Goodbye: We are Closing
Hello-
After seventeen and half years, the time has come. Curtains down and goodbye–in two weeks Vertigo Books will close.
Starting today, EVERYTHING IN THE STORE IS 20% OFF. If you’ve been eyeing that special something, come in and grab it now, before someone else does. And our new rules for the next couple weeks: no checks, no returns and no exchanges. Please note: we will be closed Easter Sunday, April 12, our usual hours will resume Monday
Why are we closing? There are many reasons, but basically, not enough people buy books here.
We have many loyal customers, just not enough of them, and our cloning experiments have not yielded satisfactory results. And way too many people (not you, but someone you know) are buying their books at Amazon. We’ll spare you the inside baseball stuff about the near monopolistic force Amazon has become in the industry. You can also skip to the party info at the end if you like.
Connecting the Dots
As we have said before, your shopping dollars help create the community you want to live in. For every $10 you spend at locally-owned businesses, $4.50 stays in our community. The math is simple and compelling:
Vertigo Books $4.50
Barnes & Noble/Borders/Costco $1.30
Amazon $0.00
The money you spend with locally-owned businesses continues to circulate as we pay employees, buy supplies and pay taxes that are used to provide basic services to residents.
Our local economies are key to a successful recovery from the current financial crisis. Amazon and many online retailers contribute nothing financially to our state and local economies, yet suck up an enormous amount of Maryland’s shopping dollars and compete heavily with small natural foods stores, hardware stores, bookstores and specialty stores of all kinds.
While Amazon may have made their name selling books, they want you to buy a DVD player, organic foods, power tools and pick up the latest John Grisham title when you visit their site. They actively fight any attempt to force them to collect sales tax–even in those states where they have a physical presence. Maryland Senate Bill 1071 will allow us to join other states, such as New York and Kansas, that are now collecting sales tax for online sales and using the revenue for education and public safety.
Building Community as You Shop
Building community is an ongoing process, the result of small choices made everyday. We know you understand this, but are very busy and shopping online is seductive. We sympathize and have many of the same worries. But independents live in and serve your community and make many intangible contributions. What does Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, do for our community? We are:
- working for quality public schools
- advocating for smart growth and sustainable development
- pushing for comprehensive planning and public transit
- serving on local boards and committees
- supporting your causes
- and operating a business that recycles, reuses and donates.
Please take a fresh look around your community, temporarily ditch the iPod, stop Facebooking and tweeting for a moment and explore your neighborhood’s businesses. Use one of the coupons below (email only) to visit new locally-owned businesses that need your support. If you want a small business to offer something else or do something differently, let them know and help them improve. If we want more than chains in the area, we need to start by supporting the local businesses we already have.
Any Excuse for a Party: Join us Saturday, April 18 5 pm-??
One of us grew up Irish Catholic and, under these circumstances, a wake is required. Bring a dish or something to drink and join us for a free form wake and potluck on Saturday, April 18 from 5 pm-?? If you shopped, read or worked here, we want to see you.
We hope Vertigo Books has served as a thoughtful literary and political gathering place, community and author resource, provided challenging, interesting conversation along with some laughter, and generally served, as one customer put it, as "an intellectual oasis on Route 1" (and previously at Dupont Circle).
Please stay in touch by sending us a note at staffATvertigo-booksDOTcom. We were never good about photographing and documenting the store’s activities. If you have event calendars, photos or memorabilia to share, please send them on. A computer with archived materials was stolen last summer, so your contributions would be much appreciated.
We owe an enormous thank you to the friends and family who made this adventure possible. We thank the many authors who so enriched these years, and our sales reps, publicists, event partners, publishers and our outstanding customers for their friendship and encouragement.
Thanks for your support over the years,
Todd Stewart, Bridget Warren &
The Staff of Vertigo Books
Well, crap.
Comment by Jen Cook, Vertigo Alum — April 10, 2009 @ 3:35 pm
I hoped it wasn’t going to come to this - the saddest news I’ve heard in a long time - what a loss!
Comment by Renee Catacalos — April 10, 2009 @ 4:39 pm
We’ve been shopping @ Vertigo for the past 8 years we’ve lived in the area and will be sad to see it go. What can be said but a deep thank you to Todd and Bridget for providing us with such a wonderful nexus for community and booklovers for so long. You will be missed!
Comment by marc — April 10, 2009 @ 7:38 pm
So sorry to hear that… It’s happening way too much to many good indies in our industry right now. I’m sure you’ll be missed!
Comment by Chris Hower — April 11, 2009 @ 9:11 am
I loved working at Vertigo and after I moved out of the area I counted on Vertigo for my fix of a “real book store” whenever I came to town to visit. Where I live now there are no independent bookstores for 40 miles, only one of the evil empire stores that specialize in generic. The one in my town I’m sure looks exactly the same as the one in the next town and the next…. College Park residents don’t realize what a unique resource and haven for lovers of books Vertigo has been. Bridget and Todd are too nice to say it, so I will. Shame on you for letting it slip away. I wish Todd, Bridget, Sophie, and Nora all the best and much luck in their next endeavors, whatever they may be.
Comment by Melanie Craig — April 11, 2009 @ 1:30 pm
Thank you Vertigo. I used to frequent your store as an undergrad at UMCP. I purchased some eye-opening titles that changed my perspective on the world. I owe your store a debt of gratitude.
Best wishes to you.
Comment by Sam Midhurst — April 12, 2009 @ 9:47 am
Bridget,
I’m going to miss Vertigo. I have fond memories of going to Vertigo events. Moreover, I have even better memories of your hospitality and genuine kindness. I wish you all the best.
Comment by Stephen Bess — April 13, 2009 @ 8:40 am
Vertigo has not only been a wonderful book presence - I found a number of hard to find titles there- it has been a political presence as well. Their contributions to the communities they have served have been enormous. The contacts they have with writers all over the place made a number of programs possible at the DC Public Libraries! All my very good wishes to you and Todd and the girls, Bridget!
Comment by Eleanor Dore — April 13, 2009 @ 9:31 am
I’m so sad to see you go. I loved your store and visited often when I still lived in college park. The staff was always so friendly and helpful. How upsetting to loose another great local business. Good luck to you in your future endeavors.
Comment by 20Something — April 15, 2009 @ 11:08 am
I know that I am very sad to see you go. I have been shopping at Vertigo Books since I was in the 5th grade. I am a sophomore at Maryland now. This is all too depressing to see the stores that I grew up around disappearing one by one. You have contributed to the history of College Park and I thank you for that. Best of luck to you in the future.
Comment by Melle Sherman — April 16, 2009 @ 11:01 am
I’m so sorry to hear this. My husband and I (who also recently shut down our own indie [candy] store in Baltimore - seriously, everyone: SHOP LOCAL so this won’t keep happening!) went on some of our first dates in your store. And you were one of our first stops after we found out we were having a baby - we drove over to you from DC because you guys had such an awesome selection of kids’ books and parenting books for a couple of soon-to-be anarchist unschooling parents. That day is one of my fondest memories, and your store was one of the best things about living in DC. I hope you all land on your feet and find much joy and success in your future endeavors. This is such a sad loss. :/
Comment by angela — April 16, 2009 @ 2:07 pm
Thank you for the years of service. You will be deeply, deeply missed.
Comment by David — April 17, 2009 @ 2:12 pm
Sidney Poitier, Zadie Smith, David Wisniewski, Mattie Stepanek, Gwen Ifill…these are just a handful of authors I met at Vertigo Books. I will miss not only having an excellent independent bookstore in my neighborhood, but also having local booksellers who actually knew books. Many thanks to you, Bridget and Todd. I’m sad that my 2-year-old daughter won’t have Vertigo around as she continues to grow.
Comment by Emilia Bautista King — April 19, 2009 @ 11:05 am
I am fortunate enough to live in four communities in three different countries that value their independent bookstores (and other shops). My community in the United Kingdom is particularly successful in maintaining this character. But even here it is eroding at the edges. On this blog and in my communities I hear many people feeling sad about local shops going under. What no one is confronting is that most people do not value independent shops. They value cheapness and convenience. They do not value their community (too often I see -exclusively in America- that people do not even know their neighbours). This is to say the problem is epidemic - far beyond simply shopping locally. Because few people are facing up to this simple fact, no one is asking the simple direct question: what do we do when our society is beginning to fall apart because people do not want these social institutions? What happens when some of us realise that we are very much outnumbered?
Comment by Matthew — April 24, 2009 @ 6:23 pm
I’ve never been to this bookstore, but I shop many bookstores, new and used and am sorry this one has to close because of inadequate sales. I buy a lot of books, many of them used, and understand what the independents are up against with the bigger stores. But, if you buy a lot of books, it doesn’t make sense to pay full price for them when they are often avaliable elsewhere with nice discounts.
Comment by Tom N. — April 24, 2009 @ 9:01 pm
Actually, Tom N., you did not have to pay full price at Vertigo. Over 1/3 of our books were significantly discounted. Newer titles were regularly 20% off, we had a free frequent buyer card and sold lots of sale books. A sale title, originally $25 in hardcover, might be $6.99. You can read a bit more here http://vertigobooks.blogsome.com/2008/11/23/my-name-is-bridget-and-i-am-book-geek/
Comment by Vertigo Books — April 24, 2009 @ 9:20 pm
Thanks for all your years of service guys sad to see you go!
Comment by David — July 16, 2009 @ 10:53 am
I just moved back to the area and am sorely disappointed to learn that VB went out of business. I refuse to give Borders or Amazon a dime. Your departure leaves very few options for independent book buying in the area. You will be missed.
Comment by Denise — July 30, 2009 @ 3:29 pm
I am so hurt that I never got to visit the store when you moved from Dupont Circle. One day many years ago, I was walking in Dupont Circle and went into your store. I was so intrigued! You introduced me to a world I never really appreciated. Because of you, I attended my first book reading, George Fraser at the New Carrollton Library. I took your calendar and marked off events you were having around the Metro Area. Because of you, I have seen Connie Briscoe, Marita Golden, Sista Souljah, E Lynn Harris (may he rest in peace). I never missed E Lynn Harris when he was in town, because of you. Reading your articles today, I have made a committment to find another locally owned bookstore, record store, hardware store, grocery store, boutique, sandwich shop; to help my community thrive! Yes, I fell into the trap of buying books on Amazon, but no more! Thank you, Vertigo, for all you did for the community and bringing my awareness back to reality. I’m just sorry I let you down and did not continue to patronize you.
Comment by Gina — January 26, 2010 @ 3:18 pm