Working the checkout at Barnes and Noble in 1997

More video from Missouri but this time from 1997 and inside the popular retail book chain.
This is a short one that last a little over 2 minutes.
#barnesandnoble

[@mariposamoreno]

the cashier’s outfit is just so damn 90s and i love it

[@blugreen123]

That old receipt printer sound is such a flashback. 😂

[@MrAllen-fv9cj]

Those old register and keypad sounds just hit differently!

[@chocolatecoveredgummybears]

Haha yess

[@Sohailali1]

The best part

[@RXMBVVL]

RIGHT!!

[@JRBowling1997]

So true!!! Especially the keyboard. Love listning to it

[@Lanae8199]

I was 16 back in 1997. That old cash register and receipt printing sound sure does take me back.

[@robd1859]

I was almost 20 at the time period and the way the store looks. It looks pretty much modern the way Some stores look now. But I've got to say that is one very pretty red head at that register

[@Lanae8199]

@@robd1859 Yes, she’s pretty attractive.

[@AntiMasonic93]

I was 16 in 1997 too. Class of 1999 from high school. I remember the sound of those receipt printers.

[@PerceptionVsReality333]

I was 20 at the time.

[@redacted-oo7ne]

@@robd1859random

[@MiketheratguyMultimedia]

I worked at a Barnes and Noble in the 2000s. It was just a register jockey job like any other but the atmosphere and clientele was really nice and relaxing. I still remember the closing time announcement, which everyone hated to do and was thrilled when I offered to do it myself. They said that I sounded like a professional actor, lol. I still remember how it went: "Attention Barnes and Noble customers, the time is now 8:55 and your Barnes and Noble store will be closing in five minutes. Please bring your final selections to the front registers where a cashier will be happy to assist you. For your convenience we open again tomorrow at 9 am. Thank you and have a good night".

[@vampirerobot]

Wow! Good memory. I would imagine B&N would be a very relaxing place to work indeed and pretty cool.

[@MiketheratguyMultimedia]

@@vampirerobot I remember it because I did it every night I worked, all the other employees despised it. I didn't mind, I had fun with it. Sometimes I'd say stuff like "Barnes and Noble loves you", lol. As long as the managers were alright with it of course. I worked in the media section so I was able to choose what CDs were played in the store, that was really cool. We usually had a specific list of discs that we had to promote but not always, and after we closed I could put on whatever I wanted. It was definitely way more relaxed than a place like a video store or department store but around the holidays it still got really hectic. Also, some customers would take 15 or 20 minutes of your time with lists of book orders that they wanted to make, which any employee had to take care of regardless of which department the customer asked in. It was nice beyond that though. Comfy, good clientele.

[@bathtownship]

@@MiketheratguyMultimedia I would have liked to work there then, bought many books there, maybe today's customers are a bit more restless and not as easy going like everything else in this world, people have lost their respect and manners unfortunately in my humble opinion.

[@MiketheratguyMultimedia]

@@bathtownship I agree.

[@rescueme1060]

Ex B&N employee here. 2006-2008 and I remember the closing announcement as well edit: I used to skateboard up and down the aisles after closing to put all the discarded books that people decided they didn't want to buy back to their places on the shelves.

[@tedmack1945]

I love how the interior design of Barnes and noble hasn’t really changed at all after all these years lol

[@JRBowling1997]

If it works. It works. Lol

[@thenextrung]

Neither has the design of the shopping bags

[@savetheunstable]

I worked there around 2004. Even the music hasn't changed

[@LL-bl8hd]

I read that Barnes and Noble is making a comeback. Apparently people want to read paper books again.

[@vampirerobot]

I hope so.

[@detectivefiction3701]

If only they'd bring back Borders Books and Music (or start a new chain similar to it), as well.

[@willgibson8534]

@@yanni6556 yes sir, they do. The B&B trucks drop off at the Amazon house all the time.. pallets of books

[@bdjoh011]

Mine have been open over 20 years and still going strong.

[@samvimes9510]

Yup! They actually expanded in 2023 and opened up new stores. The new CEO has really turned B&N around. He had this crazy idea that individual stores should try selling books that appealed to the local demographic, instead of taking a "one size fits all" approach. And gee, whaddya know, when you start tailoring your products to your customers, business picks up!

[@huntrrams]

I’m glad the new CEO made it more modern and curated by the management for the 2010s and 2020s. I miss this wooden,cozy interior of the old Barnes and Noble where I can just sit by the magazine section!

[@IwasInverted]

I love this video! It’s so wholesome.😊❤ it’s sad those times are long gone.

[@sushan01]

Worked at a B&N in Minneapolis in 1999. This video triggered memories. And there was this gal who worked there with me and she read Penthouse Forum letters aloud when she got bored behind the cash register 😅

[@nocturnalrecluse1216]

This reminds me of being dropped off at the mall during the late 90s as a teen. The first place that I'd go to was Barnes and Noble.

[@6lemans10]

You are a person of culture.

[@DavidTheHypnotist]

It’s weird seeing people using cash.

[@ep3865]

And the old $20 bill 🤣

[@2fartocry816]

I was born in 1988. What I remember was that back then, it was unheard of to pay with cards credit or debit unless you were broke, really rich, impulsive, or it was for a large purchase you didn't want to carry cash or checks around for. Since it was also preinternet times, you couldn't look at your bank or card statements instantly like today's world. You had to wait until it was mailed later in the month or called and an automated system that would read your balance and transactions and hope you didn't miss anything. I will admit it's weird because I'm way too used to everything being effectively cashless since I've been in the working world. The biggest downside though is that people also spend way more than they can afford nowadays because the transaction just goes through...

[@hectorlopez1069]

Some people used credit cards too, but not too much in the 90s.

[@Alexrefreshed]

We actually have a Barnes n noble here in Las Vegas right around the corner from where I live! I never knew they still existed..Crazy

[@Hannahleigh_]

The sounds are so satisfying

[@peterbradfield2805]

Vampire Robot, I recently discovered your channel and love the attention to detail you got in these past videos. (I was born in 1963, so much of your videos are very familiar to much of what I encountered) when it came to shopping and eating @ restaurants (although I’m from the Tampa Bay Area and since 1994 live in the Atlanta area). I’m especially impressed with this video because around the date on this vid (Christmas season 1997), I had to go up to on a Saturday morning to buy Christmas presents @ the Barnes & Nobles in Buckhead for a couple of nephews and nieces with permission by my supervisor @ the Library in downtown Atlanta (where I worked @ the time) to do so. I also love that you didn’t face any, what would later be called “Karins” as I and other customers had to witness out of truly impatient man to one of the clerks there on that visit (the rest of us applauded the clerk for how he handled the impatient male Karin). That leads to me to my question: I don’t remember very often too much Karinicity especially prior to 2015 in retail and @ restaurants (definitely feels much more recent), and I love that so much of your vids show that; so I am wondering would you share some of your vids with Dr. Richey with Indisputable @ The Young Turks (TYT), so he can show both that Karinicity Does Not need to exist, especially in terms of retail and restaurants, nor that it was always a part of our society or civilization?

[@williamking8033]

Thanks for uploading this. I was an employee with this company for decades. It's different world now.

[@SamIAm6677]

I did this job at the end of 96.

[@christopherpotter7204]

She didn’t check the $50 with the special pen. For shame.

[@tarabooartarmy3654]

What was that paper thing the lady brought out of her bag, and the little metal discs the cashier handed back to her? (Just kidding! I miss when people actually still paid with cash regularly.)

[@anthonyh6992]

0:22 the book is “Angela’s Ashes” I recognize the cover. It was one of the best selling books at the time and became an acclaimed movie.

[@tomwalkingstick5395]

This was so freaking relaxing

[@unapologeticallyfally]

oooooh the receipt printer nostalgia😍

[@Imperatorelite999]

18 dollars for a book! Goddamn.

[@Purplenpinkk]

I remember in the early 90s when I could buy a paperback book for $2.99. I thought it was a big deal when it went up to $3.99.

[@misterhat5823]

@@PurplenpinkkTry buying a textbook.

[@KOKOANAPAR]

I love Barnes and Noble and I love the 90s

[@DancingSk3L3tons]

Imagine that, I didn't see one person out in their fuckin pajamas, we have regressed so much...

[@Coolfun193]

Correct. People back in the day had complete sense of appropriately dressing when being outdoors.

[@abcdefghijklmnnopqrstuvwxy2312]

Why would you care?

[@hectorlopez1069]

Customers and employees were friendly to each other from the past.

[@1024dram]

I remember always going straighr to the cd racks in the late 90s and in early 2000s they started using those little booths where you could scan a cd and listen to it with headphones

[@J.T845]

Expensive even back then too!

[@ep3865]

$19 for a book in 1997!!!??? Only Barnes and Nobles 🙄

[@robd1859]

That is an absolutely adorable redhead. Very very pretty girl

[@dceufan]

A million thanks for posting this retro vid. It’s getting a 👍

[@chocolatecoveredgummybears]

Ahah I remember that cash register sound when it opens lol

[@aruglaempire2518]

I miss B&N. I would go there on Sunday nights because our local store would have speakers and events then. It was such a peaceful nice place. And I bought books too!

[@lukelloyd4146]

Customers were so friendly

[@user-gg1gi9xg8b]

I miss the book stores 😢

[@makevelicustoms]

I remember I bought my first XXX mag at Barnes & Nobles 🥰 I can’t remember if it was Barely Legal or Ghetto Melons 🤔

[@EdsterIII]

LOL, we had a B.Dalton Bookstore at our Mall and I can remember being 18 or 19 and some celebrity was in either Playboy or High Society magazine. I went to the magazine area, saw the "adult" book section, but it took me over 30 minutes to conjure the guts to grab it and go to the register to buy it. I was a tool. Finally a guy was at the cash register, I went up, and sure enough, he leaves and this gorgeous woman steps in. I turned 25 shades of red. She looked at me and I can remember her sly grin. I also remember she dropped my change in my hand. That was one memory that still has me chuckle to this day.

[@Religious_man]

The perversion never ceases, doesn't it?

[@youtubin222]

i really wish there was one of these of me at 16 in 2001 cashiering at walgreens lol

[@Butterflyyyxoxo]

This was my first job at 16, such memories. For me it was the year 2004.

[@dceufan]

How kewl!! I wonder what would happen if I walk up to buy a couple of books and ask that woman if I could use Apple Pay. She’ll look at me confused and ask “ .. what is an Apple Pay” 😐

[@user-xj4jh8ho4x]

That receipt printer takes me back.

[@wooliment]

i just turned 17 and my first day at barnes and noble was yesterday. i wonder if there will be this kind of video made to show how it is now

[@acecoycoy]

Good to know books were still just as expensive in ‘97. 😂

[@johnv8646]

more. Shit in the 90s was out of control. I remember seeing a Garth Brooks cassette in 1993 for 18 dollars.

[@BrianBeeby]

Buzzing dot receipt printer, clacking PC keyboard, cheap PC clone running DOS with amber mono screen and Hercules graphics card. Cellphones were barely starting to become mainstream.

[@johnv8646]

how do you know all this lol

[@BrianBeeby]

@@johnv8646 Because I taught your mom how to work the counter.

[@liamwatson5125]

PDN. They don’t produce that magazine anymore.

[@Dan-di9jd]

I do have to hand it to Barnes & Noble. They made me an excellent developer today. I used to go there all the time as a teen and bought the programming books and read them all. I still have a couple of them but they were so badly worn but each of the books were treasures at the time. Though my opinion on buy actual books have changed. I hate them as they take up way too much space. Digital books are nice but you can't keep them forever.

[@jwgreek8606]

I read them then give them to the library

[@Cameronretailsandstoretours]

Actually it’s pretty good old days I found this location and I went there the walls is still same but cashier got remodeled

[@thatjpwing]

I'm really curious about the point of sale system. It looks DOS or UNIX based. The printer is an Ithaca receipt printer. The keyboard is a standard PC keyboard. I'm pretty sure the monitor is actually a dumb terminal, not a PC.

[@jeremystrand7095]

Love the classical music playing over the speakers.

[@majesticf0x130]

I was 10 here, but went to Borders instead :P

[@camcordernonsense5264]

I dont care for new receipt quick printer sound of today. I like this one better.

[@JP-wx6uh]

Wow. Somebody actually using cash to make a purchase😮

[@tomwalkingstick5395]

??

[@thehapagirl92]

Now that girl is a mom in her 40’s

[@Religious_man]

That old customer is likely deceased today. I wonder if she had finished reading all those books she ever purchased.

[@myshadowstalksme]

$19 bucks for a book in 1997 is expensive

[@agihiruda]

It’s surprising that the prices have stayed like that even to this day. I remember buying 3 Body Problem from them, and it costed like 20 dollars.

[@ryanhilliard1620]

Do people still buy magazines? I haven’t bought one in maybe 12 years.

[@myshadowstalksme]

I bought one last month

[@wannamlwithu]

I still do, every once in a while.

[@wulfone5961]

Look at the black mold on the side of that register. These days they would shut the whole store down and people would start boycotting and hyperventilating.

[@willgibson8534]

$18.66 was to much then and it’s to much in 2023 for a book.. sorry

[@EdsterIII]

If it's a book I really want and enjoy, I have no problem spending $20.00 for a hardcover book. If it's one that I don't think is worth it, I'll wait and get the paperback for $5.⁰⁰ to $8.⁰⁰. But I enjoy books, and I have a fairly large collection of both Hardcover Books many first editions, as well as a LOT of paperbacks. Probably close to 500-600.

[@AllyG-ig4yv]

B&N still lives in my area. There are 3!!!

[@rugcutter284]

What are those pieces of paper the customers are giving to the checkout girl. No Apple Pay ??

[@brianredban9393]

Does anyone know why these tapes were made?

[@johnv8646]

he said in the beginning "we're doing a story on sales tax for a program that helps, blah blah"

[@Sam-kj4kq]

these guys are paying 2027 book prices in 1997! LOL!!

[@robd1859]

Who is the pretty redhead at the register????

[@willwilliamson2814]

That's why she got hired.

[@carljoshua2342]

The irony , I was just at a Barnes and Noble lol.

[@my2centstoo]

Me, too. Today. But for coffee! 😄

[@user-he7jy4mw4b]

0:20 Karen model K-100 : What are we doing here? Huh? This model was satiated with the response of tax related news reporting. The HUD showed several options one of which was a joke, the chosen response. Later models would continue to learn form this and progressively respond more aggressively until we arrive at the present day models. Highly aggressive and quick acting and they will not stop ever. Current responses include is that a camera, you do not have my permission to record me, and it is against my rights to (insert nonsensical claim here).

[@4.7m_views]

Their cashier is no where near full. Who the hell buys books lol

[@ep3865]

And for $19 !!! Please

[@streched_thin]

your local library will literally buy and ship whatever you ask for, haha, but I guess having a home library is cool, too

[@EdsterIII]

Me. I've paid over $30.⁰⁰ for some books. But I enjoy and prefer reading over stuffing my face in a smartphone for 10 hours a day! I limit my "online" time to 30 minutes.

[@MichaelWolf940]

Books were expensive then too 🤔

[@pwnsy584]

I was born this year

[@dceufan]

1:22 - wow so retro!! Classical music on the background, the sound of paper money and the ringing of an oversized register. Before the Y2K. 🦠