# Advice on starting my own bookstore **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 7, 2004, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-on-starting-my-own-bookstore/249157 "2004-06-07T19:42:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bibliovore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7ba0ec/32.png) [@Bibliovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bibliovore)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2004, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-on-starting-my-own-bookstore/249157/1 "2004-06-07T19:42:14Z")
Just a hypothetical question, you understand, but if I wanted to open and run my own bookshop, how would start? Is there any way for an independent bookshop to compete with massive chains, or would I be better off just buying into a franchise? I think it would be wonderful if I could pull it off, but I also realise there are all the inherent risks of running a small business and being self-employed. So where do I go for advice? ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_H](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a5b964/32.png) [@Bill\_H](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_H)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2004, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-on-starting-my-own-bookstore/249157/2 "2004-06-07T20:03:22Z")
I’ve started several businesses, but never anything like a bookstore. However, a friend of mine started a bookstore (a long time ago) and kept it going for 8 years or so, and I can tell you what I know of his experience. a. Don’t try to sell new books; the giants will kill you. b. Find a niche. Focus on something specific enough that you can grow a reputation in the right circles that you’re the place to go for that need. c. On the other hand, don’t over-specialize. Have a decent collection of general books for walk-by shoppers. d. (my friend really emphasized this) it’s all about being able to buy books. If you get a good location, and give it a little time, you’ll get traffic. The big problem is having the books your customer will want. My friend spent a lot of time going to estate sales, swap meets, etc. His yellow pages ad (this is pre-internet) prominently said “we buy books” I should tell you that though my friend loved doing this business, he worked his ass off and didn’t make much money. Also, eventually he closed shop and found work elsewhere. I never really pushed him on why, but if it would’ve been a big success, I imagine he would’ve kept with it. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2004, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-on-starting-my-own-bookstore/249157/3 "2004-06-07T20:36:31Z")
First of all, stop eating the books. That just cuts into your profits. My brother-in-law essentially has started an online bookstore. Just about every week he goes to library sales, publishers sales, yard sales, etc and buys tons and tons of books, which he turns around and sells on Amazon. He checks the price on Amazon before he buys a book, to make sue he can sell it for more than he pays. He puts in a lot of hours, and has had to find room in his house for hundreds (thousands?) of books. But he makes a couple of hundred dollars a day, and the hours are flexible, so he’s not doing to badly. He manages to feed a family of five while working from home (with occasional road trips to buy more books). ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2004, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-on-starting-my-own-bookstore/249157/4 "2004-06-07T20:44:31Z")
Move to my town of Marietta. Our local book shop shut down last year as the woman who owned it retired. We’re dying for a book store. The nearest one is a Waldenbooks 15 miles away in Parkersburg. So we’re looking at 15K people without a bookstore. And I have connections on the local Chamber of Commerce that might be willing to help. Seriously, if you mean it…contact me. ---
**Author:** ![Bibliovore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7ba0ec/32.png) [@Bibliovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bibliovore)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2004, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-on-starting-my-own-bookstore/249157/5 "2004-06-07T20:56:31Z")
> [@Jonathan Chance](#): > > Move to my town of Marietta. > > Our local book shop shut down last year as the woman who owned it retired. > > We’re dying for a book store. The nearest one is a Waldenbooks 15 miles away in Parkersburg. So we’re looking at 15K people without a bookstore. > > And I have connections on the local Chamber of Commerce that might be willing to help. > > Seriously, if you mean it…contact me. Thanks for the offer, but I live in the UK, so the commute would be a killer. 😃 What I’d love is to own and run the kind of local place that becomes a feature of the community - to see the same familiar faces and to run a nice, friendly place that makes people feel welcome. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2004, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-on-starting-my-own-bookstore/249157/6 "2004-06-07T20:57:56Z")
And that’s exactly what we lost, dang the luck. It’s cheap to live here…and they only talk sort of funny to my southern ears… 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![jeevwoman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@jeevwoman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jeevwoman)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2004, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-on-starting-my-own-bookstore/249157/7 "2004-06-07T21:08:48Z")
Just checking in so I can subscribe for everyone’s advice. There are so many new stores for rent in our neighboorhood and no bookstore around that I am sure I could make a decent living (and what the hell, my husband’s a lawyer so it hardly matters what I bring in ;)) and would love to have one (in theory). But it is a question of deciding what the niche is. And no, **Jonathan** , I wouldn’t consider moving to Marietta. I went to grad school in Athens; that was enough southern Ohio for me for a lifetime! So come on! More advice for Bibliovore, please. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2004, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-on-starting-my-own-bookstore/249157/8 "2004-06-07T21:21:35Z")
As a general rule, in the United States: a) all non-chain new book stores are dying or going out of business. b) all used bookstores are dying or going out of business. Thousands of each have already gone out of business over the past twenty years. Even niche bookstores are having huge problems. Most of the major science fiction specialty stores in the U.S. have closed up shop. You can’t compete with the 100,000 titles that a big chain bookstore has. It’s next to impossible to have enough volume from walk-in customers to compete with the range and selection and price of used books on the Internet. And any place that will house the few exceptions to the general rule already have thriving stores with loyal customers, so that no new stores can break in. I’d love to see more bookstores of all kinds. But right now starting one is a prime example of the old joke: How do you make a small fortune? Start with a large fortune. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2004, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-on-starting-my-own-bookstore/249157/9 "2004-06-07T21:31:33Z")
A bookstore _in itself_ will probably fail. However, someone just opened a coffeehouse/bookstore near me. I haven’t been in yet, but I’m going to make a point of it. You have to cater to the whole reading experience. The lounging on soft couches, coffee and muffins, maybe the occasional speaker…something that is inviting to the locals. The big stores have this to a degree, but you’ll want to make it more personal. ---
**Author:** ![jeevwoman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@jeevwoman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jeevwoman)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2004, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-on-starting-my-own-bookstore/249157/10 "2004-06-07T21:50:15Z")
> [@Kalhoun](#): > > A bookstore _in itself_ will probably fail. However, someone just opened a coffeehouse/bookstore near me. I haven’t been in yet, but I’m going to make a point of it. You have to cater to the whole reading experience. The lounging on soft couches, coffee and muffins, maybe the occasional speaker…something that is inviting to the locals. The big stores have this to a degree, but you’ll want to make it more personal. That was sort of my plan, actually. I thought a travel/foreign language themed place (my neighboorhood is all immigrants or yuppies, and not much in-between) with some couches, coffee, guest speakaers, even people’s slide shows of trips etc. A travel store just closed near us so I thought to combine the two. ---
**Author:** ![FilmGeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@FilmGeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FilmGeek)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2004, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-on-starting-my-own-bookstore/249157/11 "2004-06-07T23:21:54Z")
There is an art gallery/coffeeshop/Christian bookstore that I don’t frequent because they don’t sell books I like and they don’t display local art. Other than that, it’s a great idea. I’m wanting to open my own gaming/bookstore as well. I would love to buy into an existing bookstore, though, to get all the first work out of the way. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2004, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-on-starting-my-own-bookstore/249157/12 "2004-06-07T23:27:44Z")
> [@Exapno Mapcase](#): > > You can’t compete with the 100,000 titles that a big chain bookstore has. It’s next to impossible to have enough volume from walk-in customers to compete with the range and selection and price of used books on the Internet. And any place that will house the few exceptions to the general rule already have thriving stores with loyal customers, so that no new stores can break in. That’s why we’re **perfect**! No chains…no established competition…college town… Please? Someone? ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2004, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-on-starting-my-own-bookstore/249157/13 "2004-06-07T23:39:56Z")
> [@Exapno Mapcase](#): > > As a general rule, in the United States: > > a) all non-chain new book stores are dying or going out of business. > > b) all used bookstores are dying or going out of business. > > Even niche bookstores are having huge problems. Most of the major science fiction specialty stores in the U.S. have closed up shop. > > . I disagree about used book stores- they are thriving around here. Even a huge chain can’t compete with used book prices and all those out of print books. There is a thriving kids new book store over in Los Altos. But yes, [Amazon.com](http://Amazon.com) and the big chains will put most small retail new bookstores out of business. ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2004, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-on-starting-my-own-bookstore/249157/14 "2004-06-07T23:43:11Z")
> [@Bibliovore](#): > > What I’d love is to own and run the kind of local place that becomes a feature of the community - to see the same familiar faces and to run a nice, friendly place that makes people feel welcome. What’s your community like? Who lives there, and what portion of their books needs/wants is not being fulfilled by the competition? You’re going to have some tough competition on general-market new books. I can tell you what I blow the most money on in used bookstores (foreign-language literature and reference, obscure Soviet history topics, and cookbooks), but hey, I’m not your potential customer base (unless you find me something really good and possibly out of print, and then we’ll talk 😉 ). Get \*_Angua_ to bake the cookies for the cafe counter, and that’s half the battle. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2004, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-on-starting-my-own-bookstore/249157/15 "2004-06-08T01:43:10Z")
Since you’re looking for advice more than hard facts, I’ll move this thread to IMHO. bibliophage moderator GQ ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2004, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-on-starting-my-own-bookstore/249157/16 "2004-06-08T01:57:06Z")
> [@Skammer](#): > > First of all, stop eating the books. Now you tell me. ---
**Author:** ![Atticus\_Finch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ec9cab/32.png) [@Atticus\_Finch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atticus_Finch)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2004, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-on-starting-my-own-bookstore/249157/17 "2004-06-08T02:21:59Z")
Yikes. Bibliophage and Bibliovore in the same place, one responding to a joke for the other. This is getting surreal. ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2004, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-on-starting-my-own-bookstore/249157/18 "2004-06-08T02:25:16Z")
My GF (soon to be wife 🙂 ) runs a small, independent used-book store. She’s not the owner, but she and the owner are the only two employees, so she deals with all aspects of the business. I’ll see if she’ll write up some advice for you and post it here (and maybe this will finally get her to become a Doper!). ---
**Author:** ![FilmGeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@FilmGeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FilmGeek)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2004, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-on-starting-my-own-bookstore/249157/19 "2004-06-08T04:00:01Z")
Please do. As this bookstore idea is pretty much my only five year plan, I need advice! ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2004, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-on-starting-my-own-bookstore/249157/20 "2004-06-08T04:15:39Z")
I took a course last fall about humorous literature. We read a lot of pretty standard classic stuff–Rabelais, the Satyricon, the Decameron, Chaucer. None of these four were present at Barnes & Noble. All were present at a small local bookshop, which manages to cram every single book a highbrow graduate student ever wants into its 600 square feet of store space. I want to tell you to have a bookstore like that, but really, I’m not sure anyone ele bought Rabelais last year. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-on-starting-my-own-bookstore/249157.md?page=2)