Books...

[PeaceBlondie]

In case posters wondered, I closed and deleted the recent thread that seemed to become a free ad for a competitor of our paid advertiser. Now this thread re-opens. Beware. Thank you.

[jil]

One thing is for sure : in the future I will only buy books at Gecko Books.

[harrry]

Well with your Frenchbooks I hope someone doesn't do what my ex wife did many years ago in Bangkok. After about 5 day of the silent treatment she thought she should make up so as she knew I lovedreading but did not buy books because we were broke she bought me a book. As she could not speak or read english she had bought me a French novel All I could do was pretend to read it and enjoy over the next week or two as my school french was not up to it.

[Rasseru]

One thing is for sure : in the future I will only buy books at Gecko Books.

Shouldn't be a problem at all, as that is pretty nearly all one can do there.

[anonymouse]

Were lucky to have all these used bookshops in Chiang Mai, because of online bookstores like abe and amazon most of the used bookshops in the west have closed down. The internet has improved the chances of finding that special book your looking for but you lose the fun of browsing in a bookshop and coming across some book of interest by accident. Pro's and cons I suppose.

[wedders]

I forgot to mention that the main store has a good number of of French books and the other stores have a fair number as well. I do not think that wedders noticed them all.

Only went to the main store, but assumed all the French books there were in the section marked "French" I'll take a look in the other outlets.

[Ulysses G.]

The only reason that I thought you might have missed some the French books is because there is a sign at the top and another in the middle of a fairly wide, very tall bookshelf with nine shelves on it. If you look at it quickly, it looks as if only half of the books are French, but really they reach from the floor to way over one's head. That is nothing compared to the English books, but it is more than you had mentioned. The smaller stores probably have less, but I do not know off the top of my head.

I am looking forward to a much bigger selection of French books that will be picked for good quality and popularity as buying them from customers is a real crapshoot

I just looked in a few of my stores and right now there are couple of shelves of French books in each.

One thing that people don't seem to get about used book stores is that the stock is always changing. This is the slowest type of year, so we do not get a lot of books from customers, but sometimes I get a huge load from abroad or someone comes in a and sells their whole library and we are stocked to the roof.

Anyway, we tend to have a lot more good stock during high season.

Edited June 29, 2009 by Ulysses G.

[Thakkar]

Bangkok based www.dasabookcafe.com have books in various languages, including French. I doubt the list is any more extensive than currently available at Gecko but worth a try. You'll have to order by email and wait a few days (one day if ordered by EMS) for delivery.

While I love browsing bookstores, there are times when I know what I want and like to order over the web. I eagerly look forward to Gecko going online. When's the Grand Online Opening, UG?

[Ulysses G.]

My computer guy has gone home to the US for a while, but he is working on it as much as he can from there. He knows that I want to do it soon.

One hold up is payment as it can be difficult to do Paypal through a Thai bank. Dasabooks does it by having people wire money to their account, but that does not seem very convenient to me, unless one is living out in the boonies and has no other choice, but maybe that is the answer?

[Thakkar]

UG,

May I be so bold as to make some suggestions?

Hope you don't mistake this for someone trying to tell you how to run your business; I don't pretend here to know anything at all.

I realize the inconvenience for customers having to visit an ATM machine to transfer money to Gecko before you can send their order. But ATM machines are everywhere and you can have standing instructions with the bank to send you an ATM everytime there's a deposit in a special account set up for internet orders.

Or you could work out a deal with Meals on Wheels or other such outfit to deliver and collect the payment as they do with restaurants. People who order over the 'net expect to pay reasonable delivery charges.

The longer term solution is of course some kind of paypal deal, but in the meantime, it's important to get started somehow because everyday of operation will help you fine-tune the business model. Every day of mulling over too many details is a day wasted.

You probably have the most extensive stock of books of anyone in Thailand, but no easy access to it, and that's a shame. I know a lot of people, including my kids, who already know what they want to read. These people read book reviews and get recommendations from friends — they just want a quick and easy way to get their hands on the books they want.

The sooner you start, the sooner you begin building up an invaluable database of readers and what they read, where they live (for next time you want to decide where to open a branch and stock it appropriately). With proper data-mining software (not expensive if you rent cloud computing services), you can promote new stock arrivals appropriately and move them quickly. Most of the work can be automated and you'll have more time to cruise the restaurants and other fine establishments.

Again, just my two cents.

Edited July 1, 2009 by Thakkar

[wedders]

Hi Ug, checked out another store myself and there are as you say a few shelves of French books. Trouble is when you are looking for a specific genre (in this case fantasy for a young teen) you are lucky if you find one in several shops, so in a way it would be better if all the French books were in a large section in a single store. Appreciate that there must be reasons for not doing that though...

[Ulysses G.]

Thanks to both you guys for the suggestions.

To be honest, I am hesitant about the mail order business for a lot of reasons that I do not want to go into here, but you might have noticed that Megabooks already seems to be out of the game and that guy is very clever, has more money than Scrooge McDuck and really good book contacts. He is the one who built Bookazine into real competition for Asia Books and then got them to buy all his outlets. It looks as if he is out of that business already and that is scary.

About putting all the French books in one store. I actually agree with you on that, but hopefully, we will have so many better quality French books soon, that we will not need to think more about that.

[Loaded]

In case posters wondered, I closed and deleted the recent thread that seemed to become a free ad for a competitor of our paid advertiser. Now this thread re-opens. Beware. Thank you.

Some of these competitors seem to be jealous of UG and his shops' success and try to attack him at every opportunity. I admire the way UG stands his ground and continues to post maturely and informatively. His book shops seem to be the most successful in Chiang Mai. There's usually a simple reason to explain success - happy customers.

[Ulysses G.]

Thank you very much Loaded and you are correct. At one time, my shops were being attacked directly almost daily (in the middle of the night) and I was being threatened by e-mail, but a good Thai friend got some police involved and after they talked to certain competitors most of that stopped.

These people are cowards and do everything the sneaky way, so now they have moved on to the internet where they feel that they can use multiple identities to trick the public.

They pretend to be innocently posting complaints about Gecko Books and lavish praise for their shops, but what they say does not add up to someone who actually does this every day for living and when they are not allowed to continue, they stop being so reasonable and often make mistakes that make it obvious that they are not the disinterested parties that they pretend to be.

They just do not seem to realize that nothing that they have done has ever hurt my business in the least, and although I get annoyed, it just makes me more determined that they never will.

Some people just never learn.

Edited July 1, 2009 by Ulysses G.

[Crow Boy]

One of the many things I miss from Chiang Mai since I moved back to Oz are the second had bookshops. As an avid reader I regularly bought books from Gecko Books. In my town there is only the one bookstore and that is strictly new books and at full retail price. When I get back to CM I will have to stock up.

CB

[venturalaw]

In case posters wondered, I closed and deleted the recent thread that seemed to become a free ad for a competitor of our paid advertiser. Now this thread re-opens. Beware. Thank you.

Some of these competitors seem to be jealous of UG and his shops' success and try to attack him at every opportunity. I admire the way UG stands his ground and continues to post maturely and informatively. His book shops seem to be the most successful in Chiang Mai. There's usually a simple reason to explain success - happy customers.

Agreed. UG also has a unique knowledge base - his brain. He has read so many books that he is able to make suggestions as to what books one may consider purchasing based upon one's stated interests. That's a real plus!

Edited July 1, 2009 by venturalaw

[harrry]

One of the many things I miss from Chiang Mai since I moved back to Oz are the second had bookshops. As an avid reader I regularly bought books from Gecko Books. In my town there is only the one bookstore and that is strictly new books and at full retail price. When I get back to CM I will have to stock up.

CB

Not to deny some books you just have to own and I agree Gecko is a reasonable place to buy them but at least you have free access to a lending library free which if you live in most australian states gives access to all books in any of the state libraries.

[Ulysses G.]

I am not trying to push my own agenda, but I loved libraries as a child when I did not have money to buy books, but as soon as I could afford it, I started buying books instead.

I know that libraries save one lots of money, but I hated that feeling of having to stick to a certain book in order to return it on time.

At that age, I might have 3 or 4 books going at one time and I would be in the mood for popular science for a while and then move on to some light fiction or fantasy until I felt like getting serious again. I also might read a little of something and then stick it to the side for a few weeks until I felt interested again. Of course, I was totally hooked on reading and wanted to read as I felt the urge. If you read less, a library is not such an intrusion.

The only thing that excites me about e-books is that eventually you should be able to read them without turning on a light. I still remember trying to read under the covers with a flashlight!

[uptheos]

Some of these competitors seem to be jealous of UG and his shops' success and try to attack him at every opportunity. I admire the way UG stands his ground and continues to post maturely and informatively. His book shops seem to be the most successful in Chiang Mai. There's usually a simple reason to explain success - happy customers.

Absolutely! Without a doubt the best bookstores in Chiangmai.

The more I hear of these moronic attacks against UG, the more books I will buy from Gecko only.

[Ulysses G.]

I honestly don't care if anyone shops at my competitors, or not. We are doing fine under the current circumstances.

If you like books, you want the best choice possible, so look around. We try to get the best books possible and sell them at a fair price and we have lots and lots of excellent stock. Some of it is cheap and some of it is not. It depends on what I have to pay for them.

My main concern is that some people have no idea why they hear these nasty rumors and see these negative posts on the internet and do not realize that this is an organized campaign by a competitor who has been doing this type of thing from the first day that I opened when I did not have an extra baht to my name (dog doo smeared all over the sidewalk in front of the store).

There are a lot of people in Chiang Mai who remember our signs being spray painted or smashed to smithereens by axes and hammers in the middle of the night and they know who was going around laughing about it. However, there are lots of new people and some old people who have no idea about any of this and accept things at face value.

Edited July 1, 2009 by Ulysses G.

[Niloc]

Well I cancelled the book I ordered from the Thai book shop, after they had added all their charges the book was going to cost me more than $US30 so I took the advice of a poster and went back to Amazon and ordered a NEW version of the book, still more expensive than the s/h one I first wanted but at least it will arrive!!

I hope it arrives, I have an eMail assuring me and next time I am in Chiang Mai I am going to spent a fortune at Gecko books!!

When you have always been a keen reader it is hard to read the same book six times!

Colin

[slapout]

I and most of my family are avid readers and have visited probably all the book stores in CM. All of them seem to do a decent business, if not, they close. In visiting with several owners I have never heard rumors or innuendo about their competitors, even if they do not have what I am looking for and mention going elsewhere. Business establishments or people who do talk ill or accuse in a vague way someone of real or imagined acts/utterances are not doing the readers any service nor themselves. Most astute business people do not expect life/business to be fair and just go about their rat killing and survive or not. If there is a ax to grind over something, I may listen one time to the complaints, but after that take it to the source as I can remember what I hear or read (if it interests me).

[piercefilmlid]

Well I cancelled the book I ordered from the Thai book shop, after they had added all their charges the book was going to cost me more than $US30 so I took the advice of a poster and went back to Amazon and ordered a NEW version of the book, still more expensive than the s/h one I first wanted but at least it will arrive!!

I hope it arrives, I have an eMail assuring me and next time I am in Chiang Mai I am going to spent a fortune at Gecko books!!

When you have always been a keen reader it is hard to read the same book six times!

Colin

A few weeks back I went to one of the second-hand bookstores near Thapae Gate. I saw a (long published) paperback I was interested in. It was in very good or "new" condition. I was about to buy it when I saw the price - 330 baht!

No thank you, I can get it cheaper in London or New York.

[rixalex]

A few weeks back I went to one of the second-hand bookstores near Thapae Gate. I saw a (long published) paperback I was interested in. It was in very good or "new" condition. I was about to buy it when I saw the price - 330 baht!

No thank you, I can get it cheaper in London or New York.

Is it still cheaper when you include the airfare?

[piercefilmlid]

A few weeks back I went to one of the second-hand bookstores near Thapae Gate. I saw a (long published) paperback I was interested in. It was in very good or "new" condition. I was about to buy it when I saw the price - 330 baht!

No thank you, I can get it cheaper in London or New York.

Is it still cheaper when you include the airfare?

Don't know. My company pays for all my air travel.

[rixalex]

A few weeks back I went to one of the second-hand bookstores near Thapae Gate. I saw a (long published) paperback I was interested in. It was in very good or "new" condition. I was about to buy it when I saw the price - 330 baht!

No thank you, I can get it cheaper in London or New York.

Is it still cheaper when you include the airfare?

Don't know. My company pays for all my air travel.

Which begs the question why quibble over a hundred baht or so?

If the same book was available a few baht cheaper in a shop over the road it would be worth the journey.

But on the other side of the world?!!! Got to be better things to worry about surely?

[Ulysses G.]

A few weeks back I went to one of the second-hand bookstores near Thapae Gate. I saw a (long published) paperback I was interested in. It was in very good or "new" condition. I was about to buy it when I saw the price - 330 baht!

No thank you, I can get it cheaper in London or New York.

For that price, it was probably something quite popular or something that people collect.

The person who sells it to the book store usually knows that it is somewhat special and wants a lot for it. I usually would pay about half of what I hope to sell it for, but I have to pay rent and electricity and staff salaries and all of that stuff.

However, a lot of customers would not sell it for 165 baht - they want 200 or 250, after all they probably bought it for around 500 baht - or maybe much more. Some paperbacks at Kinokuniya in Bangkok go for 700 or 800 baht, others for over 1,000.

It is a good book, hard to find and I want it, but the price is too high. What should I do?

A lot of books never sell at all, so I have to make a good profit on the ones that do. Should I buy it at 200 and then sell it for a higher price price, or just let it go? Just imagine how frustrated piercefilmlid might get if the price is higher.

The truth is that I can sell it, and maybe even at 400 baht, but a bunch of people will tell me that they can get it cheaper somewhere else and call me a thief and maybe even throw it at me. This job is not all songs and roses.

Some people are willing to buy expensive books that they really want because they save 100 or 200 baht and sometimes much more and and can bring it back for 50% of the price in cash.

piercefilmlid says that he/she can get it cheaper in New York or London and he/she might be right. Used books are much cheaper is a country full of native English speakers who buy and dispose of a lot of books. That is why I buy them there and pay an expensive price for shipping to Thailand and then pay customs an outrageous sum and then resell them here for a higher price.

Yes, most used books are more expensive here than America or England, but the price in a proper used book shop (not a charity shop where they get books for free) in Australia is very similar to here - at least it was last time that I visited a few years ago and they have lots of readers of English books.

The truth is that I don't mind if some people think certain prices are too high and don't want to buy a particular book. I can usually sell those trendy books quite easily to a less frugal reader. I just get tired of bargainer types yelling at me and demanding that I lower the price just for them. If a book is too expensive, don't buy it.

We have lots and lots of books for around 100 or 200 baht that are pretty new and we have lots and lots of books for around 100 baht that have been best sellers and sold well a few years ago - They just not trendy at the moment. If you want something to read at a reasonable price, why not pick one of them? Many are quite good. I read them pretty regularly.

There are also bargain books for 10-100 baht, some are just fine and some are terrible. It really depends on if you are around when we put new ones out.

Some people come by every day and grab the best ones.

Edited July 1, 2009 by Ulysses G.

[anonymouse]

Well I cancelled the book I ordered from the Thai book shop, after they had added all their charges the book was going to cost me more than $US30 so I took the advice of a poster and went back to Amazon and ordered a NEW version of the book, still more expensive than the s/h one I first wanted but at least it will arrive!!

I hope it arrives, I have an eMail assuring me and next time I am in Chiang Mai I am going to spent a fortune at Gecko books!!

When you have always been a keen reader it is hard to read the same book six times!

Colin

A few weeks back I went to one of the second-hand bookstores near Thapae Gate. I saw a (long published) paperback I was interested in. It was in very good or "new" condition. I was about to buy it when I saw the price - 330 baht!

No thank you, I can get it cheaper in London or New York.

Pretty much all the books shops in Chiang Mai will give you 50% back on your book when you return it, they don't do that in the UK.

So that book will cost you 115 baht if you return it, about the price of a large export beer

[piercefilmlid]

Well I cancelled the book I ordered from the Thai book shop, after they had added all their charges the book was going to cost me more than $US30 so I took the advice of a poster and went back to Amazon and ordered a NEW version of the book, still more expensive than the s/h one I first wanted but at least it will arrive!!

I hope it arrives, I have an eMail assuring me and next time I am in Chiang Mai I am going to spent a fortune at Gecko books!!

When you have always been a keen reader it is hard to read the same book six times!

Colin

A few weeks back I went to one of the second-hand bookstores near Thapae Gate. I saw a (long published) paperback I was interested in. It was in very good or "new" condition. I was about to buy it when I saw the price - 330 baht!

No thank you, I can get it cheaper in London or New York.

Pretty much all the books shops in Chiang Mai will give you 50% back on your book when you return it, they don't do that in the UK.

So that book will cost you 115 baht if you return it, about the price of a large export beer

Would that be that strong beer that makes math difficult ?

[anonymouse]

Well I cancelled the book I ordered from the Thai book shop, after they had added all their charges the book was going to cost me more than $US30 so I took the advice of a poster and went back to Amazon and ordered a NEW version of the book, still more expensive than the s/h one I first wanted but at least it will arrive!!

I hope it arrives, I have an eMail assuring me and next time I am in Chiang Mai I am going to spent a fortune at Gecko books!!

When you have always been a keen reader it is hard to read the same book six times!

Colin

A few weeks back I went to one of the second-hand bookstores near Thapae Gate. I saw a (long published) paperback I was interested in. It was in very good or "new" condition. I was about to buy it when I saw the price - 330 baht!

No thank you, I can get it cheaper in London or New York.

Pretty much all the books shops in Chiang Mai will give you 50% back on your book when you return it, they don't do that in the UK.

So that book will cost you 115 baht if you return it, about the price of a large export beer

Would that be that strong beer that makes math difficult ?

lets make that a couple of strong beers then, No I can't even give the excuse that I was drinking