Borders Books closing for good...

[MrsJoseph *grouchy*, *good karma*]

...and I'm sad to see them go: http://www.baltimoresun.com/business/...

[Judy]

I am sad too. I have been a Borders customer for many years and could count on them to have books the other big name store didn't have. Now that I have a Kindle, I am less likely to go into any bookstore, except for the tiny independents.

[MrsJoseph *grouchy*, *good karma*]

The only good thing about this is that there's going to be a fire sale.

I wonder if I can buy some of their bookcases?

[Traci]

I'm going to miss them. I live near both a Borders and B&N so I will still have a physical bookstore but Borders was my favorite. The past year it's been harder to complete a series or start an author who has been writing for awhile. I do have an ereader but I'll miss the experience of going into a bookstore if B&N eventually closes as well.

[whimsicalmeerkat]

B&N has, so far, been surviving far better than Borders, from what I understand. I believe they are considered to have a better business model and they got into the ebook/ereader field much earlier.

[S.J.]

Ebooks and ebook readers have changed how people buy and read books. Barnes and Noble got on top of the wave with their own ebook reader and ebook marketing. Borders apparently couldn't change gears quickly enough.
I have a friend who owns one of the tiny independent bookstores. Years ago he saw what was coming and expanded his product line so that he now carries videos and games. I'm sure it's been a struggle for him, but he's managed to stay in business so far.

[Kevin]

Denae wrote: "B&N has, so far, been surviving far better than Borders, from what I understand. I believe they are considered to have a better business model and they got into the ebook/ereader field much earlier."

I find that Barnes and Nobles are more professional and business oriented.

[Traci]

B&N is the more "professional and business oriented" store but that's why Borders was my favorite. When I wanted a fantasy or science fiction book, especially if it was a role playing one like Forgotten Realms, Borders would have it over B&N. And horror is mixed in with the regular fiction books. Atleast in my area. It seemed like Borders was more friendly for genre readers.
I don't think B&N is closing down anytime soon, I hope not anyway I have a nook, but the selection at my store has gone way down. Maybe less copies are being printed. Or maybe they figure if you can't find a book you'll buy it ebook. I hate to even think it but I do see a point where B&N cuts back and moves more toward pushing their nook.

[Scott]

I liked Borders better because they had a horror section too.

[MrsJoseph *grouchy*, *good karma*]

Yeah, I got that as an email. :(

[Anne]

Traci wrote: ". .. I don't think B&N is closing down anytime soon, I hope not anyway I have a nook, but the selection at my store has gone way down. Maybe less copies are being printed. Or maybe they figure if you can't find a book you'll buy it ebook. I hate to even think it but I do see a point where B&N cuts back and moves more toward pushing their nook."

One of my friends is an author (horror mostly), so I can tell you that the number of paperbacks published actually has been going down. After his publisher switched their business model, his latest books were switched to ebooks only even though his previous paperbacks had sold reasonably well and got great reviews. Publishers are cutting employees, thus causing authors in certain genres to lose their biggest advocates. If you're not a big name bestseller, it's hard to get attention for your books. This is happening industry-wide.

[Kevin]

Traci wrote: "B&N is the more "professional and business oriented" store but that's why Borders was my favorite. When I wanted a fantasy or science fiction book, especially if it was a role playing one like Forg..."

Well, I never found the individual books in the Cleric Quintet in stock in any Border store that I knew of.

[Danielle The Book Huntress]

It's a major bummer. I think they had great selections of the genres I enjoyed reading. Although I didn't like how they separated out the African American books. But that's another story.....

[Kit★]

I just went to Borders this evening to check out the sales, and look for , which they didn't have, so I got instead. Their sales weren't very good though, only 10% off. The prices end up still being more expensive than say WalMart or Target. Romance was 30% off, but the selection was weak and heavily picked over. I was really hoping the deals would be better...

[Kevin]

Kit★ wrote: "I just went to Borders this evening to check out the sales, and look for , which they didn't have, so I got [bookcover:The Lost Gate|9..."

Well, you have to go to one of their closing sales to get the real discounts, like at least 50% off for all hardcovers and 70% for all paperbacks.

[Kit★]

So maybe if I wait a week or so and then go back it'll be better?

[Tiffany]

NOOOOOOO!

Borders is my favorite bookstore...

[whimsicalmeerkat]

Yeah, I think they're going through the same sort of liquidation company as Circuit City, which meant everything went all the way back to full price before they started applying the discount percentages they're advertising. As a result, some stuff is likely more expensive than it was before this announcement. Eventually the prices will bottom out, but but by then everything will be picked over. :(

[MrsJoseph *grouchy*, *good karma*]

Denae wrote: "Yeah, I think they're going through the same sort of liquidation company as Circuit City, which meant everything went all the way back to full price before they started applying the discount percen..."

Yeah, that's what happened with the borders that closed near my job. It took forever for them to get to 40% & 60% off.

[Scott]

You can wait a while for larger discounts, but then you might just have all the picked-over and unwanted stuff left. I picked up some manga the other night because it was 20% off, but I'm going to wait a bit on the regular books.

Books were always full price there anyway, except maybe for the bestsellers. I don't even bother with music and videos there since their prices are so inflated to begin with.

[Susan]

I am so sorry to see Borders close. I like Barnes and Noble, but Borders was my favorite store. I was always stopping by just to browse but usually ended up buying after work. I will miss it.

[James]

I am so sad that Borders is closing. Borders was one of my favorite book stores besides Barnes and Noble. I hope that Barnes and Noble will not be closing because I love buying books from the public bookstores. I known I was off topic for this subject.

[Melissa]

I went to Borders yesterday to check out the sales, most everything was at 10% off, some stuff 20%. I did get a couple few books. My best buy was a hardcover of The Warded Man, which I found on a 'clearance' table (as opposed to the regular shelves which are all on sale). It was priced at $5.99 and then I got 20% off that since it was clearance. So I think it came out to something like $4.79. Just in time for the August epic read.....yea!

Also got The Red Wolf Conspiracy even though I never heard of it or the author before. But it was a sale, ya know? How could I pass up a sale?? I mean it's gotta be worth $5, right?

[MrsJoseph *grouchy*, *good karma*]

Great score! I've got to get to a Borders...

[whimsicalmeerkat]

How're their prices on journals/blank notebooks? *is an addict*

[[deleted user]]

Ditto. Denae...I have soooooooooooo many Moleskins

[whimsicalmeerkat]

Those aren't my thing as much. I fall for the covers with designs or that tie in cool ways or have handmade papers and leather covers. Of my current, much too small collection, my favorites are a brushed silver hardback that will lay flat regardless of what page I am on and a slightly smaller light green leather one with a bird embroidered on the outer cover.

Last time I was in Borders I saw a couple things I liked, but not for the price.

[Kevin]

Melissa wrote: "I went to Borders yesterday to check out the sales, most everything was at 10% off, some stuff 20%. I did get a couple few books. My best buy was a hardcover of The Warded Man, whi..."

Man, you got lucky. I always never know what bargain books they have.

[Valerie]

Melissa wrote: "I went to Borders yesterday to check out the sales, most everything was at 10% off, some stuff 20%. I did get a couple few books. My best buy was a hardcover of The Warded Man, whi..."

Everything at the one I went to was 20%+ today... I might have to go back in a few days and see if they have that Warded Man hardcover.

and The Lies of Locke Lamora

[Melissa]

The Lies of Locke Lamora was one I bought in paperback...

and of course the day BEFORE it would've been 20% off....just figures...sigh...

[S.J.]

I went to a Borders once. Usually, though, I go to an independent bookstore. There's one nearby, every bit as big as a Borders, and another, smaller one a bit further away but with a more interesting selection in fantasy and science fiction.

[Melissa]

Borders closing in 10 days! 60-80% off everything.

http://www.borders.com/online/store/L...

[Carly]

Blockbusters is also closing down more stores.

I'm kinda happy to see the big corporates go down - there's too much of it. Makes room for small, privately owned bookstores to come back in.

Places I'd like to see go down:

Pizza Pizza
Kelsey's
Rogers Cable
Fido (owned by Rogers, btw)

There's a few more I could think of, I suppose - but I like small Ma & Pop businesses - NOT franchises!

Don't think for one minute the big ones pay their staff a lot. They get very few hours at dirt cheap pay.

Pepsi - they own a lot of different food franchises.

And Wal Mart - uh huh ... I know - you've heard it before.

[Carly]

MrsJoseph wrote: "The only good thing about this is that there's going to be a fire sale.

I wonder if I can buy some of their bookcases?"

Dunno if I'd want that - unless they were metal. Bugs often hide in wooden bookcases and other furniture. Toronto has a 'bedbug' warning on - there's a few infestations around. We are warned to be cautious of used wooden furniture and picking it up from garbage discards.

[carol. , Senor Crabbypants]

everyplace seems to have a bedbug warning going on. Its enough to give me the heebie-jeebies.

[S.J.]

It's a bit difficult to feel much sympathy for Blockbuster. When they moved into the area I live in they slowly forced out many small, independent video rental stores. I kept patronizing those independents until none of them were left and Blockbuster was the only place you could go. Now Blockbuster itself has fallen to a different business model. Things change.

[carol. , Senor Crabbypants]

Blockbuster has fallen? The last video store in my neighborhood is Blockbuster--I hope not. I have not yet bought into Netflix craze.

[S.J.]

I don't think they're closing all of their outlets just yet, but the two closest ones to where I live have been closed for a while now. If an outlet is still turning a profit, they'll probably keep it going for a while.

[Pauline]

So, Blockbuster is going to start a streaming service similar to Netflix. Netflix just lost Starz as their partner and has instead signed onto as one of Blockbuster's content providers. So.....the rise of Blockbuster again?

[S.J.]

We'll have to wait and see. Smart companies adapt when it's called for.

[Melissa]

When I was at my Borders on Wednesday, the cashier told me that Books A Million will be coming in to take their place when they're closed. That made me feel a smidge better, but I still felt very sad as I wandered around Borders for the last time...