I worked in a bookshop.
It wasn't the easiest job I've ever done, but it was by far the best. I got to meet all sorts of interesting people, and I used them mercilessly for my own education. Although I had to cope with a few morons, they were few and far between. Most of my customers were pretty smart (and probably smarter than me); it's a bit difficult to be thick and literate.

I'd always keep a mental note of people's orders and purchases, and if anything interesting crossed my path I'd order or put aside a second copy for me. I used the staff discount so much it's a wonder my employer didn't just pay me in books.

I'd still be there now if the company hadn't been taken over by a bunch of idiots who felt that centralised purchasing without consideration for local tastes would be a brilliant idea to improve sales (they seemed surprised that Nigel Tranter, an obscure Scottish author who might sell a couple of copies at best in Edinburgh, didn't sell 96 copies in Croydon, but a mere six copies of Mary Jane Staples' latest Sarf Lahndahn oeuvre sold out in three minutes), while at the same time foisting the blame for any poor sales onto the local managers. Heaven forbid that anyone in Head Office might ever make a poor decision. I wasn't too surprised when the company went bust a couple of years after I quit.

Still, later piss-poor management aside, the bookshop was a great place to work. One day I'll have one of my own...
( flake has nothing against your right leg, Thu 9 Sep 2010, 18:20, 2 replies)

It's a dead loss these days
My m-i-l used to own a bookshop. The end of the net book agreement pretty much killed small bookshops because the supermarkets can sell all the popular stuff at a loss. For obscure stuff, Amazon can probably get it quicker than you can.

She knew it had gone crazy when it was cheaper for her to buy stock at retail price from Amazon than from the wholesaler.
(rogerzilla, Thu 9 Sep 2010, 19:54, closed)

a b3tan with a book shop
I'm picturing Bernard Black...
( sanityclause is waiting until, Wed 15 Sep 2010, 12:16, closed)