Second hand book shops in Chiang Mai

[nglodnig]

For many years, I have been perusing the second-hand book shops in a small street opposite Tha Pae Gate in Chiang Mai. There was almost the whole street (admittedly not on the large side, neither wide nor long) which had one one shop after another, and the Grand Palace was double-fronted (and an upstairs too) called Gekko I think? There, I found books I had not read since adolescence; books I had never heard of; and books I had always looked for but never found anywhere else. For a bibliophile, it was like finding Mecca. Book heaven.

 

I would take my children there and tell them "go crazy" and they would come back with handfuls which I would sometimes criticize their choice but never censor.

 

I believe this was were backpackers would sell or exchange their old  literature for cash or a discount or another book, and it seemed that this flow would continue forever.

 

Sadly, no more, two little half-front shops with about 50 books between them (OK maybe a bit more). Why?

 

Do people not read books anymore? Are they so absorbed starring into their tiny little screens looking at social media and Netflix  they have forgotten the pleasure of holding a book in their hands and hearing in their head the words inside? Or, is that evil of our modern age - the EBOOK.

 

And now a confession - I couldn't find the book I wanted to read there so I downloaded a PDF of it and it's on my Ipad where I'm reading it now. The shame I feel.

Edited March 9, 2020 by nglodnig
grammar cos it's important

[Boomer6969]

Stopped buying paper books years ago. Have thousands of ebooks somewhere on my hard disks waiting to be read. Got them free of charge, most of them. Nothing is easier to find than the full set of the other of your choices. Is this bad, not sure, we used to borrow books from each others, didn't we. And how about those who sell second hand books, is it legal? 

BTW PDF isn't the best format for ebooks, and "Calibre" is a beautiful piece of free software that can handle/convert all formats available. Comics may need some special attention though.

[FolkGuitar]

Perusing second-hand book shops used to be a passion for many of us. This sight of old familiar titles, the scent of the paper, the excitement of finding a special book to read...  Coming home with a big bag full of expected pleasure.... My house was filled with bookcases against almost every wall. Those were the days...

 

But the fact is, E-books are so much more convenient for those of us who read a lot. Those of us who might finish one book while eating lunch in a restaurant know that we can start another, and... have a choice of a dozen different ones to read because we now can carry as many different books as we'd like, 50... 100.... all in one device that might weigh less than a copy of 'Gone With The Wind.'  If we start one, and after 20 pages decide that, no, not this one right now, can choose a different one easily.

 

When I first moved away from the States, I sold off thousands of books, but still shipped 8 large boxes of my 'favorites.' Several international moves later, I've replaced most of those with their e-versions. Today, I have less than 50 'paper' books, but hundreds of thousands of e-books. I miss the look and feel of the 'tree books,' but the reality in which I live makes e-books a better choice for me.

 

Personally, I read 3-4 books at the same time; perhaps a philosophy book, a science book, a shoot-em-up action-adventure book, etc. I now can easily have them all with me to satisfy my mood. There are hundreds of sites on the Web that offer free books, inexpensive books, etc., some that even automatically send them to my e-reader device. Paper books will always have a place in my heart... just not in my home any more.

[just_Elaine]

There is a place that sells books and the proceeds go to taking care of dogs. It is on the corner across from Kitchen 7 by Super Joe. We gave her a lot of books about 6 or 8 weeks ago.. If you are in that area, take a look.

[BritManToo]

8 hours ago, nglodnig said:

Do people not read books anymore? Are they so absorbed starring into their tiny little screens looking at social media and Netflix  they have forgotten the pleasure of holding a book in their hands and hearing in their head the words inside? Or, is that evil of our modern age - the EBOOK.

You gotta move with the times, nothing wrong with reading a book on your phone.

I've got just under 5,000 books on my cloud .........

 

Edited March 10, 2020 by BritManToo

[stephenterry]

If anyone is into crime/action 'books' feel free to message me, and I'll post a Word version of any one of my novels to your e-mail address. They're on Kindle languishing near the bottom of a barrel and could benefit from an airing... 

 

 

 

[FolkGuitar]

I've calculated that if I read 11 books a day, every day, for the next 127 years, I might be able to get through all the books on my hard drives now.

 

So many libraries, thousands of books uploaded at a time, combined with 'Project Gutenberg' in the US, Canada, Australia, Europe, DE, etc., there are just soooo many books waiting to be read!

[orang37]

1 hour ago, FolkGuitar said:

I've calculated that if I read 11 books a day, every day, for the next 127 years, I might be able to get through all the books on my hard drives now.

 

But, Is there anything better to do ? ????

 

Praise be for the intrepid buccaneers of the internet who make almost everything available to almost everyone.

 

~o:37;

[Aussiepeter]

When I lived in C Mai I too frequented this small street of bookshops, mostly to buy as I collect non-fiction military history books. I will probably never get to read even half of them. It was there that I purchased a copy of "Lost over Laos" which tells of the tragic loss of a famous Vietnam War cameraman in Laos in 1971. Each time I came back to Oz for a new Non-O visa, I'd fill up my cases with (a) western foodstuffs and (b) a mix of used cheap books which I'd promptly sell there, or swap for more military books. Of course, that was long before Thai Customs in CM got nasty and started going right through your bags looking for 'contraband'. I was shocked to see this week that a school in Queensland had closed its library and dumped all the books at the tip ! It now encourages its' students to look on the net. Utterly insane ! There are kids aged under ten in my daughter's school with thick reading glasses just like Elmer Fudd - all with chronic myopia caused by spending hours watching tiny screens. My daughter is allowed 30 minutes a day on her IPAD, then we read a real non-fiction book together, usually about native animals or nature. Thai missus has no interest in being good at English reading, but at least listens to our daughter read. A good read is good for the soul and my 98 y.o. father says it helps prevent you from getting alzheimers ! Can't do any harm anyhow.

[thaibeachlovers]

9 hours ago, BritManToo said:

You gotta move with the times, nothing wrong with reading a book on your phone.

I've got just under 5,000 books on my cloud .........

 

If that's moving with the times count me out. What happens when your device stops working? Everything breaks.

How can anyone read 5,000 books? it's like having 40,000 songs- no way ever listen to all of them.

Bet you don't have Danny and the Rattlesnakes on your machine. How about the Sanders books?

 

I used Lost Books when I was looking for a book to read. Found many old treasures there.

[Sparkles]

If you want to find out where second hand books are still being sold in CM go to page 4 on this forum I listed them,Some of us still prefer them rather than e readers.

[BritManToo]

10 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

If that's moving with the times count me out. What happens when your device stops working? Everything breaks.

How can anyone read 5,000 books? it's like having 40,000 songs- no way ever listen to all of them.

Bet you don't have Danny and the Rattlesnakes on your machine. How about the Sanders books?

 

I used Lost Books when I was looking for a book to read. Found many old treasures there.

It's on a cloud. If on device stops working, I buy another.

Read them all at least once (unless they were really tedious).

[ChakaKhan]

Funny  I was just in Gekko few hrs ago..really cute girl there btw.....I got a book --read it--returned for half credit and got another--returned today--have 75 bt credit..I like the feel and smell of a old paperback...

[FolkGuitar]

13 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

If that's moving with the times count me out. What happens when your device stops working? Everything breaks.

 

 

What happens? Well, what happens when anything stops working? You fix it, or get another. They aren't made of diamonds and gold. You can get e-readers today for under a $100. But if you have a smart phone, you have an e-reader in your pocket ALL the time, not just when you remember to bring a book to read. Today, folks have smart phones, iPads Minis, and tablets with them as part of their EDC. (Every day carry.)

 

Wise folks back up their files. I keep my library on two different hard drives. Truth be told, several years ago I had a hard drive die on me. Took me damn near an entire three days to restock the e-shelves...

 

Quote

How can anyone read 5,000 books? it's like having 40,000 songs- no way ever listen to all of them.

 

Right! That's why good libraries only have 3 books on their shelves. No reason to have a selection, right? Everyone wants to read the same book. It's Wednesday 8:00am... time to read Book X. Or is Book Y the book decided by all for 8:00am?  Personally, I like to have a choice. Sometimes I like poetry for my 8:00am reads but often can't decide between Frost, Kipling, Byron, or Ferlinghetti. Or... God forbid... I feel like reading Kafka or Kant today! It's nice to have choices available without having to to get dressed and go out to the store because I didn't have what I felt like reading here in the house.

 

Quote

Bet you don't have Danny and the Rattlesnakes on your machine. How about the Sanders books? [/quote]

 

Lawrence Sanders? Wonderful writer. I have the 'McNally' series, the 'Deadly Sin' series, and the 'Timothy' series, as well as quite a few of his stand-alone books in my library.  At my age, getting forgetful, I don't mind re-reading the books I enjoyed 20 years ago. Fortunately, I don't even have to leave my house to do so!

But you are correct... I don't have anything by Danny and the Rattlesnakes.

 

As I said before, I miss the smell and feel of paper books, but I love the convenience of e-books more.

Edited March 11, 2020 by FolkGuitar

[Sparkles]

For me it not matter of "moving with the times" as one poster stated is about personal choice and I made the point probably over a year ago that book sales have been increasing in the Western world.Books make wonderful gifts and there is just one place where there has been increased growth in sales and for the recipient a constant reminder that you received it from someone who either loves you or cares about you.

 

I read around 4 books per a month. 1,000 of titles are of no interest to me in my twilight years.My bookshops in CM know what I like and always point out new titles /authors.

 

It will possibly come to bear in years to come that staring into artificial light,on phones or e readers is hardly condusive to the health of your eyesight. We have all seen children as young as 3 staring into their parents phones and playing games to keep them occupied ,how sad is that.

 

There was one poster here who claimed a while back that second hand book stores would all go the way of video hiring outlets and disappear and even offered to apologise is he was wrong,well he is, there still here despite the difficult economic times 

[BritManToo]

2 hours ago, Sparkles said:

It will possibly come to bear in years to come that staring into artificial light,on phones or e readers is hardly condusive to the health of your eyesight. We have all seen children as young as 3 staring into their parents phones and playing games to keep them occupied ,how sad is that.

No need to worry, I don't have all that many 'years to come'.

Hopefully I'll expire before my ability to read (or think) ends.

[FolkGuitar]

4 hours ago, Sparkles said:

There was one poster here who claimed a while back that second hand book stores would all go the way of video hiring outlets and disappear and even offered to apologise is he was wrong,well he is, there still here despite the difficult economic times 

 

Bookstores will never disappear completely. At least not during our lifetimes.  Neither will Record stores, Mom&Pop grocery stores, corner Soda Fountains, Milkmen,  Linotype Operators, Chimney Sweeps, and Switchboard Operators. You can even find one or two Buggy Whip makers still in business. There just are far fewer and fewer around as the years roll on. 

 

When I first moved to Chiang Mai 20 years ago, there were used bookstores one just about every other block around the Old City. Some blocks had 2 or more of them right next to each other.

Not any more...  I miss them. They were always good for a surprise find. One or two of them still are.

[orang37]

2 hours ago, BritManToo said:

No need to worry, I don't have all that many 'years to come'.

Hopefully I'll expire before my ability to read (or think) ends.

 

Dmn: I was so looking forward to meeting you when you were blind, and, now, I fear I will have been reborn as an insect before I have the chance ????

 

~o:37;

[orang37]

56 minutes ago, FolkGuitar said:

 

Bookstores will never disappear completely. At least not during our lifetimes.  Neither will Record stores, Mom&Pop grocery stores, corner Soda Fountains, Milkmen,  Linotype Operators, Chimney Sweeps, and Switchboard Operators.

 

Optimist !

 

~o:37;

[Sparkles]

2 hours ago, FolkGuitar said:

 

Bookstores will never disappear completely. At least not during our lifetimes.  Neither will Record stores, Mom&Pop grocery stores, corner Soda Fountains, Milkmen,  Linotype Operators, Chimney Sweeps, and Switchboard Operators. You can even find one or two Buggy Whip makers still in business. There just are far fewer and fewer around as the years roll on. 

 

When I first moved to Chiang Mai 20 years ago, there were used bookstores one just about every other block around the Old City. Some blocks had 2 or more of them right next to each other.

Not any more...  I miss them. They were always good for a surprise find. One or two of them still are.

Never remember one on nearly every block, slight exaggeration ? What were there were mostly owned by American George at Gecko who had at one stage 5 shops but failed to keep bringing in new stock and subsequently closed them down one after the other.

 

His outlet next to Irish George at Backstreet Books was his last, if my memory serves me. "New Gecko" is still there under Thai ownership but with limited stock.

 

If you don't bring in new authors and latest releases you can't expect continued support. On the Road ,opp UN Pub, for one is regularly bringing in new stock with some real gems among them, some books I probably would never would be aware of but owner Rob knows what my preference is.

Chimney sweeps,milkmen,buggy whip makers etc in CM really ? 

Edited March 11, 2020 by Sparkles

[FolkGuitar]

13 hours ago, Sparkles said:

Chimney sweeps,milkmen,buggy whip makers etc in CM really ? 

 

The world isn't defined by Chiang Mai boundaries. 

There is no doubt there are far fewer book stores today, both new and used, than there were before E-books and E-readers appeared on the scene, both in and outside of Chiang Mai.

Entire chains of major booksellers are now gone forever;

Barns and Noble - established in 1873... gone.  I guess they forgot to bring in new stock?

Borders Books - gone

Walden Books - started in 1962 but now gone

Crown Books - one of the fastest growing chains of book sellers in recent years... gone.

Brentano's - gone.

Cole's - gone

Oxford Bookshops - gone

 

These were ALL major retail chains, some with hundreds of outlets... all gone now.

American George was one of the smarter Used Book Store owners, who closed his shops BEFORE taking a major downturn. He got out with his skin intact. Most of the others weren't so lucky. They kept insisting that e-books were just a passing fad... sort of like folks said about the Commodore64 and the Vic20.

[jonwilly]

If I am doing any amount of reading I prefer a Book as opposed to a tablet.

 

john

[FolkGuitar]

For Art books, Photography books, Sheet Music books, technical books that make use of many illustrations such as schematics or blueprints, etc., I, too, prefer a paper book.

But I read fiction and non-fiction 2-3 hours every day, and for that, prefer the convenience and light weight of an e-reader.

[Pyloszeus]

Don't think the printed word is quiet as dead as some people think.

First 9 months of 2018 according to The Association of American Publishers.

E book sales 770 million wait for it, Book Hard Back and Paperback 4 billion.

As for American George been smart to get out, well all depends on what life is like for him now is he living the high life or roughing it in some car park. The few shops that are left, they still employ staff and maintain a good lifestyle. But there getting on now and as usual all things must come to an end.

[neilrob]

There is still an excellent used book store in Chiang Mai, not far from the Thapae Gate. Look on Google Maps for The Lost Book Shop, just inside the moat. It is owned by the same person as the former Backstreet Books, and continues their excellent service. It has a large stock.

[FolkGuitar]

1 hour ago, neilrob said:

There is still an excellent used book store in Chiang Mai, .........

 

Rather than many excellent used book stores in Chiang Mai as there have been.

[Bill97]

2 hours ago, Pyloszeus said:

 

As for American George been smart to get out, well all depends on what life is like for him now is he living the high life or roughing it in some car park. 

George was a Marine so living in a car park would not be roughing it.

 

You can bet your ass he is eating well.

[Sparkles]

2 hours ago, Pyloszeus said:

Don't think the printed word is quiet as dead as some people think.

First 9 months of 2018 according to The Association of American Publishers.

E book sales 770 million wait for it, Book Hard Back and Paperback 4 billion.

As for American George been smart to get out, well all depends on what life is like for him now is he living the high life or roughing it in some car park. The few shops that are left, they still employ staff and maintain a good lifestyle. But there getting on now and as usual all things must come to an end.

The printed word is not dead Folk Guitar is just providing distractions. Google will tell you that book sales in the UK rose 2.1% last year estimated at a value of 190.9 m pounds, hardly an industry that is dying.Like many industries many people take advantage of online options. Book Depository is just one I have used them for gift buying .They turnover millions of books.

 

Dasa Books in Bangkok has computerised his stock of 18,000 books and will courier to CM for next to nothing. Any title in stock you can search on his site.There are, the owner told me, more bookshops still in CM than there are in Bangkok.

 

But lets stay in CM seeing this thread is CM oriented. On the Road , Lost Books, Sharman books ,New Gecko and another previously Backstreet Books next door.Free Bird Cafe and probably more I've missed. Hardly a crisis and unable to keep staff.

 

Asia Books in Airport Plaza are still there with new books in English ,if there was no demand they would have closed years ago.

 

Pity the old second hand book thread closed when the site was revamped we could then see who predicted that book stores would go the way of video suppliers and vanish from CM

[FolkGuitar]

15 minutes ago, Sparkles said:

The printed word is not dead Folk Guitar is just providing distractions.

 

 

Please excuse me, but I never said the printed word is dead. Only that number and size of books stores selling them have been decimated. It's true that Gecko Books still exists in Chiang Mai. Very true. The fact that it is 1/4 the size of the shop when George owned it probably means nothing... Or that so many others closed their doors probably just means that they didn't like living in Chiang Mai any longer.

That seven major chains of retailers shut their doors probably means nothing either. They just got bored selling books, and closed up.

There will always be paper books. No one suggests otherwise. In a hundred years we'll still be able to find them... in museums.

Cling... cling... don't let today catch you.

[orang37]

6 hours ago, Sparkles said:

Dasa Books in Bangkok has computerised his stock of 18,000 books and will courier to CM for next to nothing. Any title in stock you can search on his site.There are, the owner told me, more bookshops still in CM than there are in Bangkok.

 

Good information, thanks. I do think you over-generalized from FolkGuitar's remarks, but, what are public forums for ... if not for turning opinions into flames ? ????

 

~o:37;