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WTH do I do with a Borders gift card?

Victor FrostVictor Frost
edited October 2010 in Suggestions
I got two gift cards when my family came over for my birthday on Sunday (my birthday is actually on the 19th), a $30 Amazon gift card and a $30 Borders gift card. The Amazon gift card was easy to spend. Arduino and a couple of books for my Kindle. Done. Easy. No Problemo.

But what the hell do I do with a Borders gift card? I don't buy CD's (bittorrent, pandora, Jamendo), I don't buy DVD's (Netflix, Bittorrent), I don't buy books (Kindle, Library). Manga? I read them online or get that at the library. Games? Steam, bitches.

I understand that some of my behaviors are less than legal, but there is a fundamental issue here. I no longer need physical media.

Suggestions?
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Comments

  • SailSail
    edited October 2010
    Borders has lots of little knick-knaks and office toys and things. Just go look.
    Post edited by Sail on
  • OmnutiaOmnutia
    edited October 2010
    Buy someone who does like physical media a present with it and then use the money you save to get yourself something.

    Or, if possible, swap it with someone for the money, maybe slightly less.
    Post edited by Omnutia on
  • WindUpBirdWindUpBird
    edited October 2010
    You are underestimating physical media. $30 will get you just about the entirety of this; I have the first Hellboy Library volume and it is one of the single most beautiful things I own. The binding alone is a work of fucking art, with a watercolor inset and inlaid gold lettering. Plus, to paraphrase the cover of a certain Penny Arcade book, physical media comes "packaged in a compact, wireless portable viewer that requires no batteries, no power cords or adapters, and never needs to be recharged." Just add light.
    You can also buy ebooks from their website that I assume work with the Kindle.
    Nope. All the booksellers with eBook readers use proprietary formats.
    Post edited by WindUpBird on
  • Victor FrostVictor Frost
    Borders has lots of little knick-knaks and office toys and things. Just go look.
    I suppose. But then I have the problem of putting them someplace, you know, what with not having a room and all.

    Does anybody want to trade a service or something for it?
  • OmnutiaOmnutia
    I'll swap you for one of the increasingly rare magic beans.

    (I don't really have many developed skills that can be used at intercontinental range.)
  • MattMatt
    I second the idea of buying someone a present with it and pocketing the savings. Holiday season is about to hit.
  • OmnutiaOmnutia
    The way things have been going, I'm giving hibernation serious thought.
  • AprecheApreche
    They have some board games at Borders. Maybe your local one has Apples to Apples or something?
  • RuffasRuffas
    Or you could totally get some Pokemon cards.
  • MattMatt
    They have some board games at Borders. Maybe your local one has Apples to Apples or something?
    If you've got a lot of patience, wait until after Christmas and you can snag some good deals in that department. Most book stores have a huge expansion of their board game stock during holiday season, and then look to dump whatever doesn't sell on a clearance table. Last year I was able to get quite a few $20-30 games for $7 each.
  • AprecheApreche
    Also, you can buy books and then sell them when you're done.
  • CremlianCremlian
    You can buy one of those over-sized coffee table books that is more for appearance then anything else.

    Or something like the Daily show presents "the Earth". Since I think that would be hard to read on a kindle.
  • RochelleRochelle
    Can't you use the gift card at Borders.com as well? Don't they sell stuff for the Kindle as well?
  • OmnutiaOmnutia
    edited October 2010
    Can't you use the gift card atBorders.comas well? Don't they sell stuff for the Kindle as well?
    Pretty sure Amazon's got the Kindle locked up pretty tight. Unless they're selling stuff DRM free, it'd be a no-go.
    Post edited by Omnutia on
  • GeoGeo
    Can't you use the gift card atBorders.comas well? Don't they sell stuff for the Kindle as well?
    Pretty sure Amazon's got the Kindle locked up pretty tight.
    Plus, there is no reason to have cards for the Kindle since it is extremely rare for a book to be over 10 dollars.
  • RochelleRochelle
    Pretty sure Amazon's got the Kindle locked up pretty tight.
    Ah, I have no idea about that stuff.

    Regardless, there are plenty of things at Borders you can buy. Perhaps a calendar for 2011 or chocolate. They ave tons of Lindt chocolate there. Or perhaps a Borders with a coffee shop inside. Mmm.. coffee.

    Near the manga section they always have cute items like panda bags or bear skull things. They also sell Scott Pilgrim paraphernalia too. Just go into a Borders and see for yourself.
  • VigaViga
    A book? Maybe? Or lots and lots of coffee and pretzels!
  • gomidoggomidog
    I don't buy books (Kindle, Library)
    Don't you have a book you really love? I'd get a nice edition of one of my favorite novels. On the other hand, don't listen to me. Books are my one weak spot. I rarely shop for clothing, but books drain my wallet.
  • RymRym
    What a world, where actual dollars for a store are useless in the face of the convenience of piracy.
  • ColombianShadowColombianShadow
    Does Borders have a cafeteria? You can spend your gift card on (presumably) overpriced food. There's no digital download for that ;-)
  • RymRym
    Does Borders have a cafeteria?
    They have awesome milkshakes as I recall.

    I've spent more money on coffee and other drinks in bookstores in my life than I ever have on books. In fact, I'll bet if Borders changed their business model to having fewer copies of more total books, expanding the food service, and becoming a straight-up book lounge (with the option to buy or borrow), they'd do much better than they are now.
  • NuriNuri
    Whenever I have a GC for a store I won't shop at, I usually end up selling or trading it to someone else who will shop there. If they're going to be spending the money there anyway, they might as well use the GC and give me the money.
  • YoshoKatanaYoshoKatana
    I'm saddened for the demise of books. That is all.
  • George PatchesGeorge Patches
    I'm saddened for the demise of books. That is all.
    star trek pads are the future
  • Victor FrostVictor Frost
    I don't buy books (Kindle, Library)
    Don't you have a book you really love? I'd get a nice edition of one of my favorite novels. On the other hand, don't listen to me. Books are my one weak spot. I rarely shop for clothing, but books drain my wallet.
    I do, "The Count of Monte Cristo", but I already own a fancy version of it. Don't get me wrong, I love books. If I had the space, I would fill entire shelves with books from my library's used book store. But for the next eight months, I don't even have a room of my own, much less a place to put more books.
    What a world, where actual dollars for a store are useless in the face of the convenience of piracy.
    Not the convenience of piracy, the convenience of digital delivery. I wouldn't mind spending the dollars if I could use them to replace portions of my pirated collection with legitimate versions, but just I don't want to deal with the physical media. It's the same reason why I cringed at buying Dirt2 at the gamestop, but didn't think twice at buying from steam, even though I had already been playing a pirated version for some time.
    Near the manga section they always have cute items like panda bags or bear skull things. They also sell Scott Pilgrim paraphernalia too. Just go into a Borders and see for yourself.
    I may do this.
    I've spent more money on coffee and other drinks in bookstores in my life than I ever have on books. In fact, I'll bet if Borders changed their business model to having fewer copies of more total books, expanding the food service, and becoming a straight-up book lounge (with theoptionto buy or borrow), they'd do much better than they are now.
    Yes. If they did that, I would go there often.
    I'm saddened for the demise of books. That is all.
    Books are still going strong, and they will for some time, don't you worry.
  • loltsundereloltsundere
    edited October 2010
    I'm saddened for the demise of books. That is all.
    Last I checked they hadn't demised quite yet.

    EDIT: Beat me to it, Sonic.
    Post edited by loltsundere on
  • RochelleRochelle
    give me the money.

    GIVE ME THE CASH!
  • CremlianCremlian
    I find it funny that after all that piracy you bought a Kindle... Why didn't you get one that uses more open formats?
  • Victor FrostVictor Frost
    I find it funny that after all that piracy you bought a Kindle... Why didn't you get one that uses more open formats?
    Global access to wikipedia, tremendous battery life (up to 1 month with wireless off), felt good in my hands, fits in my pocket while still being big enough to read, and the ease of access to the bookstore makes it less of an incentive to pirate.

    I don't pirate because of some moral principal, I pirate because I'm poor. If I had infinite monies, I'd pirate just a sample of something to see if I like it, and then buy the whole thing. The kindle store lets me sample without actually pirating.
  • Josh BytesJosh Bytes
    Sell the gift card for 25$. You lose out 5 bucks but at least now you will have cash money to do with as you please. Oh and Happy Birthday :)
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