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NOT A SURFER? Culpeper bookstore opens new chapter

August 17, 2008 12:15 am

Gordon Dickerson wants to make one thing clear about his Culpeper bookstore.

"The Corner Shelf is not closing. We're just changing our format," Dickerson says.

This comes as good news to those who have shopped at Culpeper's only complete bookstore for the past 32 years.

The bad news is that after this month, they will no longer be able to visit the little shop just off James Madison Highway.

A sour economy, mega-bookstores in neighboring towns and Internet retailers such as Amazon.com have finally caught up with The Corner Shelf. Beginning in September, if you want to buy a book from The Corner Shelf, you'll have to get it from the store's Web site: corner shelfbookstore.com.

"We're not real happy about making this change, but we're being forced into it," the 87-year-old Dickerson says.

As the economy has begun to shrink in the past four years, so has the customer base for Dickerson and his daughter/partner Faith.

"It hasn't been like an ocean wave, but more like a drip," he says.

Not wanting to give up the business, the Dickersons pondered ways of saving it. They eventually came up with the Internet idea.

"We'll have a vastly expanded Web site," says Dickerson.

He will keep an inventory of top sellers and local books at his McCoy Avenue home and has come up with a working arrangement with his wholesaler to get anything he doesn't have in stock.

"If you want to send a book to Aunt Martha in Kentucky, we can have it shipped directly to her from our supplier," Dickerson says. "That will save the customer time and unnecessary postage."

Dickerson, a World War II Seabees veteran, came to Culpeper with the Federal Reserve Bank about 1970 and took an early retirement in 1976. It was then that he and Faith, who had graduated from Culpeper High that year, decided to go into the bookstore business.

The Corner Shelf was supposed to open in the refurbished White Shop Building at the corner of Main and Davis streets. But when that wasn't ready in August, the store began operation in a renovated motel room behind McDonald's.

The business moved into the White Shop Building early that same December and stayed there until downtown Culpeper all but died in 1989.

From Main and Davis, The Corner Shelf moved to the Southgate Shopping Center. It remained there until 2004, when it shifted to its present location.

Dickerson says that one of the major concerns of longtime customers is what will happen to Tinkerbell, the 12-year-old cat that has lived at the store for many years.

"Tinkerbell will be fine," Dickerson assures everyone. "She is coming home to live with me."

Some visitors come to the store just to see the cat, Dickerson says.

Over the years, The Corner Shelf has been much more than just a bookstore. It has been a place where folks come just to chat, meet friends or play with the cat. More often than not, they also wound up buying a book.

Dickerson has also served the community in many other ways with his store. The Corner Shelf has handled tickets for almost every civic group that has held a function in Culpeper over the past three decades.

Dickerson admits that he will miss the foot traffic.

"You always had somebody to talk to in the store," he says.

And he holds the customers he has served over the years in high regard.

"People who like books are nice people," Dickerson says. "I've had very few cantankerous customers."

Donnie Johnston:
Email: djohnston@freelancestar.com