used books

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The Indiebound App led me to Coalesce Books

August 20, 2009 in bookstore, used books by Kim | 1 comment

Morro_Bay_Sunset-01We stopped for lunch at Morro Bay last week and as we meandered up and down the boardwalk, it occurred to me that there may be a bookstore in the area.  Usually I search for bookstores before I leave, but this was an unscheduled stop and I was bookstore clueless.  Luckily, I remembered Leslie had the Indiebound App on her iPhone.  It’s so easy to use, her 11 year old daughter looked up Morro Bay and found Coalesce Books, just a short drive away.  (Side plea:  Is there a petition I could sign or someone I could beg for the iPhone to offer Verizon as a carrier?  How much did AT&T pay for that exclusive contract?  When does it end?  The Blackberry is no iPhone.)  I was so impressed with the App, it showed all of the bookstores within 50 miles!

We all piled into Leslie’s mini-van and stormed Coalesce Books.  This store is vintage coastal California.  The entire aura was a warm golden brown, there were books everywhere, the strong aroma of incense, colorful signs wherever my eye wandered, and a community bulletin board that advertised all types of events including the evening on sustainable living that the store hosted the night before.  Coalesce Books is a combination new and used bookstore.  The new books are on shelves in the front, but the strength is in the wide selection of used books.  It is one of the best organized used bookstores I’ve come across in a long time.  Often I enjoy wandering around a bookstore looking to see what I may stumble upon, but this time we were a party of six, too large for long term browsing.  At Coalesce, there was a sub-division for almost every genre making meandering easy, even a ”pirate” literature shelf, which I guess is 1990s for “vampire” literature.  I asked one of the employees if the store kept any Twilight books in stock, she laughed, they can hardly get them in let alone keep them.  I know my daughter isn’t willing to part with her well worn set any time soon. Read the rest of this entry »

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Dudley’s Bookshop and Cafe in Bend, OR

June 10, 2009 in bookstore, used books by Kim | 2 comments

dudleysstore_front1As I walked down Wall St. towards Minnesota in downtown Bend, I was sad to think that The Book Barn wouldn’t be there when I turned the corner.  Imagine my surprise when I looked up and saw Dudley’s Bookshop and Cafe in exactly the same location.  I practically skipped over.  The Bend/Redmond area has four bookstores (lucky them!) and a big box, but Dudley’s is the only store dedicated to selling used books.  Now the community has a place to recycle the fabulous books they purchased at the other stores.  There is a selection of all types of genres, so whatever you’re looking for check in and whatever you’re trading in, there is a place for your book at Dudley’s.

Teri, the owner, changed the configuration of the store from the Book Barn days.  Rather than the shelves standing flush against the wall, they’re perpendicular, giving her room to add a cute little cafe corner in the back.  I visited The Book Barn several times and never knew there was a second floor.  Dudley’s opened up the top floor and it is a huge lounging and event space.  The comfy couches and rocking chairs are perfect for spending the day reading with other bibliophiles.

In just a short time, Dudley’s is as much a community center as a used bookstore.  The white board event calendar on the back wall is packed.  In addition to author appearances, there are weekly groups (employment transition, Spanish and knitting) along with monthly book groups and jam sessions.  The Celtic band plays regularly along with other local musicians.  The pictures on the website testify to a full blues and folk band that had the audience up and dancing.

When I talked to Teri, she said “I have a terrific landlord!”  Something I’ve never heard a bookseller mention, in fact it’s usually the opposite.  When she was looking for a place to open a used bookstore, the landlord offered her rent at less than half the cost of the other locations.  When the economy hit the skids, he voluntarily reduced the rent by 10% and said Teri could call him if she had any questions.  Her response, a million thank yous.  That’s a landlord that’s committed to the community and providing a place for them to gather and exchange ideas.  Which is exactly what Teri does.

Dudley’s Bookshop Cafe

135 NW Minnesota Ave.

Bend, OR 97701

T:  541.749.2010

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Bookfellows in Glendale, CA

May 20, 2009 in bookstore, used books by Kim | 1 comment

Last Saturday evening, Keith and I drove to Glendale for a Los storefrontAngeles Chamber Orchestra concert.  As the crow flies, Glendale isn’t that far, but in the LA traffic world, it is an expedition away, so we haven’t spent a lot of time there.  On the way I told Keith I meant to look up an independent bookstore to drop by, but forgot.  As we drove past the Alex Theater, a parking space opened up (that alone is a gift) and I looked up as we pulled in to see Bookfellows Fine and Rare Books.  The car barely stopped before I was out and in the store.

Bedfellows exuded a welcoming calm from the moment I entered.  I flew in to see the store before the concert started, but immediately relaxed in the presence of one of the owners, Christine Bell, and the quiet atmosphere.  Read the rest of this entry »

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{open} a hybrid book store, music store and art gallery in Long Beach, CA

April 18, 2009 in art gallery, bookstore, music, used books by Kim | 3 comments

Giving Used Books A New Life

I felt the eclectic, cool vibe at {open} from the moment I walked in.  The front foyer holds a collection of old communication items:  typewriters (really old, the kind where the keys jammed together if you typed too fast), a dial phone (I explained to Kelsey that phone numbers with zeros were irritating because you had to wait for the dial to go all the way back to zero), real record players, and cameras that weigh more than the modern laptop.  The space opens up into bookshelves full of used books with a music section in the back and artwork along the walls. 

I spent quite awhile wandering through the shelves because they were inviting.  I talked with one of the owners, Shea Gauer, about his book buying philosophy and the books on the shelves are chosen for their subject matter and their aesthetic appeal (the rest are donated to a thrift store).  It works, the look of the bookshelves pulled me in, I wanted to examine every spine on the shelf.  My  idea of a good used bookstore is one where I trip on books that surprise me.  Some books are more appealing when they’re a little worn.  For me, it was an Old Modern Library edition of The Education of Henry Adams by Henry Adams.  If I saw the same book on my grandmother’s shelves, I wonder if  I would be as interested in it?  Probably not, but that’s the beauty of a used bookstore, they make old things appealing again.  {open} has beautiful complete sets of books including Winston Churchill’s works, Balzac’s writings, and O.Henry’s stories.  There is children’s section with original Nancy Drew and Bobsey Twins books.  Unfortunately, my kids are still in the new and flashy stage, worn cozy books aren’t quite as appealing to them, yet.

{open} also recycles old books in a unique way giving then a new life.  When Shea finds a book with a nice cover and maybe an interesting illustration but really no sellling appeal onesoever, he cuts off the front and back cover, the title page, maybe a few other pages, adds blank sheets, binds them all together and the resulting journal is truly unique.  We bought one, but I think I’ll drop back there for some fun Christmas gifts.

Music the Old Fashioned Way

As I wandered through the shelves, a young couple was deciding which record albums to buy.  Not CDs, the real 33 rpm record albums.  {open} has Read the rest of this entry »

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Park Hill Puts the Community in Bookstore

April 9, 2009 in bookstore, used books by Kim | 2 comments

Earlier this week, I wrote that a necessary ingredient for a successful bookstore is community support.  The Park Hill Community Bookstore operates as a non-profit, officially and intentionally.  It is all about community.  Last fall’s newsletter described the store as a sturdy three legged stool.  The three legs of support:

  1. Membership:  The store offers membership levels from $10 to $40.  Members receive a 7.72% discount, additional discounts during Christmas and sales, 10 used book credits (good for 10 used paperbacks or 5 used hardbacks) and a newsletter.
  2. Donated Used Books:  members and non-members alike receive credit for donating and exchanging books. 
  3. Volunteers:  There is one paid employee, the manager, but otherwise the store is completely run by volunteers.  Volunteers sign up for at least one four hour shift a month.  Some volunteers have worked there for over 20 years.  If I lived in Park Hill, I’d volunteer in a flash!

Park Hill Community Bookstore is on a quaint street in a lovely neighborhood.  Park Hill is a suburb of Denver that looks like it came out of a Frank Lloyd Wright drawing book.  I wanted to stay for hours as soon as I drove up.  The store itself is as cozy as the neighborhood.

Park Hill Community Bookstore is two stories.  The bottom floor houses a small selection of new books, calendars,  and used fiction and children’s books.  Upstairs is a large room with rows of shelves of  mysteries, espionage, romance, and a variety of non-fiction genres.  At the bottom of the stairs was a bookcase full of plays; I wish I had hours to go through those shelves!

If you’re in the area, stop by, the volunteers are friendly and eager to chat with locals and visitors.

Park Hill Community Bookstore

4620 E. 23rd Ave.

Denver, CO 80207

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