Vanishing Bookstores?

[decaro]

I've already lamented how hard it's become to find retail computer games on the store shelves, but now bookstores are disappearing from my community, or so it appears.

When Borders recently closed, a local Waldenbooks bought their books, but now it went out of business to make way for a new Toys R Us.

Although I've seen more Kindles during my train commute to work, I can't believe ebooks are putting bookstores out of business.

No retail computer games, no books: what's next to go?

[JWW]

A couple of thoughts.  People buy books online.  I would much rather buy online than try to find something in Barnes and Noble or some place like that.  Easier to find things and the prices are often better.  Also I have a Kindle now. 

I would also suggest, though I have no data, that we have fewer people now who read books.  Too many other distractions now.

[Perturabo]

I get physical books mostly either online (less expensive, much more titles available) or from a library (for free, no permanent loss of storage space). I rarely buy books in a bookstore. From what I've seen, some local bookstores allow to order a book from affiliated stores even from abroad without paying for postal. I stopped using this service, though they very often lack stuff that I want to buy and my tastes are getting more and more niche as I get older.

I buy ebooks only for stuff that is extremely niche and doesn't get into physical print without high cost print-on-demand. I don't like to read from screen.
Anyway, are there any cheap e-bookreaders that work like normal MP3 players and aren't tied to any online service?

[warspite1]

I prefer to buy books at a physical store because you can spend as much time as you need thumbing through and ensuring the content - and just as importantly, the author's writing style are what I am looking for. I have had a few disasters in recent times - all books bought online where I have relied on the reviews and thought I would get something I ultimately didn't.

But fact is, online is the way its going and do not see that process being reversed unless something very unforeseen happens.

[parusski]

As much as I like to browse a bookstore, enjoying the aroma of books and coffee, I must admit to being a slave to Amazon. I have not purchased a single book from a bookstore in 8 or 9 years. Occasionally I go to my local Books-A-Million to browse and find titles to buy online.

[Titanwarrior89]

Let's hope books and bookstores never go out of business.  I as well like to browse thru books.....there is something about them.  E-books may replace, but it would never be the same.[:-][:(]

[Prince of Eckmühl]

I visited Barnes & Noble yesterday afternoon, and was really kind of disappointed. I don't drink coffee, and I'm not really sure why else anyone would go there. I buy most of my books online, and have them delivered to my home.

[redcoat]

Nearly all of the books I’ve purchased recently have been bought online. I can get them for less than I would pay in a shop and few bookshops have the military books I want on their shelves in any case.

Sometimes I check out a book before purchasing by ordering a copy through my public library.

I don’t have any plans to buy a kindle.

[Perturabo]

I never understood the concept of bookstores selling coffee. Wouldn't it risk damaging the books by any accidental spill?

[ilovestrategy]

No Kindle for me. I browsed the Kindle store last night for David Eddings books and they have audio books for the Kindle for $14.95 each. A brand new paper back is $7.00. No regular ebooks of the same titles.

[Perturabo]

Generally, from what I've seen, ebooks tend to be unreasonably expensive. They tend to cost the same as physical books. I don't think they'll be able to replace paper books unless they'll get to the point when they cost less than the cost of a paper book - cost of printing and cost of long supply chain.

[David Heath]

Book stores are today are like the video stores a few years back..... going going gone. I really never buy a book now unless I get it for my iPad. I really love having all my books and PDF on one device.

[jomni]

Audio CD stores are also dying.

As for the bookstores... It is not an e-book thing. Though it helped in the process. People who want to buy physical books also go online since it is more convenient.

[Phatguy]

The only books that grace my house are real life physical books....Paper,ink and glue......
Ebooks? Crap

I prefer going to a bookstore but do get a lot online. Whatever savings for online purchases is counterbalanced by shipping costs so its pretty much the same, just a bit more convenient especially here in the northeast.....

[decaro]

Most bookstores require a good deal of room to display a large selection of books; apparently that's not cost effective when compared to the bandwidth that an on-line catalog requires.

It looks like the Inet is now doing to books what it did to the daily newspaper; as a former journalist, I think we're both becoming extinct.

[Perturabo]

I also buy Audio CDs online as the ones in audio CD stores tend to be 1/3 more expensive and audio CD stores tend to have very a limited offer. They almost never have bands that I listen to.
And the weirdest thing is that I don't even have a CD player. I listen to everything from mp3s anyway. I simply treat physical as merchandise.

ORIGINAL: apathetic lurker

The only books that grace my house are real life physical books....Paper,ink and glue......
Ebooks? Crap

I prefer going to a bookstore but do get a lot online. Whatever savings for online purchases is counterbalanced by shipping costs so its pretty much the same, just a bit more convenient especially here in the northeast.....

I generally pick the cheapest book available. I have bought my first untranslated Osprey recently - it costed me 37PLN together with shipping while the price on the cover is about 50PLN (+shipping). It's still a lot - a translated version would cost me 20PLN, but not enough to be an instant deal-breaker unlike with the basic price.

And generally, even when it comes to illustrated books like Osprey, I strongly prefer to buy myself a physical copy to using ebooks. Even with something like kindle but with colours, they would be subpar.

[wodin]

Way more choice online. Verr rarely a bookstore will have something I want.

[bairdlander2]

What about comic books?

[Perturabo]

It depends. When it comes to manga, the titles that get translated usually cost 17-20PLN which is low enough to buy it in a store. When it comes to comic books, in most cases they don't even have what I'm looking for.

[bairdlander2]

I should have said,I meant graphic novels and manga.Think they will ever go digital?