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Re: Would you shop at a small bookstore that sells only SciFi/Fantasy books? Druid Send a noteboard - 18/02/2011 06:20:21 AM
Without doing any kind of research, and just based on your gut feeling, could a bookstore dedicated purely to Sci-fi/Fantasy survive? I've been kicking around this idea in my head for years. The 2 or 3 rows at Barnes & Noble just doesn't cut it. They almost never have the book I'm looking for. So how about a store that sells thousands of fantasy titles?

I know online shopping is pretty easy but this store would have a nice ambiance to it. Maybe some fantasy decorations or something, plenty of comfy chairs, a roaring fire, book discussions, meet the author, etc. It's possible right? Maybe in a big city where a store like this could find a nice niche?


There is one in Sydney called Galaxy. Stand-alone. Does books andsome merchandise. Lots of import books (books published in the US that will never get here otherwise). Sydney has 5 million people and one sf bookstore.

My son-in-law gets a book token for Galaxy every year for putting up with my daughter. A large book token as he has to put up with a lot.

There is also one in Melbourne (Minotaur which has branched out into all sorts of strange stuff like wrestling memorabilia), and I have been to one in London (Forbidden Planet, which has a chain of shops in regional British cities).

HOWEVER.

Galaxy is owned by another bookstore, called Abbeys. I think Abbeys owns the property in which Galaxy is situated. In fact the entire block. Abbeys is family-owned and I do not think they are very commercial i.e. stay true to a 20th Century, if not 19th Century love of books for books sake. Abbeys has the most complete crime novel catalogue in Sydney.

So, as far as I can tell, having a specialist bookstore for sf/fantasy is a labour of love. You will likely go broke without some very deep pockets; you will need to have online sales from Day One; you will need to stock other genre stuff also not found in mainstream stores; you will need to advertise your head off = need lots of money.

Best to marry lots of money :|
*MySmiley* Druid *MySmiley*



Object of Desire (retired)

The Peoples Front For Nebhead Appreciation

I blame Jake
Galaxy
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Would you shop at a small bookstore that sells only SciFi/Fantasy books? Dark Knight - 17/02/2011 09:39:39 PM 731 Views
They exist. *NM* TaskmasterJack - 17/02/2011 09:48:55 PM 216 Views
Do you have an example? *NM* Dark Knight - 17/02/2011 09:54:27 PM 214 Views
There is at least one in Edinburgh Camilla - 17/02/2011 10:16:45 PM 507 Views
What's the selection like? *NM* Dark Knight - 17/02/2011 10:26:42 PM 274 Views
Not bad Camilla - 17/02/2011 10:28:08 PM 523 Views
This is the one in Edinburgh. Nebhead - 17/02/2011 10:23:20 PM 630 Views
Not to nitpick, but... Legolas - 17/02/2011 10:26:07 PM 496 Views
Virtually every comic book store in the country is essentially "only fantasy/sci-fi". Tom - 17/02/2011 10:38:55 PM 454 Views
Yes I would shop at such a store/Will it survive? The answer is no. *NM* Roland00 - 17/02/2011 09:51:09 PM 221 Views
But I would thank you for shopping anyways *NM* Dark Knight - 17/02/2011 09:55:03 PM 222 Views
Think of it like this Roland00 - 18/02/2011 12:26:35 AM 596 Views
Note I want you to know I ain't trying to stomp on your dream. *NM* Roland00 - 18/02/2011 12:27:13 AM 232 Views
Yeh, I would. Craig - 17/02/2011 10:07:44 PM 608 Views
I would shop in place like that. Bergioyn - 17/02/2011 10:12:37 PM 473 Views
sometimes but not always random thoughts - 17/02/2011 10:19:57 PM 493 Views
Bakka Phoenix Books. Chas - 17/02/2011 10:27:56 PM 695 Views
You'd probably want to add in RPGs and some SFF merchandise Isaac - 17/02/2011 10:35:10 PM 579 Views
I'm not sure if that stuff in your sig has been there long, but... Legolas - 17/02/2011 10:45:20 PM 460 Views
Yeah, it should read Landsraad Isaac - 17/02/2011 11:18:31 PM 489 Views
I was thinking the same thing. I would like to sell some swords and things like that *NM* Dark Knight - 17/02/2011 10:49:23 PM 215 Views
I gather those tend to sell poorly Isaac - 18/02/2011 12:11:09 AM 469 Views
hold Magic the Gathering tournamnets and call it a comic book store *NM* random thoughts - 18/02/2011 04:04:27 PM 207 Views
Could it survive? Of course. Would I shop there? Not in a million years. *NM* Tom - 17/02/2011 10:37:03 PM 212 Views
Lol why not? *NM* Dark Knight - 17/02/2011 10:48:10 PM 211 Views
I don't read much sci-fi or fantasy. Tom - 17/02/2011 11:05:55 PM 503 Views
THIS. Also... Urza - 17/02/2011 11:22:40 PM 530 Views
Maybe just under-exploited? Isaac - 18/02/2011 12:31:26 AM 767 Views
Add roleplaying, toys, comics, movie merch and you'd hardly get me outta there *NM* ironclad - 17/02/2011 10:52:04 PM 217 Views
Add the entire nonfiction genre and i would never leave. Avendesora - 18/02/2011 12:52:14 AM 521 Views
Maybe add a couple of other genres to it. Literature, mystery &suspence, historical fiction at least Tashmere - 18/02/2011 02:28:20 AM 442 Views
there's one in berkeley called other change of hobbit temeraire - 18/02/2011 05:51:52 AM 472 Views
Re: Would you shop at a small bookstore that sells only SciFi/Fantasy books? Druid - 18/02/2011 06:20:21 AM 645 Views
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