Books & Lit
Book Scene: BMV, Is Bigger Better?
In the wake of local used stores closing, we find ourselves with another option in the Annex - BMV Books (if you haven't noticed the turqoise paint, then you should unplug that ipod and take a look around).
Similar in setup to box stores like ChaIndigo, BMV sells used/remaindered books in that familiar, easy to navigate, warehouse-y way. (They also have movies and cds - a quick browse round and I was eyeballing a couple 5$ DVDs and thinking at that price I was in a position to start building my library.)
BMV, like Giant Book Sale/Blowout/Name in Big Red Letters stores on Queen and the newish one near the St. Lawrence Market, sell mostly remainders - extra copies the publisher sells cut-rate just to clear their warehouses. And of course, the savings are passed on to you.
BMV also has actual used (vs. unsold) books. The benefit to the big box format is, of course, that you can fit a huge volume of titles in the store, and everyone will be duly impressed by the nice trade paperbacks you have for under ten bucks. The idea being that when you come in for emergency Cliff Notes, you might grab a 'bargain' book for another 30 because it's such a good deal.
What all this means is that you're unlikely to find anything that's been released within the past two years, but hey, that's not why you're there - you're ready to grab a nice coffee table book for $20, instead of $79.95.
Is this good? Hey, I'm in no position to argue with anything that saves me money, and, in the season of increasing credit debt, it's nice to ease the burden a little. The prices aren't far off from what you'd find at, say, nearby Seekers, but the shopping experience is not the same.
Ultimately I think you'll find that the quality selection is, as per usual, more likely found at the smaller places who've had the time and experience to learn who comes into the store, what they like, and what's worth carrying. Plus, they can introduce you to the mysterious author on the shelf at the back who will totally blow your mind.
But when it's late (oh, those long hours) and you need to grab a quick, big hardcover (innuendo only somewhat unintentional), or need to replace your copy Alias Grace, chances are you'll hit BMV.
Is there room in the ever-so-delicate local economy for both? Whether gigantism precedes extinction remains to be seen.
Read more: The Star has an article on BMV here.
photo from pink hat, red shoes
Discussion
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The assumption, of course, that BMV has nothing that's difficult to find, or that the staff knows nothing about books or their own stock means that either you haven't visited the store, or when you did you didn't avail yourself of any assistance. I have many times found books at BMV that I have not been able to find elsewhere (lots of Leon Rooke, for example, when places like Pages and some other fine stores I could name carry only his two most popular volumes, almost as though they had been chosen for Oprah's bookclub--like when she chose three Faulkner novels, and overnight those were the only three to be found on any store shelf anywhere) and in better condition, too. They know their store, and what stock is incoming and outgoing better than I know my own personal library.
Bigger isn't always better, but let's not pretend it's always worse, either, or that it always lives up to the stereotypes. The selection isn't always as complete, but I'm also not throwing fifty potentially interesting books back on the shelf because nobody bothered about the book's physical condition.
It sounds like your browse was too quick. Every time I walk by that place I get sucked in for at least half-an-hour - it's a book browser's dream! A really overwhelming selection. The remainders/overstock are mostly to be found on the tables at the front of the store - everything else is used (but mostly in good condition), and I found a couple of treasures last week.
Don't get uppity just because it's a big piece of real estate. I think the store will be great for the neighborhood, especially the uni students.
And nothing reeks of weed and urine, like at Seekers!
i've been waiting for them to open this location for a while now and have been quite excited ... but I finally get there and what do i see...
it's not wheelchair accessible... !!!!
if yr not in a chair or know ppl that are then maybe you don't care.. but it's a big deal.
and it's especially enraging, given that they just spent all this time remodeling the store, there is lots of room inside, and they're a used bookstore which to me signals that they put at least some thought into things...
who builds a new store front in toronto these days going out of their way to make it not accessible...???
anyway if u at all care about such things ... pls make some comments to the staff the next time you are in... I did and they just got all quiet and uncomfortable and said they would pass it on.
which i guess makes me more chafed at them, cause come on now. be like oh yeah i see what you mean, or oh sht my bosses screwed up. but to look at me like i'm making a big deal out of nothing.
---end rant here ----
BMV *has* been around for ages, but that doesn't mean they're trustworthy (Chindigo has been around a while, too, and their behaviour is dodgy). As well as selling huge numbers of remaindered books that give no money to writers, BMV sells multiple copies of "used" books that are obviously new copies of new releases.
Please take the time to question where these books come from and what their low prices might do to writers and publishers.
Why cheer on the opening of a BMV in the Annex, right near indie stores like Book City and Seekers?
If BMV is selling many of the same books for lower prices, and generally offering mega-deals, we can all guess what will happen to Book City's sales.
Book City is a chain of sorts, too, but a much more grassroots one, and they are generally respected by (and respect) independent publishers and writers. (To be fair, BMV is technically "independent," though their behaviour is aggressive and questionable.) There are many better, more ethical, used bookstores, like She Said Boom.
Someone is getting screwed, and not softly, for those low, low prices...
Peace.
And the "no accessibility" front door at the new store--because no one gives a shit.
BTW, is Seekers Books the store in a basement, near the blockbuster video? because that place is the worst bookshop i've ever been to. Dingy, dirty and every time I go there, I get suspicious looks from the bookseller who insists I keep my bag at his desk and no help finding a title either, just rude. If BMV is gonna put that place out of business, I'm not gonna mind at all. Book city is alright, but I get annoyed when I have to always leave my bag behind the counter as well, it discourages me from even wanting to go in since it's such a hassle if I want to go in for a quick 5 min browse.
This might be a really unpopular thing to say, but I hate buying a book at full price, i'd rather buy good conditioned used or remaindered books, and if these local smaller bookstores don't carry either, then why would I shop there? I've been to many used bookstores that are disorganized and dusty with books in bad condition, I don't feel particularly bad about not shopping at these stores. Just because it's an independent store doesn't mean it's necessarily deserving of my hard earned money.
So they sell remainder books! Lets stone them! Yeah!
Grow up. They are remainder books because no other store wants to buy them. Its called a market economy - Little demand, little prices. And at least they get sold to people who will take them home, love them and give them only the cleanest organic coffee table to sit on.
I was thrilled to find a book that I never knew existed, about an artist that I've never heard of, but alas, now I have!
I took my little treasure home and caressed it lovingly for hours. I am a new fan of a truely gifted glass blower, who is way out in terms of technique and subject matter - and all because I found his book at a, (dare I say it?), remainder clearance book store! Gadzooks!
Its a good deal for the buyers, and it gets books into people's hands and hearts, and no matter how you cut it thats a good thing. If they weren't cleared here, they'd be burned or re-cycled - now that would be a crime!
But, I'll find a lot of them at BMV. Lets see, a) get the books at BMV or b) in store order the books in full price bookshops and wait and wait and return or c) order online.
As for remainders, the publishers are unloading books because the publisher over estimated demand for the title. Or, they over estimated the number of rubes that would buy the title at any price. I guess the anti-remainders crowd would prefer to see the books go to the recycling centres and waste more energy to recycle them.
I might be able to fill my backpack with the few titles bought from Holier Than Thou Book City, but thanks to BMV I've run out of bookshelf space. I drop by BMW weekly to see what is new.
"Does it look open?" he replied.
Not believing that someone in a customer facing job could be so incredibly rude and sarcastic, I said "Yes". Then I asked him again, "Is the store open?"
"No," he replied and shut the door behind him.
I then proceeded to book city where I spent $458.00 on books. I'll never go near BMV again.