Gary Goodman
Gary Goodman is best known as a rare and used book seller in Minnesota, where he has been operating for more than four decades.
While he is now very popular in the space, he started his career working as a counsellor. In 1982, he was living in East St. Paul and stumbled into a small used bookshop, where he learned they were about to shut down and that he could buy it if he was interested.
Even though he had little money and no experience in the business, he bought it. Gary Goodman taught himself how to find the best books that other sellers had missed. He learned that the most interesting and rare books could be found in private collections, estate sales, libraries, and book fairs.
Over the years, Goodman has sold and bought millions of books. He has also met and made friends with dealers, collectors, and even criminals who sold hoarded or stolen books.
In 1990, Gary teamed up with friends to launch the
St. Croix Antiquarian Booksellers. This would become one of the most popular bookstores in the US, helping make Stillwater a book town. For nearly three decades, it was a place visited by collectors and readers from all over the US.
In 2021, Gary Goodman published his memoir titled
The Last Bookseller.
He tells of how his life changed completely when he stumbled into a used bookshop in East St. Paul. Without any experience, he decided to take a chance on the failing bookstore and bought it that same day.
Goodman tells of his decades-long career in Minnesota selling rare and used books. It was not all sunshine and rainbows, as he had to ensure risky jaunts to book fairs and estate sales, in addition to the funny moments and hard times.
During this time, he met memorable and strange people, including book collectors, forgers, and thieves. He also tells of how he became a cofounder of the Stillwater-based
St. Croix Antiquarian Books.
Gary also captures the latter era of bookselling, when the internet emerged as a competitor, leading to the closure of many shops.
Related Authors
Fans of Gary Goodman also enjoy these authors:
- J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter Series.
- Harlan Coben, author of the Myron Bolitar Series.
- Michael Connelly, author of the Harry Bosch Series.
- Brad Thor, author of the Scot Harvath Series.
- C.J. Box, author of the Joe Pickett Series.
Gary Goodman: F.A.Q
What was the first book Gary Goodman wrote?
The first book written by Gary Goodman was The Last Bookseller: A Life in the Rare Book Trade, published in 2021.
What was the most recent book Gary Goodman wrote?
Their most recently released work was The Last Bookseller: A Life in the Rare Book Trade on November 1st, 2021.
What is the most popular book by Gary Goodman?
Based on the number of readers on Book Notification, the most popular Gary Goodman book is
The Last Bookseller: A Life in the Rare Book Trade. Here are their most popular books:
- The Last Bookseller: A Life in the Rare Book Trade (8)
Are there upcoming new books by Gary Goodman?
Gary Goodman does not have any upcoming books with a set publication date within the next few months at this time.
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How many books has Gary Goodman written?
Gary Goodman has written 1 book. All of their books are Non-Fiction Books.