Aged Pages: Give Back, Support Your Favorite Store

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It’s yet again, another Wednesday. That means it’s again time for another installment of Aged Pages.

Most of the time when I go into a used bookstore I’m going to fulfill MY needs for books. What I don’t often consciously keep in mind is that it’s a business. A bookstore isn’t just a place for me to find great books and bring them back to a new loving home. It’s also a place that needs money to run and keep providing the great service to the community that it does.

There’s a simple way to help out and there’s a not so simple, or at least not so easy way. The obvious way to help out the business is to buy from them and buy from them often. This is the case for any store. I’ve had the luxury of doing business with used bookstores for years. Over that time, I’ve been given the perks of getting discounts often. But despite this, I can still make up for that small loss of sales. All I need to do is come back to the store often. Sometimes, back in college when I had nothing better to do, I’d go in multiple times a week and just grab books. Who doesn’t love that.

Not everyone can get to a bookstore often. There are more people who just don’t have the money to spend sometimes. Currently, I am one of these people. I tend to spend the little money I have in my wallet when I go to a bookstore and not have it for more “necessary” things. (It’s the curse of being a book addict.)

When you don’t have money to spend, you can always help out by spreading the word about a particular bookstore to friends, family, and random people you walk by on the street. That last one could be a little creepy, but it could also be very hilarious. It could also lead to either a new friend, or in the very least a new customer.

Now that the obvious and more simple suggestions are out of the way….it’s time to get serious. Why are we about to get serious? That’s easy…I’m about to commit a crime book addicts everywhere may hunt me down for. This suggestion won’t be for everyone to partake in. Only the strong will accomplish it.

A way to support a used bookstore and keep it afloat in the difficult times all bookstores are in right now is…to…bring in….b…o…o…ks. There I said it. Bring in your books. Many used bookstores buy back books that are in acceptable condition. You maybe get around half the price that they’d sell it back for, but it’s still some money in your pocket. At my bookstore I know you get a larger percentage back if you accept store credit instead of cash. So in the end using this method helps everyone. And if you want to be very generous, you can always donate the books and accept no money for them.

Woah….I’m still alive and allowed to keep typing up this post. Good. I was scared for a moment. Let me keep going on the topic of giving book back. There are some readers who either don’t mind reading a book and selling/giving it back to the store and there are also some readers who simply can’t fit more books in their home but LOVE to read. I personally find it extremely hard to part with a book, let alone many books. I’ve only sold books back on a few occasions. This was when I accidentally had a double of a book or my mom didn’t want some romance novels anymore (since I wouldn’t read them anyway).

In a way buying and giving  back is similar to having a library system. Only this one isn’t exactly “free” like a library. On the bright side, you’re directly funding this pseudo-library and not  tax dollars.

Well, that was my rant about supporting a used bookstore. But remember libraries are also great places to get books (not that I follow this advice since I hate giving books back ). Yes, that’s very PSA of me so I’ll just stop now.

Happy reading and all that. Go smell some musty pages!

Aged Pages: Through the Eyes of a Convert, Guest Post By Jackie Vazquez

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Aged Pages: Through the Eyes of a Convert

For as long as I can remember, books have been a part of my life. I started young, with the classic children’s book “Goodnight Moon” being read to me every night. From there, my love of books grew. I learned to read at a very early age (at one point, my parents thought I was a genius) and went through books like they were going out of style. At around the age of six or seven, my aunt bestowed unto me her cherished collection of L.M. Montgomery’s “Anne of Green Gables” books. I quickly fell in love with Anne Shirley,Montgomery’s spunky protagonist, and delighted in following the goings-on in her life throughout the series.

Yet I always wondered where these books, filled as they were with their bright characters and beautiful worlds, came from. Everything in my tiny collection was a gift, but if I wanted to expand my library, I had to find the source. I can’t remember for the life of me the first time I entered a bookstore, but I was hooked from then on. I would beg my mother to take me to the mall, and while most girls my age were making a beeline for Claire’s or Hot Topic, I would run straight to Waldenbooks. I sat on the floor and read as my mother ran her errands, and would be fully engrossed in whatever book I had picked up by the time she came back. As I got older, I must sheepishly admit that my taste changed and I spent a majority of my time and money in the manga (Japanese graphic novel) section. Yet Waldenbooks was always my first stop at the mall, right up until the very day it closed. Once I grew a little bit older and had my own mode of transportation, I would hop in my car and drive to the Borders a few towns over. When they opened a Barnes & Noble at the mall, you could find me curled up in a chair in the corner of the store, happily reading whatever I could get my hands on. I would gladly spend my hard earned money at these big-name, corporate bookstores if it meant I could get back into the worlds an author wanted to share with me.

I went on in this manner for a number of years, well into my early adulthood, blissfully unaware that there were alternative routes to the book world. Whether this was a product of my environment or my upbringing, I’ve yet to determine. I’m sure used bookstores exist on Long Island, I’m just not sure of where to find them.

My outlook on the world of books (not to mention my outlook on life) was changed forever the moment my path intertwined with that of the handsome, debonair pirate/cowboy/poet/man known as Robert Zimmermann. All sappy girlfriend feelings aside, Rob is a genuinely passionate man, and his love for the literary world is limitless. You don’t have to look very far to know this is true, just read through his blog and see how the love shines through.

The first time Rob and I visited his local used bookstore together was a magical experience. It took mere seconds for my way of thinking to shift. This haven, this treasure trove, was unlike anything I’d ever seen, and in its hometown quaintness, infinitely more beautiful than anything a corporate store could ever hope to offer me. The floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, filled to the point of bursting with more books than I could ever hope to read in a lifetime, brought an enormous grin to my face. The quiet and welcoming atmosphere made me feel at home immediately. And while having a $20 in your pocket won’t get you very far at a corporate store, Catnap will make anyone feel like a millionaire with their amazingly low prices (the $1 paperbacks are my weaknesses, as are the trade paperback shelves). This is not to knock corporate bookstores; they have thoroughly legitimate reasons for the prices they charge. And while it’s true that some of the books at a used bookstore are not always in pristine condition, I’ve always had a mild fear of ruining a brand new book. This doesn’t mean that I won’t buy new books, or that aged pages should be treated with any less care than their newer counterparts, it may just mean that I have very strange neuroses. If anything, the wear and tear that used books may sometimes have shows what rich histories they’ve accumulated. And while some people of my former mentality may turn their noses up at a secondhand book, I for one embrace them in all their pre-owned glory. Sometimes, you can even find bits of their previous history tucked away in the pages. For example, on my most recent visit to Catnap, I found a copy of Nikos Kazantzakis’ “Zorba the Greek,” and when I picked it up off of the shelf, an old bus ticket was peeking out of the top, acting as a bookmark.

I don’t need bright lights, lattes, or plush furniture, all I need is a way to gain access to books. I’m not quite against corporate bookstores or the amenities they provide; I’ll still visit them from time to time. But used bookstores have shown me another way into the literary world, and I’ll happily sit in a corner, either on a stool or the floor, and read to my heart’s content.

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About The Guest:

Jackie Vazquez is my girlfriend. She doesn’t really have all those “cool” links to hand out like past guests. But she’s really cool. She’s also busy working and going to grad school to be a school psychologist. That’s why I wrote up this bio myself. I don’t want to rant and rave about her too much since you might like her more than me, if I were to keep talking

Aged Pages: Politics & Prose

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Today marks a new era in Aged Pages (brief) history. Not only will today be the first guest post of the series, but it’s also the day we’ll expand our horizons. Until now, I wanted the focus of this series to celebrate everything great about used bookstores. Why the hell not, am I right? Well, that’s going to change slightly…but for the better. I am willing to feature independent booksellers as well.

The reason: They can be great places for books as well. They may not have the smell or feel to their books like a 100 year old shelve of books could…but there is character there. Each of these stores will be just as unique as any used bookstore I’ve come across.

Think about it, we love books. Let’s support all the people who want to provide us with them.

On that note, let me introduce a brilliant author who is no stranger to A Life Among The Pages. Let’s have a big round of applause…I mean fingers tapping the keyboard…for the one, the only S.M. Boyce!

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Politics and Prose

Live in Washington D.C.? Maybe you’re visiting soon? Then I have a great bookstore for you—Politics and Prose.

Address: 5015 Connecticut Avenue Northwest  Washington, DC 20008
Phone: (202) 364-1919

P&P is a two-level, independent bookstore with live events in the back of the top level and a delicious café on the bottom floor. The café can get a little loud, but I still love it.

A friend of mine suggested this place for a meet up, and I’m happy she did. We spent most of our time in the café, which has some of the most delicious green tea (seriously, what do they add? It’s amazing) and some equally munchable hot sandwiches. They even have vegan options. That didn’t matter to me personally—I love me some meat—but I think it’s cool that you have a wide range of hand-assembled food for any time of the day. Not to mention a fresh cake sitting in a display on the counter. Yum.

Just beyond the café is a string of bookshelves filled with cartoons and kids’ books, but most of the shop is up a flight of stairs. There were only best sellers and traditionally published books as far as I could tell, but I couldn’t stay too long so I didn’t look that hard. Hopefully this independent store also stocks independent books. I’ll have to talk to a manager next time I go to see how they feel about it. I’ll keep you posted.

Politics & Prose hosts near-daily events, most of which are authors speaking or doing book signings. You can check out their full calendar here.

There are only two downsides to P&P: D.C. driving and parking. If you can walk, do. But come on, it’s D.C.—driving and parking suck here. The homes surrounding Politics & Prose are beautiful, though, which makes the stop-and-go effect less painful. There are usually spots along the backstreets, too, if you can’t get into the parking lot out back.

Parking Tip: turn into the CVS parking lot and hang a left before you get to the next street over. That’s the parking lot. I got lost the first time I went. Poltiics & Prose shares a parking lot with a strip mall, so parking in the lot can be a beast, especially in the evening.

So if you’re ever in D.C., give this shop a go. Try a biscotti and some iced green tea if you want something light. Pretty much everything on their menu is delicious, so you can’t really go wrong, and the people are incredibly friendly.

This post can also be found on Boyce’s blog

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I’m S. M. Boyce -an author, editor, book blogger, and smart ass.

 
I’m a bit of sarcastic twit, but my friends seem to like me anyway. I write fantasy and paranormal fiction, and I’m currently working on my Grimoire Trilogy. Go ahead and click the link. I’ll wait til you get back.
 
I update this blog a few times each week so that you have something to wake you up in the morning (phht, who uses coffee?). I also have a B.A. in Creative Writing, which naturally qualifies me to serve you french fries.
 
If you want to see the full about me page, complete with the all-too-cool video, head to my website.

For more on S.M. Boyce please check out the following links:

• Author Site
• Blog
• Twitter
• Facebook
• The Grimoire Trilogy

Book one of the Grimoire Trilogy, Lichgates, can be purchased at the following stores:

Amazon US | Amazon UK | B&N | Createspace

Aged Pages: What A Cast Of Characters

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Sometimes when I visit a bookstore I’m not only visiting for the books on the shelves. There are times when the rewards of a visit are in the customers you find in the store itself. There aren’t very many, and sometimes none at all, when I go into my local shop. But when there is someone or a group of people, it’s always entertaining to keep an eye on them.

Is this stalking? Well, somewhat maybe. But it’s more observing, people watching, taking in the atmosphere rather than stalking. Readers are some of the most interesting people you’ll come across in your life. What better place to find them than in a bookstore. And not one of those stores that only sell new books. I don’t have any interesting stories to share about someone I saw in a Barnes & Noble. For some reason the stories about the people I’ve come across all take place among shelves filled with used books. Maybe it’s the smell of decaying paper. Maybe it’s the low price of the titles that draw them in. Whatever it is, here are a few memorable encounters I’ve had over the years.

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One of these encounters happened maybe two years ago. I was going about my business, looking at the poetry section. This is a small little alcove (one bookshelf against the wall and another on the left side creating a corner; the right side is another “wall” created by a smaller shelf). I like to cram myself into this little space because it’s filled with volumes of poetry, many of them are old copies; my favorite kind. Aside from holding some great books, this is a great place to hide your face. From the outside other customers will really only see your back. On this occasion it probably saved me from A LOT of embarrassment.

While I was looking through the books, I heard a group of girls walk into the store. And I really do mean I heard them. They were talking loudly, obnoxiously, and about nothing that seemed to matter. They were the typical college freshmen that I’ve encountered many times over the years. This alone isn’t very uncommon. It normally ruins the nice quiet atmosphere of the shop, but on this day, it was rewarding.

So, they walk over to the children’s section – that’s actually the first place I go to normally as well, so it wasn’t a maturity thing. Well maybe in their case it was – and start talking about the books, making fun of each other, and the like. I’m trying to drown out the conversation and enjoy my time.

Soon the conversation leads to them trying to figure out the price of a certain book. This is always funny to hear, at least personally I think it is. The first blank page of every book (aside from paperbacks that are $1) has the price in pencil on the top right corner of the page. Basically you open the book and you almost always see the price before anything else. But they didn’t see this since I think they were holding a dollar paperback book.

To remedy the issue, one of the girls in the group walks behind me and toward the nearby religious section. Searching the shelves is an older gentleman, the only other customer in the store. The girl say something along the lines of “Excuse me, can you tell me how much this book is?” In reply the gentleman said, “Sorry, I don’t work here. I’m just a priest. But the price is usually…” blah blah blah. He explains where the price normally is in the books. I didn’t mention that the man was dressed as a priest normally is. All done up in nice black pants, shirt, and his COLLAR! Everything about him screamed PRIEST, and he was even in the religion section.

Was this funny for you? I found it hilarious because I knew exactly what would happen once the girl walked behind me. I exchanged a look with the priest after she walked back to the group, and we were both amused. For the rest of their stay, the girl was very embarrassed and I just tucked in into my memories as an amusing story to share…with all of you

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This next story happened only two weeks ago. It’s not as funny as the last (if you thought that was funny to begin with ). It’s more a story that might touch your heart just so, if you’re one of “those” kind of people.

It was a busy day at the bookstore, which means there were upwards of four people there. I was looking at the sci-fi/fantasy/horror section, minding my own business. An older couple was walking around looking at the books. The wife was at one end of a long bookshelf and the husband was only a few feet from me on the other side of the bookshelf/wall.

“Hey, do you have a copy of Corelli’s Mandolin?” the husband calls out to his wife.

“Yes, I already have it. That was a great book.” she calls back in response.

“Ok, I just found a copy back here and wasn’t sure if you had it.”

Why am I telling this story? It’s just a couple looking at books right? Well it’s a little more than that. Over the last few months, when my girlfriend is visiting, both of us have gone to my local and a few other bookstores regularly. Almost every time we’re browsing, one of us seems to run into this very book, Corelli’s Mandolin. Neither of us have really looked at the book to know what it’s about and we’ve left it there among the other unpurchased books.

One day we noticed there were two copies, and a third on any given day, just staring at us. It was an inside joke to ask the other if they wanted Corelli’s Mandolin. I think we were waiting for the other to crack and buy the book. Well After months of this joking, I decided to buy the book next time I had my girlfriend in the store.

This couple reminded me of the relationship I have and how we’d try to find books for each other. Because of this couple, my girlfriend now has a copy of the book, and it may stand as a symbol that other couple’s like us exist. We may very well grow old together scouring the shelves for other books with meaning, like Louis de Bernieres’ book has become.

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Here were only two stories of the people who frequent used bookstores. I have many more, and will probably encounter more people to talk about as the years go by. Some have been humorous, while other’s touch your heart for the good or bad. Many of my best people watching moments have happened in bookstores. What are some of the things you’ve seen yourself?

Aged Pages: The Kindness Of A Small Business

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Over the weekend I went to my local used bookstore (like I always do whenever I go into town). I was browsing the shelves, finding some titles that I added to my mental list to purchase at a later date. I can’t buy the way I used to lately. I used to be able to go in to the store and leave with arm loads of books. Those were the days when my wallet had money in it. Yea, those days that are only fantasy now. But that’s why I have a mental list for books. It might not be very reliable. I might not be able to tell you what on the list at the moment, but when I see something in the store next time I have money something will click.

It’s because of this lack of money that I went toward the check out counter empty handed. But I wasn’t tapped out just yet. Right in front of the counter are stacks of books. Trade paperbacks priced from 2-3 bucks. Right on top of one of the stacks I found Billy Crystal’s 700 Sundays. I had found a book to buy that day. I was too curious about reading something by Crystal that I couldn’t risk it not being there the next time in the store. But I stopped myself at just the ONE book (that’s still awkward to say).

Did I mention I didn’t have money in my wallet? Well that’s a semi-truth. I have my debit card in there, but that’s VERY lacking on funds as well. I tend to keep that in the wallet when in the bookstore. Their machine’s old and temperamental. And it’s more work for everyone, rather than handing over a few bills.

I handed over the book, priced $2 (I know it’s a steal), and the owner of the store was “a dollar.” *Gasp* Ok, not really a “gasp.” This is normal. I’m a very regular customer and have been for well around 9-10 years. I normally get around a 30% discount, the same as my mom got when she worked there part-time when I was in high school. They know me. They like me. They also keep my wallet from emptying (more of the time, lol).

I started handing over my card, only to be told “Oh, just bring in a dollar next time you come through.” To which I replied a smiling thank you.

This is what I love about my used bookstore, and a few others that I have run into over the years. While the bigger reason the owner didn’t want to run my card is because it was only a dollar and that’s almost a waste of a transaction, he also didn’t ask me to come pay for the book later AND pick it up later. He allowed me to walk out of the store with it. Yes I’m a trustworthy guy and they’ve known me for years. I’ve always paid, and only on a few occasions asked them to hold a book so I can pay later. But this wasn’t really the reason he let me go. I’ve witnessed this with other customers as well. Even with purchases a little more expensive customers have been trusted to just pay later.

It’s a joy of being a small business., to me. You can really make up your own sales rules. You can put your trust in the customers and I’m sure almost all the time they come back and pay for the books. If anything they don’t because they forget, not because they are skipping out on a purchase.

To go along with this kindness that I witness every time I stop by, that discount I mentioned earlier sometimes varies in percentage. Sometimes I don’t get it (rarely) and I don’t complain AT ALL. I’ve given them a good amount of business over the years and have taken a liking to getting a few bucks off here and there..but I also don’t mind paying that extra dollar or two in the first place. There are also times when the discount is…well..breath-taking. One day I went in and found 4 of the Harry Potter books (hardcover) and another 4-5 books of some sort. I had money at the time too so this wasn’t a “large purchase.” 3 of the 4 HP books were marked $5 and the other one (the 5th book in the series) was $10 because it was a special edition with slip case, etc. In total all the book came out to around $35  I think…I was only asked to pay twenty! That’s like getting 3 of the HP books for FREE! Other times I can get a dollar book or two for free as well, when they’re really liking me

What other business can be this generous to their customers. Certainly I can’t walk into Barnes & Noble, grab five books, walk to the counter, and only pay them 5 bucks. Each of those books are at least $10 a piece, if not more. And the cashier won’t be able to take pity on a local towns-person and tell him that he could just pay at a later time. Not that I expect them to actually do that. It’s not how they do business and it’s not very common. But it’s what makes me love my bookstore, and others like it.

So when you go on Amazon or go to a place like Barnes & Noble for a copy of a classic like a Jane Austen novel or a more recent classic like a Stephen King novel, please don’t let those be the first places you look. If there is a small business, a small used bookstore, in the area, please check them out first. You should find it for cheaper, first editions sometimes too. If you don’t, you’re bound to find something else worth reading and fall in love with the store itself. (For newer releases, you’ll probably not find them in a used store for a year or two if you’re lucky, so I won’t scold you for going to B&N for that )