TinaG
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« on: March 09, 2007, 11:51:23 AM » |
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It's been a dream of mine for years to have an Orthodox retail bookstore, a sort of Orthodox Barnes & Noble, just smaller. Can anyone tell me if they know of any succesful bookstores, how they got started, what kind of $$$ investment was needed, and more importantly, whether there is enough profit to be made to support oneself and family. Even though I live in a large city (San Antonio), I'm just not sure whether there is a market here without having to supplement your store front sales with internet sales.
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Elisha
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« Reply #1 on: March 09, 2007, 12:06:04 PM » |
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There's many out there already...and I don't if any actually are financially viable for a full time salaried person. If there, you can probably count on one hand how many are. There are many that are rather subsidized (e.g. the former CSB bookstores).
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AMM
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« Reply #2 on: March 09, 2007, 12:14:46 PM » |
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I read about a bookstore and coffee shop somewhere. I think it was run by a priest.
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Elisha
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« Reply #3 on: March 09, 2007, 12:45:10 PM » |
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I read about a bookstore and coffee shop somewhere. I think it was run by a priest.
Yeah, that's what several of those former CSB (Christ the Saviour Brotherhood) bookstores are. |
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TinaG
I am not a pessimist - I'm just grimly realistic!
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« Reply #4 on: March 09, 2007, 12:47:04 PM » |
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I read about a bookstore and coffee shop somewhere. I think it was run by a priest.
I think that is Agia Sophia in Colorado Springs, CO. Ancient Faith Radio has an archived interview with the priest/owner. I don't think I'd be up to tackling both a bookstore and a coffee shop. I saw the website for Agia Sophia and it's really nice. It's near a university which must help a lot. |
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On the spiritual path somewhere between the Simpsons and St. Theophan the Recluse, but I still can't see the Springfield city limits sign yet.
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Veniamin
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« Reply #5 on: March 09, 2007, 01:51:25 PM » |
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I read about a bookstore and coffee shop somewhere. I think it was run by a priest.
What was the name? Holy Grounds?  |
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aurelia
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« Reply #6 on: March 09, 2007, 02:11:59 PM » |
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I know the christian bookstores here (the few there are) seem busy, but they also sell gifts and things like the Nativity figures/villages, veggietales stuff, homeschooling things, all that. You could go for an Orthodox/Catholic slant, as opposed to the more Baptist/Evangelical slant I usually see.
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Justinian
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« Reply #7 on: March 09, 2007, 02:38:09 PM » |
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There is a monastery that owns a small store off the highway in Goldendale, WA. Website: http://shop.1asecure.com/index.cfm?DeptNo=4&Stid=3295They sell icons, books, and what not but they also sell food, coffee, and espressos. They seem to do pretty well. |
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"All this indignation have I hurled, At the pretending part of the proud world. Who, swollen with selfish vanity devise: false freedoms, holy cheats, and formal lies, Over their fellow slaves to tyrannize." - John Wilmot
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Salpy
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« Reply #8 on: March 09, 2007, 09:45:04 PM » |
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http://www.lifegivingspring.com/Life Giving Spring Bookstore in Glendale, California is pretty good and it has been around for at least a few years. You may want to give the owner a call and see how she did it.
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Psalti Boy
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« Reply #9 on: March 10, 2007, 12:47:15 AM » |
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I read about a bookstore and coffee shop somewhere. I think it was run by a priest.
I think it was in the Midwest. They have a website but don't remember the URL or the name of the shop. PB |
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Salpy
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« Reply #10 on: March 10, 2007, 01:41:04 AM » |
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St. Hripsimeh pray for us!
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BrotherAidan
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« Reply #11 on: March 10, 2007, 10:35:22 AM » |
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I would add a dash of Celtic stuff - crosses, knots, music, art; with literature, be careful, however -there is alot of whacko Celtic stuff out there (all the pre-Christian druid garbage that gets mixed in with new age semi-christian celtic "spirituality"); the pre-synod of Whitby Celtic Christian ethos is very eastern Orthodox but I don't know how much is available in print from the early Celtic saints; but for practical matters, you can make alot selling Celtic crosses, and all other things Celtic, even though many of the Celtic-nuts don't know anything about Orthodoxy
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frost
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« Reply #12 on: March 10, 2007, 01:14:07 PM » |
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Dear Friends: You may be thinking of Eighth Day Books in Wichita. The owner, Warren Farha, is a member of our St George Cathedral in Wichita. You can check out their web-site at www.eighthdaybooks.com Best wishes Francis Frost |
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TinaG
I am not a pessimist - I'm just grimly realistic!
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« Reply #13 on: March 10, 2007, 04:29:39 PM » |
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I appreciate all the good input from everyone. I liked the link to Lifegiving Spring bookstore in California. They seem to have the market on some nice hand-painted incons as well as the mass-produced Greek import icons and doodads. I've always been curious to see the place that makes that stuff. I picture an assembly line of grim looking Greek women, pasting on paper icons onto miniature diptychs as they roll past on a conveyor belt.
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On the spiritual path somewhere between the Simpsons and St. Theophan the Recluse, but I still can't see the Springfield city limits sign yet.
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pensateomnia
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« Reply #14 on: March 10, 2007, 05:08:12 PM » |
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I've always been curious to see the place that makes that stuff. I picture an assembly line of grim looking Greek women, pasting on paper icons onto miniature diptychs as they roll past on a conveyor belt.
It's more like several guys named Yianni with gold chains on their necks and marlboros in their mouths. There are whole sections of Athens and Thessaloniki that are dedicated to ecclesiastical materials and vendors, and the quality varies considerably. |
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But for I am a man not textueel I wol noght telle of textes neuer a deel. (Chaucer, The Manciple's Tale, 1.131)
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SakranMM
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« Reply #15 on: March 11, 2007, 07:22:52 PM » |
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There's one in Nashville, TN. It's run by a Greek priest, Fr. Parthenios and his presbytera. The name is called "Alektor." It's a small bookstore/coffee shop. The local papers ran an article on it. If you google the name, you'll come across the website. I visited last summer; quite a nice place.
In Christ,
Rdr. Michael
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Thomas
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« Reply #16 on: March 11, 2007, 10:52:10 PM » |
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Dear Tina,
Our Parish runs a bookstore that is not too far from you in Cedar Park (North Austin) go to website:www.ChristTheLightgiver.com for a map and phone number. Reader Mark Trainer runs the bookstore as a full time volunteer and has lots of professional experience having run the LOGOS Christian bookstore in Austin for years, I am sure you would find his advice and experience helpful if you are trying to enter the Christian Bookstore market. If you come by he will give you a cup of one of the many teas that he sells along with the books.
Thomas
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Your brother in Christ ,
Thomas
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aurelia
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« Reply #17 on: March 12, 2007, 09:24:43 AM » |
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It's more like several guys named Yianni with gold chains on their necks and marlboros in their mouths.
what, nobody named Nick? LMAO at the image though, I can really see them! |
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TinaG
I am not a pessimist - I'm just grimly realistic!
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« Reply #18 on: March 12, 2007, 09:52:03 AM » |
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Dear Tina,
Our Parish runs a bookstore that is not too far from you in Cedar Park (North Austin) go to website:www.ChristTheLightgiver.com for a map and phone number. Reader Mark Trainer runs the bookstore as a full time volunteer and has lots of professional experience having run the LOGOS Christian bookstore in Austin for years, I am sure you would find his advice and experience helpful if you are trying to enter the Christian Bookstore market. If you come by he will give you a cup of one of the many teas that he sells along with the books.
Thomas
I remember Mark from quite a few years back. I packed up our parish bookstore and was an exhibitor at an Orthodox festival at St. Elias in Austin. He was running his bookstore at the time and I probably got the idea for a bookstore just from that chance meeting. If I remember right, Logos was a Christian bookstore with an Orthodox section. Really nice guy and I will definitely try and go up to Cedar Park to visit. BTW, I am sure glad I didn't post a question about the term LMAO before I finally figured that one out. Y'all would have been LYA'sO if I'd displayed my internet naivete. |
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On the spiritual path somewhere between the Simpsons and St. Theophan the Recluse, but I still can't see the Springfield city limits sign yet.
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Starlight
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« Reply #19 on: March 12, 2007, 11:18:16 PM » |
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If you are in New England, or somewhere around, I would very highly recommend the bookstore of HCHC.
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