B. Hayward Books is open for business at 76 E. Market St.
"Tiffin really needs a used bookstore and I'm the man," said proprietor Bruce Hayward. "It's a dream of mine to have a bookstore."
The store is an expansion of Hayward's other book business.
Article Photos
PHOTO BY VICKI JOHNSON
Bruce Hayward, owner of B. Hayward Books, sells books to Mary Schreiner (left) and Renee Schreiner.
"I've been selling online for about six years," he said. "It's just a natural expansion from my online business.
"The Internet market's really changed," he said. "About the only things you can sell online now are high-end books and I accumulated a lot of lower-end books. I just decided to expand and have a retail outlet, too."
Hayward remembers stopping into Tiffin Shop of Books in his younger years, which was owned by his aunt and uncle, Jenny and Geroge Kuhn.
Fact Box
To contact Hayward, call (567) 230-3516 or e-mail haywardbruce@yahoo.com.
A used-book store differs from a new-book store.
Hayward buys good-quality used books. Instead of cash, he gives sellers store credit to buy more books.
"I pay up to 25 percent of the retail price for good-quality clean paperbacks," he said. "That's if it's in top condition.
"Some of them I give them a quarter for, and then I try to sell them for a buck," he added.
There is a clearance section for lesser-quality books.
"Some people that's all they buy and that's fine," he said.
"Sometimes I buy books outright, but those are only collectibles," he said. Usually they were written before 1900, leather bound and in good shape.
He doesn't buy paperbacks without covers, mildewed or otherwise damaged books. And there aren't any guarantees he will want the books people take in.
"We have everything from $1 paperbacks to $500 modern first editions," he said. "Most hardbacks sell for under $5."
Hayward said he would like to see more books on history come into the store and more nonfiction books.
"Mechanics manuals on sports cars, motorcycles, trains, tractors," he said. "Books on horses and airplanes. Nonfiction. That's what we want. That's what there's a demand for."
In general, the most popular books are science, biography, hobby topics, cook books, history, psychology and general interest topics.
"Gardening books are really popular right now because of the economic crunch," he said. "They've been selling at a premium online."
Hayward said he would like the store to be 60 percent fiction and 40 percent nonfiction.
"We really have three bookstores in one here"" he said. "It's a used book store, an online bookstore and a collectible bookstore.
"Sometimes I build a collection and sell it when it's complete," he said.
The store has been open since March 23 and customers have been few, but steadily increasing.
"No one knows I'm here yet," he said.
He invited people to stop and look around.
"It doesn't cost anything to look," he said. "Every day we have new (different) books. I've been putting up (on shelves) 50-100 books per day."
Hayward said he also may order new books for people on request.
