And so it begins...

[Lulu]

November is drawing to a close and lo, a new variety of SC is born, yes, the Christmas SC, the worst kind of all. I was labouring under the mistaken belief that I had a week or so's grace before the CSC started to crawl out from under their rocks...apparently not...

1: The Left it Too Late
Her: Have you got any guiness book of records?
Me: No, sorry, it's already out of print for this year and we've sold out. You could try Smith's, they might have a copy left...
Her: What d'ya mean it's out of print...my little boy ALWAYS has a copy every Christmas! You can order me one. *smug look*
Me: Um...I'm afraid I can't...as I mentioned, it's out of print.
Her: So? Get them to print some more!

2: The Cheapskate
Him: I need a book on dinosaurs...a pop up book...
Me: Ok, we have a couple of pop up editions at the moment *shows the guy them*
Him: *sigh* haven't you got anything nicer? And I want it cheaper than £1.99...these are my nephews Christmas presents you know!

3: The Clueless Parent
Her: I'm sposed to get this book "I Spy"? My friend said she brought it in here yesterday and I want to get my son a copy.
Me: *searches database* Well, we haven't carried anything by that title in about four years, is it possible it had a subtitle or perhaps some other wording on the cover?
Her: Oh no, she said it was I spy by someone called Alex Rider...it had been made into a film...
Me: *stifling giggles* Would it perhaps be the Alex Rider series by Anthony Horowitz...about a teenaged spy? And would the film perhaps have been Stormbreaker?
Her: Stormbreaker, yes, that's what I said!

4: The Inspiration Searcher
Him: I need something for my wife.
Me: Ok, what sort of things does she read?
Him: No idea.
Me: Um...ok...was there a subject matter you had in mind? Fiction or non-fiction?
Him: I don't have time for this, just give me something she's going to like!

dear lord they're starting early this year....help....

[kerrisan]

Wow . . . those SCs are some "special" people. "Get them to print some more?" Ok, ma'am, let me just call up the publisher and use my connections and mad negotiating skillz to convince them that they haven't made enough copies because you don't have one.

I swear, some SCs are like schoolchildren with their teachers. They think that the bookseller not only works at the store, but lives, breathes, and eats everything "books." So you should know what's in and out without looking in your database, and you should know what some guy's wife likes to read about.

[Becks]

Why doesn't SC #4 just look at his wife's book collection for inspiration? Oh, wait, that would make some sort of sense, wouldn't it?

[Barefootgirl]

Send the Guinness seekers to Waterstones, they've got piles of them ! Number 4 is obviously an eejit, but then thats what the novelty ranges are there for - non-books that are bought by people who rarely read, for those peculiar friends who DO read.

[Phone Jockey]

Wait, you don't have on your mental-telepathy cap? Get this woman a cap!!!

[Mr. Rude]

Me: Um...ok...was there a subject matter you had in mind? Fiction or non-fiction?
Him: I don't have time for this, just give me something she's going to like!

dear lord they're starting early this year....help....

How about a real man?

[Fera Festiva]

thats what the novelty ranges are there for - non-books that are bought by people who rarely read, for those peculiar friends who DO read.

So true. I have three copies of "Barry Trotter" and two copies of something called "The Timewaster Letters", bought for me by people who know I "like books".

[Jester]

My mom knows I like books. My mom even likes books herself, to a degree. My mom also knows that she has no idea* what I read, and so she often gets me a gift card to borders.com or something similar. This makes me happy, as I get to choose my own books. This makes Mom happy because she knows she made her son happy, and got him something he liked.

*There have been notable exceptions. Such as the year she got me George Carlin's third book and The Daily Show's "America" book. I would have gotten the Carlin book eventually myself (it was a gamble for her to buy it not knowing if I had it or not), but the "America" book was political humor, which is right up my alley, and something I had never even heard of. That woman is a GENIUS!

[MystyGlyttyr]

See, I only have one more present to buy and I'll have all my Christmas shopping done.

I mentioned this to my parents (okay, bragged) last night and they both told me to shut up.

Seriously, why wait until the last second? Now I can wrap them and relax for the rest of the month.

[captainvegetable02]

My mom knows I like books. My mom even likes books herself, to a degree. My mom also knows that she has no idea* what I read, and so she often gets me a gift card to borders.com or something similar. This makes me happy, as I get to choose my own books. This makes Mom happy because she knows she made her son happy, and got him something he liked.

*There have been notable exceptions. Such as the year she got me George Carlin's third book and The Daily Show's "America" book. I would have gotten the Carlin book eventually myself (it was a gamble for her to buy it not knowing if I had it or not), but the "America" book was political humor, which is right up my alley, and something I had never even heard of. That woman is a GENIUS!

This is going OT even more, but that reminds me of something someone said to me once when I mentioned that I usually give my mom a gift card to Borders for Christmas or her birthday. I don't remember the exact wording of the comment, but it was something about how giftcards are impersonal and that basically I was lazy and rude for giving one to my mother instead of getting her a "real" gift. I know a lot of people kind of feel that way...heck, I try my hardest to get everyone a "real" gift if I can, but some people are just impossible to shop for! Anyway, my point is that I was pretty offended by that comment, because one of my mom's very favorite things to do is browse at bookstores. She really, really loves shopping for books, so a giftcard is really a more thoughtful present (in her opinion and mine) for her, because then she gets books she wants AND it gives her an excuse to browse for a couple of hours. It just really irritates me when people assume that everyone would be offended by getting a gift card and that it's the lazy way out.

[Jester]

I actually used to be that way myself, but I did not preach at OTHERS about it being impersonal for them to do that...I just would never do it myself. But then, as aged and allegedly got wiser, I realized that, in some cases, it is MORE personal to get a person a gift card. It all depends on the situation. For instance, getting me a gift card to a bookstore, a music store, or a bicycle shop is a brilliant idea. Getting me a gift card to a department store? Lazy. Getting my friend E a gift card to a craft store? Brilliant. Getting my mom a gift card to a sporting goods store? Lazy AND stupid. It all depends on the person.

[captainvegetable02]

Exactly. I'm a makeup artist and cosmetics junkie in general, and I collect My Little Pony, but my friends and family certainly don't keep track of what I have (several hundred cosmetics items, and several hundred ponies)...but they know that's what I want, so giftcards and a much better gift for me than trying to guess what I need. I agree that giving someone a giftcard to some random store is very impersonal though. I never give anyone cards to places like Target for example, unless I know they want it or it's a wedding gift.

[Rapscallion]

A customer of mine long ago mentioned that her friend's husband had given his wife a large quantity of cash at christmas.

Every note turned out to be a fake...

Yup, gift cards are somewhat better.

Rapscallion

[powerboy]

I agree that giving someone a giftcard to some random store is very impersonal though. I never give anyone cards to places like Target for example, unless I know they want it or it's a wedding gift.

I agree with you on that. Buying a gift card is thoughtful, that is what I do, unless I know they want something, that they don't have. I prefer gift cards myself, because I never know what I want anyway. To me, a gift card, is saying I want to buy you something, but I don't know what you want or need, or already have.

[Retail Associate]

I've never been offended by receiving gift cards. But, I also like receiving things that plug in...and I'm a woman.

(You're never supposed to buy a woman anything that plugs in as a gift. Something I learned after buying a small kitchen appliance for my mother-in-law several years ago.)