A random encounter today which ended with I have someone donating a whole collection to me, because they don't want the library to toss them ! We are talking 400 books from 1890-1960. Some of the conditions are bad-but repairable- still free inventory! Some of these items have been on a wish list for years! <Squee>

Might not be exactly what you a sked about. So... I have finally found a part time assistant to help me organize the chaos that my stacks have gotten into. A plan for reorganizing the layout to include a new stack for Incoming inventory, so I don't have boxes everywhere. This will be achieved after this next festival.

Summer Magick Fest. I have a booth there next weekend, and I have offered to bring books from the website for people to collect & avoid shipping fees

@Elizabeth R Will do. This year they are finally hosting a Night Market! I'm bringing a few dozen Cuccidati cookies and another vendor is bringing Chili & Chocolate Coffee. Will be a long day (9am to 2am) but fun.

@Mahmoud Mahmoud That I uploaded? over 800. This was back in 98, so I think it might have been encrypted. They did have to wipe the computer. Apparently the virus would pretend to save the information was what I was told by the computer science instructor. I think he was dumbing it down because I knew nothing about computers, and my boss even less. After the computer was reformatted it worked a lot better. And yes, I still had my job. Sort of difficult to fire the only employee who did everything except payroll and investor conversations. I gave him 6 months notice when I resigned because I needed health insurance and found out he was severely underpaying me when I tried to interview my replacement.

@Elizabeth R Took a while to do, but yes. The computer was cheap & slow even for its time, but did save everything to word document (wasn't word but I cannot recall the program)when cataloguing and then copy/paste it to the online catalogues. Still do this today. The sales returned slowly, but when- after much arguments- I included a line about our website & books online in the new mail order catalogue- things started selling quickly. At the time I found my boss odd. He wanted to know his customers personally. wanted in person sales and really only wanted expensive stuff to sell. He hated the fact that I put the remaindered/sale books online line even when they sold, which did lead to many customers returning. Apparently a $5 book that led to a $200 book was not a good thing, especially when 10 $5 books did not. But his alternative was not selling the 11 $5 books and maybe selling the $200. He said I didn't understand the bibliophile mindest. He also came from money. Me? I offer $5-$50 books mainly and I have many returning customers at shows who know my price range and spend hundreds. Every once in a while my $100-500$ items sell. But that $5 sale gets them in.

In recent years I've been going to small business days, first fridays and pagan festivals. All within an 8hr radius of my house. As for marketing... I don't know. I post photos on Instagram, BlueSky, and other social media. I have posted ads before, but only in trade journals. I am having an issue with my google listing as well and until that is fixed I don't want to pay for ads there. Anyone who buys from me gets a free handmade book mark with my store name on it. I had totebags t-shirts and travel mugs pre pandemic, but that just cost me more money, As for my pets, those three are good. The other two are more needy.

@Elizabeth R no. I tend to set up a booth/tent. 10x10 gives the feel of a small indie bookshop, or a 10x20 if I am hosting a reading review or book discussion.