Ever wished you had a signed copy of your favorite book? Now you can. A boutique bookstore just outside of Birmingham is ready and waiting for you. On the edge of Downtown Homewood lies The Alabama Booksmith, a unique bookstore that only sells signed, hardback copies of first-edition books.
Jake Reiss has been in the book-selling industry for over thirty years. He opened what is now known as The Alabama Booksmith in 1990, and the store became a hotspot for book readings and signings. By 2012, they had hosted roughly 200 signings and thousands of people and Reiss decided it was time for a change. Along with gutting and renovating, Reiss decided to move to an inventory of only signed, hardback, first editions. “We got rid of 95% of our inventory… and doubled our business,” Reiss said.
Before the renovations, the store was packed with shelves everywhere, filled with books from floor to ceiling, making it hard to host many guests during signings. While shelves still line the walls, now the floor is open with just a few tables displaying genres. On the shelves, every book is face-out, showing its front cover.
“You can’t tell much about a book from the spine,” Reiss said.
So, they decided to make every book easily visible so customers could quickly determine if one interests them.
Now they're selling worldwide...
Having such a specialized inventory may seem strange at first. Reiss explained, “99%… no, more than 99% of people who love to read don’t care whether it is hard- or paper-back, signed or unsigned. But that little bit – that fraction of a percent – that’s our people. There may be two in Homewood… four in Mountain Brook… one in Hoover. But then there are six in Illinois or eight in Arizona. Or one in Hiroshima, where we sent one yesterday.”
“As far as we know, we are the only bookstore in the world that only sells signed, first-edition books. And at retail price, too.”
The Alabama Booksmith has sold and shipped to all 50 states, as well as 100 other countries. Book lovers of all genres from all over the world are united by access to signed, first editions from their favorite authors thanks to The Alabama Booksmith. Find your favorite book, your favorite author, or a special gift for a loved one right here in Homewood.
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