Every morning street book seller Vaghinak Hakobyan from Gyumri puts several dozens of books in his bag, and walks thoughtfully along the lively street stretching to the central square of Gyumri. He sets the books on one of the benches and starts working. 43-year-old Vaghinak is not alone here, there are a few more book sellers next to him.
Two years ago when for the first time Vaghinak went to sell books, he was embarrassed. “I was morally broken and considered me to be a betrayer: I was going to sell my dear friends,” says the book seller.
“For many years I have played football. I always dreamt that this kind of sport would some day develop in Armenia, and I would become a demanded footballist… Over the years I realized that I was craving hopes in vain, moreover, one cannot earn a living in our country through sports. I did various jobs, I didn’t remain idle even a day and I bought a book as soon as earned two pennies more,” tells Vaghinak sorting the books.
“I was registered in all the bookstores of the city. As soon as there was a new book I had to have it, even found a friend to help me acquire deficient books.”
Vaghinak has already parted from most of these books; however, his bench is still full of books of various genres – from Armenian and abroad classics to contemporary ones.
Every morning street book seller Vaghinak Hakobyan from Gyumri puts several dozens of books in his bag, and walks thoughtfully along the lively street stretching to the central square of Gyumri. He sets the books on one of the benches and starts working. 43-year-old Vaghinak is not alone here, there are a few more book sellers next to him.
Two years ago when for the first time Vaghinak went to sell books, he was embarrassed. “I was morally broken and considered me to be a betrayer: I was going to sell my dear friends,” says the book seller.
“For many years I have played football. I always dreamt that this kind of sport would some day develop in Armenia, and I would become a demanded footballist… Over the years I realized that I was craving hopes in vain, moreover, one cannot earn a living in our country through sports. I did various jobs, I didn’t remain idle even a day and I bought a book as soon as earned two pennies more,” tells Vaghinak sorting the books.
“I was registered in all the bookstores of the city. As soon as there was a new book I had to have it, even found a friend to help me acquire deficient books.”
Vaghinak has already parted from most of these books; however, his bench is still full of books of various genres – from Armenian and abroad classics to contemporary ones.
At the beginning Vaghinak sold the golden volumes of his precious library at 20,000 drams (about $55). As a result, for many months volumes of Tumanyan, Demirchyan and Hugo remained unsold. Now the maximum price of a golden volume is 1,000 drams (about $3). Vaghinak assures that the books are sold mostly at 500 drams (less than $2).[[wysiwyg_imageupload:85:]]
“There are people who are good in haggling and buying a book at 200 drams (less than $1). I am surprised that these people can afford to buy Russian entertainment magazines by 500 drams per month, but allot 200 drams only to obtain a book of cultural values. It is really astonishing.”
The demanded textbooks and special university literature are sold at high price. Vaghinak has recently started to sell such kind of books. “These books are well sold: those who study English do not regret to pay 1,500 drams (about $4) for professional literature,” says the book seller.
Also kitchen books and books comprising tips for women are well sold.
The number of street book sellers is not small in Gyumri. There are book stores in the city which, however do not sell fiction books. Here the shelves are decorated with teaching manuals and professional literature. Book sellers in shops and on street unanimously assure that today books with good design, as well as illustrated and readable ones are primarily demanded.
However, Vaghinak believes that it is of temporary nature, too, since the spread of the Internet will result in disappearance of not only printed books but also newspapers after a year or two.
Source: JNews.am