Nestled in its Denver warehouse, Aspen Book Company resembles an industrial bookstore filled with long rows of tall, wooden shelves stacked to the brim with approximately 65,000 used books.
Owner Jacob Pinkerton has a unique approach to organization; the books are not sorted by genre or author, but rather by the date they arrived at the warehouse.
As the back-to-school season approaches, Pinkerton is busier than ever, combing through the aisles in search of orders with a clipboard in hand.
“We got Rites Of Spring, We got Uninvited Study Guide, Chasing Midnight, Federal Rules Of Evidence, and we have Progressive Bass,” he noted, showcasing the eclectic mix of titles sought by customers.
All of these books are used copies acquired from thrift stores and shops with surplus inventory, as Pinkerton’s company purchases truckloads of books without knowing what they contain in hopes of finding valuable items to resell.
The surge in sales during this time of year is significant; in July, the company sold 22,300 books, and Pinkerton anticipates growth of about 15 to 20 percent each month.
Pinkerton’s journey began back in 2017 in Arizona, fueled by frustration with his previous job and inspiration from a YouTube video of an individual selling used books online.
“He was working nights and weekends, just squeezing in hours whenever he could,” said his wife, Ashleigh Pinkerton.
As the demand for his books grew, their operations expanded from their kitchen table to a room in the house and finally to a garage, culminating in the decision to buy books in bulk and secure a warehouse for storage and processing.
Moving the operations to Denver about a year ago has allowed them to scale significantly, processing tons of books daily.
Their incoming inventory averages around 40,000 pounds of books per truckload, packed in large cardboard boxes. Each book undergoes a quality check to determine its resale value before being listed online.
Once a book is sold, it is retrieved from the shelf, packaged for shipment, and sent off to its new owner, while any unselected books are recycled.
On average, the company processes about 10,000-12,000 books each day and sells around 500 books, primarily through platforms like Amazon and eBay, due to the established consumer habits of online shopping.
Pinkerton reported that their sales volume is currently the highest in the history of the company.
“The customer already has the habit of going to Amazon and ordering their books, and so it’s an easy and simple thing for them just to buy from us, instead of somebody else, simply down to the price,” he explained.
Despite the challenges associated with running a used book business, including the intense market competition and complexities of recycling, the experience is fulfilling for Pinkerton.
“Our motto here that we say after every morning meeting is ‘Replanting Stories,’” he declared.
The concept signifies their mission to give new life to books that have already been enjoyed by others.
Ashleigh Pinkerton shares her enthusiasm for used books, hoping that more individuals discover the joy of purchasing them.
“There is something interesting and intriguing about getting a book that has somebody else’s notes and highlighting in it,” she remarked.
She believes that seeing what resonated with the previous reader adds another layer of adventure to the experience of reading, making it uniquely personal and thought-provoking.
image source from：kunc
