fuck off
Out of context: Reply #597
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BACKGROUND
'nobody buys books anymore' -- the first thing any used-book store owner will tell you if you ask how's business. recently, book-buying on the internet has only made things worse. the old bricks and mortar of a store cannot compete with the unlimited supply of the new virtual marketplace, which undercuts prices to the demise of tradition and advantage to the consumer. the economic crisis of these booksellers is now shared amidst similar catastrophe in all sectors.
$1 BOOKS
invariably, every used-book retailer have a shelf, stack, or bin with books cast with a price-tag of $1. usually paperback novels, they are remain handsome in their physical appearance, they do not fall apart but hold together as any well-produced book should. their low resale-value is not dependent on the quality of the writing but their shared condition of being too many books with not enough readers. i propose to address this situation by way of a project which changes the way the public looks at these books. a way to give new value to these objects exiled to the bulk-bin.
PROPOSAL
step 1.
to buy 100 books for $1 from 100 different used-bookstores in New York City. the books should be of the same standard pocketbook format. each book must be exactly 200 pages long.step 2.
cut the spine from each book to re-assemble 100 alternate, cut-up books. these are made using a single sheet from each of the 100 original books. the first cut-up book would consist of the first sheet of each of the hundred original books, making it a 200 page (100 sheet) book consisting only of pages numbered 1 & 2. the last (cut-up book no.100) will consist of the last pages of the 100 original books.step 3.
before cutting/assembling the new books, each page will be marked to refer to the cover i will design, produce, and use to frame the project.
the order of pages from the original books to the new books are the same throughout. therefore only a single cover needs to be designed/produced, and will act as an index, or map of the books + bookstores which they were purchased.step 4.
i propose a sliding scale of resale price whereby the page # determines the new book's price. the first book (sheet 1) will sell for $1, and the last book (sheet 100) will sell for $100.
therefore the total value of the new books will be equal to:
100+99+98+97+96+95+94+93+92+91 = 955
90+89+88+87+86+85+84+83+82+81 = 855
80+79+78+77+76+75+74+73+72+71 = 755
70+69+68+67+66+65+64+63+62+61 = 655
60+59+58+57+56+55+54+53+52+51 = 555
50+49+48+47+46+45+44+43+42+41 = 455
40+39+38+37+36+35+34+33+32+31 = 355
30+29+28+27+26+25+24+23+22+21 = 255
20+19+18+17+16+15+14+13+12+11 = 155
10+9+8+7+6+5+4+3+2+1 = 55
total price = $5,050step 5.
a catalogue will be produced making use of the left-over covers, and documenting the different stages of the project.step 6.
in order to market+sell the new books, i will have 100 consecutive openings+auctions taking place in each of the 100 bookstores. this is an important step to bring public interest (publicity) back to the stores, helping them with their business and fulfilling the project's ultimate goal.