Following up on a pre-holiday announcement, the Associated Press filed a brief report on the last day of business at Murder Ink, the Upper West Side bookshop billed as the world’s oldest mystery-themed store, as owner Jay Pearsall declared to the unnamed reporter, “I was a little outraged that a well-run bookstore couldn’t make it in the best book-buying neighborhood in the world, but there’s no business model that can work.” Except, maybe, the Barnes & Noble model, since they’ve got an outpost just ten blocks down Broadway. Or however it is Labyrinth Books conducts its business twenty blocks uptown (while dealing with the B&N-run Columbia University store another two blocks up).
Meanwhile, in preparation for its final week, Coliseum Books has increased the discount on its remaining inventory to at least 50%, with the bargain titles now going for as much as 70% off. “As we enter our final week of business and despite appearances,” notes a promotional e-mail sent over the New Year’s weekend, “we still have some interesting books for sale… So come in for a last look, pick up some real bargains, and stock up on our famous and distinctive reusable drawstring black plastic bags.” If it ever snows this winter, those could come in handy for carrying your good shoes to and from the office… Having dropped in on the store a couple times over the past month, I can confirm that while many of the books are gone, you can still find the darnedest things if you’re willing to browse for the sake of discovery.
Photo by Michelle V. Agins for NYT story on Coliseum’s final days.