It’s with a somewhat heavy heart that we have closed our physical business at Tyabb Packing House Antiques.
COVID and the last two years of 2020-2021 didn’t help matters, especially for our mental and physical health.
Plus some changes that have happened since late 2021 at Tyabb Packing House Antiques where we were based.
Over the past year (2022) we drastically pulled back from buying books in an attempt to rein in our stock and our outgoings. Unfortunately this didn’t help as much as we’d hoped.
Online bookshops both the regular and the humungous like Amazon have always been a double-edged sword for us, bringing us new stock but also presenting a tempting online location for people to purchase new and forgotten books. And their online might is unfortunately something we have lacked the energy to combat as we maintained a huge physical location.
Continuing with someone else or selling the business was never really an option.
The “opportunity” to work all public holidays and never see your friends or family on the weekends (as those are the busiest times to operate) was not exactly an enticing prospect when presenting a business opportunity.
Antiques, old wares and second hand items have always been (for the most part) an owner-operated business, with niche knowledge that is difficult to teach quickly or easily.
For many throughout the last decade-and-a-half operating a bookshop has often been a passion project. While there are some other bookshops which have continued to try different methods of making money for that passion. [source]
Where we were situated within Tyabb Packing House Antiques somewhat limited our options to try new things, or even vary our operating hours and days open. Although for many years this was a benefit because of the added assistance the previous owners brought for us and other dealers there.
Unfortunately it is a case of economics for us as we look ahead to the uncertain and volatile future. With rising costs for everything, and customers purchasing books on the decline, this passion project has somewhat sapped the passion from us. Enough that we cannot see a future with this business.
We started off with a 50% off sale, in the lead up to the end of financial year, just to try and move some stock on, and to maybe bring in some stock we had in storage. (Unfortunately this sale didn’t shift as much as we’d hoped.)
Then later in the year we had a $1 a book / $10 fill a bag sale on Thursday 13th October 2022 through to Sunday 13th November 2022.
Then we moved to a free sale with all books free starting on Thursday 17th November 2022, and ending on Sunday 11th December 2022. Throughout this time we were also taking all books that were not selling to the Tyabb Resource Recovery Centre ahead of our final day. While it broke our heart, and we would have loved to have left it all for people to take it just wasn’t feasible and there were just some books no one had bought and had been on the shelf for 10+ years.
Then that following week at the end of the sale we had a 15 cubic metre skip booked, which we filled and still needed to visit the Resource Recovery Centre to dispose of the remainder.
Further reading:
AFR - Twist in the tale as bookshops shut - https://www.afr.com/companies/retail/twist-in-the-tale-as-bookshops-shut-20190805-p52e2k
Crikey - Farewell to the second-hand bookshop - https://www.crikey.com.au/2013/11/21/rundle-farewell-to-the-second-hand-bookshop/
The Age - ‘Devastated’: Corrie Perkin announces closure of Hawksburn bookshop - https://www.theage.com.au/national/devastated-corrie-perkin-announces-closure-of-hawksburn-bookshop-20210615-p5815x.html
The Sydney Morning Herald - Do not go gently: How bookshops are reinventing the business - https://www.smh.com.au/culture/books/you-subscribe-to-netflix-and-spotify-now-these-perth-bookshops-want-in-20220913-p5bhpd.html
7News - Co-Op Bookshop to close 63 Curious Planet stores in the latest blow to Australian retail group - https://7news.com.au/lifestyle/shopping/co-op-bookshop-to-close-63-curious-planet-stores-in-the-latest-blow-to-australian-retail-group-c-645563
news.com.au - The Co-op Bookshop brand’s days numbered after Booktopia sale - https://www.news.com.au/finance/business/retail/the-coop-bookshop-brands-days-numbered-after-booktopia-sale/news-story/b0b0ca9ec739102818400be8ecf77841
Beat - Polyester Books In Fitzroy Is Closing Down - https://beat.com.au/polyester-books-in-fitzroy-is-closing-down/
Polyester Books - The End of the Physical Shop - https://www.polyester.com.au/index.php/the-last-days
The Standard - Warrnambool book shop Spectrum Books and the printing service is closing down next month - https://www.standard.net.au/story/7647317/the-final-chapter-in-decades-long-career-with-books/
The Sydney Morning Herald - Recession fears spell end for revered bookshop - https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/books/looming-recession-spells-doom-for-revered-book-shop-20190611-p51wgn.html
Pulp Curry - The death of a bookshop: a tribute to Melbourne’s Kill City Books - https://www.pulpcurry.com/2013/07/the-death-of-a-bookshop-a-tribute-to-melbournes-kill-city-books/
The Canberra Times - Beyond Q's final chapter, as Canberra bookstore closes for good on Friday - https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6781316/beyond-qs-final-chapter/
Bunbury Mail - The case of Bunbury's vanishing bookstores - https://www.bunburymail.com.au/story/2011480/blog-the-case-of-bunburys-vanishing-bookstores/
Book Thingo - Intrigue to close its bricks and mortar shop - https://bookthingo.com.au/intrigue-to-close-its-bricks-and-mortar-shop/
Sound Telegraph - Rockingham’s last speciality bookstore enters final chapter after 21 years - https://www.soundtelegraph.com.au/news/perth/rockinghams-last-speciality-bookstore-enters-final-chapter-after-21-years-ng-b881286184z
The Examiner - Launceston's Collins Booksellers set to close its doors - https://www.examiner.com.au/story/5916569/launcestons-collins-booksellers-set-to-close/
ABC News - Brisbane's Boswells Books closing down but final chapter has happy ending - https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-04-18/brisbane-bookshop-closes-donating-books-to-aged-care/11024056
The Guardian - Story ends for yet another second-hand Melbourne bookshop - https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/story-ends-for-yet-another-secondhand-book-shop-20150924-gjtxfr.html
ABC AM - Doors close on another Melbourne bookstore - https://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2011/s3261020.htm