23 Comments
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AG's avatar

Congrats! I'm excited to hear your insights into owning a bookstore. Just updated our Libro.fm store to yours. Good luck!

SamanthaL's avatar

How wonderful! That would be my dream come true. In two weeks we’ll be stopping in Paducah on our way home from Florida. I can’t wait to make a pit stop!

SamanthaL's avatar

What a treat this was to support you!

Sarah Stewart Holland's avatar

I’m so sorry I missed you!!!

Bailey Dunn's avatar

YAY Sarah I'm so happy for you !!!

Elizabeth Burdell's avatar

I might be planning a little summer trip down there. I can’t help it. Such a huge fan, lifelong reader, with a weakness for indie bookstores. It’s about a 3 hour drive from where I am in Illinois. Do you have a list somewhere of can’t miss Paducah sites? Does the Dippin Dots factory offer tours? These are the questions rolling through my mind. 😄

Sophi's avatar

I was just talking to Lisa about how she opened Bookshelf on Church when I was there for the Beyond the Bookshelf reading retreat, and she had me really inspire

Sophi's avatar

I was just talking to Lisa about how she opened Bookshelf on Church when I was there for the Beyond the Bookshelf reading retreat, and she had me really inspired to look into something like this. Now you’ve really got me itching to do it too!

Jilll's avatar

Two purchased and a lifetime of reading ahead! Thank you.

Jilll's avatar

Sarah - check this out! This was in the AM edition of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Apparently there's a Hot Wheels machine in the Woodstock outlets. I'll scope it out next week when I go for new workout shoes!

ATLANTA’S OFFBEAT VENDING MACHINE TREND

Hot Wheels vending machine owner Kristen Albert said she knew kids would enjoy the machines, but was surprised to see how passionate adults are, as well. (Abbey Cutrer/AJC)

Hot Wheels vending machine owner Kristen Albert said she knew kids would enjoy the machines, but was surprised to see how passionate adults are, as well. (Abbey Cutrer/AJC)

Did you know some of the earliest vending machines dispensed tobacco and postcards? We can do a little better than that.

The Japanese trend of funky vending machines has caught on in Atlanta, and you can now get books, Hot Wheels, bagels and even pieces of art.

Kate Kiefer Lee, owner of Long Story Books, invested in a book vending machine as something unexpected for customers that also served as a sort of billboard.

“It has exceeded all of my expectations,” she said.

The vending machine is selling books much faster than she expected, and every month, the stock is refreshed to swap out some titles.

Debra Shockley's avatar

Tiny Bird Books in Versailles Ky has a morning cinnamon roll book club. Big ol’rolls

Kelly Witherbee's avatar

This is a brilliant idea! Congratulations! ❤️

Mary Lynn Roy's avatar

Wow! Congratulations! And if you're stocking new Maggie O'Farrell titles, you're doing it right! 🥰

Savannah Barber's avatar

I will buy merch in a heartbeat.

Lindsay Hufford's avatar

So excited for you!!

Stephanie Blake's avatar

That’s amazing! And so courageous, and so needed, and so wonderful. Be sure to look into BINC, the Book Industry Charitable Foundation, a terrific organization that supports independent book and comic retailers in all sorts of ways. My very dear friend works for them, and I just attended their 30th anniversary gala in NYC last month.

Donna Anderson's avatar

So exciting! Congratulations!

SamanthaL's avatar

How wonderful! That would be my dream come true. In two weeks we’ll be stopping in Paducah on our way home from Florida. I can’t wait to make a pit stop!