If you’re a book lover in Aurora, Colorado, the Book Niche is the perfect destination for you!
The Book Niche is the only independent used bookstore in the city, with the Friends of the Library being city-owned and 2nd & Charles, ironically on Parker, being part of a larger chain. Located on Havana since 2003, Book Niche has been a hidden gem and beloved part of the community for years. Cliff, the current and now third owner, purchased the store in May 2021 after seeing a going out of business sale sign. Cliff had shopped at the Book Niche for several years and couldn’t bear to see such a treasure disappear. “Aurora can’t not have this bookstore,” he said.
Cliff sees the bookstore as a service to the community and wants to sustain the Book Niche and keep it thriving for generations to come, rather than as a way to fill his retirement. He quotes Ed Marston, saying, “What greater privilege do we have than to sustain that which sustains us?”.
Despite years of interactions with other avid readers, Cliff is always surprised at the type of books people will buy. The ones he feels positive are sci-fi guys often being the ones interested in Greek history. On more than one occasion, it has been elderly women asking for directions to the cowboy westerns. Why directions? Well…the store is loosely organized by genre and author. Cliff encourages customers to ask for help if they need directions to a specific author or title, as his daily interactions usually make him accurate within a bookcase.
Donations are the life-blood of the store, with an estimated 40,000 books in stock thanks to the generosity of loyal customers.Though some readers will donate once-read new releases, the “niche” of a used bookstore is to find the books you can’t find in a new bookstore, and the Book Niche certainly delivers on that promise.
Customers will often buy 5-10 titles at a time and return 20-30 at a time. The store operates on a credit system, which allows customers to donate books and receive credit to apply towards future purchases. The Book Niche primarily sells fiction and romance, though non-fiction and “the classics” have a well established share of the store’s footprint. Paperbacks are most common, though that doesn’t mean hardcovers are unavailable. Pricing ranges from $3-$6 for paperbacks and $4-$8 for hardcovers, with all prices being fair and generally well below average.
If you’re looking for an immersive literary experience, come check out the Book Niche and discover your next great read! No matter what your preference, the Book Niche has something for everyone.
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