In honor of Small Business Saturday this weekend, I’d like to highlight a small business in the Village of Webster which I haven’t written about recently: Yesterday’s Muse Books.
I first wrote about Yesterday’s Muse in December 2008, shortly after owner Jonathan Smalter opened his bookshop at 32 W. Main St. I remember being thoroughly charmed and impressed by the variety of books and how well organized they were.
If you do some quick math, you’ll notice that Yesterday’s Muse is about to celebrate its 15th anniversary. I thought it was a great reason to revisit this delightful village shop.
Not familiar with Yesterday’s Muse? Jonathan wrote this description:
We carry a wide selection of interesting material in most categories, with particular strength in literature, history and local interest. We also focus as much as possible on visually stunning or unique editions, whether that means attractive bindings, great illustrations, or unusual formats. Our stock is primarily used and antiquarian … but we also carry new stock, especially around the holidays, or when sourced from local authors (e.g., Blair Kenny’s books about the Rochester mob are always in stock, and we are currently the exclusive online seller for all of those).
Jonathan is a member of three prestigious national bookseller organizations — the Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association of America, the Independent Online Booksellers Association and the American Booksellers Association — which all have strict qualifications and codes of ethics. He’s incorporated new technologies into his day-to-day operations, allowing customers to shop online or in-store seamlessly. The store is carefully organized and cataloged for easy browsing, which creates a more relaxed shopping experience. And there’s something for everybody, from the bargain hunter to the seasoned collector.
If you’ve been a regular Yesterday’s Muse customer, you’ve probably noticed that the quality of Jonathan’s offerings has increased steadily, especially in the last few years as he’s acquired some impressive collections.
He continually finds ways to keep his customers happy and well-read. He recommends books all the time, and makes sure those recommendations are always in stock, which sometimes means ordering new books directly from publishers. He works with colleagues around the country to track down quality, affordable copies of his most popular titles. For the holidays, he’ll soon be releasing a holiday catalog, which will some fun non-book items like totes, socks, and advent calendars. And next time you’re in, look for his specials:
- buy two, get one free for all fiction and children’s books
- buy three, get one free for all nonfiction titles (equal or lesser value)
- the $10 and under and $5 and under shelves
- discounted book bundles that share a common theme
And look for the Yesterday’s Muse table at Roc Holiday Village this year — the first time Jonathan is participating.
After 15 years, Jonathan isn’t planning to go anywhere anytime soon.
I like having a shop in Webster. I grew up here. My wife grew up here… I remember the bookstore that used to be on Main Street during my childhood. I worked in the bookstore that shared a parking lot with Coach in the ’90s and 2000s, and I feel like Webster Village should always have a book shop. … I hope that those who live in and around Webster consider us part of the community, and I certainly appreciate all the support we’ve received over the years, which has come in all sorts of forms.
Yesterday’s Muse Books is located at 32 W. Main Street in the Village of Webster. You’ll want to stop by on Small Business Saturday, because Jonathan will be celebrating his anniversary with cake (first-come, first-served!), 15% off everything all day AND a $15 gift certificate for the first 15 customers (with purchase — one per customer).
* * *
email me at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Instagram and Threads (@missyblog)
You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Follow Me” link on the right side of this page.
(posted 11/21/2023)
webster on the web 