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Second-Hand Bookshops in Britain: 2024 Report

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Re: Second-Hand Bookshops in Britain: 2024 Report

#21

Post by andyjohnson0 »

RobotToaster wrote: post #7
jdietrich wrote: post #2

The proliferation of charity and community bookshops is substantially the product of tax policy. Commercial property is taxed at ~50% of the nominal rental value, but charities are substantially or wholly exempt from this tax. Importantly, this tax is owed regardless of whether the property is occupied; for a commercial landlord, it is therefore preferable to lease a unit to a charity at a peppercorn rent if the unit…

I don't see how encouraging charities can be seen as harmful? It would be good if it was extended to organisations like CIC however.

Independent retailers are squeezed out by charity ahops at the bottom end, and nataional supermarket/coffeeshop/etc chains at the top end. Result is bland identical high streets.

Re: Second-Hand Bookshops in Britain: 2024 Report

#23

Post by jimnotgym »

jdietrich wrote: post #16
RobotToaster wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't see how encouraging charities can be seen as harmful? It would be good if it was extended to organisations like CIC however.

It probably isn't good for the economy that large proportion of retailers are charity shops with very thin margins, despite the fact that they're being subsidised in terms of business rates and receive most of their stock and a lot of their labour for free. A charity shop is better than a vacant unit, but it generates very little value, even for the charity. Local authorities want to see more diverse and vibrant high…

There is some rate relief for small businesses, but everything you wrote is still true and happening.

Re: Second-Hand Bookshops in Britain: 2024 Report

#24

Post by dcminter »

onion2k wrote: post #8
jonathanoliver wrote: post #6

A.Z. Fell has a decent bookshop but when I called recently they said: "Fell's Bookshop. We probably don't have what you're looking for and we wouldn't sell it to you if we did."

It sounds like a real life Black Books.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Good_Omens

Re: Second-Hand Bookshops in Britain: 2024 Report

#25

Post by jimnotgym »

ZeroGravitas wrote: post #22

Well that was more positive than I had expected from the title. It also mentioned, at the end, the trend I'd noticed for schools, supermarkets and others to have places to trade second hand books for free.

Also the trend for free book exchanges in disused phone boxes! My local village has a working phone box, presumably because mobile phone service is lacklustre! It has still become a community book exchange despite being live!. I'm reading one of their books right now actually! One of the classic orange Penguin editions of 'Carry On, Jeeves' by P.G. Wodehouse!

Re: Second-Hand Bookshops in Britain: 2024 Report

#26

Post by cafard »

jdietrich wrote: post #2

The proliferation of charity and community bookshops is substantially the product of tax policy. Commercial property is taxed at ~50% of the nominal rental value, but charities are substantially or wholly exempt from this tax. Importantly, this tax is owed regardless of whether the property is occupied; for a commercial landlord, it is therefore preferable to lease a unit to a charity at a peppercorn rent if the unit…

The group Turning the Page operates pop-up Carpe Librum stores in space provided by the owners of commercial properties in Washington, DC. In some cases, a building is scheduled for demolition and replacement--the store at 17th between K and L NW had an unusually long run.

Periodically the commercial real estate market sags, and it is some years before it picks up again. An owner can be caught between the end of the leases and the rebuilding. In these cases, a charity bookshop is probably not a bad tenant. It is unlikely to disturb neighboring properties with noise or litter. It will probably not start a fire, as squatters have inadvertently done in a vacant block downtown.

And I really don't think that in a large city this is unlikely to distort the market. I haven't counted the vacant storefronts within five blocks either way of the current Carpe Librum at 14th and I NW, but there are quite a few.

Re: Second-Hand Bookshops in Britain: 2024 Report

#27

Post by CalRobert »

RobotToaster wrote: post #13
IshKebab wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's unfair competition. Also nobody wants a high street filled with endless charity shops and poundlands.

> It's unfair competition. It's a charity, how is giving them an advantage over chains that put their profits into the pockets of billionaires a bad thing?

A lot of these shops are basically just big closets full of some hoarders' junk. It's marginally better than an empty storefront, but not by much.

Funny enough an acquaintance used to volunteer at one and his main income (aside from the dole) was finding the good stuff, taking it, and selling it on ebay (he was delighted when someone's old school Game Boy with original pokemon cartridges came in one day...).

Re: Second-Hand Bookshops in Britain: 2024 Report

#28

Post by stoneman24 »

globular-toast wrote: post #10
bruce511 wrote: post #4

To be honest, I prefer charity shops to professional shops for 2nd hand books. That said, I still visit professional shops rather more than I should (it depends on the shop.) Of course charity shops are cheaper, that's part of the appeal, but I have more success in them because they are less discerning. Over the years I've acquired a LOT of books, so now I tend to limit myself more. Mostly I now collect science ficti…

I've had a lot more luck with science fiction in professional shops than in charity shops. In the latter I tend to find only mainstream fiction and non-fiction. It's exceedingly rare to find any sci-fi at all. I wish I knew one where people brought it in. One thing I enjoy is when people get rid of their computer science textbooks. They are sometimes older editions, but can be had for less than 10% of the original pr…

I think there are 2 factors which affect my success in finding books in charity shops.

what books are sold: I would like to understand the proportion of books sold by genre. Shops have a very high proportion of thrillers and crime novels.

likelihood of donation: Perhaps some fans are more likely to keep books than others. In my donations, thriller & crime books are donated first, I keep my SF.

This leads to a low chance of success in finding science fiction paperback for me. I guess SF (myself included) are just hoarders.....

Re: Second-Hand Bookshops in Britain: 2024 Report

#29

Post by pessimizer »

bruce511 wrote: post #19
AntoniusBlock wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is going to sound bad but another upside to charity shops is that often they misprice their books, so you can get some real bargains.

I'm not sure 'miss priced' is necessarily the case- I think they're priced to move, and obviously there's no cost-of-sales, so its a volume game. Of course one can find truly valuable stuff, not just books, but I never have...

All mispriced even means here is that it would still move at a much higher price. If the goal was just to make sure everything moves, you could price it all at zero.

Re: Second-Hand Bookshops in Britain: 2024 Report

#30

Post by seabass-labrax »

jdietrich wrote: post #16
RobotToaster wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't see how encouraging charities can be seen as harmful? It would be good if it was extended to organisations like CIC however.

It probably isn't good for the economy that large proportion of retailers are charity shops with very thin margins, despite the fact that they're being subsidised in terms of business rates and receive most of their stock and a lot of their labour for free. A charity shop is better than a vacant unit, but it generates very little value, even for the charity. Local authorities want to see more diverse and vibrant high…

You clearly know what you are talking about, but I don't think you're representing the situation fairly. There are all kind of ways in which businesses may be exempt or partly relieved of commercial property rates. The particularly important one is the the 'small business rate relief', which exempts businesses whose property has a rateable value of less than £15,000 - that's basically all high street shops outside of London.

If by 'other kinds of retail' you mean retail chains or department stores, then yes, the current tax regime causes them to be disadvantaged. But almost every kind of local high street company (including cafés, jewellers, newsagents, toy shops, and yes, even second-hand bookshops) is helped considerably by these tax breaks - it's not just charity shops.

There are lots of reasons why high street businesses and retail in general are struggling, but I'm confident that business rates aren't one of them.

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