I've lost my local secondhand bookshop.

[fv1609]

This was the last secondhand bookshop in Salisbury, the other one closed last year. Thanks Oxfam!

 

http://www.salisburyjournal.co.uk/news/4520280._Oxfam_killed_my_bookshop_/

 

There are two issues for me. I am not anti-charity, I periodically give & indeed a significant proportion of my estate is bequeathed to charity. But those of you who are in employment, just consider this. If very close to you an organisation conducted the same business to you but operated with unpaid staff, were supplied with goods that were free, enjoyed reduced rent & rates. Then you lost your job because there was a reduced demand for your services, would you feel good about it? But it's alright because it is charity, sorry mate!

 

In Oxfam's defence they say it is the decline in secondhand book shops is not their responsibility, it is down to the people like Tesco, Amazon, the internet & the recession. But their 100+ secondhand bookshops thrive, not surprising considering the low running costs.

 

So despite having been a regular customer of the two defunct bookshops, I have frequented the Oxfam bookshop. Although I have bought some books there it is very sanitised in what is sold & in the military section top heavy with McNab type books & the St Michael book of tanks, type of publication.

 

Sad to say I have never found any British Army technical or training publications. In one branch I asked why, it seemed that these paperback publications were not seen to be of interest or of value & not welcome.

 

So I assume someone taking in a pile of military booklets found in grandad's attic would end up dumping them if the old secondhand bookshops are no longer there. I doubt they would be aware of the few specialist military book sellers or feel bothered to travel to visit them.

 

Seems a shame.

[Richard Farrant]

http://www.salisburyjournal.co.uk/news/4520280._Oxfam_killed_my_bookshop_/

 

 

 

 

Read the comments on that link...........were you "writergreen"? :-D

[fv1609]

Read the comments on that link...........were you "writergreen"? :-D

 

No, not me. I didn't realise there were comments. I just thought it was a straight copy of the newspaper page. I originally read the article in the paper itself, don't want to put the local paper out of business!

[Tony B]

In Amazon's defence, they also list a lot of secong hand dealears. I've found several out of print books by contacting the dealeras directly. Beauty of e mail they can keep a general idea of your intrests and let you know if something intresting turns up.

[sirhc]

Who mentioned Amazon? I thought this was about Oxfam?

[Bodge Deep]

I tend not to bother with charity shops anymore to be honest

Anything of any interest/age/value is usually sent to one of the charities ebay centres (most of the big high street charities have them now so the high street punters don't even get to see the donations) and most of the shops are wildly overpriced £5 for a second hand ASDA T-Shirt... I Don't think so

And yes heavily reduced rates, free staff and free stock must stick in the craw of local retailers who are fighting a losing battle at the moment...

Kendal... approx 45 empty shops, 3 empty pubs and more charity shops than we know what to do with!!!!

[fv1609]

...and most of the shops are wildly overpriced...

 

A couple of years ago I was after an out of print book. I did the usual net book search & was surprised with what I found. About 20 hits, most around £15. I bought the lowest one from Eire for £9 but Oxfam was in a league of its own, priced at exactly £50!

 

I have noticed that they are usually top of the charts on price. I know "it's for charity" but how do they expect to shift books if their pricing is so out of step from the rest of the market? What seems to be in the shops is lower priced but that is usually the McNab type of stuff.

 

The best book bargains are sometimes in locally based charity shops, who don't have the good stuff creamed off by a national network.

[Willyslancs]

To go off the thread a little , i put my bags of clothes out for recycling this morning which the bin men pick up, about ten min later i hear a van, on looking out the window i see a young man ,pull up , jump out his van and steal the bags ! Phoned the council and was told its happened a lot recently,they have had lots of calls .What is this world coming to? The stuff will probably be on a car boot stall this weekend...........

[Degsy]

The closure of second hand bookshops and the Salisbury one in particular was one of the subjects covered on the lunchtime show on BBC Radio 2.

Amongst those interviewed was a female who represented the book selling side of Oxfam, it was like listening to one of Gordon Browns mob, no interest in listening to anybody elses point of view and just trotting out the same things over and over. She completely monopolised this part of the programme and I was very surprised at the very feeble effort made by Jeremy Vine to shut her up. A relative of mine used to donate a part of her salary to Oxfam until she discovered the huge salaries paid to some of their employees. During the programme it mentioned that Oxfam paid salaries of £93 million out of an income of £300million.

[Guest catweazle (Banned Member)]

Charity begins at home :-D as a Governor of the RNLI ,i was surprised last balance sheet how wealthy they are.Must phone the councill about having my rates stopped as i havnt earned a penny this week.Wonder if they can send down a free helper to make my tea.My leased premises is run by a charity,when i asked for a better deal they said by law they have to charge the market value,:rofl:cw.

[woa2]

Just had a Charity shop open today just up the road from me. Went in there and bought 6 old 78 records for 50p each. 4 of them are Glenn Miller. They were also giving away free cakes today.

[fv1609]

Just had a Charity shop open today just up the road from me. Went in there and bought 6 old 78 records for 50p each. 4 of them are Glenn Miller. They were also giving away free cakes today.

 

Robert, lucky you're not running a business trying to sell cakes & vintage records then.

[Tony B]

Try Orpington High Street. all Cafes, charity shops and a**** great maousaleum of a new Tesco. There were two second hand book shops a couple of years ago, now unless your'e into Mills & Boon forget it! A trip to Hay on Wye I think.

[Whittingham warrior]

The problem with Oxfam is that most of the staff know little about books, the first thing they reach for when pricing books is the internet. This was exposed for those that always thought Oxfam was a charity rather than a multi-million pound business some years ago on Radio4 'You and Yours.' Here books priced by Oxfam were held up to ridicule for their extortionate prices. For those that want books at reasonable prices why not search online for local book fairs and you can haggle over the price!

[fv1609]

Normally when I look at the Military shelves in a second hand bookshop it is saturated with recent accounts of the SAS. The last time I went into that particular Oxfam bookshop I noticed all those books were now on the Fiction shelves :-D

[g0ozs]

In the end I gave most of my father's travel and reference books to the school library (apart from a few firearms related ones that found homes via this forum).

 

I do have another batch to clear (the librarian says she has no more room) - I think for the military ones I will offer them here again when I get round to it

 

Iain

[Degsy]

The two World Wars are now on the primary school's curriculum and I recently donated a no of books and DVD's to the village school that my 2 grandchildren attend, they will be well looked after and will be used by generations to come long after I am six feet under.:cheesy:

[Mad Scientist]

The problem with Oxfam is that most of the staff know little about books, the first thing they reach for when pricing books is the internet. This was exposed for those that always thought Oxfam was a charity rather than a multi-million pound business some years ago on Radio4 'You and Yours.' Here books priced by Oxfam were held up to ridicule for their extortionate prices. For those that want books at reasonable prices why not search online for local book fairs and you can haggle over the price!

 

Have to say that Paul Meekins Military & History books have been very fair, fast delivery and the book in mint condition. I will always go to a specialist seller and support them rather than Oxfam. Clive is right: you wouldn't want a business taking your job through unfair advantage, would you?