SPIRIT RIVER, Alta. – For Beth and Jeff Davis, the old adage that the customer is always right has paid off.
Five years ago when they opened a used book store, Beth’s Books, a few customers started asking for books about tractors, local pioneers and local history.
Beth paid attention to her customers and now more than half the store is dedicated to books about old tractors and pioneer history. There’s even one wall dedicated to miniature farm toys.
The Davises said they may not have picked up on the clues if they weren’t already interested in the books themselves.
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“I think it was partly growing up in this country. Our parents talked about how it was when they were homesteading,” said Beth.
Unlike other areas of Canada where land has been settled for hundreds of years, there were still homesteads available in the 1950s and 1960s in Alberta’s Peace River country. Because the farming community is relatively young, there are many people in the area who know of the hardships and rewards written about in the books. That has created a demand for agriculture-based material.
“You couldn’t do this in Vancouver. It’s different because of where we are,” she said.
They first brought in pioneer history books. That led to historical books, which led to tractor history books. Then followed the demand for miniature tractors and farm toys, tractor calendars and replicas of old advertising signs.
Because they’ve created a market niche, customers drive hundreds of kilometres to check out the latest books, said Jeff, who enjoys hearing readers’ own homesteading or pioneer tales.
“They tell us stories of the tractor Dad first had or when they grew up,” said Jeff.
“Meeting the people is really neat,” said Beth.
They’re the first to admit they would likely make more money selling the newest paperbacks available in the grocery store or local drug store than used books and agriculture books.
“You’d be better off putting your money in magazines or best sellers, but it wouldn’t be as interesting,” said Jeff.
“We’re proud of the writers about the Peace country by people of the Peace country,” he said.
“As long as we find it interesting that’s the main thing,” said Beth.
