End of an era for second-hand books

Walking into Brett Loper’s second-hand book shop is a bibliophile’s heaven, with books stacked on shelves and weighing down tables, but after 34 years in the business he is calling it a day and welcoming retirement.

For the past 18 years, Brett's Book Exchange has been part of Queen St in Richmond; a place to exchange books or find a long-sought-after treasure to read.
His book business extends much further back though, beginning with a shop in Stoke and followed by another in McGlashen Ave, before settling in Queen St, adding up to 34 years.

Even further back, books were just a part of a second-hand family business in Stoke where he helped out in the shop as a youngster.

“I’ve been behind the counter for 57 years!” he says.

“We started out with keys and bicycles and books took over. Stuarts was revamping their shop, and we got all the shelves and we couldn’t put anything on them except books. I still have those shelves here.”

He started off working after school in the family shop and, at 18, went into partnership with his father John and, as they say, the rest is history and there’s plenty of history on the shelves as well.

Incredibly, he says he has only ever had two 10-day holidays and has worked six days a week, surrounded by his books.

It’s a social life though and he estimates he gets to talk with 60 to 100 customers each day and has become a good listener.

“When you are behind a counter like this, people stop and talk. I get home at night and my wife wants to talk, but I don’t want to talk!”

Books aren’t considered the treasures they used to be though, and Brett says it is a sign of the times that younger people buy less books and when they do buy them, they buy online.

Ironically, retirement will hopefully provide time to read a few books himself – if, in fact, he has the time after working through the long list of jobs to be done on his property.

Brett plans to close the shop door for the last time at the end of January, with all books half price until then to clear the shelves.

Any books not sold will head to Founders Heritage Park and Brett hopes it will open a similar shop down the track.