Every chair or bench in a bookstore generates extra work and extra expenses to pay the extra hours worked. Some customers will collect every book or magazine that interests them, spend up to eight hours occupying a chair, leave without making a purchase, and leave behind cups, food wrappers, magazine blow-out cards, and the huge stack of books and magazines to reshelve.
Purely in self defense, in these hard times for book stores, chairs are eliminated or offered in reduced number. Comfy chairs that embrace and encourage long spells of nesting are replaced with no-nonsense wooden ones.
“Customers” who repeatedly make these messes but never buy a thing… or go home to order the books on Amazon (as if we were an Amazon showroom) are the first to complain. They will threaten to go to another bookstore (good luck finding one) and never come back. Such a loss!
Most small towns didn’t have bookstores back then. Even when I was a 6-year-old kid in 1967, a drugstore is where I bought the comics, along with bubblegum baseball cards, chocolate bars, etc. My dad even bought cigarettes at the drug store. There was also a “Five Cents to a Dollar Store” where they sold comics, etc, which I suppose was competing with the druggist, but they didn’t sell cigarettes so my dad didn’t go there. Just my mom and with her she didn’t have the money to buy the comics. I would get the new pair of socks instead.
For me, in the fifties in NYC, the comic books were in the candy store, which was right next to a drugstore which had no comic books but did have a soda fountain/lunch counter. Comic books were a dime except for the Classic Comics, which cost fifteen cents.
If you were any kind of kid you’d buy one rather than reading it from cover to cover and walking off (basically stealing). No one wants a used comic book. If you want free – go to the library.
Back in the late ’50’s, our local grocery store chain had a small wooden corral where kids (boys, usually) could read comics while Mom or Dad shopped. The Comics Corral, it was. Very western appearing. One day I walked down to the store to catch up on my reading, while Mom was at home. After an hour or so, I was kindly showed the exit. I only got one bite of that apple, darn it. I shouldn’t have overstayed my welcome on my first, and then only, trip, I guess.
Templo S.U.D. almost 5 years ago
as if not ALL bookstores would have benches (yeah, I know a “druggist” would be the proprietor of a drugstore like Walgreen’s for example)
orinoco womble almost 5 years ago
These days, there are chairs, coffee, muffins…and higher prices.
therese_callahan2002 almost 5 years ago
Just wait till the druggist walks up to them and says, “No reading if you’re not going to buy them.”
jimmjonzz Premium Member almost 5 years ago
Every chair or bench in a bookstore generates extra work and extra expenses to pay the extra hours worked. Some customers will collect every book or magazine that interests them, spend up to eight hours occupying a chair, leave without making a purchase, and leave behind cups, food wrappers, magazine blow-out cards, and the huge stack of books and magazines to reshelve.
Purely in self defense, in these hard times for book stores, chairs are eliminated or offered in reduced number. Comfy chairs that embrace and encourage long spells of nesting are replaced with no-nonsense wooden ones.
“Customers” who repeatedly make these messes but never buy a thing… or go home to order the books on Amazon (as if we were an Amazon showroom) are the first to complain. They will threaten to go to another bookstore (good luck finding one) and never come back. Such a loss!
Troglodyte almost 5 years ago
If the druggist can’t stand you, we know why, CB! :D
dcdete. almost 5 years ago
Most small towns didn’t have bookstores back then. Even when I was a 6-year-old kid in 1967, a drugstore is where I bought the comics, along with bubblegum baseball cards, chocolate bars, etc. My dad even bought cigarettes at the drug store. There was also a “Five Cents to a Dollar Store” where they sold comics, etc, which I suppose was competing with the druggist, but they didn’t sell cigarettes so my dad didn’t go there. Just my mom and with her she didn’t have the money to buy the comics. I would get the new pair of socks instead.
dv1093 almost 5 years ago
Tip Top magazine from the 1950-60s? Oh My.
I❤️Peanuts almost 5 years ago
For me, in the fifties in NYC, the comic books were in the candy store, which was right next to a drugstore which had no comic books but did have a soda fountain/lunch counter. Comic books were a dime except for the Classic Comics, which cost fifteen cents.
Jan C almost 5 years ago
When this strip started, the comics were a nickel or a dime each. These days, you are lucky to find one for $5!
Godfreydaniel almost 5 years ago
“All In Color For A Dime”……….
Dippy almost 5 years ago
I like the comic titles. Slam!, Bang!, Pow!, Crash!, Yipe, Oh!, Tip Top, Nancy
JD'Huntsville'AL almost 5 years ago
And THAT’S why comics and other magazines are now wrapped in plastic.
fix-n-fly almost 5 years ago
If you were any kind of kid you’d buy one rather than reading it from cover to cover and walking off (basically stealing). No one wants a used comic book. If you want free – go to the library.
Charlie Fogwhistle almost 5 years ago
Back in the late ’50’s, our local grocery store chain had a small wooden corral where kids (boys, usually) could read comics while Mom or Dad shopped. The Comics Corral, it was. Very western appearing. One day I walked down to the store to catch up on my reading, while Mom was at home. After an hour or so, I was kindly showed the exit. I only got one bite of that apple, darn it. I shouldn’t have overstayed my welcome on my first, and then only, trip, I guess.
Shikamoo Premium Member almost 5 years ago
They are lucky they haven’t been kicked out by now.