Thinking of Opening a Bookstore

[Renegnicat]

Where I live, education is down in the dumps, so to speak. I was probably the only student in my neighborhood that enjoyed learning, and that troubles me, because, let's be honest here, kids these days are suffering under the current education system. If you go to other places in the world, like say, germany, the attitude there is, well, different, amongst the students.

I would make a horrible teacher, but I'm thinking it might be fun to open an independent bookstore in my region(there are no others).  It might be fun to have a bookstore whose main focus is the topics of politics, science reading, history, and literature instead of what most bookstores focus on: Fiction, fantasy, thrillers, etc.

Right now I'm only planning out what I want to accomplish in detail. Then I'll be doing research to figure out how to achieve those ends. It's something that I've set my heart on, I guess. I feel energized, but calm, as I contemplate this. Not only would I be making a contribution towards my community, but a bookstore will allow me to have a base of operations for a lot of other things I want to organize, such as a Go tournament and Dungeons and Dragons night, as well as tutoring services and so much more.

It really sounds like fun.  :typehappy:

[Reginus]

To be honest, it doesn't sound like you'd get much business. I mean, I would go to it for sure if I lived in your area, but I doubt many kids or adults in a poorly educated area would be that interested in political science or history. Is there a college or university anywhere near your neighborhood?

[Tom62]

.... kids these days are suffering under the current education system. If you go to other places in the world, like say, germany, the attitude there is, well, different, amongst the students.

How are these kids suffering under the current education system? What makes you think that German students have a different attitude than the students in the place that you live? I'm pretty curious, because I live in Germany and don't have a high opinion about the German education system either.

It might be fun to have a bookstore whose main focus is the topics of politics, science reading, history, and literature instead of what most bookstores focus on: Fiction, fantasy, thrillers, etc.

Your bookshop sounds a lot like the literary bookshop "Atheneum" in Amsterdam, the Netherlands (http://www.athenaeum.nl), that nearly went bankrupt a couple of years ago. Atheneum is located very close to the University of Amsterdam, so it's clientele is mainly composed of university students. In your case you might find it even harder to get any business, because you are living in a poorly educated area. For the rest I have nothing against good fiction, fantasy,  thrillers, etc.

[G-Roll]

To be honest, it doesn't sound like you'd get much business. I mean, I would go to it for sure if I lived in your area, but I doubt many kids or adults in a poorly educated area would be that interested in political science or history. Is there a college or university anywhere near your neighborhood?

i second this...

[Sophus]

I like the idea but agree that the reason for the success of other bookstores is due to the fact that people like the trashy books they're selling. Maybe if you included a lot of classic literature or lesser known works of legendary authors in lieu of the mediocre commercial fiction constantly being cranked out?

[Renegnicat]

Hmmm... I agree that I might run into trouble there. Tell me, is there a sizeable portion of books offerring introductory books on various subjects of history and stuff. You know, books that don't go into detail right away, but are good for general overviews, that are interesting and filled with good stuff.

If there are a lot of books like that, then I might be ok with selling more traditional books, in addition to the ones I want to. I certainly am not interested in selling books like you might see be endorsed by the atlantic. Those books are too technical, too deep, to difficult to get into.

It would be much better if there were a series of books giving good introductions on lots of fascinating topics. Those are the books that I would most like to sell, and if people want more in depth stuff, they can always go to amazon. I could also arrange the layout of the store so as to encourage people's interest in those books, which would be more of a centerpiece shelf in the center of the store, which would be surrounded by tables where people can gather and and just chill or talk or eat their lunch. The more traditional books, then, would be on a long shelf that goes all around the room, attached to the walls.

It might not work, but I'll be damned if I'm not going to try.  

[Reginus]

Maybe you could add a tiny little place to get coffee w some tables nearby (this is what Barns and Noble does). Perhaps free wi-fi as well just to get people to come.

[G-Roll]

Hmmm... I agree that I might run into trouble there. Tell me, is there a sizeable portion of books offerring introductory books on various subjects of history and stuff. You know, books that don't go into detail right away, but are good for general overviews, that are interesting and filled with good stuff.

If there are a lot of books like that, then I might be ok with selling more traditional books, in addition to the ones I want to. I certainly am not interested in selling books like you might see be endorsed by the atlantic. Those books are too technical, too deep, to difficult to get into.

It would be much better if there were a series of books giving good introductions on lots of fascinating topics. Those are the books that I would most like to sell, and if people want more in depth stuff, they can always go to amazon. I could also arrange the layout of the store so as to encourage people's interest in those books, which would be more of a centerpiece shelf in the center of the store, which would be surrounded by tables where people can gather and and just chill or talk or eat their lunch. The more traditional books, then, would be on a long shelf that goes all around the room, attached to the walls.

It might not work, but I'll be damned if I'm not going to try.  

there is a bagel/ coffee shop out here that is also a used book store. maybe introducing some coffee or a used book exchange might be a good idea on the side. wireless internet connection, coffee, or anything else that might pull people in that are not that into books.
good luck if you go for it!

[Reginus]

great minds think alike  

[G-Roll]

great minds think alike  :idea:

[Big Mac]

.... kids these days are suffering under the current education system. If you go to other places in the world, like say, germany, the attitude there is, well, different, amongst the students.

How are these kids suffering under the current education system? What makes you think that German students have a different attitude than the students in the place that you live? I'm pretty curious, because I live in Germany and don't have a high opinion about the German education system either.

I guess a good education comes from the student's motivation no matter what kind of stuff you throw at them. I think government run schools fail to teach kids the concept of thinking critically and instead harp on conformity and being quiet and not making a scene when something bad happens. Think about it, they have your kids for 8 or more hours a day. They essentially have the perfect time to brainwash them into little conformity monkeys who don't think for themselves.