Farenheit 451 - Survival of a Real Book Store
Donation protected
farenheit451books.com
My name is Philip. I am 70 and this is the 15th year for my bricks and mortar store, Farenheit 451 Books where I work alone and also do restoration and repair. After 30 years and 2 previous bookstores, I've managed to somehow survive the onslaught of Amazon and ebay and Costco, the kindle and the nook and the millions of free online open source books and the proliferation of cheap Goodwill and public library bookstores everywhere and more recently audible.com.
And even the gentrification and skyrocketing costs of rents and doing business on the ground though it's taken 75-80 hours a week to stay afloat. And I wouldn't trade the amazing amount of remarkable people and awesome books that have come my way for anything.
I've managed to stay above water other than my increasing debt to the IRS of about $40,000 but am still able to make payments.
This problem alone seemed like enough to start a gofundme page and I had considered it for a few years but I've always been too proud to solicit charity.
Even after the Cedar wildfires when I lost over a 100,000 books ( hence the name of this bookstore ) and all my personal possessions and the flooding of my entire house a year and a half ago where I lost another 20,000 and several thousand others in between due to flooding from the rains or other plumbing issues or theft and the insurance companies have never stepped up for even a small fraction of the replacement value when it came down to it. None of this was enough to get me to do what I considered begging.
But the disasters that are unfolding have humbled me in less than a week. The money has virtually stopped as the economy is being shut down to save lives and may stay in this mode for several months. And not to minimize the exponential heartbreak of the sickness and death and immediate health and safety needs of so many others right now, this is my own livelihood and future like so many other small businesses that is in jeopardy.
So this is my story, such as it is. I am hoping book lovers who love to shop in real book stores, who dread the thought of having to buy everything on line and want to keep them alive, will find it in their hearts to help me with the costs of living and operating expenses and pressing monetary obligations through the next couple months of this crisis which will otherwise take down yet another bookstore. And one of the last bookmen. I've watched several thousand go over my lifetime from near and afar and each and every time I've wondered if mine will be next. It's not in my hands anymore.
Peace and love to all of you who took time to read this regardless of whether you decide to donate. You will all be touched by this virus and I hope you and your people do well....most appreciatively, Philip
My name is Philip. I am 70 and this is the 15th year for my bricks and mortar store, Farenheit 451 Books where I work alone and also do restoration and repair. After 30 years and 2 previous bookstores, I've managed to somehow survive the onslaught of Amazon and ebay and Costco, the kindle and the nook and the millions of free online open source books and the proliferation of cheap Goodwill and public library bookstores everywhere and more recently audible.com.
And even the gentrification and skyrocketing costs of rents and doing business on the ground though it's taken 75-80 hours a week to stay afloat. And I wouldn't trade the amazing amount of remarkable people and awesome books that have come my way for anything.
I've managed to stay above water other than my increasing debt to the IRS of about $40,000 but am still able to make payments.
This problem alone seemed like enough to start a gofundme page and I had considered it for a few years but I've always been too proud to solicit charity.
Even after the Cedar wildfires when I lost over a 100,000 books ( hence the name of this bookstore ) and all my personal possessions and the flooding of my entire house a year and a half ago where I lost another 20,000 and several thousand others in between due to flooding from the rains or other plumbing issues or theft and the insurance companies have never stepped up for even a small fraction of the replacement value when it came down to it. None of this was enough to get me to do what I considered begging.
But the disasters that are unfolding have humbled me in less than a week. The money has virtually stopped as the economy is being shut down to save lives and may stay in this mode for several months. And not to minimize the exponential heartbreak of the sickness and death and immediate health and safety needs of so many others right now, this is my own livelihood and future like so many other small businesses that is in jeopardy.
So this is my story, such as it is. I am hoping book lovers who love to shop in real book stores, who dread the thought of having to buy everything on line and want to keep them alive, will find it in their hearts to help me with the costs of living and operating expenses and pressing monetary obligations through the next couple months of this crisis which will otherwise take down yet another bookstore. And one of the last bookmen. I've watched several thousand go over my lifetime from near and afar and each and every time I've wondered if mine will be next. It's not in my hands anymore.
Peace and love to all of you who took time to read this regardless of whether you decide to donate. You will all be touched by this virus and I hope you and your people do well....most appreciatively, Philip
Organizer
Philip Phillips
Organizer
Carlsbad, CA