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1mluszcak
I am a resident of Kansas City and am just itching to open a used book store in the City Market or Crossroads area (though this has no real purpose for my post). ANYWAYS...what I am wondering is what all of you love about the used bookstores you visit so that I can make a ridiculously long list of things to consider when opening. And there is no need to mention coffee and tea, yes, it will be provided, and yes, it will be free!
2sandstone78
I am glad to see this topic! I live in St. Louis, not KC, but occasionally come visit so I am always glad to see new used bookstores in the area :)
For me, the essentials are a. a wide selection of science fiction and fantasy, b. books in good shape, that are c. organized and d. with reasonable prices. Also important to me are e. hours that mean I can stop by after work or on the weekend, but I can forgive if these aren't there.
Science fiction and fantasy are my personal preference, but I think an important general rule is depth instead of breadth, especially if you have a small store.
My best advice though, I will present as an extraordinarily long study of six used bookstores I frequent in the St. Louis area and my likes and dislikes about each:
1. An independent bookstore in a small storefront that opened next to the college I was attending at the time. About a third of the tiny store was taken up with a coffeeshop counter (with paid drinks and nowhere to sit), and the rest of the store was half children's picture books and half every other genre crammed onto tiny shelves- so there were about ten mystery books, ten science fiction and fantasy (half of it copies of Lord of the Rings), and maybe one or two non-fiction book in a variety of areas.
It couldn't decide whether it was selling new books or used books, whether it was a coffeeshop or a bookstore, adult books or children's books, or fiction or non-fiction. The people lined up at the coffee counter made it hard to look around (and the staff seemed to disapprove of me browsing without buying a drink), and I still have no idea who their target audience was supposed to be. They have stayed in business and done well, as far as I can tell by managing to take over all author signing events at the University and the public libraries in the area, but I haven't bothered going back.
2. A used bookstore located in an old Victorian house. It has a large variety of paperbacks and some nonfiction spread over two floors, and generally in good organization, including a very good section of sci-fi and fantasy.
However, two things: they don't take books for trade-in credit, only donations, and the prices are often arbitrary and ridiculous. Many of their old (1980s or 1970s) paperbacks (marked $2-$4 cover price) are six or seven dollars, and these are not even rare titles- the kind that are selling for $4 including shipping from Amazon or other online sites. Even worse, two copies of the same paperback in the same condition often have different prices- one might be $5 and one might be $8 when there is no discernible difference between them in condition, printing, or edition. There are also books marked new, at full cover price, mixed in randomly with the used books.
Recently, they have been piling up boxes of books in the aisles of the bookstore, making things hard to get to, and many of their shelves are really tall with no stepladders or the like present, which makes it hard for short people like myself who can't see what's on the higher shelves, much less reach it. (The place is also not accessible for people who use wheelchairs.)
Because of these things, I rarely go to this bookstore unless I have exhausted other options in town and am desperate to get the next book in a series.
3. A relatively new used bookstore that opened just a couple years ago. The location makes it difficult to get in and out of. The owner is a really nice guy, and knowledgeable, but he is often busy talking with a friend or regular customer and I feel like I am interrupting when I ask him something. He does recognize me from visit to visit, even though my visits are generally sporadic, which is nice too.
The store, however, leaves some to be desired, unfortunately. The storefront it is in is old and rather run-down, and it has a bit of problems with clutter in the store- lots of piles of books around on tables rather than shelves. Books are often in mediocre condition as well, but prices are usually very reasonable to compensate (though on my most recent visit I noticed they had gone up to about half cover price).
There is a good selection of science fiction, but- and it's a big but- the thing that keeps me from visiting more often is that there is a very low rate of stock turnover. 90% of the stuff on the shelf is exactly the same stuff that was there when I first visited about two years ago. I would love to support this business and visit more often, but when I go there is just nothing new for me to buy.
4. A used bookstore in a strip mall on a major road that has been there for a very long time. It is almost exclusively fiction with large selections of genre fiction such as sci-fi/fantasy, mystery, and romance, and it has changed owners several times over the years, especially in the past few years.
Books have remained half cover price and are in good condition, but one of the recent owners instituted a policy where they did not take in sci-fi/fantasy older than ten years. This was a disappointment to me because the genre has changed a lot in that time in directions that don't appeal to me (much published in that time is either Buffy the Vampire Slayer knockoff urban fantasy, "gritty", "realistic" portrayals of war in the middle ages George R.R. Martin knockoffs, or military science fiction- some of it may be good, but it's not my thing.) I go to used bookstores often specifically to find older and out of print books.
The most recent change of owners has been the most disappointing for me, though. They have begun cataloging the books in an inventory, which is fantastic, but the stickers they put on the back with their barcodes are really hard to get off of the book without damaging the cover, and always leave sticky residue behind. When the books are otherwise in fantastic shape, it's a real disappointment.
Another, perhaps controversial, point is that the new owners are religious, and have put up a cross and a religious sign behind the counter. I am an agnostic, and I emphasize that there is nothing wrong with this since it is their store, but I have to admit it makes me uncomfortable, and I can imagine that it would make an atheist or someone of another faith feel really unwelcome and actively prevent them from coming back.
Due to religious reasons they have also discontinued Sunday hours, which was a disappointment to me as I work during the week, but this is in line with most other used bookstores in the area they do still keep the store open until 7:00 on Fridays so I can sometimes stop by after work, which is great.
5. Another used bookstore that was close to where I went to college, both it and #4 used to be part of a chain/franchise but I believe they are now both independent.
There is an extraordinarily wide selection of romance (including old futuristic romances, which I occasionally read) and a good selection of science fiction and fantasy, and a tiny selection of non-fiction that is really disorganized and not worth bothering with. Books are usually skewed towards the older, and range from mediocre to good condition and prices are strictly half cover price. (They used to charge full cover price for like-new books but have finally given it up.)
The best part of this store is the trade-in policy. They are very liberal in what they accept and they give a quarter of the cover price in credit, which can then be used for up to half of a purchase. I always take my books here to trade them in when I am getting rid of things, and there is a good turnover of stock here so there are usually new things I want as well.
They also used to be open late on Fridays, but unfortunately they are not any more, and it's sometimes hard for me to get by there.
6. My personal favorite, a store in a strip mall off a main street (just down the street from #2 in the Victorian house). The owners are friendly and recognize me when I go in. They do not carry romance, but otherwise have a good variety of both fiction (80% paperbacks/20% hardcovers) and non-fiction of various topics and genres. The stock is big enough that I am always discovering new things, and there is good stock turnover as well that keeps things changing.
Books are always well-organized, always in good shape, and the prices are reasonable- roughly half cover price, but sometimes a little more than that. They do keep an eye on market values in general, though, so some paperbacks will cost upwards of $7 or $8 or more if they are rare- these are in line with the going rate online rather than random, though. There is a good selection of series like Star Trek without it taking up the whole section (it's maybe 10%), and series and anthologies have their own section.
The non-fiction selection is also the best of used bookstores around. It's not extensive (since this is a small store, it pales in comparison to, say, the Half Price Books you guys have in KC :) but it's well-cultivated and the prices are reasonable (about $6 to $10 for most books).
My favorite part, though, and the reason this is my first place to look for books, is that it's open until 6:30 Tuesday through Saturday- this gives me the flexibility to come by almost any night after work. They do not offer much of anything in trade-in credit, however, so it's not perfect, but it's my favorite in town.
I apologize for the wall of text, but I hope that this gives you some things to consider, even if it's just one person's taste.
For me, the essentials are a. a wide selection of science fiction and fantasy, b. books in good shape, that are c. organized and d. with reasonable prices. Also important to me are e. hours that mean I can stop by after work or on the weekend, but I can forgive if these aren't there.
Science fiction and fantasy are my personal preference, but I think an important general rule is depth instead of breadth, especially if you have a small store.
My best advice though, I will present as an extraordinarily long study of six used bookstores I frequent in the St. Louis area and my likes and dislikes about each:
1. An independent bookstore in a small storefront that opened next to the college I was attending at the time. About a third of the tiny store was taken up with a coffeeshop counter (with paid drinks and nowhere to sit), and the rest of the store was half children's picture books and half every other genre crammed onto tiny shelves- so there were about ten mystery books, ten science fiction and fantasy (half of it copies of Lord of the Rings), and maybe one or two non-fiction book in a variety of areas.
It couldn't decide whether it was selling new books or used books, whether it was a coffeeshop or a bookstore, adult books or children's books, or fiction or non-fiction. The people lined up at the coffee counter made it hard to look around (and the staff seemed to disapprove of me browsing without buying a drink), and I still have no idea who their target audience was supposed to be. They have stayed in business and done well, as far as I can tell by managing to take over all author signing events at the University and the public libraries in the area, but I haven't bothered going back.
2. A used bookstore located in an old Victorian house. It has a large variety of paperbacks and some nonfiction spread over two floors, and generally in good organization, including a very good section of sci-fi and fantasy.
However, two things: they don't take books for trade-in credit, only donations, and the prices are often arbitrary and ridiculous. Many of their old (1980s or 1970s) paperbacks (marked $2-$4 cover price) are six or seven dollars, and these are not even rare titles- the kind that are selling for $4 including shipping from Amazon or other online sites. Even worse, two copies of the same paperback in the same condition often have different prices- one might be $5 and one might be $8 when there is no discernible difference between them in condition, printing, or edition. There are also books marked new, at full cover price, mixed in randomly with the used books.
Recently, they have been piling up boxes of books in the aisles of the bookstore, making things hard to get to, and many of their shelves are really tall with no stepladders or the like present, which makes it hard for short people like myself who can't see what's on the higher shelves, much less reach it. (The place is also not accessible for people who use wheelchairs.)
Because of these things, I rarely go to this bookstore unless I have exhausted other options in town and am desperate to get the next book in a series.
3. A relatively new used bookstore that opened just a couple years ago. The location makes it difficult to get in and out of. The owner is a really nice guy, and knowledgeable, but he is often busy talking with a friend or regular customer and I feel like I am interrupting when I ask him something. He does recognize me from visit to visit, even though my visits are generally sporadic, which is nice too.
The store, however, leaves some to be desired, unfortunately. The storefront it is in is old and rather run-down, and it has a bit of problems with clutter in the store- lots of piles of books around on tables rather than shelves. Books are often in mediocre condition as well, but prices are usually very reasonable to compensate (though on my most recent visit I noticed they had gone up to about half cover price).
There is a good selection of science fiction, but- and it's a big but- the thing that keeps me from visiting more often is that there is a very low rate of stock turnover. 90% of the stuff on the shelf is exactly the same stuff that was there when I first visited about two years ago. I would love to support this business and visit more often, but when I go there is just nothing new for me to buy.
4. A used bookstore in a strip mall on a major road that has been there for a very long time. It is almost exclusively fiction with large selections of genre fiction such as sci-fi/fantasy, mystery, and romance, and it has changed owners several times over the years, especially in the past few years.
Books have remained half cover price and are in good condition, but one of the recent owners instituted a policy where they did not take in sci-fi/fantasy older than ten years. This was a disappointment to me because the genre has changed a lot in that time in directions that don't appeal to me (much published in that time is either Buffy the Vampire Slayer knockoff urban fantasy, "gritty", "realistic" portrayals of war in the middle ages George R.R. Martin knockoffs, or military science fiction- some of it may be good, but it's not my thing.) I go to used bookstores often specifically to find older and out of print books.
The most recent change of owners has been the most disappointing for me, though. They have begun cataloging the books in an inventory, which is fantastic, but the stickers they put on the back with their barcodes are really hard to get off of the book without damaging the cover, and always leave sticky residue behind. When the books are otherwise in fantastic shape, it's a real disappointment.
Another, perhaps controversial, point is that the new owners are religious, and have put up a cross and a religious sign behind the counter. I am an agnostic, and I emphasize that there is nothing wrong with this since it is their store, but I have to admit it makes me uncomfortable, and I can imagine that it would make an atheist or someone of another faith feel really unwelcome and actively prevent them from coming back.
Due to religious reasons they have also discontinued Sunday hours, which was a disappointment to me as I work during the week, but this is in line with most other used bookstores in the area they do still keep the store open until 7:00 on Fridays so I can sometimes stop by after work, which is great.
5. Another used bookstore that was close to where I went to college, both it and #4 used to be part of a chain/franchise but I believe they are now both independent.
There is an extraordinarily wide selection of romance (including old futuristic romances, which I occasionally read) and a good selection of science fiction and fantasy, and a tiny selection of non-fiction that is really disorganized and not worth bothering with. Books are usually skewed towards the older, and range from mediocre to good condition and prices are strictly half cover price. (They used to charge full cover price for like-new books but have finally given it up.)
The best part of this store is the trade-in policy. They are very liberal in what they accept and they give a quarter of the cover price in credit, which can then be used for up to half of a purchase. I always take my books here to trade them in when I am getting rid of things, and there is a good turnover of stock here so there are usually new things I want as well.
They also used to be open late on Fridays, but unfortunately they are not any more, and it's sometimes hard for me to get by there.
6. My personal favorite, a store in a strip mall off a main street (just down the street from #2 in the Victorian house). The owners are friendly and recognize me when I go in. They do not carry romance, but otherwise have a good variety of both fiction (80% paperbacks/20% hardcovers) and non-fiction of various topics and genres. The stock is big enough that I am always discovering new things, and there is good stock turnover as well that keeps things changing.
Books are always well-organized, always in good shape, and the prices are reasonable- roughly half cover price, but sometimes a little more than that. They do keep an eye on market values in general, though, so some paperbacks will cost upwards of $7 or $8 or more if they are rare- these are in line with the going rate online rather than random, though. There is a good selection of series like Star Trek without it taking up the whole section (it's maybe 10%), and series and anthologies have their own section.
The non-fiction selection is also the best of used bookstores around. It's not extensive (since this is a small store, it pales in comparison to, say, the Half Price Books you guys have in KC :) but it's well-cultivated and the prices are reasonable (about $6 to $10 for most books).
My favorite part, though, and the reason this is my first place to look for books, is that it's open until 6:30 Tuesday through Saturday- this gives me the flexibility to come by almost any night after work. They do not offer much of anything in trade-in credit, however, so it's not perfect, but it's my favorite in town.
I apologize for the wall of text, but I hope that this gives you some things to consider, even if it's just one person's taste.
3tloeffler
I find that what I really like best in a used bookstore is organization. The genre subdivision can be broad, but if the books are alphabetical by author, I can find things quicker. Of course I like to find bargains, but I'll pay up to half the original price if it's something I want. Maybe a bargain bin, where I can scrounge for treasures. Be there if I need help, but don't make me feel guilty for just browsing.
A group of us went to The Dusty Bookshelf in Lawrence KS a couple of weeks ago, and I think if I were to compare to other stores, they would be the gold standard. Great place!
A group of us went to The Dusty Bookshelf in Lawrence KS a couple of weeks ago, and I think if I were to compare to other stores, they would be the gold standard. Great place!
