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Breaking down Borders

Mere minutes after I heard almost all of the Borders in North Texas were closing, I figured I should make a trip to at least one of the stores. The second-closest one to my house will remain open, but the ones in Lewisville, Uptown, and Highland Park already have the cheapo "Store Closing" signs up.

As un-shocking as this news is, I have to admit there is a bit of sadness I feel about this. If it weren't for Borders sending me weekly coupons for 20-40 percent off a book, I probably would have not gone to one on a regular basis. In turn, I might have not had the large and diverse (at least in my mind) library in my house.

Then again, the reason why my to-read shelves are filled with books is thanks to Half Price Books, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon. As a matter of fact, as of a year ago, I stopped regularly going to Borders to pick up new books. If went into one, it was to check out their bargain section.

Why I stopped going regularly was based on their prices. I was reminded of this notion when I compared prices of the books I bought at the closeout sale. Even after the discount, Borders still had the more expensive items as compared to Amazon. I figured the extra dough I laid out was a way of saying thanks, but my lack of drive to go back for more bargains started almost instantaneously. Think of it as a pat on the back while you shoot the finger with your hand in your pocket.

And so, with that in mind, I say goodbye to most of the Borders I have frequented. May your soon-to-be-vacant buildings find new tenants in the near future. I'll keep reading and finding more things to read, but from somebody else.

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