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On-the-go style is the key for this busy mom.
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Buy the Book…
…at any of these purveyors of used and vintage volumes.
Book lovers agree: There is no such thing as owning too many books. There are several unique shops where bibliophiles can find great bargains, score vintage volumes or add a treasured early edition by a favorite author.
Family owned since 1946, Baldwin’s Book Barn (865 Lenape Road, West Chester, Pa., 610-696-0816) has 200 categories of books, “everything from knitting to architecture to U.S. history,” says owner Tom Baldwin. Just try to absorb the 300,000 volumes that are housed on five floors of the old dairy barn. Of the collection, only 8,000 books are new. The rest are “read once or twice,” he says.
Another bookstore held in high regard in antique book collecting circles is Oak Knoll Books (310 Delaware St., New Castle, 328-7232). Specializing in books about books, Oak Knoll also boasts the largest inventory of titles about Delaware. Bob Fleck, a chemical engineer, made a career shift 30 years ago when he opened the business. “I love books. I love to touch and feel and read them,” he says.
If simply looking for vintage or even bargain books, Around Again Books (1806 Marsh Road, Wilmington, 478-3333) is a good destination. Around Again deals exclusively in a collection of 10,000 to 15,000 used books on all subjects. Each volume costs an average of $2, though the shop operates mainly on a trade-for-credit policy, says owner Michael Land.
Another bookstore where vintage treasures might be found is Second Hand Prose (28 S. Walnut St., Milford, 424-7732). The collection of 10,000 books is derived from donations, and the store is staffed by dedicated volunteer Steve Johnson on the only day of the week it’s open—Saturday.
Auntie M’s Emporium in the old Lewes City Hall (116 W. Third St., Lewes, 644-1804) offers an eclectic mix of new and antique items housed in old jail cells. Auntie M’s partners with the Lewes Public Library, so a portion of the proceeds from the 1,000 donated books goes back into the library coffers, says Mike Rawl, who manages the collectible book section for his wife Mary, owner of Auntie M’s.
Of course, anyone who attended the University of Delaware knows about The Bookateria (70 E. Cleveland Ave., Newark, 737-4933). It is the go-to place to trade old titles for new reads.
John Milton and Company Quality Used Books (104 Federal St., Milton, 684-3514) was the longtime fantasy of retired George Washington University English professor James Brown until it opened in 1990. Finding a space in the old chamber of commerce office was serendipitous. Books in his inventory of 40,000 volumes range from $1 to $400 for a 12-volume set of the “New Interpreter’s Bible.” Brown delights in helping customers, and when the store is quiet, “I’m never at a loss for reading material,” he says. —Carrie Townsend
Page 3: Retro Cool
