Books from the man in the trench coat anyone?

Where do you get all your books? 

This is the question most asked by customers or curious friends and family. It is also the question we struggle the most to understand the curiosity/motive behind the question. A loaded question? The foremost mode of action for a bookseller (at least here at Pete & Freddy's) is to present an enthusiastic front for our customers, after all giving people a little smack isn't widely/socially accepted...or so it would seem. *wink*

Freddy and I have been collectors of books rare, wild, and wonderful for so many years I often can’t pinpoint a day or time when we didn't read or buy books. To date, our combine libraries would be in the realm of 5,000 or more. This does not take into account that Freddy's library was joined in matrimony to Yeti's; nor that Mum shelves many of our books for us until that fateful day when book friends will say goodbye to their neighbors as one moves out and the other stays behind.

So as this question is asked time and again, it is easy to find ourselves scratching our heads,

wondering why does it matter? However, curiosity being what it is, people want the scoop, the juicy gossip, or what have you. Our job as booksellers is to foster within our community the love of books and reading, to establish new readers, to give people the book-touchdown moment we all long for. When we look for books for the shop we are nurturing our inner book collector, but more importantly for OTHER PEOPLE with the widest, most diverse taste, and with the goal in mind to bring to the people what the people demand…books with a side of more books please. I mean we’re not buying books from the guy down the street in the trench coat. He is kinda creepy and do we really want to buy, or read for that matter, books from under someone’s trench coat? *wink* We bring passion to the game and then we dish it out in the form of customers’ delight at finding that gem. Our endeavor has been, from the get-go, to keep our prices affordable and people wanting more. We didn’t start the shop with the notion of becoming wealthy, well unless you mean wealthy in experience and memories. Our dream was being realized and we grabbed at the chance to share it with you.

So where do we get ALL our books? Here, there, yes everywhere! It is fair to say we’re experts at what we do AND we are always learning…still. Our ‘talent’, the knack for the job came about long before we unlocked the door and hung the ‘Open’ sign, only now we are using our abilities for you too...it’s nice to share or isn’t that what our mothers teach from our youth?

"I cannot sleep unless I am surrounded by books."

~Jorge Luis Borges