How often do you come across a bookstore which keep all their books nicely wrapped?
You do not even have the chance of browsing through the book to see whether it's worth buying or not.
Popular bookstore in Penang area always have their books wrapped up nicely. As for Borders, they do not wrap their books and everyone is free to browse through it (except for the manga which is considered as collectable items).
So, have your say, do u think all the books should be wrapped up nicely so the public will not damage the books by browsing through it??
Or they should let everyone read it before buying ??

Well. In popular. You can always request for them to remove the plastic cover for you to browse through the book. It's a tad disturbing, but it's how they usually take care of the books.

Meanwhile the books in Borders, esp the ones in Queensbay, gosh. After much handling from the public, at times I don't even wana buy the books. It's in bad shape and some has creases on the spine and even dog ears.

Sigh. Wouldn't want my new book to be in that condition.

Well, I can see borders doing some changes. They wrapped most of the books, leaving a few (2-3 books) unwrapped for the public to browse through. Guess that's good. =)

It depends on the shop's business line, and some may just plain depended on how they view of Malaysians reader as a whole.

By business line, Borders is pretty smart.
They know that not alot of people will read non-cartoony books, and that those who do read non-cartoony books would have been mature enough to handle a book, thus those books will not be wrapped.

Comics and mangas will definitely be wrapped because kids just don't know how to handle them yet. Teenagers and adults may be able to handle those books well, but you also know that among those readers are also kids

Borders, not wrapping their books? In my experience they wrap about 50% of them. Fantasy and Sci-Fi books are usually wrapped, while general fiction is a free-for-all browsing section. Mangas are also wrapped, but Borders provides a 'Browsing Copy' that usually looks like 'kiam chai' (salted vegetable in Hokkien).

I don't really care if the book I buy is unwrapped and has been flipped through. As long as its not in tatters with pages falling out, its fine by me. Of course, if there is a wrapped copy and an unwrapped one, I'll pick the wrapped one!

I did see something that really irked me tho. I was at Kinokuniya, and there were these two guys just ripping up the wrapping to read the books, even though there were plenty of signs that read 'Please ask for assistance to unwrap.' Very uncivic-minded.

they should allow people to read it and have workers stationed if a person reads too long! I always want buy doraemon, but afraid that i will buy back the same volume

Agree with firedauz , thats business line.
Can't say much about that.

If its wrapped , I'll read the synopsis and if its not , perhaps will read a few chapters.

I think that stationed personnel idea might not work in Malaysia

It may work in the US or Japan where readers will be shy abit and put back the book when they are warn by a book personnel, but in Malaysia?

Most definitely that reader will ask back "apa awak mau??"

That's a smart move....unlike popular, need to call the assistants to unwrap it
sometimes, when buying a book, i need to read through the content to see whether it's up to my liking or not
but when I see all the books being wrapped up like those in popular, i don't feel like going in anymore since i would not like to trouble the assistants that i want this, that and everything that caught my attention to be unwrapped

for borders, it's very kind of them to provide a copy for browsing through - if i see anything interesting on the cover/title, all i have to do is flip through it...by doing so, I will not feel bad for flipping through all the books

I like border's method where they have one browsing copy. They should have one then keep the other books nicely wrapped. I like my books with the 'new book smell'

I prefer Borders method of providing browsing copy too. Have seen too many bad browsing habit (err, saliva-slicked fingers anyone?), I definitely will not buy any unwrapped copy unless if I really, REALLY have no other choice.

saliva slicked fingeR?? ewwww.....

Good examples about this discussion.
They , the owners of the bookshops , have to accept the consequences.
But yea , IMO , most people prefer to read , or to compare some books before they buy one.

last time i was at Border's TS, i saw malay uncle(smart looking) un-wrap about 5+ to read the books and then hide d plastic behind the book shelf

ermm...what kind of books was he looking at?
some not suitable for kids manga??

This post has been edited by evilhomura89: Jan 24 2009, 12:32 AM

Perhaps by wrapping up the books method is not acceptable for some readers and buyers , huh?

This post has been edited by Massa: Jan 26 2009, 04:58 AM

Acceptable or not, you walk into the bookstore, you follow its rules. Its not like you can't unwrap the books, you just have to ask, but obviously the people we saw are more important then your average Joe.

Exactly.
Can't agree more.

Well..what do expect in a bookstore when there are traffic rules and I see many not obeying it even though the consequence of breaking it are much more serious than breaking the rules in bookstore...this is Malaysia for god sake...

This is what I wanted to ask you guys. If let's say you are interested in a particular book but all the wrapped copy has been snapped up by others, will you still go for the unwrapped copy, assuming the copy is not in a very nice condition?



Well, ppl always say 'don't judge a book by it's cover'. Same as don't judge a person by their dressing.

When you want something bad enough, you'll buy a book even if its full of creases and the cover looks like its been through a grinder. Case in point, the last copy of a particular book I wanted which I snapped up regardless of its condition.