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| - . Border's Thrifty Hippie* Cousin...three or four times removed
How I miss those long, relaxing, thoroughly enjoyable, and sometimes costly Border visits. And before that, there was the venerable old Booksellers where one evening I met the adorable and witty Albert Petrak (recently deceased), long-time announcer for WCLV, Cleveland's classical radio station. I was just one of his many fans, but he was so sweet---as I expected he'd be---that without any encouragement whatsoever, he graciously shared nearly 30 minutes of his time, as we discussed a number of music-related topics. That chance meeting, running into past friends from years ago, (even Muhammad Ali in Chicago
---gosh---he was HUGE), finding the perfect book, CD, film, or gift...I LOVE almost everything about bookstores. Everything except getting book-neck.
Half Price Books may not have a refined ambiance, spaciousness, cushy seating, specialty baked goods, imported chocolates, freshly brewed coffee, or a wine bar, but it's a bookstore!---so, of course, that's got to be good. And you might even run into a celebrity, too---a smart one hunting for bargains. Like Border's frugal little relative---the manager laughed at that---Half Price has it's own unique and friendly personality. Another 5 star reviewer likened it to a huge garage sale. HaHa---yes, I suppose so--but a well-organized garage sale. It's certainly more casual and laid-back than those others, but no less inviting, and despite the used items (some pristine) among plenty of brand new, all items are displayed neatly enough---not a mixed-up haphazard jumble of things. (At least what I've looked through.)
If you're a former Border lover, and haven't yet been to a Half Price location, you'll still have fun---on a much smaller scale. And you'll see---unlike traditional stores---that there may be only ONE of a particular book you're interested in, but hesitating. Just grab it---it might not be there the next time you come. (You can always return it. Confirm their policy.) And it was on my third visit, walking out the door, that I discovered the incredible values available to anyone taking just a minute or two to scan the book carts on the sidewalk. I hadn't bothered before, because seeing $1 prices on some as I walked past, I figured it was full of losers.
Not so. Fairly recent editions of two full-color glossy oversized cookbooks by Bobby Flay $1 and Ellie Krieger $3, another 3 cookbooks, plus two books ($3 each) by the horridly irreverent---but so likeable---clever-brain Bourdain. In no time at all, I added 7 more NEW books to the 5 I just purchased. So don't ignore those carts as you pass---you might find 5 pounds for less than $10.
* This store reminds me of some shops (head and book) from that era, where you'd find "dudes" in well-worn fringed leather jackets, granny-glass-wearing
"chicks" in swishing ankle-length skirts, long long hair and love beads on both, Jimi Hendrix on the audio system while forever inhaling patchouli incense, and a couple of peace-sign-stickered and flower-splashed VW buses in the parking lot---with probably less than 3 gallons of gas between them.
Those were the daze.
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