Comments on: Save Modern Times From The Ashbin Of History

By: Winding Machine

Winding Machine — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 19:33:42 +0000

there are mnay used books online and the price is cheap too but i wonder if the quality of it is good ..,

By: Be Gone Already

Be Gone Already — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 14:48:47 +0000

Modern Times = RUDE RUDE RUDE.

I live in the mission. I buy my books elsewhere because they hire people who make you feel uncomfortable. When I go to BUY groceries, coffee or books SPARE the attitude (modern times, you are not that cool) I will order books on AMAZON just to see modern times go out of business sooner. Its the TRUTH. THEY SHOULD HAVE TREATED EVERY ONE EQUAL (HIPSTER OR NOT)

By: James O'Boston

James O'Boston — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 07:28:27 +0000

You kinda sound like a dick. I was your age once and probably had more money at that age than you have now. I said things like this. I was a dick. I’m over it. The sooner YOU get over it, the better for everyone, yourself included.

By: Cranky Old Mission Guy

Cranky Old Mission Guy — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 22:39:10 +0000

Nothing could.

By: 300baud

300baud — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 06:29:09 +0000

Wowsers. Way to be a conclusion-jumping asshole.

I’m Jane’s pal. I buy plenty of books in the city, including at Dog-Eared Books, Borderlands, City Lights, and Books Inc. I love bookstores, and used to work in a library, so I think I’m pretty comfortable with books and their people. And I help run a co-op myself, so I’m down with the non-traditional thing.

Still, and maybe it was just me, but I never felt even vaguely welcome at Modern Times. Whether it was me or them or something else, I dunno. But after a few bad experiences, I took my business to the local bookstores that apparently did want me as a customer. Given that none of them are asking for donations, maybe I’m not the only one.

By: SFDoggy

SFDoggy — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 05:02:17 +0000

No. Dog-eared books has a nice selection of books that lots of people would actually want to read. Modern Times has an agenda that they want to push. If you are into that fine, but otherwise it doesn’t hold much appeal.

By: pat

pat — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 04:53:08 +0000

I don’t know how to feel about this but I can’t say there’s much injustice in it.

I got into what I do by hanging out at used book stores as a kid. I’m one of those Amazon types destroying the local indie bookstore. I make a living selling stuff more efficiently than they do, which allows me to create culture for it’s own sake. It’s hard. I have a short film going out to film festivals that my business allowed me to make. I’m helping set up a community garden in my back yard that I can organize in the day because I work at home. I pay a lot of taxes on the gross sales I bring in instead of being unemployed or costing more than I pay, and only get to keep a fraction from the gross. I don’t get support to do this.

I talked to a local icon of independent publishing about co-publishing a book with my money. I said no because he couldn’t offer me a reason to pay out money and have selling advantage for the risk- I’d have lots tied up in a stock I couldn’t sell any better than anyone else on amazon and would probably lose it to make his ambitions happen. Sorry man, it’s your ambition.

It’s like the structure is failing for music business and it’s increasingly on the original creators and rights holders to put their own stuff out there, whether they can make money doing it or not. Stuff I make personally isn’t for money, it’s because I embrace this instead of just expecting it from others. Times are tough. Make better stuff and sell it more efficiently, I guess. Everyone wants to make and have cool culture and entertainment while manufacturing and building stuff gets done in china. Where’s the limit?

By: Birnbaum

Birnbaum — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 03:42:42 +0000

I’m going to Modern Times and buying a book, like I’ve done many, many, many times over the past 17 years. They have great books on current politics, books written by the great intellectual thinkers, ancient to modern. They have large sections of Spanish language literature and politics, and children’s books about all different cultures in many languages. Magazines and publications you cannot find anywhere else about social issues, art, and politics. They have a large selection of LGBT literature, zines and politics. They hold reading, poetry events in the back. The staff are well read, socially aware, interested humans. If that doesn’t fit our neighborhood, The Mission has changed more than I realized or thought it ever would. Who would have thought the opening of Foreign Cinema would come to this?

By: ben

ben — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 03:41:51 +0000

You’re right. I know I *should* give my money to subsidize what you like and have you insult me in return, but somehow I haven’t got round to it yet. Maybe if rant about “greeters” some more, that’ll help.

By: ben

ben — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 03:38:46 +0000

One party is failing and begging for donations here.

By: Public Frenemy

Public Frenemy — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 02:06:18 +0000

meanwhile, about a dozen boutiques have popped up along valencia over the last year that specialize in $200 blouses, couches that don’t look comfortable and other such bullshit. looks like the transformation of the mission into the next hayes valley is going into high gear…

By: bookster

bookster — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 01:47:16 +0000

what most people don’t seem to understand about indie bookstores or arts and culture in general is that these types of places (city lights, modern times adobe ect.) offer a good beyond whats on the shelf, they offer lectures, poetry and programs to the community without charging, also a place for local zine and book makers to sell their goods. they support actual arts. It isn’t just about the books. and for the ‘they don’t sell things people want/gentrification is good’ yeah they do sell something people want, they sell culture- an idea of what every ones precious bohemian mission subculture is. Without stores like moderntimes, otsu ect that are closing down due to the marinacation of valencia street, there is no ‘hipster mission’ a place that most people on this blog seem to want to be in the thick of. If hipster means you like things locally you support small business and realize there is more to life than a bargain and a front door greeter than I am fine with the grossly overused term.

By: bookster

bookster — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 01:32:43 +0000

“Was it because he’s a guy? Not a hipster? ” did you really just type this? really? maybe it was him, maybe it’s just a bookstore, not walmart where they have a greeter to kiss your ass and point you in the right direction. I highly doubt personal style and gender had anything to do with his insecurities of buying a book. just a thought.

By: MrEricSir

MrEricSir — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 00:53:27 +0000

Oh noes, book-stores going out of business?! What next, the type-writer shop will close? The neighborhood blacksmith will go bankrupt? Or the shutting down of the horse-train depot?

By: travis

travis — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 23:44:01 +0000

Regarding feeling unwelcome, I don’t go into Modern Times because they always want to check my bag. Having to wait around for someone at the register to fetch it when I’m done browsing discourages my impulsively entering the store.

Dog Eared has a sign saying they want your bag, but I’ve been there dozens of times and no one’s ever asked for it.