city lights -- a liberal bookstore with a facist streak?

11/30/2007

I just got into argument/ “discussion” with the dude that works at city lights bookstore. The bookstore founded by the beatniks and the revolutionaries and tries to perpetuate that attitude by selling revolutionary pieces of writing, magazines, etc. I asked why there weren’t any options for poorer people. I thought it was oppressive that only the rich can be exposed to new ideas. Only the rich can afford these fancy, hard covered books. Do they offer a borrow, or buy and sell back policy? No. no they don’t because they need to stay in business. They struggle as it is. They can’t afford to have used books.

Well, little mr. blond funky haircut and clothes man was getting pissy and defensive, so I let it be. But as I stepped outside it occurred to me that the most basic economics class will tell you that offering discounted, pre-read books would only widen their customer base, offering more choices to the people that enter the store, and thereby widen their sales. And of course they will still make a profit on the discounted stuff, because they can jack up the price as high as they want. Certain buyers, like myself, will only buy something if it’s on sale. If it’s not on the discounted shelf, it won’t be bought. Thus creating a purchase that wouldn’t have happened otherwise.

Now I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking that they’ll make a smaller profit because the everyday tourist will then flock to the sale rack and pay less than they would’ve been willing to pay on a book if there hadn’t been a sale rack. Well, this I say to you. They will still buy the new fancy hard cover and go ahead and purchase off the sale rack, too. Bing, bang profity shmam.