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For Thomas Baldwin, owner of Baldwin’s Book Barn in East Bradford, the changes are not welcome.
"The used book business is in a deep, deep depression," said Baldwin, who grew up in the business.
These days, Baldwin sells both classic and new used books online as well as in the five-story barn built in 1822. Out of necessity, Baldwin developed a new business model that includes Internet sales, but he acknowledges he doesn’t like it.
Baldwin said he has lost track of all the used book stores that have shut their doors and gone "underground," referring to doing business online instead of out of a storefront.
Baldwin wonders how operators buy books to sell when their stores are closed. Libraries and collectors cease to call, he said.
Attendance at book shows is about half of what it was a few years ago, Baldwin said.
"Used book store owners would come and commiserate, argue about what time F. Scott Fitzgerald would have lunch. It’s a crime," Baldwin said about the changing culture of the business.
Collectors are dropping out of the business, too.
For example, a collection of Civil War books might have been worth $200,000 some 10 years ago. Now because of the Internet, the collector would be lucky to get one-fifth of that, Baldwin said. People find some books in their attic, do not know the value of the volumes and put the collectiononline. Without professional appraisals, the collections are undervalued, which drives the price down for everyone, he said.
Up until 2000, Baldwin’s Book Barn had annual revenues of $1.5 million. By 2004, that number dropped by 50 percent and Baldwin said he had to lay off half his staff.
Baldwin’s revenues are coming back.
The business has a Web site that links to five used book sites. His business is now split 50 percent online and 50 percent store.
Most of Baldwin’s online inventory are new used books that he gets through a variety of sources and often before the book is on the retail shelf.
Baldwin said sales of used books, especially new used books, are so successful online because they are "vertically" a perfect product for the Internet.
To search, "put in a title and an author and up come 50 copies starting at $1.75," he said.
To be successful online, the book has to be there and available at a discounted price. There is not much room for markup.
"I’m one of a few used book businesses that have adapted to a new way of selling books," Baldwin said.
In contrast, the owner of Thomas Macaluso Used and Rare Books in Kennett Square, said, "the Internet has increased our sales tremendously. People from all over the country and 30 other countries -- Singapore, Rumania, Taiwan -- buy our books."
Macaluso acknowledged Internet sales lack the personal touch of a book store that sells used, rare and out-of-print books.
Still, it is amazing someone from Rumania who would never have an opportunity to visit his Kennett Square shop is buying his books, Macaluso said.
Macaluso opened the store on South Union Street in 1973 while he was still an English literature professor at Delaware County Community College. The store went online eight years ago but did not do well at first, Macaluso said.
Then two years ago Macaluso joined ABE, orAntiquarian Book Exchange, an online cooperative and has done quite well since, the store owner said.
Macaluso said his shop does well because he sells rare books starting at $25 to $30 and going into the thousands of dollars The store doesn’t buy just any used book, it has to be something of lasting interest that justifies the price, he said.
Like Baldwin, Macaluso said he knows some shop owners have closed their doors and do all their business online.
But once you go that route, Macaluso said, you compete with anyone with a computer and a couple of books. Anybody can be a book dealer, he said.
