An interview with Olmstead Books

Biblio checks in with Olmstead Books to learn more about their book business, collecting interests and more! To view and shop their inventory, click here.

When did you get started in bookselling?

March 03, 2003.

What drew you to bookselling?

Always enjoyed reading and we wanted something to do when we retired.

Did you have any mentors in becoming a bookseller?

No.

What are your specialties as a dealer?

Older books without ISBNs.

What's the most amazing book you've ever sold?

"St. Austin's" by P.G. Wodehouse, 1st Edition.

What is your favorite part of being a bookseller?

Discovering what books people want and shipping worldwide.

Do you have an open storefront or have you in the past?

No. We have never had an open storefront, although people have come to our home to browse.

If so, do/did you have any bookstore pets?

Yes, we had our dog, Autumn.

What is the funniest / strangest / scariest thing that ever happened in your store?

Autumn ate a book when she was a puppy. Thankfully not a rare book!

What is your favorite bookshop (other than your own)?

We buy books from all over so no really favourite bookshop.

What do you personally like to read? Collect?

Good mysteries, historical romance, horror and local history. We collect Diana Gabaldon, and Dean Koontz to name a few.

What's your favorite book you personally own? Would you sell it, if the price were right?

Susan's favorite book is "The Little White Horse" and no it is not for sale.

What one book would you buy if price were no object?

Guttenberg Bible.

If you were stranded on a desert island and could bring three books, what would they be?

Ken's choices: SAS Survival Manual, The Odyssey by Homer, and War and Peace. Susan's choices: The Golden Treasury of Poetry, Les Miserables, and the Bible.