Absolve Big Box Guilt!

December 21, 2005 8:45 AM

Absolve Big Box shopping guilt! So apparently this bookstore in Boston decided if you can't beat them join them. You can basically buy permission to shop at a big box store...or absolve your guilt depending on how you look at it. Suppose they had to license the concept from the Catholic Church?
posted by UMDirector (23 comments total)

What a load of insecure sorry-ass weenies who actually give a rat's arse what someone thinks about where they friggin SHOP.

Save the world and make homo-sapiens extinct NOW.
posted by HTuttle at 8:53 AM on December 21, 2005

Ha! I live right by this used bookstore, which is quite nice, but never seems to have anybody in it. I guess if you can't sell books...
posted by blahblahblah at 8:54 AM on December 21, 2005

HTuttle: Chill, dude! It's obviously a spoof of the Indulgences that one could buy in the dark old days if you wanted to commit a sin...
posted by Chunder at 8:56 AM on December 21, 2005

Don't get bothered by Htuttle; he's a troll. See posting history.

That said, this is a silly idea. Independant bookstores offer very real advantages over the box stores. Try promoting those instead of guilt-tripping people.
posted by selfnoise at 9:01 AM on December 21, 2005

It could be more educationaly than guiltitationaly intened. It's nice to see people realise that shopping isn't in some moral vacuum, despite our upbringing.
posted by parallax7d at 9:03 AM on December 21, 2005

They are asking customers for donations? Sad. Another reason to shop for books at the big chain storesonline.

It could be more educationaly than guiltitationaly intened. It's nice to see people realise that shopping isn't in some moral vacuum, despite our upbringing.

What does this mean?
posted by brain_drain at 9:17 AM on December 21, 2005

"Save the world and make homo-sapiens extinct NOW."

Sigh. Another unmarried marriage counsellor.

You go first.
posted by Mike D at 9:19 AM on December 21, 2005

Though I work at/own stock in a big bookstore chain, aside from selection there's no particular need to shop at a big bookstore chain as (with the exception of bestsellers and some new releases) MOST BOOKSTORES SELL THINGS AT LIST PRICE.

(semi-related rant)
There, I said it. Please don't come in and tell me it's cheaper at another store (we don't match prices). Please don't tell me it's cheaper online (don't make me explain why prices are cheaper online). AND FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THINGS SACRED, DON'T TELL ME IT'S CHEAPER AT WALMART OR TARGET (I'm not going to bother to explain this one).
(end rant)

Many big box booksellers love small independent bookstores as well. I'll usually go to the used ones to try to find out of print goodies, or neat deals. I sometimes get annoyed by people's attitude that a chain can't be a good place to shop. For example, when we won in the Alt-Weekly's readers' choice poll, the paper spent the description writing about the local chain that took second place.
posted by drezdn at 9:53 AM on December 21, 2005

They need to create a second type of indulgence for us folks who are so cheap that we'd rather borrow the book from the public library.
posted by alumshubby at 9:58 AM on December 21, 2005

I echo the thought that it's cute, but obviously not a long term sustainable solution.

The one local bookstore left in my part of cambridge is great, and deserves the occasional extra nickel I spend because of the helpful staff, community events, etc. As an adolescent, however, the independent bookstore wouldn't let more than 3 "kids" in the store at a time, while the B&N down the street didn't care that we used it as a meeting point / hangout spot. I thought the independent store had a lot of chuzpah trying to sell "don't step on me" anti-chain t-shirts.
posted by allan at 10:00 AM on December 21, 2005

Ha! I live right by this used bookstore, which is quite nice, but never seems to have anybody in it. I guess if you can't sell books...

I walked past this place a hundred times when I lived in Cambridge, but it really never looked inviting. I did most of my book shopping at the Harvard bookstore. I never felt bad, though, about going to Border's. I really don't get this "big box guilt." Hell, in a lot of cases, I would rather shop at a store where nobody knows anything. I want to buy things, not have them sold to me.
posted by uncleozzy at 10:48 AM on December 21, 2005

They should have these for downloading independent label music.
posted by I Foody at 10:56 AM on December 21, 2005

How about just don't shop at stores that make you feel guilty instead?
posted by fenriq at 11:04 AM on December 21, 2005

brain_drain, sorry for being so unclear. I was rushing to post and seemed to have invented a few words there.

What I meant to say, is that perhaps this is simply a stunt to *educate* the masses, not make them feel guilty.

Also it's nice to see the American public, who have been raised to be mindless consumers, start to realize that our shopping choices have a moral/social effect on the world.
posted by parallax7d at 12:11 PM on December 21, 2005

I sell cheap books, I do, so sue me!

(really did read the comments above)
posted by artifarce at 12:17 PM on December 21, 2005

I better get some damn books for my indulgence.
posted by StarForce5 at 2:20 PM on December 21, 2005

As someone who works at an independent bookstore (Von's - West Lafayette, IN), I find this pretty stupid. If I find out that my friends go to Border's I usually make fun of them, but honestly, I go to both Border's and Barnes & Noble to look at the bargain books and because they are open way later than Von's and sometimes I like to look at books at 10:30 at night. Let the masses shop at the big box stores and let the cool kids shop at the independents - we'll all stay happy that way.
posted by handshake at 4:01 PM on December 21, 2005

Eh, I know those guys. My brother built their shelving. It's just meant as ironic commentary with tongue-in-cheek -- wouldn't read too much into it.
posted by Bryant at 7:30 PM on December 21, 2005

ifoody, that's an awesome idea. of course, a lot of nonlabel/tiny label bands work that out with a donate button. i wonder if any of the more "legitimate" indy labels would have the humility for that sort of thing.
posted by es_de_bah at 8:24 PM on December 21, 2005

I've never been altruistic enough to shop at ma-and-pa stores. To be honest, I usually like the crispness and sterility of franchises.
posted by Citizen Premier at 12:53 AM on December 22, 2005

Books? Those were the old paper things before the interweb, right?
posted by FredsinPa at 4:06 AM on December 22, 2005

You know what's great? The Big Box Stores picked up on this and are now carrying the indulgances at a cheaper price, including free shipping!
posted by drezdn at 8:02 AM on December 22, 2005

I have a hard time considering a Barnes & Noble or a Borders a "big box" store, as they are actually fairly tastefully decorated and furnished and don't have the sterile, cheap, warehouse feeling that a Best Buy or Home Depot has. No high unfinished ceilings, no mercury vapor lights.... nope, not a "big box."

(The actual indulgences page does not use the term.)
posted by kindall at 8:54 AM on December 22, 2005