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Date: 10/18/2022
NORTHAMPTON – After 18 years as the current owner, Grey Angell is currently in search of someone else to run Bookends, the Florence staple that has been around for 30-plus years.
The used bookstore, located on 80 Maple St., first opened in 1990 at 93 Main St. by Edward Shanahan, who also worked as a reporter and editor for 30 years at publications that included the Daily Hampshire Gazette, Berkshire Eagle and Congressional Quarterly.
According to Angell, the business moved to its current location on 80 Maple St. about 25 years ago. Prior to becoming the current owner, Angell first started as an employee under Shanahan after finding classified advertisement in the newspaper about the job opening.
After six years working at the shop, Angell officially took over as the owner once Shanahan decided to retire in 2004.
In its current iteration, Bookends carries over 30,000 books of all categories, as well as 3,000 DVDs, 1,000 CDs and other miscellaneous items. There is also an online inventory of approximately 8,000 books that can supplement the in-store sales.
“One of the nice things about being your own boss is you can kind of tailor your business to suit your interests,” said Angell. “I like movies and music, so I expanded to go into those areas. I also like science fiction and eastern religion, so I also built up those sections.”
Like many shops in Northampton and Florence, Bookends became a place that connected community. Angell said he used to book local acts for concerts almost a decade ago, and spearhead other events along the way.
“It was fun to be able to try out all the different ideas that I had,” said Angell. “It’s different when it’s your store…you can kind of let [the business] express your personality.”
A new chapter
Like many businesses, Bookends had to close during the coronavirus pandemic, and according to Angell, they have been closed to this day.
Angell said he was considering reopening the shop when other businesses reopened, but he wanted to move back out to the western part of the country first, a place he used to live before. After living in Utah for a little bit, Angell decided to put Bookends up for sale.
The concept of selling the store while across the country proved to be difficult however, so Angell elected to move back home to Massachusetts to complete the transition.
“I’ve been doing this for over 20 years,” said Angell. “If it hadn’t been for the COVID-19 closure, I might’ve just kept doing it, but with the COVID [-19] closure, there were other things I wanted to do with my life.”
Although some have expressed interest in buying the shop, Angell told Reminder Publishing that Bookends is still currently for sale at $35,000, with all of its amenities included. An aspiring buyer does not need to have much experience, according to Angell. He plans to train the new owner in all aspects of the operation without extra charge.
People who are interested in buying the store should contact Angell at bookends.co@verizon.net. Others can follow updates on the shop through their Facebook page, “Bookends in Florence.”
“Having a used bookstore was great in the sense that I felt like I was really doing something good for the community,” said Angell, reflecting on his time as owner. “People would come in and meet friends here…because of the atmosphere of a used bookstore. It had a real nice feel to it.”
“I’m really hoping this keeps going for the community,” he continued. “I really enjoyed my time here. It was a dream job of mine. It was a really nice lifestyle.”