One of Toledo’s last local bookstores, Book Cents houses more than 100,000 used books. Tucked away on Sylvania Avenue near Secor Rd., owner Mitch Brooks welcomes customers to find their new favorite book.
Brooks took over the store last September when the previous owner retired. Since then, sales have gone up, thanks to social media and customer conversations on Facebook. “Our prices are a lot less than what the internet offers,” Brooks says, adding that, “We have a lot of selections that new bookstores don’t have.”
E-books killed the bookstore
In the digital era, it’s easy to download a book with the tap of a finger. Bookstores are steadily— and sadly— declining. The glowing screen has replaced the turning of real pages.
Brooks isn’t threatened by electronic media, saying “I read an article in The New York Times that regular book sales are going up again. People still like books. They like to turn the pages and pass them along to someone else when they finish reading— things that you can’t do with electronics. People who like real books come here. People still want to do that.”
For now, Brooks plans to just take it easy. “I want to be able to read, sit back, and enjoy a book. I don’t want to work too hard. I just want to make people happy finding books they like.”
As a small business with a low overhead, Brooks is sure that the store will keep going for years, explaining that many stores with a high overhead find it difficult to maintain their business.
“If you keep things small and fresh, it will keep people coming back and the doors will remain open.”
Book Cents | 3237 W. Sylvania Ave.
419-593-0093