There is along profile in "New York Magazine" of the travails of Barnes and Noble and it's founder, Tom Hanks....err, I mean, Len Riggio.
Combined with a profile I read in the last few years of Micheal Powell, of Powell's Bookstore in Portland, I come away with an overall sense on the part of these two guys of....dismay, almost bitterness, because their life's work is changing beyond all recognition.
In Powell's case, he seemed to be grousing about how his lead in online selling was disappearing. There is nothing worse than being one of the firsts in a new trend, only to have others come along later who take all your ideas and run with them.
In Riggio's case, it seems like he is both protective of his book empire, while at the same time he seems to realize he himself is stabbing it in the back with his Nook. Meanwhile -- How dare others come along and try to buy HIS company!
Get used to it, Buster.
I lost these illusions long ago. I sold the hell of sportscards for about 6 years, but that didn't stop others from coming along and completely taking it away. (Lot of good it did them.) I watched comics self-destruct, Marvel go bankrupt, the number of comic shops shrink from 12k to 3k within a couple of years. I saw Magic become big, then small, then big again and slowly becoming small again. I watched pogs come and go within 6 months. Beanie Babies, Pokemon.
Lately I've seen both Manga and Anime become all but unworkable because of widespread piracy.
Such will be the fate of all content.
I don't think books are going to disappear. In fact, I think if Tom Hanks, (with the help of his chirpy little wife, Meg) were to rededicate himself to physical books, he could pull it off.
But you can tell he's fading -- falling away, jumping into a world where he's not only not the trailblazer, but rather late to the game. And he's doing it for the soul-crushing reason of 'business', not because he's terribly interested himself.
There's a reason I keep referring to the big boxes as dinosaurs. Because they are inevitably doomed. Probably sometime in next few decades.
I don't think any of the above products are going to disappear -- just the way they are sold. And small guys can sell small amounts. Dinosaurs need lots and lots of fuel to move their giant bodies around.
I'm going to try not to be standing underneath any of them as they topple over.
Combined with a profile I read in the last few years of Micheal Powell, of Powell's Bookstore in Portland, I come away with an overall sense on the part of these two guys of....dismay, almost bitterness, because their life's work is changing beyond all recognition.
In Powell's case, he seemed to be grousing about how his lead in online selling was disappearing. There is nothing worse than being one of the firsts in a new trend, only to have others come along later who take all your ideas and run with them.
In Riggio's case, it seems like he is both protective of his book empire, while at the same time he seems to realize he himself is stabbing it in the back with his Nook. Meanwhile -- How dare others come along and try to buy HIS company!
Get used to it, Buster.
I lost these illusions long ago. I sold the hell of sportscards for about 6 years, but that didn't stop others from coming along and completely taking it away. (Lot of good it did them.) I watched comics self-destruct, Marvel go bankrupt, the number of comic shops shrink from 12k to 3k within a couple of years. I saw Magic become big, then small, then big again and slowly becoming small again. I watched pogs come and go within 6 months. Beanie Babies, Pokemon.
Lately I've seen both Manga and Anime become all but unworkable because of widespread piracy.
Such will be the fate of all content.
I don't think books are going to disappear. In fact, I think if Tom Hanks, (with the help of his chirpy little wife, Meg) were to rededicate himself to physical books, he could pull it off.
But you can tell he's fading -- falling away, jumping into a world where he's not only not the trailblazer, but rather late to the game. And he's doing it for the soul-crushing reason of 'business', not because he's terribly interested himself.
There's a reason I keep referring to the big boxes as dinosaurs. Because they are inevitably doomed. Probably sometime in next few decades.
I don't think any of the above products are going to disappear -- just the way they are sold. And small guys can sell small amounts. Dinosaurs need lots and lots of fuel to move their giant bodies around.
I'm going to try not to be standing underneath any of them as they topple over.