That means they carry books on just about anything. Upstairs they have a collection of beautiful, rare books that often run in the thousands of dollars for leather-bound books, first editions, and rare editions signed by the author. That is not to say that the prices at the Detering Book Gallery are out of reach of the common man and woman. The general collection downstairs can be equally endowed with unique volumes as the upstairs upscale depository. For the persistent miner there are old books in like-new condition except for a slightly faded dust cover or the yellowing of the pages.
Many titles are rare to the used book market and yet affordably priced.
We have a lot broader base than many fine booksellers. The store often buys entire collections, sometimes from ordinary book lovers and sometimes from the estates of wealthy bibliophiles. The estate of a woman who lived a few blocks away sold the store a complete set of first editions by Thomas Harding. When Cameron Iron Works founder Hebert Allen died, the collection he had amassed over 30 years was purchased by the store for six figures. Often even small collections can have hidden jewels, Scoggins says.