OCEAN CITY, Md.- A popular bookstore that has been around for almost 30 years in Ocean City will be closing for good on Sunday.
Roy and Anne Hansen started The Bookshelf Etc.,which specializes in buying and selling used books, near the boardwalk in 1980. The couple moved to 81st Street in 1986.
"We've met really great people and the customer base is really nice," Hansen said.
Over the years, every face that has walked through their door has become a familiar one. The Hansens have had very loyal customers with conventional tastes.
"We're working on a third generation; we've had people [whose] grandparents used to come to the store downtown," Hansen said.
The Hansens said they are closing the store because they are ready to retire. Roy Hansen said they will miss their customers.
"We both have had prior careers, we're in good health, and we feel it will be nice to be able to do something else for a change," he said. "We're going to miss the store to some extent, but what we're really going to miss is the relationships that we've made."
The Bookshelf Etc. is filled with 3,000 books. The store specializes in comics, postcards, sells new and used books and much more.
Mike Faber of Northern Virginia visits the resort town two to three times a year. Faber takes a trip to the store each time. He said he is sad to see them go.
"I've bought some real nice books here," said Faber. He told WBOC his favorite book from the shop was called, "In Love and War."
The couple still has a lot of books on their hands, and they are trying to get rid of them. Customers are encouraged to come by before they close on Sunday.
The seafood market, Captain Ernies in West Ocean City, will be moving into the building. An employee there tells WBOC the business will spend the winter fixing it up and then reopen the market in the spring.
