How Do They Stack Up?

Try this link for sales figures in the USA:

http://www.cbaonline.org/nm/documents/BSLs/Bible_Translations.pdf

Tom

 

Pope Rippon, this is an interesting question. I have not been in one of the local Christian book shops since last Saturday, so I am doing this from memory, but I'll try my best to recall:

Shop 1 (Family Christian Stores)
They have a more or less equal mix of NIV, ESV and KJV, I would guess 100 or so of each. I would also say about 40-50 each of NASB and NKJV and just a few (10-20) of various other translations.

Shop 2 (Lifeway)
Our local Lifeway has a much better selection of Bibles, but they are on display in sort of a mixed-up manner so it is a bit harder for me to remember what they have. I would say there are more NIV and ESV than any other translation with KJV coming in a close third, but they have two sections for KJV Bibles (one study Bibles and the other reference and text only Bibles) so I may be under on how many KJVs they have.

Shop 3 (Christian Bookstore - local owners)
This store has the most interesting selection of Bibles in my area. They stock many Cambridge and Oxford editions that you will never see in one of the chain stores as well as Trinitarian Bible Society editions, and out of print Bibles. They have perhaps 500 KJV and about 10-12 Geneva, Wycliff and Textus Receptus.

 

I hardly ever go to a Christian bookstore. And there are none close by anyway.

Don't some of these bookstores push certain versions over others?

 

I thought one of the big ones was somehow connected to the publisher of one of the translations - I have a fuzzy memory of that. Or had a special contract or something. I don't think it has to do that much with what the public wants as it has to do with marketing.

 

I didn't count but when I was at Lifeway last weekend there were tons and tons and tons of HCSB, in the discount shelfs. 5 bucks for a bonded leather ref edition, 10 bucks for the HCSB Study Bible.

I can state that there was only 2 Nelson Signature Series black calfskin delights, one in KJV and one in NKJV.

They have stocked a ton of Reformation Study Bibles and ESV Study Bibles but to be honest either they are real good at making 9/10'ths stacks OR nobody had touched either since weekend before last.

No Tniv, I remember asking for one about 6 months ago and very nearly being asked to leave (ok, I'm exaggerating but thats what it felt like) I know they have NLT but really never cared enough to see which version it is.

I did see a Zondervan Readers Greek NT.... that was tempting.


From what I see there is a whole bunch of 'lookin at' and very little buying. I'm guessing its because you can go online and knock the price down by 50% or more in most cases.

Anyway, I'm guessing they have a couple thousand bibles on the shelfs, I like ya but I aint gonna count 'em tomorrow bud.

 

To your first question, the Wycliffe was a photographic reproduction of a handwritten manuscript. Not sure if it was the first or second.

The Testus Recpetus was not "on display," they had printed copies of the TR for sale. It was a TBS edition of Beza's 1598 edition.