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Village Squire, 1980-11, Page 24A haven for book lovers BY LAURA DRUMMOND Used book stores often have a nostalgic charm with a relaxed atmo- sphere which is unique. Dee Mulligan, . owner of Chapter Two, a used book store in Stratford, says, "I hope people will use my store as a haven and a relaxing place." She encourages this by providing a cup of coffee or tea with a comfortable chair and couch. Dee loves old things. That's why she started up Yesterday's Things, an antique shop on Ontario Street in Stratford eight years ago. Last June, she decided to open a used book store in the building behind her antique shop, and now, she has many regular customers. Every Thursday night without fail one lady comes in and combs the place look- ing for new arrivals since her last visit. Dee admits people can go to libraries to read, and in fact she uses the library herself. She says, "Perhaps one reason people prefer to buy books instead of using the library is because the reader knows there is no time limit over his or her head. Avid readers usually read four or five books at the same time. Their particular mood will decide which of the five books he or she will pick up to read." Libraries alone don't satisfy the true bookworm. Those readers have a craving to collect and own books. And once they own books, they seldom want to part with them. One of Dee's customers transport- ed her books from England to Ottawa to British Columbia and back to Stratford. Dee said, "It cost her a fortune, but she would not sell her books. Furniture, yes. Books, no." The real bookworms buy the hard - PG. 22 VILLAGE SQUIRE/NOVEMBER 1980 Dee Mulligan. owner of Chapter Two. a used book store on Ontario Street. Stratford, opened the store five months ago. People buy books not only for the pleasure of reading. but for the satisfaction of making their bookshelf a little longer. cover books, which account for three- quarters of Dee's stock. And of course, she does not get many trade-ins from them. The hard -covers usually cost from .25 to 5.00 a book. She sees books as an investment. It takes time to look at a book before deciding to buy it. Dee respects that and lets people read in her store. The casual reader tends to buy paperbacks and takes advantage of trade-ins. Harlequin romances and war stories have a fast turnover in the pocket book section. The hotkest item in Dee's whole store is neither a hard -cover nor a paperback, but the humble comic book. She has regular patrons who come in two or three times a week to make sure no new comic books have arrived. Novels are easy to buy Dee says. but they do not move as quickly as nonfiction. Novels by Nellie McClung, L.M. Mont- gomery, Ralph Connor, and Ernest Hemingway move quickly. Books that are more difficult for Dee to buy, on history. poetry, cooking and Canadiana. sell easily. Dee enjoys managing Chapter Two. Her husband, Ronald. works part time at the stores and he'll eventually be running the bookstore. Dee describes the book store's pace as "slow and enjoyable." She says, "There can be 20 people in this large room and it is quiet -it isn't hectic." "I would rather work here than in a store selling new books or furniture. It's freer here. If I put a sign on the door saying "Closed -gone sailing" it would be accepted. Dee's love for nostalgia is partly the fault of heredity. Her father and grandfather both operated second hand shops, and her children have an active interest in the business. Two of her five children, Leah, 19, and Janice Armes, 24, work in the stores. SOCIALLY ACCEPTABLE Dee says buying used books is socially acceptable, and people do not feel they are buying dated material. The only books which do not sell well and become dated are university texts. All the other types of books have advantages because they are old. Dee especially likes the illustrations in old books. And old magazines provide a history of cars and clothes. She says, "There are some good new bows on the market today. But many of the present best sellers are full of sex, violence and war. The old novels take you away...like the old movies. People would go to movies for the sheer enjoyment of them." Dee is doing more than selling old books people no longer want. She encourages people to take a second look at old books in Chapter Two because she is trying to preserve the past. Dee fits well into the setting of a room filled with old books, decorated with wicker chairs and antique sofas and pictures. Her easy going personality and charm help customers to use the store fully as a "haven and relaxing place."