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Why Fayetteville Rules: The Dickson Street Bookshop

For over 30 years, the Dickson Street Bookshop has been sitting on the corner of Dickson Street and N. School, being awesome.

With an estimated 100,000 used books lining the tall floor to ceiling shelves, (and sometimes, in tall stacks in available corners), the Dickson Street Bookshop is one of the best independent used book stores in the country. Visitors to the area are amazed at the incredible selection of used and out of print books, and the unique maze-like layout, the dim lighting and the dusty smell that has become a staple of Dickson Street for decades.

Jeff Tweedy of Wilco called it one of the best bookstores he’s ever been to. Ani Difranco, Thurston Moore from Sonic Youth, and countless other musicians have visited the bookstore when in town for a performance and have been impressed with the charm of the bookshop.

The Bookshop buys used books for cash or for store credit, and all transactions are done with paper and pen instead of computers and cash registers.

There is no membership program. No Starbucks inside. Just a whole lot of books, and a lot of loyal customers, some of which have been frequenting the store for it’s entire 30 year existence.

In addition to the estimated 100,000 books kept inside the store, an additional 50,000 books are kept in storage, just waiting for their time on the shelves of the bookshop. The store sells an estimated 800-900 books a week, and has somehow managed to stay open on Dickson Street over a time when dozens of retail establishments have come and gone in what has become more a restaurant and bar entertainment district than a downtown shopping area.

If you live in Fayetteville, and you’ve never been to the Bookshop, then you are missing out on one of the best things about Fayetteville. It’s a huge part of what makes Fayetteville such a great place to live, and another reason Fayetteville rules.

Update:Oops. We previously reported the bookstore sold about 3500-5000 books a week, but those are actually closer to monthly figures. It is now corrected in the story. Thanks Flyer reader PDub for pointing out our mistake.

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