The Other Change of Hobbit

Other Change of Hobbit logo, by Carolly Hauksdottir

A Science Fiction & Fantasy Bookstore

Crisis at OCH vers 4.0, part three

Crisis mode on (again): sales in December and January were so slow that we fell behind on the rent. We grossed half of what we had last year in the old location.

Immediate crisis: Need to raise $4K by the end of the weekend (Sunday, February the 16th -- our landlord doesn't care that the banks aren't open on President's Day, Monday).

Consider opening (or renewing) a $500 Special Account. Eight more would put this behind us.

You can donate to the Bring Back the Cats Fund here:

Ongoing crisis: Given that the issue is a drastic drop off in daily over-the-counter sales, the replacement has got to be mail orders. It would only take 300 people committing to purchasing three paperbacks or one hardcover a month to give us a firm fiscal foundation. That's fewer than half the people who have "liked" us on Facebook. If we set up a subscription service, would you be interested?

Book launch for Heather Rose Jones' Daughter of Mystery

Please join us at the book launch for Heather Rose Jones' debut novel, an historical romance, Daughter of Mystery (trade paperback from Bella Books)
4-6pm, Sunday, 9 Feb 2014

Closed 26-30 Sep 2013

Other Change of Hobbit Hits a Wall

The Other Change of Hobbit has hit a wall. Both literally and figuratively.

In March, as some of you know, while we were in the process of looking for a new space, we were abruptly forced to move on less than a week's notice. We made the move on a shoestring, having raised abut $10K less than we needed to complete the move and set up the new space. We were hoping we'd be able to take care of things as they came up, but that hasn't happened.

Sales here have been half what they were in South Berkeley, mostly because the place hasn't been ready. People come in and take a look around and say they'll come back when we're set up. Or when our cats, Sam and Trouble, are back with us.

There's been one delay after another in getting the space set up. The accessible bathroom, for example, was over a month late and cost our landlord three times what had been estimated.

Because of this, the landlord is now balking at the expense of the final piece of construction: the wall that will separate our store from the rest of the building interior.

We need this wall to have a secure, lockable space.

We need the wall so that we can bring Sam and Trouble to live in their new home and know that they can't wander into the printing shop that we share the space with and get into dangerous equipment and chemicals.

We need the wall so we can have author readings and other events without disturbance from the sound of the printing.

And we need the wall to put the last 50 feet of our seven- and eight-foot bookcases against. These cases are too tall to be safe without bracing them against something sturdy, and without them, we can't get the rest of our books out on display.

So. What can be done?

1. The most urgent thing is that we need to raise $5000 for back rent by noon Monday, or the doors shut on The Other Change of Hobbit after thirty-six years in business. We don't have the money to move again, so this could be forever. We already have commitments for $2000. Here are some ways you can help us raise the rest:

You can come in and browse and buy books this weekend.

You can call in or email and order book any title that's in print.

You can can browse and buy books from our listings at Abebooks:

Get our first edition of Heinlein's Double Star ($3000) and knock out our back rent.

Or our first edition of Martin's Game of Thrones ($1500).

Or our copy of Kornbluth's The Syndic ($1000) with an almost-impossible to get inscription by Kornbluth!

Or our signed copy of Harlan Ellison's first book, The Deadly Streets ($900).
Special this weekend: Call in and order directly, and get 10% off and free shipping..

You can start up or renew a Special Account. Give us $500 up front and then buy books whenever you like; you'll get 20% off what you buy with the balance in your account.
Check out the details and handy PayPal button here
It would take only six more Special Accounts (new or renewal) to make up the rest.

You can donate to the Bring Back the Cats Fund here:

2. Next, we need to raise money for the missing wall, once the contractor gives us an estimate.

Dave wants to set up an Indiegogo fundraiser, but he needs help in organizing it. If you have experience with Indiegogo, or even if you don't but have the time and energy to learn about it, Dave could use your help!

Other fundraising ideas are welcome, too.

Please help us get the new Other Change of Hobbit finished and fully open for business! Anything you buy this weekend, anything you can donate, any help you can give will be greatly appreciated, and you'll be keeping the doors open on one of the oldest science fiction bookstores. Please help us continue to be a home for science fiction fans!

Closed July 4th weekend

We will be closed Thursday 4 July through Sunday 7 July, as we will have a dealer table at Westercon 66 in nearby Sacramento.

Sam in Trouble

Sam at the vet's, between getting physical from technician and getting thorough exam from his doctor.

Two x-rays later, we know that his bladder wall may have a slight inflammation. There are no obvious crystals/stones blocking plumbing, but that doesn't mean there aren't any. It's a wait-and-see situation. Meantime, he's off dry kibble and on a wet food only diet. He'll need to be isolated in a room (bathroom) where he isn't peeing on linens or bedclothes, at least until he stopped randomly dripping. And he's got a painkiller for the next three days.

So, situation not dire. But now we wait. And we continue to cross fingers. Thanks again to everyone who donated last night which made this possible.

Sam in Trouble

Sam in trouble. Looks like the lap of luxury, but a closer look shows the spots where he's been leaking. Sam has some kind of urinary blockage and needs a visit to the vet, but we have run out of moving funds, let alone cat maintenance funds.
We're going to try to take Sam to the vet tomorrow.

Wow! Thanks to everyone who donated through PayPal. We have enough to cover the inital exam. Should the exam lead to more expensive treatment, we'll let everyone know what those costs are likely to be, and may put up the PayPal donation button again. In the meantime, cross fingers and hold a good thought for Sam.

We Moved (Again)

We left South Berkeley at the end of February, after three years of slowing business. We are in the process of setting up a new store in El Cerrito, sharing space with Cerrito Printing at 1600 Kearney, northeast corner of Potrero Ave.

Directions and current hours can be found on our updated Hours and Location page. During this transition, we plan to be open for browsing and sales 4-7pm weekdays, with flexible hours on the weekends as we rebuild and restock inventory from storage. Best to call first before dropping by: 510-848-0413.

The latest news about Sam and Trouble and the bookstore move can be found on our Facebook page.

Jurisdiction

We have a handful of signed copies of this year's FOGCon book, Susan R. Matthews' collection, Jurisdiction: An Episode and An Incident. This volume collects two previously unpublished Andrej Koscuisko stories.
It's listed at our ABEBooks store.

Events

	6-8pm, Saturday, September 15th, 2012: Nick Mamatas and Tim Pratt (aka T. A. Pratt) read from and chatted about their recent Chizine books, Bullettime and Briarpatch.
	2-6pm, Sunday, March 18th, 2012: Special Fundraiser Day 2-4pm: Diana L. Paxson and Deborah J. Ross will read and chat about The Worlds of Marion Zimmer Bradley. 4-6pm: Camille Alexa, Claude Lalumiere, and Tim Pratt (aka T. A. Pratt) will read and answer questions about their work.