Secondhand Stories laying claim to title in downtown

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There is something about sitting in a cozy space and losing oneself in a good book. It is a moment to relax, to exercise the imagination, to let daily stresses fade.

Sarah Janssen is well acquainted with this practice. It is one of her favorite things to do. So, she decided to share her love of reading with the entire community by starting a bookstore.

Secondhand Stories opened March 7 with a soft launch before celebrating with a grand opening in July. Since that time, Janssen said the response from the community has been good, though she is still trying to get the word out about her shop.

“That's tricky,” said Janssen. “We're kind of tucked around the corner (at 107 W. Mulberry St.) where a lot of people don't come to when they think of downtown shopping. But we've been blessed because Annemarie (of Annemarie’s Boutique) is just the greatest. She sends people down here.”

Regardless of visibility, Janssen is determined to put her bookstore on the map. It is the culmination of a dream she has had since she was a child, a self-proclaimed “Beauty and the Beast girlie” whose loves were books and libraries.

“A little over a year ago, my husband and I went to Florida, and one of my favorite little used bookstores down there was for sale,” said Janssen. “I jokingly said, ‘Let's buy a bookstore’ And my husband was like, ‘Let's do it. Let's uproot the whole family. We'll move to Florida.’

“I thought that's probably a bad idea. So, we decided to come back home and open a bookstore here.”

It took the Janssens about a year to get everything lined up to open a brick-and-mortar store in downtown, and they are happy to find a niche in the city’s heart.

“We are lovingly adopting the phrase, ‘We’re Kokomo’s coziest bookstore’, because it's little, but it's charming,” said Janssen. “It's a calm environment. You can come in on any given day, and sip coffee and just hang out in the quiet, or we can chat about whatever. It's just kind of a charming little, cozy place to spend time.”

It can be costly to establish and maintain a large inventory of books. Offering the newest titles from best-seller lists isn’t something Secondhand Stories will do. Instead, it relies upon the generosity and love of reading within the community to keep the shelves full.

Janssen explained that she accepts donations of books, and in exchange she offers coupons for 10-50 percent off a book purchase. The discount is dependent upon the quality and age of the books as well as the quantity of books within categories that already may be in stock. This model helps Secondhand Stories keep its prices low.

“This way, I'm not having to increase the prices of the books; the software to do that is really expensive,” said Janssen. “This lets people give their books to a good home, to somebody who will appreciate them, kind of passing them through me, while also helping me keep the cost down.”

Secondhand Stories accepts most books, but it does not accept encyclopedias, dictionaries, or Reader’s Digests.

“And I am completely full on cookbooks,” said Janssen. “Also, books from authors like James Patterson and Danielle Steele, the prolific writers. We're kind of full on those, but we do take in donations, specifically like more current reads. Those are our favorites. Those are gonna get you the best coupon.”

Secondhand Stories is located at 107 W. Mulberry St. Its operating hours are Wednesday through Friday, from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m., and Saturdays from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. Note that hours this week are altered. The store will not be open Sept. 11 and may have adjusted hours on Sept. 12.

For more information, email secondhandstorieskokomo@gmail.com or visit the Secondhand Stories Facebook page.