Used bookstores thrive within city limits

This is a rough draft of my second beat story for the class. It's missing one interview, but I am in the process of polishing/finishing. 

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Buffalo prides itself on promoting local business. Whether it be restaurants, boutiques or entertainment venues, the city is flush with activity.

The same is true with bookstores, particularly used bookstores around the area. Four of them -- The Second Reader on Hertel Avenue, Westside Stories on Grant Street, Rust Belt Books on Allen Street, and Old Editions at Oak and Huron streets downtown -- lie within the city limits. Each has its own unique identity and atmosphere.

Westside Stories lies one mile south of Buffalo State, in a developing Grant Street neighborhood. At first glance, it looks tiny and unassuming; step inside, however, and it stretches for quite a few yards, curling around the back of the old greenhouse next door and packed with books of all genres -- literary fiction, mystery, romance, sports, travel, even feminism and the LGBT community.

“Its outside deceives you,” said Joe Petri, a Buff State alum and co-owner with his wife Jeanenne.

Petri grew up in West Seneca, but left the area after graduating, living in Florida, [place], and Brooklyn before making his way back home. He started selling books online, but when the time came to settle back in Buffalo, he felt that having a brick-and-mortar shop would be more conducive to reaching out to the community. Westside Stories was the brainchild of that desire, and has been in business for the past eighteen months.

“We knew we wanted to be in the city, and we love this neighborhood,” Petri said.

The Petris aren’t the only ones who enjoy the area. Kristi Neal, proprietor of Rust Belt Books (though she made it clear that “there are no sterile hierarchy procedures” in the store), is moving the shop just a block or so north of Westside Stories in 2014, after what will be 14 years on Allen Street.

“A couple of friends bought this building and worked on it,” she said. “We all knew we wanted to be in Allentown. [Eventually], they sold.

“Allentown [is slowly becoming] more gentrified,” she added. “There’s a lot of money coming in. It’s changing the scene a little bit.”

With that comes higher rents and property values, pushing some of the existing community out. It seems as though Rust Belt is one of the victims of that circumstance; however, Neal sees it as a good opportunity.

“Grant Street is a great neighborhood,” she said.

Where Westside Stories and Rust Belt differ is in the selection of books. As is usually the case with small business, owners usually take a keen interest in their merchandise, selling what appeals to them as well as the rest of the community. Petri said he and his wife find books at estate sales, garage sales and other places, with a few different genres in mind.

“I like reading a lot about history, so we do have a large history section,” he said. "We also have two small children, so we really wanted to build up a good children’s and young adult section.”

Meanwhile, Neal said she’s picky about the type of books she selects, relying more on word of mouth to bring books to her shop. She also seems to respond to the tastes of the community.

“We don’t have crime fiction or mystery books; we don’t have romance,” she said. “They don’t do well here.”

Downtown, Old Editions Bookshop and Cafe is a bigger space, with plenty of rooms to spare. While Westside Stories and Rust Belt Books are smaller, with plenty of piles on the floor and on top of bookshelves, Old Editions is less cluttered and more put-together.

“We were closer to UB South Campus before moving over here; we’ve been at this location since 2002,” said manager Eric Lowery, who has served in that capacity for the past three years.

Like the first two stores, Old Editions relies on estates for their inventory. They also buy, often, entire libraries in the case of deceased or elderly owners.

“Most of the books here come from maybe four or five collections,” Lowery said, indicating the first floor. Much of the literature there contains poetry, fiction, literary criticism, sports books, history and government, and biographies. There’s also an entire wall filled with paperbacks -- some dime novels, some classics, other more modern pocket books. Many books are out of print.

“We try to use as much as we can,” he said, adding that he and owner Ronald Cozzi price based on availability and comparison to website prices.

The fact that a bibliophile can find rare books at reasonable prices is one of the positives of coming to a used bookstore.

“You can find books here that you can’t find anywhere else, and our prices are low,” Neal said.

Her store features many books priced at $10 or under; Westside Stories offers much of the same, as well as 50-cent and $1 paperbacks.

Another major draw is the atmosphere and personal interaction that comes with shopping at a brick-and-mortar shop.

“For me, the ability to shop and talk to people about the books is huge. It’s something you don’t get with online vendors like Amazon or eBay,” Lowery said, adding that he sometimes puts jokes into the descriptions on Old Editions’ eBay listings to make a connection with the shopper.

“I know what people respond to and what they appreciate, so to try and put a little more effort into [the sale] is important,” he said.

Used bookstores have their quirks and flaws, but overall they add a personality that is overall different from the antiseptic big-box stores and the instant gratification of shopping online.