My personal internal weather affects the shop. The shop affects my personal internal weather. This week I am feeling chilly and grey, (possibly as a result of all the antibiotics.) The takings, though not terrible, haven't been great, which in turn makes me feel greyer. Yesterday was an oasis of fun as it was my eldest daughter's birthday and a celebration is always good. An excuse to cook a steamed chocolate pud!
On the other hand today started in a difficult way with an elderly friend appearing in the shop to ask me to order difficult-to-find books. I don't know how she does it, but my heart drops when I see her come in because I KNOW she will have found a title that she wants very badly but that is going to take me 20 minutes to a) track down and b) buy, from some obscure web site. Once uopn a time I would have felt a sense of satisfaction at finding the book but (is this a sign I have been doing it too long?) that doesn't seem to happen these days.
I have been thinking a lot about the possibility of closing the shop and selling only on the internet. I would have so much more freedom for walks on the beach, café-sitting, charity shop trawling and so on. Then I think about the dangers of putting all my eggs into one basket - the internet is becoming difficult. So many people are either listing at 1p or underpricing each other down to 1p. That still works for those who have contracts with Royal Mail but in order to make a contract viable it is necessary to be posting a very high number per month. So, like most things, there is a level one has to reach before it pays off. The thought of reaching the necessary number of listings and then packing that many books does not fill me with excitement. Let's face it, I am not as young as Tony R who decided to make book selling his career and who has a wife, child, mortgage etc. to support. At that point it HAS to work big time.
The internet underpricing systems have driven prices into a downward spiral that is seriously devaluing my stock and I suppose everyone elses. I'm not sure it is working in the customer's favour either, with so many less-than-professional sellers who don't describe their books properly, shovel them into paper bags and throwing them in the post. It isn't going to stop now though.
Maybe I am just in a low energy patch and when the weather improves my outlook will improve. I can't help thinking about the bookselling lady in Fochabers who died the year before last. I bought the best of her stock which had a very run-down feel to it. Do I want the shop to go slowly down hill as I loose energy, or should I quit whilst it's still OK? The newly restricted space is certainly less attractive but on the other hand real browsers are finding what they want. It's a quandary.
The need to behave in a reasonably cheery way for the benefit of the customers can change my own mood. It only takes one really nice person through the door to brighten the day. Which means I often benefit from the shop in more ways than simply financial. Then again there are the difficult ones, the grumpy ones, the supercillious ones and the smelly ones.....
As so many times in my life when I've been facing a decision I find I cannot make two columns, one for the positive and one for the negative effects of taking a particular route. Some results carry more weight than others. I give them stars.... but in the end tossing a coin works too. Making a decision to NOT make a decision is probably the best way to go. I used to have something on the wall to the effect that 'There is no problem that cannot be solved by indecision.'
That pretty much sums it up.
A dealer from Aberdeen is coming at the end of next week. Fingers crossed that should help the score. Then buying some more books will renew my interest and freshen up the shelves.
I'm interested to learn that the remainder company 'Sandpiper' is refusing to sell to folk who might then list their books on the net so undercutting Sandpiper themselves. As I have never seen the point of remaindered books (they are usually remainderd for a reason) it doesn't affect me but seems to be rattling a few cages.
No comments:
Post a Comment