Tag Archives: used books

The Ohio Book Store

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It’s no secret that books are an important part of my life and that I often seek out bookstores when traveling. That’s why it was important to me to prioritize finally visiting the Ohio Book Store in downtown Cincinnati last month.

The Ohio Book Store was founded in 1940 and is five floors of used and out-of-print books. The proprietor will meet you at the door and ask if you’re looking for anything in particular to aid in your search. If you’re just browsing or are interested in multiple topics, he will give you a map to aid in your expedition.

When I inquired about nature books, he asked a few questions before taking me to my desired section in the basement. When my fella asked about history, the guy asked questions to drill down to a specific area of history before sending him off to the third floor with a map and some instructions.

Each floor features rows of tall metal shelves and some makeshift ones as well. Tall windows facing Main Street provide lovely atmospheric light and a chair here and there welcomes the shopper to stop for a rest or a read.

This place is packed to the ceiling with unusual books, old books, things you’ve never heard of, and things you never knew you needed to read. It is not the place to come for new releases or bestsellers but I think that’ makes it all the more charming.

Although, I will admit that it’s a little overwhelming at first! Note the massive collection of National Geographic’s pictured here. I went hoping to find the August 1949 edition that I’ve been searching for these last several years. They had a dozen copies for $5 each. They have a selection of other old magazines like Life and local papers too.

They even do book repair and binding. That’s a sentence I never thought I would get to type. People just don’t take care of things the way they used to so it was great fun to see that department in the basement.

I found a nice little stack of things that I knew I would never see again and left behind some stuff that I now regret.

Perhaps a return trip should be on the books!

Want to visit the Ohio Book Store? Find everything you need to know on their website!

Doing My Part One Book At A Time

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The nice thing about being a reader is that this simple act allows you to move freely through time and space without leaving your chair.

The nice thing about the internet is that you can shop for books without leaving your house.

I’ve been doing my part to stimulate the economy and to support small businesses by buying books from the website Alibris.com. It’s sort of like Amazon for books only it’s mostly small booksellers. You can buy new or used and so far, I’ve found fair prices on everything I have wanted to buy.

In fact, every title I have purchased so far has cost between .99 and $2.99 for both hardbacks and softcovers. New and newer books obviously cost more. You do pay to ship but it’s typically $3 or $4 and some retailers will reduce your shipping costs if you buy more than one item from them.

You can search by title, author or ISBN. You can also browse by topic or store. The books are listed by the store and include full descriptions including condition and edition. This is helpful because you may want the newer reprint of an older book.

So far, I have no complaints about condition or quality. If you’re accustomed to free and quick shipping from Barnes and Noble or Amazon, this can take a little longer but not by much.

I try to buy from small Ohio booksellers although the only chain stores I have seen listed are Half Price Books.

There are few bookstores in my area and they’re all closed right now. Plus, I like supporting the mom and pop stores. Even though my orders are never for a lot of money, I hope that it all adds up!

Meanwhile, my reading stack is piling up again and I look forward to opening my mailbox every day. And I always say that having something to look forward to is a key to happiness!

Plus, instead of adding them to my bookshelves, the new titles are stacked together in my laundry room and when I’m ready for a new book I go “shop” the new stack!