The Final Piece

Opening a used bookstore: Stef locks in a crucial book source with rock-bottom 'cost of goods', navigates a home drowning in 3,000+ books, discusses tariff-proofing through reuse, and considers making her bookstore cat-friendly.

In this episode, the final piece clicks into place. I've secured an important intake option for books that gives me an extremely low cost of goods—this is the kind of source that makes a used bookstore financially viable.

Meanwhile, my house is officially overrun. We're talking 3,000+ books and counting. Stacks everywhere. My cats are thriving—they love the new jungle gym situation. It's chaos, but it's purposeful chaos.

I also talk about something that's been on my mind: tariffs. In a climate where import costs are unpredictable and supply chains are vulnerable, reuse businesses have a massive advantage. We're tariff-proof. Every book I sell has already been in circulation—no overseas shipping, no customs fees, no waiting on containers. It's local, circular, and resilient.

And speaking of cats—mine are so happy with the book stacks that I'm genuinely considering making The Phoenix a bookshop-cat kind of place. We'll see. But the idea is growing on me.

Current Book Count: 3,000+

The foundation is solid. The pieces are coming together. 🐦‍🔥

🐦‍🔥 Follow along as The Phoenix Used Bookshop continues to rise—subscribe to A Bookshop of My Own and get updates at phoenixusedbookshop.com