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Dumbest things said in book stores

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As a book lover, one of my favourite things to do (aside from reading and shopping for books), is watching people in book stores.

I love watching them interact and enquire about titles they're looking for and I really enjoy overhearing desperate snippets of vague information thrown the book seller's way, more often than not resulting in confusion on both the enquirer and seller's part.

With this in mind, I decided to ask some of my friends working in the book industry about some of the funniest, dumbest and downright weirdest requests and questions they've received, and judging from the responses below, one could actually write a book about this sort of thing.

… oh wait, a book already has been written.

Nevertheless, here are a few of the gems these local bookish folk have been subjected to.
 
@Violin_InA_Void: Once, working at EB, a woman asked me "What do you do with your time?",  because I hadn't read the book she asked about.

@nerinedorman:  My best: "Are these books for sale?" #headdesk

@Violin_InA_Void: Some of them are funny.  Like "Do you have anything by Alexander Dumb-ass?" or "Do have anything new by Jane Austen?"

@Violin_InA_Void: And the classic: "Do you work here?" When you're standing behind the desk or packing a giant pile of books.

@nerinedorman:  How about, "I'm looking for the book with the red cover, it was mentioned on the radio."

@nerinedorman: Or "Do I pay here?" when you've *just* finished ringing up the last purchase.

@Violin_InA_Void: 
I particularly enjoyed "I saw this book at your other branch. It had a white cover. It was on the shelf by the door

@Violin_InA_Void: 
And let's not forget "Do you sell serviettes?" Yes, because those are also made of paper.

@emma_naomi: 'There's a book called 'Great Expectations' but I don't know who it's by?

@pbdp: Well, there's always the "Is this a book store?" question that gets us all chuckling.

@pbdp:  "I want that new book by Leonardo da Vinci about his code"

@pbdp: "Do you sell Tattoo ink" referring to actual ink and not a book by that title.

@pbdp: "Do you rent out wedding dresses?" Got that one in the Kolonnade.

@pbdp: Woman walking into a Christian bookstore I worked at "Het julle 'n boek oor wors?"

@pbdp: "Do you sell the books?"

@pbdp: "I am looking for a book, it is yellow with a picture of a man on it"

@BooksBootsBio: Customer: "I saw this book at the Waterfront. I don't know the title or the author, but the cover was dark. Do you have it?"

@BooksBootsBio: Customer:  "Do you sell e-books in store?" Me: "No, you have to download them." Cust: "Oh, but you don't sell them physically in store?"

@BraD_lutz: I'm looking for a book - don't know the title or author but it had a blue cover and I saw it here 2 months ago

What's the funniest question you've overheard being asked in a book store? Share your gems with us below.

For more bookish chit-chat, you can follow me or Women24 on Twitter..
 
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