Posted on 10/08/2006 4:47:29 PM PDT by RayChuang88
As a small specialty food store owner I can feel this guy's pain.Unfortunately the free market system doesn't guarantee success for any business.As some have posted a web site makes a lot of sense for this bookstore but competing against giants like Barnes and Nobles and internet companies like Amazon is a tough road to hoe.The day of the neighborhood "loyalty" concept is going by the boards and small businesses with it.Today competition in a lot of areas has become international in scope,and sad to say a lot of American businesses large and small are falling by the wayside !!!
The great thing about American business is that when some businesses fail or become obsolete, others spring right up to take their places. Those businesses that adapt to change get to say on their letterhead, "Since 1881."
Aw, I like old typewriters. Yeah, I know they're not exactly practical for much but envelopes, but they're such a wonderful reminder of the days when many companies in the U.S. actually had the ability to produce good quality mechanical machinery. Even adjusting for inflation, how many companies would have the ability to produce a functional mechanical typewriter for less than ten times what one would have cost in 1980?
I still like typewriters ... and I still use it.
Just an example, which I'm sure you did not miss, was that all the typewriter workers in the US can probably get work in the computer field.
Hi! :)
I never considered myself a 'typewriter expert', but I find it interesting how many things people don't know about typewriters. Some typewriters had keys for "th" (and "st", "nd", and "rd") digraphs, though they didn't look like the "Killian" memo ones. Many typewriters could half-space, even though many people wouldn't know how unless shown (push and hold the spacebar before typing a character to offset the character 1/2 space). And of course mechanical typewriters had that wonderful "tab" key.
They'll do what I do -- read a library copy and then wait until the book is on remainder.
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