Green Apple owners (L to R) Kevin Hunsanger, Kevin Ryan and Pete Mulvihill with store mascot Mergatroid.
Photo by SFGate
We all love having Green Apple Books in our neighborhood, and it turns out we’re not the only ones who notice what a great store and community they’ve built there in their 47 years of business.
Last week, Publisher’s Weekly awarded Green Apple Bookstore of the Year honors, which waxed peotic about the store’s “labyrinthine” layout and reputation for community involvement with merchants associations, literary events and as the driving force behind this year’s California Bookstore Day.
Green Apple is a model for how to operate an independent, brick and mortar bookstore today, when competition is stiff from online stores and e-readers.
A lot of Green Apple’s success is due to their programming, whether it’s hosting interesting authors and lectures, or carrying out quirky promotions like midnight sales for new releases (final Harry Potter, IQ84), t-shirt design contests, or creating tongue-in-cheek YouTube videos.
The store has even extended beyond its 7,500 square feet on Clement Street by placing “Cafe Green Apple” shelves in cafes around the Bay Area, featuring their used books for sale.
We reached out to Pete Mulvihill, one of the owners of Green Apple to get his reaction to the big award.
“We’re honored, of course. To me, it reflects mostly on the readers of San Francisco. They vote with their wallets every day to keep stores like Green Apple thriving. We’re grateful to the judges, to our many partners (publishers, authors, sales reps), and especially to our staff. They do the hard work day in and day out to keep the place friendly, dynamic, and organized (I swear it’s more organized than you think!),” Pete said.
Congratulations to the team at Green Apple – so well deserved!
Sarah B.
<3 Green Apple. Shakespeare & Co. in Paris has its admirers, but Green Apple is my favorite.
Congratulations !!
I like Green Apple – have been going for years… but that guy Kevin (with the beard), he is one of the most unpleasant people I have ever had to deal with. It is at the point where when I see he is at the shop, I drop my books and come back later to purchase them. Its a shame that this lovely neighborhood bookstore is tainted by its owner.
Congratulations Green Apple! I suggest making a light hearted youtube video with John C. as the centerpiece – running out of the store when the ‘”guy with the beard” shows up. LOL!
Can any of my fellow hot rodders suggest which rag stand to get my automotive journalism fix? I was at GA but was a bit let down – no Hemmings or Racecar Engineering.
Green Apple is awesome! Love getting lost in the stacks and discovering hidden treasures. Over the years Green Apple really has evolved and generally it is great to find new and refreshing materials.
The tall stacks and shelves are reminiscent of the days where library patrons could explore the books up the spiraling narrow metal stairs and explore the reserve book shelves hidden in back in old main branch library. Does anyone else have fond memories of the old main branch library too?
Green Apple is a wonderful store, but the experience can be marred when trying to sell books. Don’t expect friendly service when trying to sell your books there.
@Richard Kim
you said: “Green Apple is a wonderful store, but the experience can be marred when trying to sell books. Don’t expect friendly service when trying to sell your books there.”
Personally, I find the buyer(s) at Green Apple to be incredible efficient, knowledgeable, and fair.
One of my three careers was in the book business – worked for 4 publishers and then worked in used and wholesale books as a proprietor.
When customers bring in their books for used buyback they usually expect the buyer to:
1) spend a lot of time looking over their used books
2) chatting them up
3) offering the customer something close to the customer’s perceived value.
4) Willing to negotiate a higher price than offered; or, taking a book that the buyer has rejected
There are all unrealistic goals
Used book buyers see many THOUSANDS of books every week. Buyers are not only operating in the store, but they are often called out to buy private libraries, in addition to other associated tasks.
Frankly, most of the books that customers bring to a used book store are not needed by the store, especially a store like Green Apple whose collection already covers the waterfront.
Many experienced buyers develop a kind of “shell”, becoming very matter-of-fact about what they will offer for your books. Why? Because a significant percentage of customers think they are being cheated, or that their books are worth more. They’re not. The buyer does not have time to argue or listen to why you think your books are worth more that the store is offering. Buyers have a job to do – i.e. to quickly look over your books, determine whether the store can use them (make a reasonable profit if it buys them) and then get on to the next customer or other associated tasks.
Furthermore, an experienced buyer who is familiar with her bookstore’s inventory can tell in a split second whether or not she can use your book.
Again, I find Green Apple as good as any of the best used bookstores in the country, including Powell’s Books, in Portland, Oregon. Their buyers are well-mannered, efficient, and fair. They know their stuff.
Congratulations. A great place to buy new and used books and browse to your heart’s content. What an asset to the community.