Website review: Flying Off the Shelves - Books - Th...

mrgrum discovered this in Books •15 reviews since Mar 4, 2008
books •thestranger.com/seattle/Content

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mrgrum discovered 6 months ago

From the page: "here's an underground economy of boosted books. These values are commonly understood and roundly agreed upon through word of mouth, and the values always seem to be true. Once, a scruffy, large man approached me, holding a folded-up piece of paper. "Do you have any Buck?" He paused and looked at the piece of paper. "Any books by Buckorsick?" I suspected that he meant Bukowski, but I played dumb, and asked to see the piece of paper he was holding. It was written in crisp handwriting that clearly didn't belong to him, and it read: 1. Charles Bukowski 2. Jim Thompson 3. Philip K. Dick 4. William S. Burroughs 5. Any Graphic Novel This is pretty much the authoritative top five, the New York Times best-seller list of stolen books. Its origins still mystify me. It might have belonged to an unscrupulous used bookseller who sent the homeless out, Fagin-like, to do his bidding, or it might have been another book thief helping a semi-illiterate friend identify the valuable merchandise."

kishwi rated 6 months ago

From the page: \"On the rare occasion when a shoplifter would run faster than I could, I would shout at his back as he escaped into the city: \"Why don\'t you steal from a fucking corporate bookstore, you asshole?\" None of them ever responded. \"

NeedsMoreCoffee rated 6 months ago

From the page: \"I know a few booksellers who have literally been driven a little bit crazy at the thought of their inventory evaporating out the door, and with good reason: An overabundance of shoplifters can put bookstores out of business. One local bookstore owner can famously talk about shoplifters with total strangers for hours, with the detail and passion that some people reserve for sexual conquests.\"

mcbill rated 6 months ago

"In my eight years working at an independent bookstore, I lost count of how many shoplifters I chased through the streets of Seattle while shouting "Drop the book!"... Interesting article.

trill42 rated 6 months ago

In response to the bookseller's question about why people don't steal from corporate bookstores: they may figure they're more likely to get caught stealing from a corporate bookstore. The big guys tend to have more employees, and are more likely to be able to afford anti-shoplifting security measures. (Some independent stores may not even want to take measures that impose a Draconian feel on their store.) No idea whether certain stores are more likely to call the police/prosecute, but there may be a perception that the corporate chains are more "zero-tolerance".
Why do people steal rather than use the library? They may not want the books to read; they may want to sell them. They might also want to keep the books (same reasons that anyone doesn't just use the library.) And not everyone can get a library card; a number of things can make you ineligible. For one thing, if you don't have an address, you're out of luck.

Worzel rated 6 months ago

From the page: "In my eight years working at an independent bookstore, I lost count of how many shoplifters I chased through the streets of Seattle while shouting "Drop the book!""

chriskeegan rated 6 months ago

Actually very funny piece. Nice to hear that tea leafs have good taste.

CoffeeCrazed rated 6 months ago

This is pretty funny in a way. It's comforting to know that the most commonly-stolen books aren't self-help claptrap. But I suppose if you're stealing, you're already beyond wanting to improve yourself. ; )