Logged in this morning and they're selling CARS. Of course I immediately tried to add an Audi TT to my wishlist, but no, I was foiled.

I'm betting that the next few departments will be:

- Real estate

- Exotic animals (lemurs, ocelots, etc., delivered to your door UPS)

- Bone marrow

Okay, I'm kidding about one of those.

What do you think is coming down the pike?

-- Kim Rollins (kimrollins@yahoo.com), August 24, 2000

Answers

I don't like to buy books from Amazon.com, because it hurts independent bookstores, but for a year I lived in a suburb of Atlanta where there were no bookstores, and no public transportation to get to one. I rode a bike to work, the post office, and the public library, and didn't own a car. What did I need a car for? I walked to the grocery store and video store.

I could read about a book on the Internet, order it from Amazon.com. and have it delivered to my door two days later, for about the retail price of the book in a bookstore. I got hooked on doing that. It was so easy to click and buy.

I have read that they lose money doing this, and are hoping to make money by extending the practice to other products. Also, I believe they think they can use the information they have collected about the buying preferences of their customers to cross-sell them merchandise.

A book, I know what I'm getting. I know the author, or the book, from a review. I shop for price and convenience. And speed. Now that I have a car again I drive to Borders and buy the book as soon as I see it. I browse, and impulse-shop there. Again, there is no independent bookstore close to me, or I'd go to it instead of Borders.

I don't like Borders or Barnes & Noble any more than I like Amazon.com, but I shop there, because they're easy to get to.

Last night I went to Charis Books and More, the oldest feminist bookstore in the Southeast, for a book-signing. I bought the book there, to support the store. It cost a little more, and it was an hour's drive, each way, from where I live. They have a weekly event at the bookstore for their nonprofit foundation connected with the store. Next week is Black Gay Pride Week. Then Lesbian Cat Detective Week. bell hooks and Alice Walker are scheduled to speak, in coming weeks, but the store has to hold their talks off-site, to accommodate the large crowd they draw. I'll pass on crowds.

I don't care all that much who sells--or who publishes--a book as long as I can buy it and read it (and know about it) without having to go to hell and back to get it. As for the other stuff Amazon.com hopes to sell, it's like cat detectives who are gay. I can do without it. Fresh water and salt water kayaks with the Eddie Bauer accessory package. Saturday night seersucker cranberry accoutrements ensembles, as Tom Waits says. About Atlanta. Bold New City of the South.

-- Jack Saunders (jacksaunders@mindspring.com), August 25, 2000.

No, wait. It was Randy Newman who said that.

-- Jack Saunders (jacksaunders@mindspring.com), August 25, 2000.

I like the bone marrow idea, myself. They can expand to livers and kidneys and hearts!

-- Kymm Zuckert (kymmz1@yahoo.com), August 25, 2000.

Kim, you missed the boat! What's the internet mainly used for? Sex! Amazon.com and all those cam sites are going to go into partnership together, and you'll be able to add any escort you want to your wishlist.

After that, in conjunction with IMDB, the selection will be expanded to include movie stars on your Escort Wish List.

And Kymm will have Russell Crowe delivered. I'll have Hugh Jackman.

Y'all can fight over the rest.

-- Patrick (xingcat@yahoo.com), August 25, 2000.

Ooh, could I have Matt Frewer and Jeff Goldblum delivered? Or would that be too greedy? (Hey, at least I've narrowed it down to two.)

Cars, hmmm? Naw, I still need to test drive the actual car I want to purchase. I'm just old fashioned that way.

-- Carol (webgal@ordinarygoddess.com), August 25, 2000.

Maybe Amazon.com should look at adding a sex shop.

I know my wishlist would be a hell of a lot longer!

-- Ouisa (ouisa@ouisa.dreamhost.com), August 26, 2000.

Oooh, they're going to start selling lemurs on line? I want one!

Ain't the Internet great?

-- Catriona (catri696@purpleturtle.com), August 27, 2000.

Amazon has never disappointed me or given me bad service. I've bought books, CDs, appliances, plumbing supplies plus stuff from drugstore.com.

For used/out-of-print books, however, they suck. abebooks.com is better and cheaper.

-- Joy Rothke (jrothke@earthlink.net), August 27, 2000.

Groceries and prepared food.

They really need to speed up that delivery time though. 30 minutes or it's free!

-- Catherine (catcoicrit@earthlink.net), August 28, 2000.