An Ace in the Hole, Part II

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That choice wasn't available to me, but the cost of opening a used bookstore, even if you have to pay rent, can still be less expensive than you may think. Don't let the high rents for small spaces charged in malls scare you off. The people who like to spend leisurely afternoons browsing through old books by and large aren't the same ones who rush through big city malls. Your customers will be more willing and likely to seek you out. I recently took on a partner and have relocated the store in a refurbished mill building in the town where I live. Sharing the rent and expenses, we now have more money to spend acquiring books. My partner's specialty areas (children's and scouting books) and my own (fiction and history) complement each other and provide a wider range of choice for our customers.

Store Layout

We have low ceilings, exposed pipes and painted plywood floors. We also have a monthly rental bill that is about one-fifth of what we would pay for the same space in a more "upscale" retail location.

All of this isn't to say that you shouldn't work to make your store attractive. On the contrary, atmosphere is of the utmost importance in a used bookstore. Bookstore customers have fairly set fantasies about the type of stores they want to spend their valuable browsing time in. Wandering and searching until a title almost jumps off the shelf and begs you to take it home is an experience that accomplished browsers are familiar with. The surroundings in which afternoon-long book hunts take place can make all the difference in guaranteeing that your browsers return again and again.

For example, the very first section that our patrons encounter is the children's. We planned it that way because it is a particularly strong and attractive area for us and we want to make their all important first impression a favorable one.

The children's books are allotted a large 20' x 20' space in which both collectable books and lower-priced reading copies are available. The 50¢ to $5 books are placed on the lower shelves well within reach of the little hands that are eager to get at them. Higher-priced collector items can be secured on the upper shelves or on display stands where interested adults can handle them safely.

But the children's section also serves another purpose. In addition to being a receptacle for books and the welcome mat to our store it is also an entertainment area for our younger visitors. A chalk board, games, and toys are provided along with an overstuffed chair and a tiny rocker. Considering that children generally tire of the shopping experience long before adults do, a little comfortable furniture and fun diversions can go a long way toward keeping customers around.

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