And a Good Time Was Had by All

We in WellerWorld set out to have a lower-key but still enjoyable time commemorating our 80th anniversary last Saturday. I'm happy to report that we succeeded.


We wanted a celebratory atmosphere: fun to be in and fun to look at without being the same old anniversary stuff. So while we did engage in crepe paper and balloons, we refrained from grilling weenies or giving away popcorn. We also highlighted our store history and the numerous books recommended by our wonderful staff. To enhance the festive feel, Tony created a play list of his most socially acceptable music for the day.


Our greatest atmospheric feat (pun not intended, but enjoyed nevertheless) was to float books from ballons, using a minimum of balloons. Anyone can float a book with a bunch of balloons. We wanted a focus on the books rather than the balloons. So we used books from the old Ten Cent Pocket Series published by Haldeman-Julius Company back in the 1920's. The diminutive gems were works published to provide the working class access to great writers and great thoughts. They're also small enough and light enough that they'll float with only a few balloons attached.


While the promised 29 Questions game was played by our customers, it was enjoyed by customers and staff alike. I mentioned in a previous entry that I'd had a truly enjoyable time parsing the questions our staff submitted for the game. It was a walk through memory lane and an education to boot. I was reminded of the lingerie store called Betty's Bra Bar that was located in the southern part of our main floor. We shared our favorite bookstore ghost stories with one another. And who knew that Edgar Rice Burroughs was once a member of the Salt Lake City Police Department?! Tony did and now others do, too. We'll be posting all 50 questions that went into the three versions of 29 Questions and the answers in this blog space shortly. In the meantime, I'm happy to convey our congratulations to the winners: Clotilde Cannon, $80 gift certificate; J.M. Stuart, $48 gift certificate; and Bill Barnhard, $29 gift certificate.

And, as promised, there was cake. We ordered two sheet cakes from the fabulous bakery, Pastry Arts Barrani. The first had your standard slogan on the front; the second said, "Get on your ass and read." The slogan is derived from something Sam used to say when talking about our logo, "Man does his best reading on his ass."


Mostly there were plenty of customers enjoying good books—both in the stacks and the discounted titles on our Staff Recommendation shelves—good music, good cake, and decent enough wine. Tony and I were touched by the well wishers who visited the store that day. We thank you. And we thank all of you who've graced us with your custom over the years. I've often said that bookselling is a labor of love and a vow of poverty. But the poverty is only financial; the riches Tony and I have gained from our customers, our coworkers, and the books are inestimable.