Along Bainbridge Street, there are plenty of storefronts that seem as if they could be hiding great secrets behind their walls. Mostly Books—though its name may be quite straightforward—is deceptive to the passerby.
The used book, DVD, CD, VHS, record, and vintage photograph store occupies a space that stretches far back from the street and used to be a horse stable. The owner, Joe Russakoff, says that that is the reason he moved into the space 10 years ago after originally opening up shop across the street. “It’s a really interesting store layout; it’s very unusual for a city to have a building like this. Part of the back area isn’t heated because it used to be a stable. There are no pipes or anything back there; it’s very rustic.”
Over the years, Joe has never let a lack of heat or profit or anything else stop him from continuing with Mostly Books. “I had a few businesses before but this was the first business I decided to stick with through thick and thin.” To keep with something as difficult and unpredictable as a used book store it takes more than just a desire to turn a profit—you have to love what you’re doing. “One thing that makes this job different from a lot of jobs is that most days there is something new, like a customer bringing in an interesting book to swap, and I love books.”
Joe has plenty of experience when it comes to choosing which books to sell. “My family’s been in the book business my whole life. I may not be the best businessman, but I do have a talent for looking at a book and realizing if it’s interesting or boring—basically judging a book by its cover.” One of the smartest ways Joe applied his love of reading to his business’ growth was by reading something a lot less appealing—the reviews of his store. “I’ve always read reviews of the store online and early on, a lot of them were kind of mean, but they had good points. I tried to learn from them and correct things I was doing wrong.”
One piece of advice Joe has for those starting a business, is to be prepared for slow progress and for going without. “When you first start out, there are all kinds of expenses you don’t know about. You just have to get used to the idea that you’ll have to work a lot for a few years making less than you would at McDonald’s.” Asked about how he handled those difficult times, Joe simply says, “I just did without a lot of stuff, that’s all.” Joe will soon be opening up a second location and is excited about how it will expand his business, although he doesn’t quite view it that way. “Instead of a business I think of it as a collection of books—people take a little out everyday and I put a little back in.”
