Nov

2

The New Curiosity Shop.

Posted by Christopher Waldrop

November 2, 2007 |

The recently opened Sherlock’s Book Emporium & Curiosities, in Lebanon, Tennessee, is, in many ways, itself a curiosity. While owner Steve Guynn opened his first bookstore as a way of getting his expanding book collection out of his house, the new 14,000-square foot store offers new books, used books, DVDs, board games, action figures, comic books, and other “curiosities”. Maybe that’s fitting, though, for a guy with such diverse interests. Guynn created his own software company, but has been a lifelong collector of memorabilia and fan of the TV shows he grew up with. And while it started as a bookstore, what he’s created is more than a business. He’s creating a place for his community, a place that will serve as store, library, and gathering space. A cafe will be opening soon serving deli-style sandwiches, and already the store has a room where classic movies are shown throughout the week, with a classic television marathon on Saturday and live events on Sundays. Check out their schedule.

Independent bookstores have been struggling to survive alongside the big corporate stores for several years now. In 1999 Dennis Johnson of Mobylives interviewed an independent bookstore owner about her experience with being driven out of business by the large chain stores, and her even worse experience working for the store that drove her out of business. Sherlock’s Book Emporium, however, is thriving, at least in part because of its unusual approach to selling, but also because it, like other independent bookstores, offers something the chains don’t: personalized customer service. They’ll search for and provide any book a customer requests, and, unlike many of the people who work in the big chains, they actually know about books.

The store was recently profiled in The Tennessean, which is likely to bring in even more customers. With a population just under twenty-five thousand, it’s a little surprising that there wasn’t already a major bookstore in the area, but that’s the beauty of Guynn’s store: he’s serving the community where he lives. People who live in Lebanon say it’s just what the area needed, especially those who were having to make the long drive to Nashville to buy books, but it’s the sort of attraction that will draw customers from Nashville and other large cities. Even if a big chain store tries to muscle their way in and drive him out of business they may find they can’t handle the competition. What Guynn’s created is so much more than a bookstore. Where else can you buy a new book, a used book, a board game, get a pastrami sandwich, and see a free movie?


Comments

1 Comment so far

  1. Cameron on December 9, 2007 4:46 pm

    It is surprising and encouraging to see this in the information age of the Internet.

Name (required)

Email (required)

Website

Speak your mind

<< Post Navigation >>

« « Grab Bag. | Book ‘Em: Words, Words, Words. » »