A new chapter for old bookstore

Rare, vintage shop stays competitive in age of massive retailers

Arnold Greenberg transformed Complete Traveller to strictly rare books after 9/11. (Melanie Fidler / December 10, 2007)

By Farnoosh Torabi | Special to amNewYork

December 10, 2007

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To keep pace with modern times, it sometimes helps to have an old soul.

The Complete Traveller antiquarian bookstore has survived close to 30 years unscathed, despite the shark-like presence of big-box booksellers and giant online retailers.

"We are doing something else. It's a whole different business," said owner Arnold Greenberg. "We're an old book store preserving the book spirit. It goes beyond book buying."

Greenberg took over The Complete Traveller in 1981 from its founder.

"I like books and I liked the [previous owner]. It's a social thing and I like to travel," he explains simply. But today's book market is far more complex and potentially daunting for smaller-scale stores.

After September 11, 2001, many of the city's independent shops had to either shut down or restructure amid struggling economic conditions.

The Complete Traveller was among the mom and pops that took a new direction.

Greenberg transformed the shop, which previously housed half modern and half rare travel books, by unloading the modern collection and dedicating the inventory to strictly rare and antique travel books.

Modern travel guides are much too widely available, Greenberg says, while the rare editions offer the store greater appeal and higher sales.

Rare books can cost up to 15 times as much, an average $100 to $300 each.

Soon after 9/11, the store also ventured online.

Shoppers can now find much of its 15,000 to 20,000 book inventory on 10 different Web sites, including its own at ctrarebooks.com. The business now generates about 20 percent of its sales online.

Customers who stop by have specific needs, Greenberg says. They may range from architects searching for old New York City maps, writers attempting to depict century-old sites to travel enthusiasts wanting to add to their growing literary collection.

The shop is recognized for one of, if not the largest collection of Baedeker's travel guides, in addition to Adam & Charles Black books and The American Guide Series.

"Sometimes we get just three customers a day," says employee Stefan Baer, "but if these are the right people, we're all set."

Last week, out-of-towner George Torres randomly popped in to browse.

He purchased The Story of Cuba by Murat Halstead -- a present for his mother, who was born in Cuba.

He spent $125 and a good 20 minutes at the register discussing Cuban history with Greenberg and his experienced staffers, Baer and Mike Durell.

"When you work for a big bookstore, it's dusting and ringing up sales," says Baer. "This is much more challenging."

Several rare literature stores still pepper NY: