A gal came in looking for one of those text-booky sorts of titles that we don't bother stocking because the new ones are expensive and sell almost instantly online and the old ones are completely worthless and unsaleable. Before the internet became the predominant resource for stuff like test prep, travel guides and computer books we had sections for them and made an effort to keep them well stocked.
These days, they're either worth selling online or they're landfill.
So she asks about the book, which I know from the title will not be in the store. After I relay this information we had this weird exchange.
"well, I was just hoping we could find one somewhere for a few dollars."
Waxing philosophical, I summarize my above explanation for her.
"I thought you might have, like, an older edition for less."
"If you don't mind an older edition, try Amazon, there should be plenty listed."
"Oh I looked online, but the cheapest one was $30.00 and I was hoping to get it for less."
"Huh."
In other words, she was hoping we were stupid and missed an obvious internet book she could poach. I talk to a lot of people who are obviously working this angle- when you've been in the biz for as long as I have you become mildly allergic to the sort studied nonchalance radiated by people sniffing around for expensive books they're hoping you don't know about, but rarely will they just come out and admit it. Usually it's "wow, people LOOK for those? Really?" or a variation on the theme.
It's a pre-internet mentality.
Back in the day we might've had a book like that on the shelf, but when anyone with a smartphone can tell what that book is "worth" the sort of shop that misses opportunities that obvious is on the short list for extinction.
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