679:
309:, the chain offered a subscription-based model, in which a member paid a monthly charge for unlimited rentals. Basic plans allowed subscribers to borrow one title at a time, with no set due dates or late fees, while upgraded tiers permitted up to six titles to be borrowed at once. The chain offered rentals in its brick-and-mortar stores and by mail, with the latter business later known as Audio To Go.
25:
289:
In 2007, the chain's website was replaced with a notice stating that the company had discontinued operations in the United States. The notice directed customers to the Audio To Go website for online rentals, and to a separate website for the
Canadian division. A different entity, Talking Book World
271:
as one of the fastest-growing private companies in the United States. The chain sought to establish 100 locations by 2000, and 1000 by 2005. Its growth was aided by the closure of its largest national competitor,
297:. The U.S. retail chain's website went offline in 2010, as did the Audio To Go website in 2013. The Canadian retail chain continued to operate in Toronto through October 2014, when its website also went offline.
282:
Through the mid-2000s, many of the chain's stores closed, while some franchised locations left the chain and became independent retailers. The company's mail-order rental business was rebranded as
684:
250:
magazine discussing audiobooks, then an emerging market. The two decided to enter the market, founding
Talking Book World on August 19, 1993, and opening the chain's first store, in
904:
324:
In addition to retail sales, Talking Book World also supplied libraries with its audiobooks. The company also served corporate libraries, with claimed clients including
894:
402:
909:
424:
914:
293:
There are limited sources detailing the ultimate fate of the company. By 2008, only two
Talking Book World locations remained in the United States, both in
244:
In 1993, Canadian-American entrepreneur
Richard Simtob and his friend Tyrone Pereira were researching business ideas, when they stumbled upon an article in
81:
236:, the chain operated more than 45 stores across eight U.S. states and Canada at its peak. It was among the largest U.S. chains specializing in audiobooks.
889:
803:
279:
Simtob resigned from the company in June 2001. He then joined cellphone retailer
Wireless Toyz as an executive, among other franchising ventures.
305:
While
Talking Book World's stores offered audiobooks for purchase, the majority of the company's sales came from rentals. In a manner similar to
708:
874:
257:
Franchised locations began to open in 1995, allowing the chain to begin national and international expansion, starting with stores in
251:
566:
587:
518:
730:
353:
635:
657:
781:
495:
824:
408:
449:
752:
846:
544:
206:
246:
313:
611:
290:
Investments, Inc., was created in 2007, and relaunched the U.S. website at a different address in 2008.
265:. By 1999, the chain had 33 locations, of which 16 were franchised. That year, the company was named by
233:
168:
899:
80:
35:
716:
375:
571:
523:
429:
333:
266:
54:
471:
883:
294:
273:
229:
225:
643:
738:
361:
665:
258:
195:
789:
221:
44:
503:
312:
Talking Book World's business model was cited in patent litigation between
24:
832:
403:"Talking Book's Road to Success: Commuting Drives Sales of Books on Tape"
325:
457:
306:
262:
810:
760:
380:
854:
329:
18:
496:"Franchise Frenzy Hits Michigan Based Talking Book World"
685:
Michigan
Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs
49:
39:
220:was an American retail chain which sold and rented
201:
191:
179:
163:
155:
123:
113:
95:
87:
401:
905:Defunct retail companies of the United States
8:
804:"Blockbuster's Final Invalidity Contentions"
73:
79:
72:
895:Companies based in Southfield, Michigan
345:
276:-based Earful of Books, in April 2002.
703:
701:
680:"Talking Book World Investments, Inc"
567:"Earful of Books Bankruptcy Imminent"
7:
910:Retail companies established in 1993
588:"Talking Book World Founder Resigns"
444:
442:
440:
425:"Audiobooks: A Revolution in Format"
395:
393:
391:
915:Defunct companies based in Michigan
14:
23:
890:1993 establishments in Michigan
565:Maughan, Shannon (2002-05-13).
545:"Earful of Books Closes Stores"
423:Maughan, Shannon (2022-04-19).
519:"Audible Floats Drowning Ruth"
74:Talking Book World Corporation
1:
502:. 1997-04-14. Archived from
142:; 10 years ago
129:; 14 years ago
931:
400:Roush, Matt (1998-05-11).
320:Business-to-business sales
809:. 2007-04-11 – via
616:www.franchisesforsale.com
252:West Bloomfield, Michigan
78:
409:Crain's Detroit Business
875:List of known locations
376:"Miami Book Fair Booth"
38:, as no other articles
101:; 31 years ago
825:"Library Information"
612:"Bio: Richard Simtob"
316:and Netflix in 2007.
16:American retail chain
847:"Corporate Programs"
731:"Talking Book World"
517:Rosenblum, Trudi M.
384:(Video). 1999-12-16.
234:Southfield, Michigan
207:talkingbookworld.com
169:Southfield, Michigan
99:August 19, 1993
472:"TALKING BOOKS INC"
232:. Headquartered in
75:
851:Talking Book World
829:Talking Book World
786:Talking Book World
757:Talking Book World
735:Talking Book World
713:Talking Book World
662:Talking Book World
586:Rosenblum, Trudi.
500:Talking Book World
454:Talking Book World
358:Talking Book World
218:Talking Book World
57:for suggestions.
47:to this page from
753:"Rental Packages"
592:Publishers Weekly
572:Publishers Weekly
524:Publishers Weekly
430:Publishers Weekly
354:"Store Locations"
215:
214:
71:
70:
922:
859:
858:
853:. Archived from
843:
837:
836:
831:. Archived from
821:
815:
814:
808:
800:
794:
793:
788:. Archived from
778:
772:
771:
769:
768:
759:. Archived from
749:
743:
742:
737:. Archived from
727:
721:
720:
715:. Archived from
705:
696:
695:
693:
692:
676:
670:
669:
664:. Archived from
654:
648:
647:
642:. Archived from
632:
626:
625:
623:
622:
608:
602:
601:
599:
598:
583:
577:
576:
562:
556:
555:
549:
541:
535:
534:
532:
531:
514:
508:
507:
492:
486:
485:
483:
482:
468:
462:
461:
456:. Archived from
446:
435:
434:
420:
414:
413:
405:
397:
386:
385:
372:
366:
365:
360:. Archived from
350:
254:, that October.
209:
150:
148:
143:
137:
135:
130:
109:
107:
102:
83:
76:
66:
63:
52:
50:related articles
27:
19:
930:
929:
925:
924:
923:
921:
920:
919:
880:
879:
871:
865:
863:
862:
845:
844:
840:
823:
822:
818:
806:
802:
801:
797:
782:"Customer FAQs"
780:
779:
775:
766:
764:
751:
750:
746:
729:
728:
724:
707:
706:
699:
690:
688:
678:
677:
673:
656:
655:
651:
634:
633:
629:
620:
618:
610:
609:
605:
596:
594:
585:
584:
580:
564:
563:
559:
552:Earful of Books
547:
543:
542:
538:
529:
527:
516:
515:
511:
494:
493:
489:
480:
478:
470:
469:
465:
448:
447:
438:
422:
421:
417:
399:
398:
389:
374:
373:
369:
352:
351:
347:
342:
334:DaimlerChrysler
322:
303:
286:in April 2003.
242:
210:
205:
186:
182:
175:
171:
146:
144:
141:
139:
138:(United States)
133:
131:
128:
118:
105:
103:
100:
67:
61:
58:
48:
45:introduce links
28:
17:
12:
11:
5:
928:
926:
918:
917:
912:
907:
902:
897:
892:
882:
881:
878:
877:
870:
869:External links
867:
861:
860:
857:on 2000-04-13.
838:
835:on 1999-02-08.
816:
795:
792:on 2000-10-09.
773:
744:
741:on 2014-10-24.
722:
719:on 2008-12-19.
697:
671:
668:on 2007-06-23.
649:
646:on 2006-05-23.
627:
603:
578:
557:
536:
509:
506:on 1999-02-19.
487:
476:OpenCorporates
463:
460:on 2000-03-02.
436:
415:
387:
367:
364:on 2000-08-18.
344:
343:
341:
338:
321:
318:
302:
299:
241:
238:
230:cassette tapes
213:
212:
211:(2006 archive)
203:
199:
198:
193:
189:
188:
183:
180:
177:
176:
173:
167:
165:
161:
160:
157:
153:
152:
125:
121:
120:
119:Richard Simtob
117:Tyrone Pereira
115:
111:
110:
97:
93:
92:
89:
85:
84:
69:
68:
55:Find link tool
31:
29:
22:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
927:
916:
913:
911:
908:
906:
903:
901:
898:
896:
893:
891:
888:
887:
885:
876:
873:
872:
868:
866:
856:
852:
848:
842:
839:
834:
830:
826:
820:
817:
812:
805:
799:
796:
791:
787:
783:
777:
774:
763:on 2000-10-11
762:
758:
754:
748:
745:
740:
736:
732:
726:
723:
718:
714:
710:
704:
702:
698:
687:
686:
681:
675:
672:
667:
663:
659:
653:
650:
645:
641:
637:
631:
628:
617:
613:
607:
604:
593:
589:
582:
579:
574:
573:
568:
561:
558:
554:. 2002-05-01.
553:
546:
540:
537:
526:
525:
520:
513:
510:
505:
501:
497:
491:
488:
477:
473:
467:
464:
459:
455:
451:
445:
443:
441:
437:
432:
431:
426:
419:
416:
411:
410:
404:
396:
394:
392:
388:
383:
382:
377:
371:
368:
363:
359:
355:
349:
346:
339:
337:
335:
331:
327:
319:
317:
315:
310:
308:
300:
298:
296:
295:Metro Detroit
291:
287:
285:
280:
277:
275:
270:
269:
264:
260:
255:
253:
249:
248:
239:
237:
235:
231:
227:
223:
219:
208:
204:
200:
197:
194:
190:
185:United States
184:
178:
170:
166:
162:
158:
154:
126:
122:
116:
112:
98:
94:
90:
86:
82:
77:
65:
56:
51:
46:
42:
41:
37:
32:This article
30:
26:
21:
20:
864:
855:the original
850:
841:
833:the original
828:
819:
798:
790:the original
785:
776:
765:. Retrieved
761:the original
756:
747:
739:the original
734:
725:
717:the original
712:
689:. Retrieved
683:
674:
666:the original
661:
652:
644:the original
639:
630:
619:. Retrieved
615:
606:
595:. Retrieved
591:
581:
570:
560:
551:
539:
528:. Retrieved
522:
512:
504:the original
499:
490:
479:. Retrieved
475:
466:
458:the original
453:
428:
418:
407:
379:
370:
362:the original
357:
348:
323:
311:
304:
301:Retail model
292:
288:
283:
281:
278:
267:
256:
247:Entrepreneur
245:
243:
217:
216:
164:Headquarters
59:
33:
640:Audio To Go
314:Blockbuster
284:Audio To Go
181:Area served
62:August 2023
900:Bookstores
884:Categories
767:2023-08-06
691:2023-08-06
636:"About Us"
621:2023-08-06
597:2023-08-06
530:2023-08-06
481:2023-08-04
450:"About Us"
340:References
259:California
222:audiobooks
196:Audiobooks
106:1993-08-19
53:; try the
40:link to it
159:Dissolved
43:. Please
658:"Notice"
326:Comerica
192:Products
151:(Canada)
114:Founders
88:Industry
307:Netflix
263:Ontario
240:History
202:Website
145: (
132: (
124:Defunct
104: (
96:Founded
811:Justia
709:"Home"
381:C-SPAN
332:, and
274:Austin
187:Canada
91:Retail
36:orphan
34:is an
807:(PDF)
548:(PDF)
330:Xerox
268:Inc.
261:and
228:and
174:U.S.
156:Fate
147:2014
140:2014
134:2010
127:2010
226:CDs
224:on
886::
849:.
827:.
784:.
755:.
733:.
711:.
700:^
682:.
660:.
638:.
614:.
590:.
569:.
550:.
521:.
498:.
474:.
452:.
439:^
427:.
406:.
390:^
378:.
356:.
336:.
328:,
172:,
813:.
770:.
694:.
624:.
600:.
575:.
533:.
484:.
433:.
412:.
149:)
136:)
108:)
64:)
60:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
