I have a camping trip coming up and needed some reading material. My wife is going to Half Priced Books, I went to Barns & Nobel. It has been about 8 months since I was there.

I noticed they changed a number things on the first floor. They made looking for the latest releases a different experience, but not really better or worse.

I walked to the magazine section and notice they have cut the number of gun related mags by about 75%. Unless it was your favorite that got dropped, it didn't change a lot. There were 3 mags for AR buffs, 3 for 1911 buffs, 2 reloading and several general hunting. (I got an AR rag and "Handloading")

I went upstairs and the whole place was rearranged! So it took a few minutes of wandering around to get the new layout.

They segregated mysteries, thrillers, romance and FICTION. (I thought they were all fiction)

They separated Science Fiction from Fantasy and from Horror. (It used to be a hodge-podge! This might be a good thing!)

Then I started looking for authors I like. For one, The highest dollar selling Science Fiction author for the last 40 years (used to have 7-10 shelves) had 4 books, that's it! Second, the Tom Clancy section was a well picked over/ on half of the former size.

Overall, I noticed the store as a whole had just over 1/2 of the number of books it had several months ago.

The "Toy and Game section" was not quite half of the second story. Children's books was a smaller and separate section.

I have noticed that this store's selection is totally different than the 2 or 3 others I visit. I think whoever is selecting (censor or edit selection!) has diminished people's ability to buy what they want!

At the rate they are going, this prime location in a fashion mall will soon be a Starbucks with a large news stand and room for several nail salons!

Ivan

It's been a while since I've been to a Barnes & Noble. Used to be my favorite place to book shop, but now I've pretty much gone to Kindle for books, though I do have the B&N Nook app on my phone. No Nook books, yet, though. The last one I used to frequent seemed to re-arrange everything every year or two, and I would have to spend some time figuring out where everything was. The last time I was there, sometime last year, I think, they had gotten rid of all their movies and music and replaced it with an expanded toys and games section.

Virtually all of the local bookstores here (Including B&N) have closed. They are all casualties of Amazon and digital books. We have four HPB stores and they seem to do very well, mainly because of their lower prices. Not sure what the pandemic has done to HPB as I haven't been to one since February. I only went there when they had half of half price sales a few times per year. Otherwise, I usually buy books from Abebooks or eBay.

I still use my library card. My local one is still shut down from the 'Rona, but I can use it online to download books on my Kindle. Even though I am retired, I still have access to the Navy MWR electronic library.

I like reading on paper. It's been a while since I've been into a B&N, as I get stuff off Amazon or Abe Books.

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SWCA #3356, SWHF#611

I was in a Half Priced Books about 9 or 10 m0nths ago. They had a 3 Volume set of The Complete Works of Josephus" at $80 or so. This is a grail Book for me, but I had $40 on me. I got a kid to ask the manager if they would toke $40 OTD. It took the manager about 45 minutes to get to me, see the books and say yes, When it was all said and done I said, "Who else you going to sell that to?" She smiled and said, "Oh, there are 2 or 3 other people interested. Then in a whisper, "In the whole world!"

Just try talking to a B&N manager! Let alone make an offer for less on a 800+% markup item.

I really think they are circling the drain!

Ivan

the closest B & N is in Lincoln 140 miles away so I don't get there too often. I was there a couple of weeks ago and it is getting more like a kids toy store all of time

Our B&N closed and it's now a Michaels. There are a couple of used book joints, their books are kind of maybe organized, one has cats everywhere and the place has an overpowering cat urine reek. I bought a paper back book there and when I opened the book when I got home it reeked of the cat urine.

I buy my books online now which doesn't support local small businesses. I like my books to be paper. I could buy digital books and use my I pad but it doesn't honk my horn.

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U.S. Coast Guard, retired CPO

Unfortunately it is my time in life to not get any more books. I have thousands and thousands of them already and it is probably the time to start selling them. Lots of gun books from 50, 60 & 70's. (Many First editions if that means anything for gun books.)

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Bill

I hope not, I'd be lost with out my Nook reader, that goes everywhere with me.

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Always Stay Strong!

Visited my nearby-6 miles-B&N last week-for the first time since March, the cafe closed, all the seats removed. There were a number of "niche" magazines that ceased publication a little while ago, Combat Handguns was one of them. I am waiting for the libraries to reopen, they are my book store.

Somewhere around 1996, at the end of the school year, I did the unthinkable to my kids! I mandated that their TV would be on ONE HOUR a day Monday thru 6PM Friday! until school started back up! Their use to be a used book store on W. College St. in Westerville, about half a block before Otterbein College. One a May payday I walked in and told the owner I would like $100 worth of "Good, semi-classic, teenager" books None of them were First Editions, but all were hard bound. A large grocery bag of Kipling, Mark Twain, and Burroughs. Along with a few comical commentaries on the Greek Classics. The kids had just finished the 4th through 9th grades. They were too happy! But by the end of summer they had more than mush in their brains!

I have a concern that todays youth won't be able to think for themselves. One of the ways I promote that is by giving examples of youth thinking for themselves. My wife read to the kids before bed 3 to 5 a week until they were 16 or 17 (depending on who was in the room with them!)

The Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys mysteries promote independent thought.

Ivan

In a few more years when we can't see that well to read, who is going to buy a book. The upcoming crowd will just let somebody else read it to them or ask Alexa to do it

Reading has always been my thing. When I was about 8 or 9 I got into dog stores and would search the library for them. As the years passed I read a little of every thing. In my late teens I got in to reading the classics, so call great literature. Once when I moved I took over 600 books down to the church for a sale they were having to raise funds. But age caught up with me. I still read as much as ever but no longer can deal with complex books. When I was younger I read The Count of Monte Cristo and loved it but recently I tried to read it again but could no do it. The old mind just doesn't work as well. Same with the eyes. I now do all my reading in a Kindle so I can control the print size. One can still do what one loves as he gets older but must make adjustments in how he does it.

I'm old fashioned and like my books made of paper. I just never could get into the kindle/electronic thing.
Usually when I walk into a book store, I already know what I'm looking for. However, once inside, heaven only knows what I might leave with. I've gone in looking for one specific book and left with four or five.
For many years there was a used paperback book store within a mile of my house. Small place just crammed with used books at cheap prices. But alas, it finally closed. I guess a victim to the electronic age.

If there's one good thing about Covid-19, it has more people reading.

I have loved to read since I was a youngster.

The nearest B&N is 47 miles away, Half-Price Books is about 60. I’m a B&N member but overall not a huge fan. I have purchased many new books from the Naval Institute Press, particularly when they have a sale. There is also a good used book store in the same town as the B&N.

After I am done with the books, they go to my brother-in-law and from him to a nephew. Both are Navy vets and enjoy the free reads and it helps me out by making room for new books

Not book related per se: Today I stopped by an automobile dealer and asked for a couple of brochures on their vehicles. I was told “go online,” they didn’t have any brochures. I replied that I HAD gone online and THAT was WHY I wanted a brochure in hand. After I got home I went to the manufacturer’s website and ordered the brochures.

I used to be that way, until I had to move last year and had to figure out what to do with all my books. Ended up getting rid of most of them. Since then, I've decided to go electronic when possible to minimize that problem in the future.

Ditto. I never thought I'd have any use for a dedicated electronic reader device (Kindle) but I got a Paperwhite for Christmas and love it. Easier to read than a tablet, and about 10x the battery life. What's not to like?

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Send lawyers, guns & money...

Paper books tend to cause blisters on my fingers from trying to expand the page.

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Music/Sports/Beer fan

Another pet peeve - When you last purchased a new item (kitchen appliance, camera, computer, watch, etc.) did you receive a paper instruction manual with it? Instructions do not come with the item! You have to go online and download a manual. Push the cost of printing a paper manual off on to the customer and save the cost of printing one. Then when you do print one, the print is so small that a magnifying glass is needed to read it.

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Bill

Use your city/county library. You'd be amazed at what they have and can get through their network..........And it's free.

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S&W Accumulator

I could never find the books I wanted so I use the Kindle app on my iPad. For $9.99 a month, many of the books are free.

If you have the time and patience, the Goodwill Outlet stores have large bins full of books for pennies on the dollar.

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Life Is A Gift. Defend it!

Don't have an i-pad but do have 2 sandwich clamps to hold a book.

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S&W Accumulator

I just use thriftbooks.com now.

Regards,
Bruce

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Regards,
Bruce

Post them for sale! I am always in the market for old gun books.

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Chief

If you have to pay $9.99 a month, then they aren't free.

Just sayin'...