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Von’s: Thar She Blows

Lauren

Well, there goes the last great independent bookseller in town. Again.

Von’s, a campus staple, was known for its great selection of new and used books, CDs, and craft supplies. Locally owned and reasonably priced, it featured music from the popular to the obscure, and satisifed obscure label whores like me and mine. Recently the boyfriend talked to a friend in Olympia, the punk rock Mecca of the northwest, who lamented that there wasn’t a place like Von’s in her area. Originally from Lafayette, she was amazed that this town, of all places, had a cultural gem like this particular bookstore.

So without Von’s, what?

Books: Borders, Barnes & Noble, and if you’re feeling brave enough to venture into the crap mall, Waldenbooks. Used books? The last place in town with non-textbook used books closed this year.

CDs: Borders, Barnes & Noble, and the overpriced local retail stores that pale in comparison.

Crafts: Other than my fav yarn shop, JoAnn Fabrics, Hobby Lobby, and Michael’s.

Noticing a trend? We have, for the most part, lost the last independent, DIY cultural anchor in town. They rebuilt after a fire in 1995, but because this property has been targeted as a potential site for future univeristy projects, we speculate that the owners will take the money and retire from the business. Strictly conjecture.

Then again, if Harry’s Chocolate Shop (a nationally recognized historical bar) goes under, expect widespread student and alumni protest. God forbid we burn the alcohol, let the books go.

Off topic, but entertaining: Upon unsuccesfully looking for a picture of the bookstore, I came across this. Thar he blows.

28 thoughts on Von’s: Thar She Blows

  5. You think that’s bad, I can watch Slacker and point out all the stores/restaurants in Austin that aren’t there anymore (or better yet, have Richard Linklater point them out for me on the commentary track). “And that’s where we used to get cherry phospates and listen to Twang Twang Shock-a-Boom on Tuesday nights!”

  6. I didn’t know about this. I love that place and go there all the time, especially since they moved the comics downstairs. The people who run it are always so nice and friendly. Do you know if there’s any kind of fundraiser for the bookstore to get it up and running again? Or if there’s any place to donate? This just makes me so sad, I would much rather Harrys was gone, that place is disgusting.

  7. Ouch, this hurts. I used to love Von’s when I was a Purdue undergraduate a zillion years ago. I specifically remember purchasing How to Shit in the Woods there, as well as a human anatomy coloring book for my brief foray into biology. But just being there was pleasing. Crap, first the bar where I first picked up my husband and now Von’s. Is the Knickerbocker still open downtown, at least?

  8. For used books, it’s pretty hard to beat half.com.

    Disclaimer: I’m an ebay employee, but even so, I buy as many of my textbooks there that I can. It’s saved me loads of money.

  9. I really liked the nifty jewelery they had, I love moonstones and could get them fairly cheap there. And on a Harry’s note, I avoid the place like the plague, Friday Nights = Dangerous situation ladies, we shouldn’t go there we might get raped. We all know who’s fault that is!

  10. Half.com is great for things like textbooks, but half of the fun of used-book shopping is stumbling on interesting things that you didn’t know about or wouldn’t have thought of otherwise. I think that for most book-lovers, half.com, or even alibris, is a pretty sad substitute.

  12. Well, so far down here in Phoenix independent and small chain (Bookman’s) used bookstores are still around.

    It must be because this is a red state so God is smiling down upon us.

  14. Onion rings with a burger chaser at The Chocolate Shop early Friday nights. (Oh, and a beer.)

    Exploring the stacks at Von’s (books and records) between classes and endless studying, getting away from it all for a bit, finding out about the wider world as much there as through the lives of people I met on campus.

    Koko Taylor over at the blues joint across the street from The Chocolate Shop, along with a handful of other legendary Chicago and, rarely, Southern blues greats, once a school year. (That place is long gone, alas.)

    University Lutheran (U-Lu) down the street, back when one pastor was very liberal and the other very wise with his many years of serivce in the church. (I still remember when the first pastor did a sermon on humility and the story of Jesus and the washing of the feet that many students left angry over, thinking it was about us being too full of pride. It took a few years to realize that he was doing this sermon at about the same time that the Contras in Nicaragua became known in the US, and a bit after that that I felt comfortable enough to ask and get confirmation.)

    Those were my four touchstones to survival at Purdue during the Reagan years. All in about two blocks.

    I still have my small stack of Co-Evolution Quarterly’s that I bought at Von’s. I could afford the latest when they came out, and bought back issues when I could, which wasn’t often – I paid most of my own way through school, so the budget was always tight.

    Same with my Elvis Costello EPs, plus my few Modern Jazz Quartet, Coltrane and Leo Kottke albums.

    People that have virtually grown up with the web might not realize that Von’s is/was one of the few oases out there – not just in the greater Lafayette area, but in much of north central Indiana, as far north as the shores of Lake Michigan and as far east as South Bend, perhaps.

    Today, you have the web for seeking, for binding together with those with similar interests, similar feuds.

    Then, in our corner of the world, we had Von’s.

    Had a lot of great conversations start there over mutual interest in a book or performer.

    As a Purdue student, you always, always, ALWAYS heard about how IU students had this and that and the other cool thing – Purdue folks didn’t have too much by comparison, and for a culture where most of us considered spending a night or three in the Math-Science sub-basement the norm every week or two, that was OK. A lot of us were around at Purdue to learn something that would get us a job, provide for our lives as adults. Fun often was something we squeezed in, or it was mandated by where you hung out – whether via the Greek system, the GDI lifestyle, a close circle of friends, whatever.

    But Von’s was special. Is special.

    Lauren, please let me know if they stick it out and need a fundraiser to help. Boeing, where I work, has a huge number of Boilermakers out here, and I’m willing to risk the stultifying atmosphere of their local alumni association to pass the hat and help keep it going.

    You’re probably right about Von’s future. Von has to be getting on in years, and after a second fire and a couple of failed sidelines to expand the business (there was a restaurant he had once – a real shame when that went under – grubby but comfortable in spades), I suspect a bit of R&R is what he pines for these days.

    But if he wants to rebuild, I want to see how I can help.

  16. Wow – I had cousins living in W. Laf (their mom went to Purdue) in the early 90’s. I remember them always talking about how great Von’s was. They couldn’t say enough about the place. I only wished I had the chance to go there when we visited them. Sad to hear it’s going away. At least it sounds like you’ve got the McCulture to fill the void. 😛

  17. The loss of an independent bookseller is always so sad, especially a long-established one. We were in Tucson over the holiday and went to a wonderful used book store, Bookmans. It CAN be done if done right. The place is huge, and packed. So some are surviving. I’m in the midst of suburbia so no close independents, but I can go to Adams Ave. in San Diego and find a few.

    Well, there will be a great opening for you to start your local independent feminist bookstore in town, when you burn out on teaching!

  18. We lost our favorite “cat bookstore” (so named because 4 cats were there everytime we went) here, too, a few months ago. I was very sad since that’s where I went for all my books instead of B&N and Borders.

  21. Women, reading, and fire.

    George Lakoff has a book called Women, Fire, and Other Dangerous Things. I’m sure I could’ve bought it at Von’s. Until, of course, it burned down again. I actually saw the flames from my apartment across the river. For what it’s worth, they were talking in the Exponent like they did plan on reopening maybe by spring.

    Is the Knickerbocker still open downtown, at least?

    Yeah, Indiana’s Oldest Bar is still alive ‘n kickin’ on 5th Street. They did cancel the Comedy Caravan, but that’s about the only major change I know of.

    And on a Harry’s note, I avoid the place like the plague, Friday Nights = Dangerous situation ladies, we shouldn’t go there we might get raped. We all know who’s fault that is!

    Yours. For wearing that dress. Everyone knows you were just asking for it. Harlot.

    Harry’s looked like it was OK — though I assume they have to have the building inspector in to make sure it’s still rated for the same number of goddamn idiots. 🙂

  22. Sally Says:
    I think that for most book-lovers, half.com, or even alibris, is a pretty sad substitute.

    No doubt.

  25. i just hope the city doesn’t try to start any more parking space drama …

    Its how West Lafayette/Purdue University makes its money. Without the parking tickets there wouldn’t be funding. I think the cops would respond to a timed-out meter before they would respond to a crime in progress like a riot, murder, rape, robbery ect….

  26. I think the cops would respond to a timed-out meter before they would respond to a crime in progress like a riot, murder, rape, robbery ect….

    At least for the cities, the parking patrol is privatized. Since the ticket writers are basically whores looking for Johns who look tip-happy, yes, they do respond quickly to parking violations. Yay capitalism. I don’t know about the campus cops, though I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s a similar arrangement. It’s really in vogue all around the nation to pull that shit.

    And the PUPD is proud to note that it consistently responds to the activation of an emergency pull-box within 60 seconds. I don’t know if that’s true, but they sure say it like it is.

  27. My favorite book store in the world is Powell’s in Portland. It’s not exactly a cozy place–sometimes it feels a little like a warehouse. But the selection is staggering.

    Here in SF, I love Green Apple Books. Not the cheapest used books in the world, but, again, a good selection, and they will usually buy at least a few of the books I no longer want. I love clearing a stack of books off my shelves, taking them to Green Apple, and getting credit enough for a couple of new (to me) books. No money changes hands, and I walk home with something new to read. It has always been my favorite poverty pastime.

  28. Well I saw some good new in the Exponent today (while in bio lecture). The owners of Von’s hope to be completely back in business by spring!

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