There were some heartbroken bookworms in Sebastopol when Copperfield’s Used Books closed in January.
Its manager, Brandy Mow was one of them.
A book scout by the name of Mark Weigle was upset, too, in part because he lost a revenue source, as the used bookstore would purchase books from him that he found at thrift stores and yard sales.
But then the duo turned the page and created Mockingbird Books, a used bookstore that was embraced by the community even before it opened on July 14.
Like Copperfield’s Used Books, Mockingbird Books sells non-fiction, drama, poetry and literature, as well as general fiction, mysteries, science fiction/fantasy, children’s books and cookbooks, too.
Asked how business has been in the month or so they have been opened, Mow said: “We have been meeting all of our costs and it’s been absolutely lovely ‘cause we’ve had so many people coming in and thanking us for doing this, saying ‘We needed a used book store.’ We had people bringing us flowers, donating books … the outpouring of support from Sebastopol has been phenomenal.”
Copperfield’s Books, too, has been “very supportive of and very generous to” Mockingbird Books, she said, noting Copperfield’s also refers people to the new, used bookstore.
Warm fuzzy feelings aside, Mow and Weigle have no illusions about the challenges of opening a bookstore in the current environment, where risks include not only a weak economy, but also the popularity of e-books. However, Mow said, “Used books are a smaller risk than new books. Even with the convenience of e-readers, many people prefer the feel and smell of a paper book, and people still love giving and getting them as gifts.”
Mow and Weigle plan to include online sales and a robust website for the business, and in the future also hope to incorporate a story time, and other events into the bookstore’s table of contents.
Meanwhile, she and Weigle are just two weeks away from a store expansion.
“There is a suite next to us; the lease came up and we decided to take it. We had to do major remodeling but the outcome will be a really lovely space. We will have a room devoted to all subjects, including art, science, and history. The second suite is going to be the fiction and children’s room,” Mow said.
Weigle is looking forward to filling the store’s second room with high-quality novels and books for children and young adults, and is particularly interested in offering Spanish language books for young readers, he said.
The book scout, who also works in special education at Healdsburg Elementary School, grew up reading nature stories, adventure, and the Hardy Boys, he said, noting he remembers participating in the Readathon for muscular dystrophy when he was 11-years-old. “It was, ‘Read 30 books in 30 days,’ and people pledged me a dime per book. I read a Hardy Boys book every day,” he said. “I’ve read all the classics to my nieces and nephews; A. A. Milne, Beatrix Potter, the Curious George stories,” Weigle added.
Though Mow mourned the closure of Copperfield’s Used Book store, she admits the opening of Mockingbird Books would have never happened if Sebastopol hadn’t lost its former used bookstore.
Copperfield’s followers are just happy to have a new place in town where they can find second-hand books, and occasionally stumble across some of the same people they used to see when they frequented their last used book store.
“I’ve been grieving the loss of Copperfield’s Used Books since February,” said Marion Deeds, a frequent customer. “I am thrilled that Mockingbird is here. It’s nice to see familiar faces when I go in,” she said.
“It’s been pretty amazing since we opened up,” Mow said.
Mockingbird Books is located at 6932 Sebastopol Ave. (next to The Toyworks). Store hours are from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., on Sundays.
