So who's accountable for fixing what got broke during the depression: Publishers? Bookstores? Wholesalers?

I'm referring to the outlandish, unprecedented and much too lenient "return" policy offered to bookstores during the depression to keep them afloat.

Just another question that will be answered in my book that may or may not happen depending on how I feel about anyone actually caring whether I write it or not. HA!.

Here's a bit of a clue though to the answer:

"In the 1950's . . . the Ingrams bought the Tennessee Book Company. This company was a textbook depository for the public school systems of Tennessee."

Okay this was Post-depression so you can't EXACTLY blame this wholesaler/distributor[Ingram] although there are TONS of things you can blame Ingram Book Industry for like humoring the exclusively denominational fundamentalist Christians and giving them their very own distributor AND labeling that arm as the distributor to the "official Christian Market" when no such beasts actually exists except in CBA's mind. Thanks a lot Ingram. Like that group needed any help being exclusive but not seeming that way. Good grief!

". . . In terms of business focus, James Baker and Nelson Taylor did not alter the direction of the business they acquired from Robinson and Barber until 1912, when they abandoned publishing entirely and instead directed the company toward wholesaling."

Dun, dun duuuuuun! and ding, ding, ding! Looks like we might very well have a winner. It will take more research to find out for certain but it is starting to look like that, since 1912 was BEFORE the great depression, the wonderful Baker & Taylor is the wholesaler who cut bookstores of the day the deal of a lifetime! Return all the books you want, in any shape, in any condition, whenever you like . . . just buy the darn things from us. We can't afford to warehouse all these books and we certainly can't let our customers go under !!!

And of course it's a lot harder to take the "deal of a lifetime" back once its been given.

So yes, it looks like Baker & Taylor was the culprit. I'll not comment on whether I felt it was a well-meaning gesture handed out in a very tough time . . . at least not on this blog . . . perhaps in my book that may or may not happen.