Used Books and Music Seller Keeps the Conversation Alive

Danforth store Circus Books and Music offers hand-picked merchandise, spirited discussion, and plenty of good vibes.

The Scene

Some come to browse, some come to buy, some come to sell, but they all come to talk.  It’s an evening of bustling activity for Ron Duffy, owner of the Danforth’s Circus Books and Music–the warm glow of his store, adorned festively with fairy lights, proving to be a haven of sorts from the biting late November chill. Our interview (really an informal conversation), is oft interrupted.  One woman enthusiastically describes the experience of seeing Lucinda Williams in concert; another woman, fascinated by the “Lolita” fixation she’s noticed in recent Japanese literature, wants to know if it’s worth reading Nabokov’s classic novel; and one older gentleman stops by to educate Ron about the origins of the Beach’s Fox Theatre.  Whether they are buying or not, and whatever their particular fancy, Ron has time for–and what seems like genuine interest in–everyone.

The Situation

The positive energy and steady flow of patrons are reassuring signs.  Having come to discuss how business is faring, I had to some degree feared the worst.  The current economic climate poses one obvious challenge.  More essentially, though, I wondered how the presence of the Internet may have affected music and book buying habits.  If people can download songs for free or find books more quickly and easily on-line, are they still spending time and money in stores such as this one?

“It’s really pretty good right now,” Ron says, reflecting on his recent move to the Danforth and its subsequent effect on business.  He opened his store (offering used books, CDs, records, and DVDs) in June 2008, having relocated from Gerrard and Parliament, where he operated under the same name for two-and-a-half years.  Now couched within a block’s reach of two cafes (Starbucks to the west, The One Espresso Bar to the east), he considers his store’s situation particularly advantageous, given the simpatico relationship between coffee and books.  It also doesn’t hurt that his store is located at the top of a stoplight (at Jones Avenue):  “People can duck in while they’re waiting for the light to change, and have a look at something they might never have done otherwise.”

The Stumbling Blocks?

His store’s success depends largely on book sales, which he estimates outperform CD and record sales at a rate of two to one.  Music, of course, is the more competed-upon form:  unauthorized file-sharing is an obvious issue that impacts the entire industry, but even if listeners pay for their music, they may still choose to download it rather than purchase a CD.  They don’t necessarily require a tangible product anymore.  To a lesser extent, a similar process is happening in the publishing world, though it’s hard to imagine at this stage that e-book readers will become as ubiquitous as the iPod.  But even if one believes in the necessity of a tangible product, the markets for both music and books have been fractured further by on-line retailers and auction houses, such as Amazon and eBay.  Is he concerned?

Ron acknowledges the growing competition represented by the Internet, but shows no fear of it.  Where others may see a threat, he identifies an opportunity.  “There is an international market for any of this stuff,” he says, gesturing with one hand towards his tidy bookcases and CD racks.  Though he has yet to explore the avenue of selling his merchandise on-line, he considers it a viable possibility for the future.

The Spirit of Independence

But Ron’s primary focus (not to discredit his business acumen), seems to dwell somewhere beyond the bottom line and his own self-interest.  It’s in the creative work itself (be it album, novel or film), the artist that creates it, and the response it provokes from its audience.  Ultimately, he champions the Internet as a positive tool because it facilitates–through such vehicles as MySpace and YouTube–a direct relationship between artist and audience.  As a firm supporter of the independent DIY spirit, he describes a feeling of kinship with the “little communities of communication” that have formed on-line, and which have transferred power from record companies “back into the peoples’ hands.”  He believes that a greater number of quality artists have gained recognition as a result.  Citing Canadian chanteuse Feist as an example, Ron wonders if she could have achieved such international success ten years ago.  Further illustrating the promotional power of the Internet, he relates the story of a customer who travelled all the way from Mexico expressly to buy an album by the independent Montreal band, Godspeed You! Black Emperor.  “That wasn’t about a major record label–that was about the honesty of making good art, and having enough resources and organization to get it out.”

Ron’s spin is perpetually positive.  Eventually, after an hour of challenging him with questions, I give up my attempt to cause worry.  But, joining the ranks of patrons browsing his shelves, I continue to wonder about the future.  Is the physical format (books and CDs) a dying commodity?  Will virtual on-line communities supplant the real ones that exist in stores such as Ron’s?  And will conversations continue in earnest when they are no longer conducted face to face?

What say you, prognosticators?