OUT AND ABOUT : Book Co-Op Gives Dealers Better Shelf Life

Larry Chambers spends his free time contemplating the future of genetic engineering, studying advances in psychobiology and cross-referencing books on the battles of World War II.

And three days a week, he hangs out at the mall--the Book Mall of Ventura.

Chambers cruises the aisles of Ventura County’s newest used bookstore, which houses more than 30,000 volumes from 25 dealers. The mall, which opened in February, is Southern California’s first book cooperative, experts say.

“They’ve got books here that I’ve been looking for for 20 years,” says Chambers, 43, a psychiatric nursing student who owns 2,000 books on World War II. “They’ve been out of print for years, and all of a sudden they’ve become available because of this store.”

The mall is owned by Sol Grossman, a book junkie from Sherman Oaks who lives part time in Ventura. The vendors pay Grossman an average of $225 a month for space and come in every few weeks to change their selection and collect their money.

The co-op, Grossman says, is a boon for dealers who can’t afford the $2,500 a month that it would take to operate their own stores. In recent years, he says, many book dealers have had to operate out of their homes.

“The small vendors,” he says “have been forced off the streets.”

Many of the vendors offer books on a wide variety of subjects, while others specialize in mysteries, Ernest Hemingway, military history, Frank L. Baum’s Oz books and biographies of Hollywood stars.

All of the books are hardcover, and many are first editions, some of them signed by the author.

Most cost between $15 and $25, although a few are worth more than a thousand dollars. A first edition of Raymond Chandler’s “The Lady in the Lake,” for instance, sells for $1,375. The most valuable books are kept in glass cases.

The mall has its share of “ephemera”--stuff that wasn’t supposed to last but did--such as posters, sheet music and catalogues.

There’s a 1939 program celebrating the centennial of the invention of baseball, a wholesale price list of parts for the Ford Model T and a $10 check signed by Tarzan creator Edgar Rice Burroughs to Canyon Cleaners in Tarzana, the city named after his fictional character.

The mall idea wouldn’t work in Los Angeles, Grossman says, because rents are too high and there’s not enough foot traffic. But it seems to be working in Ventura. Six booksellers are on a waiting list to get space in the 2,300-square-foot mall.

And the ones already there say they’re pleased with the arrangement. Not only are they selling books to customers, but they’re buying them from each other.

“Buying books is like digging for gold,” says Bill Noack, who also owns a used bookshop in Ojai called Time Portal. “There’s the thrill of discovery, and there’s so much to discover here.”

Too much for Larry Chambers’ wife. Ever since he discovered the book mall, Chambers, a self-described “bookaholic,” has had trouble keeping his addiction under control.

To booksellers who call his house and reach his wife, Chambers says, “just tell her you’re my girlfriend--anything but a bookstore.”

The Book Mall of Ventura, 424 E. Main St., is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For information, call 641-2665.

BOOKISH HAUNTS

Other places for used-book junkies:

* Bart’s Corner--302 W. Matilija Road, Ojai. 646-3755. Open Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m.

If you’re a “bookaholic” who needs a midnight fix, bring your flashlight and some change to Bart’s Corner, where hundreds of cheap paperbacks are stacked on shelves outside the store. The sign outside says: “When closed, please throw coins in slot in the door for the amount marked on the book.”

Owner Gary Schlichter says he finds coins almost every day. “They’re pretty good about it. Really.” During the day, the selection at Bart’s is bigger and better. Formerly the home of Ojai resident Richard Bartindale, the store now houses more than 100,000 books. You can grab Chinese cookbooks from the kitchen cabinet, read about antiques in the study or sit on a bench and read poetry under a live oak.

* The Book Collector--973 E. Main St., Santa Paula. 525-4366. Open Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

Before you toss your old Hardy Boys collection, better check with store owner Peter Margenat, a book appraiser. Your books might be worth something. Margenat, who teaches courses in book collecting at Ventura College, offers advice on building collections along with a large selection of used and rare books on California history, modern literature, art and astronomy. A book-binding demonstration will be given at the store from 1-4 p.m. March 31.

* Second Time Around--391 E. Main St., Ventura. 643-3154. Open daily, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

The store carries hardcover collectibles as well as paperbacks, comic books and magazines. Scientific American magazines date back to the 1870s, Life magazines to the 1930s and National Geographics to the 1920s. They have Playboy magazines from the late 1950s. “They retain their value as well as a vintage car,” says salesman Harry Lundby.

* Calico Cat--495 E. Main St., Ventura. 643-7849. Open Monday through Friday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. and Saturday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.

The store specializes in technical books and sets of books, including encyclopedias, but also carries a wide variety of children’s books and modern literature. And for students in trouble on exam night, there’s a stack of Cliffs Notes on classics, such as “The Sun Also Rises,” complete with the important parts highlighted--”at no extra cost,” notes owner Richard Gormack.

* Thorn Books--624 Moorpark Ave., Moorpark. 529-7610. Open Wednesday through Saturday, noon-6 p.m., and by appointment.

Moorpark has nearly a dozen video stores where you can rent the classics, but just one where you can read them. The city’s only bookstore specializes in old books, including a history of Spain published in 1610. It also has a strong collection of early British history.

* Mr. Nichols--910 E. Main St., Santa Paula. 525-7804. Open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m.

The history of Ventura County is John Nichols’ specialty. He’s got novels, biographies and ephemera, including labels from old Ventura orange crates. Nichols also runs an art gallery and sells books on photography.