.co.uk/) is good for second-hand books, and Bookfinder (http://www.bookfinder.com/) is sometimes good (though very USA-biased, so while the books may be cheap you'll take a kicking on the postage). AddAll (http://www.addall.com/) is a metasearch like Bookfinder, but less USA-centric.
Any of these any good?
no subject
Date: 2004-07-28 09:05 am (UTC)seems like 16$ is the cheapest, from the states, shipping extra.. all the way up to 160$ .. sigh.
ebay.co.uk refered me to german sellers.. obviously ;)
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Date: 2004-07-28 04:26 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-07-29 03:54 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-07-29 05:42 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-07-28 09:16 am (UTC)But that's OK, because you can put them in your shady bookshop and sell them again. Possibly even at a profit.
no subject
Date: 2004-07-28 08:35 am (UTC)I saw a programme about 'Hidden Paris', and one of the segments was about a bookshop hidden away down an alley that has beds in. If the owner likes you, and you have nowhere to stay, he lets you sleep in the shop in return for doing chores about the place. Sounded like a nice place, but it's probably a step too far.
no subject
Date: 2004-07-28 08:40 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-07-28 09:44 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-07-28 08:36 am (UTC)When we win the lottery I'm opening such a shop. You can come and run it for me. :-)
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Date: 2004-07-28 08:41 am (UTC)Go on! Let's do something crazy!
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Date: 2004-07-28 10:40 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-07-28 01:28 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-07-28 03:51 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-07-28 01:57 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-07-28 02:00 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-07-28 03:56 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-07-28 08:50 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-07-28 08:30 am (UTC)I have caught myself thinking "I could buy that and sell it for a profit on eBay" when people are reposting stuff to u.a.forsale.
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Date: 2004-07-28 08:45 am (UTC)Re reselling, I think that all the time -- on u.a.fs, in charity shops, everywhere. And I'm getting better at it with the books. Next summer I'm going to go round lots of car-boot sales and flea markets etc. and buy stuff to re-sell on eBay, see how much money I can make... fancy coming with me? Or we could even make a competition of it. And then sell the concept to a gameshow channel. :)
no subject
Date: 2004-07-28 08:49 am (UTC)- A (has been accused of being nearly every major character in High Fidelity. Only problem is they're charming and amusing, whereas I'm a witless, tactless, humourless twonk...)
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Date: 2004-07-28 08:56 am (UTC)Re High Fidelity: I was going to say "the only problem is they're all a bunch of sad trainspotting wankers whereas you're interesting and caring and generally a Nice Person"...
Funny old thing, perspective.
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Date: 2004-07-28 09:00 am (UTC)- A
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Date: 2004-07-28 12:36 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-07-28 09:18 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-07-28 09:13 am (UTC)You need at least two people, one to work with the person to say JUST THROW IT OUT and the other to inventory everything.
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Date: 2004-07-28 11:28 am (UTC)A market stall in the right place would have lower overheads than a shop? But then you'd have to lug the books in and out every day...
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Date: 2004-07-28 12:36 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-07-28 12:56 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-07-28 01:58 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-07-28 09:15 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-07-28 09:23 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-07-28 09:51 am (UTC)Does it count if you get the money from having sex with anonymous strangers?
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Date: 2004-07-28 11:39 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-07-28 12:37 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-07-28 08:55 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-07-28 08:56 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-07-28 05:44 pm (UTC)It's not a business you start up with capital: I reckon these shops lurch into being on the day that someone realises they own so many books that their house is already a bookshop and enough of the books are already circulating among friends that 50p a go is a viable income.
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Date: 2004-08-02 06:52 am (UTC)You on about in Leicester? Last I saw, Black Cat were still trading on Charles Street. Not exactly cheap either, though I did pick up this rather nice Robert Crumb collection for less than a tenner.
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Date: 2004-08-02 06:59 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-08-05 05:28 am (UTC)Aren't property developers boring? They seem to have no purpose in life other than closing down the interesting shops.
N
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Date: 2004-08-02 06:58 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-07-28 02:34 pm (UTC)