F**k Waldenbooks!

[no_arbusto]

Today my girlfriend and I set out to the local mall to pick up Hillary's "Living History". We went into B. Dalton and found it in the Bestsellers section for $21.95. We saw it cheaper online so we decided to also check the Waldenbooks downstairs to see if we could get a better deal.

Well, we walk in and see their "bestsellers" section. Of course there's Man Coulter's "Treason" at Number 10 and I think Hannity was on the list too. There was also some book called "Hillary's Scheme". So, we looked around for awhile to no avail. Finally my girlfriend asked the guy behind the counter where Hillary's book was. He realized that she was referring to "Living History" and not the other book, rolled his eyes, and pointed to the Political section. We then found it, tucked on the bottom shelf with 2 copies left. It was 1 dollar cheaper than B. Dalton but I decided that we weren't spending our money there. I loudly said "I'd rather go all the way back upstairs and pay the extra dollar than buy from these f**king fascists. In fact I'd pay 10 extra dollars. Ann Coulter is number 10 and Hillary's book is hidden? What the f**k? (real mature I know)."

Anyway, we bought the book from B. Dalton. Also, Ann's books had full stacks out to the edge of the shelf meaning noone has bought any. Sorry had to rant.

[Shanty Oilish]

1. Rejoice in the choice

If it's any consolation, there are places where you have to know somebody, to get your hands on a book. And you could both be in trouble with the authorities.

[w4rma]

2. This is America, draftcaroline. We should not be glad we aren't as bad

as a totalitarian dictatorship. There shouldn't even be a comparison with that type of government. That attitude will not lead to impovement.

[Shanty Oilish]

36. We shouldn't be glad???

We shouldn't compare? :eyes:
I'm glad, and I never forget the difference.

[NashVegas]

40. No Kidding!

Not long after I moved to Tennessee, I was checking books out of the library. I put in to reserve a copy of "Storming Heaven," about the history of LSD.

You would not believe the runaround I got. It was so long ago, I forget most of the details to regale you with, but I do recall the very red face the librarian at the front desk had on the day I came to collect the book (after 8 months of waiting). He said it was still not in, and I contradicted him because I'd earlier placed a phone call and spoken to someone out of his loop who told me it was.

[jafap]

3. Is that the one that is owned by Kmart?

The Waldenbooks here is very bad too. Their social issues section is almost all rightwing. I bought Begala's book and Vidal's book there, and I wonder if I should have supported them that much. You should be happy that you have a B. Dalton, although I think you can get it at any Wal-mart for about $18.
Apparently Waldenbooks is to bookstores what Fox is to television news.

[no_arbusto]

4. Yeah, we're transplants here.

We're from the east coast, living in (surprisingly) conservative California (Inland Empire) this summer. Most of the Walmart's around here only carry Jesus books. My girlfriend and I wagered on whether walmart.com would actually carry Living History. She won, I lost. I still refused to give my money to them though.

[Atlant]

7. Was K-Mart, now the Borders Group. (NT)

[ComplimentarySwine]

5. I had no idea

that Waldenbooks was so right-wing. I havn't been to the one here in quite some time. However, the local walmart did have the book prominently displayed.

[no_arbusto]

6. Maybe it's a regional choice?

I don't remember Waldenbooks in Pittsburgh being so rightwing. I imagine most bookstores are doing the regional thing now. The Borders in Fredericksburg, VA comes to mind.

[greekspeak]

8. Waldenbooks in Springfield, MO was never too bad

There were two locations, and the one in the functional mall was all right. One of my most vocal liberal freinds worked there for years and still works there during the holidays. If conservative trappings were prominant at that store, she would have been all over it. I personally never have noticed anything amiss there myself.

[jackstraw45]

9. Not that I'd advocate doing this...

but it would be funny to slip a few copies of Living History into heavily displayed Treason book jackets for Freeps to buy.

Heh...

[JHB]

10. The staff may play a part...

...witness the clerk's reaction. It's also possible Annthrax's publisher "bought" some prominent display, whereas Hillary's publisher figured they didn't need such a gimmick for it to sell.

While you might write off that particular Waldenbooks, it isn't necessarily the same way in every store.

[BigMcLargehuge]

11. Waldenbooks tale of woe...

I was looking for Normal Mailer's "The Naked and the Dead" at Waldenbooks and after perusing the woefully small classics section, the woefully understocked general fiction section, and even the sword and sorcery encrusted science fiction section I asked the clerk. Here is a paraphrase of the conversation:

Her: Is there something I can help you find?
Me: I am looking for "The Naked and the Dead" by Norman Mailer.
Her: We don't carry adult books here...
Me: It's not an "adult" book, it's literary fiction.
Her: Any book by someone named Mormon Nailer is an adult book and Walden won't carry it.
Me: It's N-ormal M-ailer, and the book is about his experiences in WW2.
Her: We don't have it and we won't carry it.

Needless to say, the last time I ever went to Walden Books...

Mormon Nailer... Sheesh.

[jackstraw45]

12. That employee is the type of person

who loves Dubya and praises him for his honesty.

:eyes:

[NJCher]

13. OMG!

That is one of the funniest exchanges I've ever heard!


Cher

[skypilot]

15. Is that a true story?!?!

That sounds like something that would happen in a bad teen comedy flick.

[BigMcLargehuge]

16. Honest, it's true (eom)

[yankeedem]

43. A porn name is born

Mormon Nailer, LOL.

[glasschains]

14. Lucky you weren't arrested

Disorderly conduct. Just don't shop there. Write a letter to the company explaining why with the details. What's the big deal?

[Forkboy]

17. Fuck all chain bookstores

support your local libraries instead!

[demigoddess]

19. our local library has nearly 800 people on a waiting list

for Living History.

[Forkboy]

21. Just hope they read fast :)

Libraries really need our help more than any chain store does.

If you do purchase the book though how about donating it to the library when you're done so the list goes quicker for others.

[Mairead]

23. Right on!

Public libraries are our most underappreciated cultural resource. It's not for nothing that Andrew Carnegie devoted the bulk of what was then the largest private fortune in the US to endowing thousands of public libraries.

[noonwitch]

18. "Hillary's Scheme" was written by a freeper

Limbach is a freeper, who's paranoid that Hillary and Bill want to take over the world and take his guns.

[Hamlette]

20. you should be ashamed

You should never buy a book from a chain. Find a lovely independent bookstore and shop there.

The big chains have put several small publishing houses out of business. Chains want to buy books that sell in quantity because they get quantity discounts. There is a legitimate fear that if all we have is chain book stores our choices will be substantially reduced. Some day Grisham and Coulter might be all you can buy if the chains take over.

[skypilot]

22. I worked for a chain bookstore

I worked at Borders in Philadelphia. It was HORRIBLE!!! I quit a little over two years ago and I tell people not to shop there unless they absolutely have to. There is NO reason to go to a chain bookstore to buy a copy of, say, "The Catcher in the Rye" if you can buy it from an independently owned bookstore. The big draw of the chain bookstores is that they give discounts on mostly new releases--usually hardbacks. If the book you are looking for is not a new release there is no reason to shop at a chain unless you need the book immediately and your local independently owned bookstore doesn't have it on hand. If you don't need the book immediately I'm sure it can be ordered for you. People really need to ask themselves, "What do I buy at the chain bookstores that I can just as easily get from my local non-chain bookstore?" Give whatever business you can to your independent bookstores. You'll miss them when they're gone.

[mark0rama]

32. I could never buy "Catcher in the Rye" new...

There are some books I just have to buy at a used bookstore, in paperback, dog-eared, well-thumbed through, and (preferably) with some passages underlined and notes scrawled in the margins.

[skypilot]

33. Catcher in the Rye

I bought my copy about 15 years ago from a used book store. It looks so old and wise sitting on my bookshelf.

[Michael Daniels]

25. Convenience and supply wins for me...sorry.

I've had enough problems trying to order items from independent book and music stores that the contributing to the local economy factor isn't worth the trouble. Since they almost inherently have smaller stocking room for inventory, independents aren't that more likely to be carrying some hard to find book on their shelf unless they are specialized.

I'll go to an independent if I'm impulse shopping but if I'm searching for something specific I'll go to a chain every time.

[skypilot]

26. I'm not talking about hard to find...

...books. Like I said before, if someone needs a copy of "The Catcher in the Rye" or some other common title I see no reason to shop at a chain. If an independent bookstore is so poorly stocked that it doesn't have the most common, well-known titles then that will be the cause of its demise.
Some cities, including the one I live in have several smaller bookstores that can get hard to find titles. If they can't then the chain wins by default. It doesn't sound as though you will miss the smaller bookstores when they are gone. More power to you but I see no reason to limit myself to the Borders and Waldenbooks of the world.

[skypilot]

28. Oh, and...

...it's really disheartening to hear you say that the "local economy factor" isn't "worth the trouble". I take it that you don't plan to live under your current local economy for very long.

[mainer]

24. Waldenbooks is supposed to shelve their bestsellers

in their bestseller display. Waldenbooks compiles their own internal bestseller list once a week, and they're supposed to display them according to how the books are selling in their chain. Either that store isn't following the corporate rules, or Waldenbooks, as a chain, is selling to primarily conservative customers and Hillary isn't doing well there. That's the only explanation I can come up with for why Hillary's book isn't in the bestseller display.

[swinney]

27. book stores controlled?

I had the same experience at Books a Million.

One year ago the local store and nothing but Reagan books. Unreal.

When I go to any book store I turn some upside down. Sorry, just cannot resist temptation.

[swinney]

29. My Best visit to a book store

I was in Walton in a mall in Durham NC and was browsing.

I was in a section and picked up Mush Dimbaugh book.

I cracked up when I looked at section heading--FICTION.

[activationproducts]

30. A rightwing corporate scheme

I need to do a little research on who owns Waldenbooks but it appears to me that they are doing their best to perpetrate the sliding to the right that is happening in our country now that Bush has taken over. That was just the impression I got visiting a local one.

[newyawker99]

37. Hi activationproducts!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[BushNixon04]

31. you got what you deserved

always buy from a locally-owned bookstore and keep your dollars in your community!

[Adamocrat]

34. Costco's Freeper hid LH...

Here in Atlanta (at the Morrow store) some Freeper type hid all of Hillary's book up under the children's books. My partner and I took Skank Coulter's book a few at a time and hid them under a palette of motor oil in the auto section until they were all gone. (Those palettes are great since they have that open space at the bottom.)

We replaced La Skank with Mrs. Clinton's book, and all was right with the world. I may not be Hillary's biggest fan, but I loathe Coulter.

-A

[BigDaddyLove]

35. If you're in the habit of.........

hiding books written by someone you 'loathe', then don't complain when someone does the very same thing to books written by someone you admire, or books that fit more easily into your worldview.

Not everyone needs or appreciates censorship of opposing ideas; if you don't like what someone has to say (or write), then don't buy the book.

[CBHagman]

38. The clerk sounds pretty incompetent

For starters, you don't roll your eyes at a customer who is considering purchasing an item. It's bad business and just plain rude.

Be sure to stick to stores where there's good customer service, if you can locate the same in your area! I prefer the clerks who don't cling to you but are very approachable.

[DiverDave]

39. And I got

A $25 gift card for Dads day from the family...tried to exchange for cash (they didn't have Chilton's Honda service manual) they said they couldn't!
I called another branch, they said they would give me cash, and when I got there, no cash...the danged card is still in my glovebox.

Dave

[Blue-Jay]

41. Another vote for independant bookstores.

I don't know what I'd do without Darkstar bookstore in Yellow Springs. If they don't have what I'm looking for, they'll get it within a few days and call me. I'd rather pay a dollar extra and support a local place anyway. Plus, it gives me a good excuse to eat at The Trail Tavern across the street.

2 shameless plugs. 1 post. :)

[pstokely]

42. probably just the store

Borders owns them, complain to them