Austin Books & Comics located in Austin, Texas. This store does not have a searchable online inventory but is well worth a personal visit. The huge collection of graphic novels and backstock comics will make it worth your while. The store has recently expanded which gives you more room to browse their very well-organized inventory. http://www.austinbooks.com/index.html
The Book House in Dinkytown – Minneapolis, Minnesota. As with most university towns there is one great used bookstore near the campus. This bookstore is in a congested area close to the University of Minnesota campus but it is worth the effort to find parking – except in January when you may want to browse their online inventory from the warmth of your own home. http://www.bookhouseindinkytown.com/
Book People is one of those all-too-rare independent bookstores that includes small press publications among their new book inventory. You won’t find used books here, but if you are looking for a new hard-to-find release stop by their web site. If you are fortunate enough to live nearby you can also take in one of their frequent book events. http://www.bookpeople.com/
Booked Up is co-owned by Larry McMurtry and is located in Archer City, Texas. The Booked Up web site does not provide a searchable inventory but you can submit a search request or keep up with the inventory by viewing their “New Arrivals”. No matter where you live, Archer City is not likely to be on any travel itinerary. However, if you are passionate about bookstores this is one (actually five) worth going out of your way to see. They have a large collection of chap books that surely holds some treasures if you find the time to search their “Erratically/ Impressionistically/ Whimsically/ Open to Interpretation” arrangement. http://www.bookedupac.com/
Charles E. Wyatt is a name familiar to anyone who has a history of collecting Arthuriana. Before the Internet became available, we used to wait in anticipation for a catalog to arrive from Camelot Books. Charles no longer owns his store in Vista, California but he does maintain a presence on Ebay. http://stores.ebay.com/Charles-Wyatt
Lulu.com is a web-based service for the growing market of self-published books. You will find a large selection of Arthurian titles available here. The quality of some of the writing is dubious but if you are a collector after new and unique publications this is a place you will want to check out. If you are interested, be sure to purchase the title while it’s available. If you wait too long, you will find book dealers charging three times the original Lulu price. http://www.lulu.com/
Powell’s Books is a little piece of heaven on earth. Their inventory is searchable through their web site or any of the online book search engines. But do yourself a favor - this bookstore is definitely worth traveling across country to see. Oregon is a perfect vacation destination, so when you make your plans allow at least one day to browse the multiple levels of their Burnside location. http://www.powells.com/
The Poetry Bookshop in Hay-on-Wye, United Kingdom often carries hard-to-find items. We found them to be one of the best dealers among the overwhelming number of stores in Hay-on-Wye. The staff is helpful and shipment has never been a problem when items are shipped directly from them rather than a book search engine. http://www.poetrybookshop.com/
The Steinbeck Collector’s Club is the perfect place to look for that signed first-edition Steinbeck. The club “is an educational non-profit organization whose sole purpose is to share information and educate its members and others regarding John Steinbeck”. They publish an e-newsletter titled the “The Steinbeck Collector’s Gazette”. In it you will find items for sale as well as want lists. A web site is coming. Until then you can contact steinbeck.collectors.club@gmail.com for further information.
Thorn Books has one of the best selections of rare Arthurian material available in the U.S. It is a joy just to look at the images of featured items posted on their web site. For those with a large budget and the ability to properly care for rare items, this is the place for you! http://www.thornbooks.com/cgi-bin/thb455/index.html
Three Geese in Flight specializes in Celtic and Arthurian material. We have not had the privilege of visiting their shop in Somerville, Massachusetts but we have taken advantage of their online sales. The prices can be a bit on the high side so browsing their inventory on Abebooks.com will be helpful to those beginning their book collection. http://www.threegeeseinflight.com/
Willis Monie Books located in Cooperstown, New York is a smaller used bookstore that provides an excellent inventory and great service. We were told to visit this bookstore on a trip through New York State and we were glad we stopped. Additions were made to the collection and several purchases have been made since. You will find the staff at this quaint bookstore to be friendly, courteous and very prompt in filling your orders. http://www.wilmonie.com/cgi-bin/wmb455/index.html
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