Window Display Problem

[wondalan]

Hello,

My window sills are roughly 12 inches deep and about 5 feet long and get a lot of direct sunlight.

This causes the following problems which I hope you can assist me with:

The inside looks very dark when it is sunny (both inside and particularly out)

Condensation occasionally causes dampness to books

Sunlight bends the covers of hardbacks.

Any outward facing display looks bad when you are in the shop.


I can't afford a canopy just yet so alternative suggestions are welcomed.

Also any general window display ideas and advice is welcome as I have a poor track record for enticing customers.

Thanks
Al

[prying1]

I was thinking of reflective coating but that wouldn't work because people could not see in. - Would double paned glass stop the condensation? Could a layer/sheet of plexi-glass (less expensive) be used?

Place display racks and bookshelves so the ends face the window? Less direct sunlight on the spines and covers.

Overhead lighting with rows of 4 foot fluorescents over the aisles? (8 foot tubes are more expensive)

[Bruce Hollingdrake]

We have the same problem with sunlight. One sunny afternoon in our window and a book is ruined.
Inside shelves near the window are perpendicular so that's not an issue.

For the display I just look for interesting titles or cover art from our discount bin and use those in the window. It seem enough just to let people know there are books in here. I supplement those with a couple best sellers and just rotate out quickly.

Bruce

[frontporchbooks]

Perhaps you make good color photocopies of the book covers you wish to display and mount them on card stock.  They could be arranged in the window with a few props to match the theme of the books.  Flower pots and seed packets with gardening books, old tools with woodworking books, wooden snowshoes with mountaineering books....I like to do these kinds of displays in my entry and the customers notice them.  It keeps me thinking creatively about my stock.

Vicky

[rainydaypaperback]

You may want to totally skip the books all together if you're having condensation problems.  heresy!

If you're even vaguely skilled you can reverse paint the window.  I sporadically do that.  Plus I have two windows with permanent paintings on them that have stood up to nearly 5 years of sun without fading!

or if you're art challenged, buy some stencils and just use lettering and some stock artwork to dress it up.

Depending on the color you use and how many layers your put on, it'll vary from semi-translucent to totally opaque.  It can cut the amount of sunlight coming in without totally blocking it.  It also tends to be visible even in bright light. 

Go to the local craft store and get yourself some acrylics.  The CHEAP acrylics. The sort that are $.79 for a bottle.  And some cheap, large brushes. Plan out your design beforehand and then scale it up to fit window.  Make sure to let stuff dry before you put a second layer on.


You can change it by taking a razor blade to it once its dry and scraping it off.  Then just wash window.