Coffee & Conversation: Dennis Mulcahy - Second Story Books

Talking With A Springfield Business Owner

By Todd Peterson
Springfield Beacon


Dennis Mulcahy
Second Story Books

Dennis Mulcahy and his sister, Julie Wallace, opened Second Story Books on Main Street nearly six years ago. Since that time, other new and used booksellers in the area have gone out of business – driven out by internet booksellers and discounting of new books by megastores.

But Second Story Books is doing just fine, “paying the bills” while the owners continue to enjoy the business of selling quality used books in their store and on the internet.

Second Story is a “generalist” used bookstore. It has over 20,000 books shelved by category in the store and another 5000 in inventory for on-line sales. On the internet, their books are available from amazon.com, abebooks.com, alibris.com, biblio.com, barnesandnoble.com, and choosebooks.com.

Book prices at Second Story range from 50 cents to $1000. The average price of books available in the store is $4 and on-line is $20 (which includes the 15-20% commission and monthly fees bookselling sites charge, plus the store’s costs of packaging materials for shipping).

The bookstore’s “best sellers” include Janet Evanovich (Stephanie Plum Series), Clive Cussler, Louis L’Amour, and many of the great science fiction writers. Dennis Mulcahy says, “it is hard to get enough science fiction books. Sci-fi enthusiasts are great readers and they don’t often give up their books.”

“I love the whole process of buying and selling books,” said Mulcahy. He buys used books in good condition from people who bring them to the store as well as buys at library sales, estate sales, and auctions. Then he cleans the books up, prices them, and puts them on the shelves in the store or lists them for sale on the internet.

I asked Dennis a few questions about the used book business:

Q: How did you get started in your business?

A: My sister, Julie, had retired from Walt Disney and I was tired of living in Lake Tahoe. We decided to live our dream of owning a used bookstore. Both of us wanted to live somewhere in the Northwest and agreed to take a look at Oregon first.

Q: What led you to locate your business in downtown Springfield?

A: We came to Oregon to scout possible locations in Portland. It quickly became clear that Powell’s and other used bookstores in the city had a lock on that market. Since we had a few days before our flight home, we decided to drive down I-5 to see what Eugene was like. We drove down Franklin Boulevard and saw the U of O and Hayward Field, then went to see Saturday Market. The more we looked around the area, the more it felt like the right place for us.

We moved up here six months later and began looking for a space to rent. When we visited downtown Springfield, we liked the friendly, hometown feel of the place. We stopped at AlethaLou’s and she told us about the space available in this 103 year-old building. When we walked in and saw the beautiful wood floors, we knew it was the place for us. So we built the bookshelves and started filling the shelves with books, opening our doors in July of 2002.

Of course, we had to come up with a name for the store and finally decided on “Second Story Books” which refers to the “second reading” of a used book.

Q: How has your business changed over the years?

A: I thought we’d do most of our business in the store but we’re actually selling more books on the internet. I spend more time at the computer each day than I ever expected I would be doing. And more time packaging books to send to people around the world. I hardly have enough time for cleaning and shelving books much less being able to get out of the store to do the book buying that I’ve like to be doing.

Q: What do you see as coming trends in your business?

A: Unfortunately, there just are not enough readers anymore! I saw a poll that said that 70% of people hadn’t read a book since high school! So that’s going to impact the future of the book business (as it already does). I expect the average selling prices will continue to be driven downward on the internet. People such as “megalisters” offer books for sale at sharply reduced prices but don’t actually have any books in stock (they buy from others after getting an order – if they can even find the books ordered!). And many people who are not “booksellers” are buying from thrift shops and library sales to sell books on EBay and other sites (Ever seen a person with a “scanner” at a book sale?).

Q: How was your business activity last year?

A: Our sales have been up every year since we opened the doors. Last year our internet business actually declined slightly – less than 2 percent – but our in-store sales were up 22 percent.

Q: What is your outlook for 2008?

A: Well, there are just three ways to go – down, up, or stay about the same. The economy is always a major factor. But I expect this year to be good, perhaps up 10 – 15 percent.

Q: Do you have a strange or funny “war story” about business experiences you’ve had?

A: Once, in a used book I bought at a local thrift store, I found $220 in cash tucked inside the pages.

Q: What do you enjoy most about your work?

A: I just love working with books! Perhaps something I wrote on a booksellers discussion board on the internet says it best: “I am selling ideas and the wisdom of the ages. Masterfully constructed tales that can inspire hope and provide solace. I am selling entertainment and humor to lighten the ravaged soul. I am selling exotic theories and the simple universality we all share in being human.”

I go on to say “I sell time, hopefully well spent. To children, men, women, and the occasional reading bear on a unicycle. Time that heals, and teaches, and that fosters dreams. I sell dreams. Think of it.”

And, “I sell the uninitiated, initiation. The unloved, love. The uninspired, inspiration. The collector, the collectible. The unwanted, a sense of belonging. And to those who thought they couldn’t ever dance again, I sell Happy Feet. Sometimes, I give them away free. And sometimes I make a lotta money from these ideas, these dreams. But most times, I make just enough to get by. I am rich in books.”

Q: What statement would you like people to use in describing how you do business?

A: “We love books and love readers who do.

We’re honest, easy to work with, and give our customers great service.”

Second Story Books is located at 226 Main Street in Springfield. Open 10 am - 6 pm, Monday thru Saturday. Phone: (541) 736-3154.
Email: secondstorybooks@hotmail.com.

Email you suggestions for future business profiles to: todd@springfieldbeacon.com.