Fly By Night: favourite book store for many to close in January

By Pepper Parr

December 8th, 2021

BURLINGTON, ON

 

When a book store closes there is a tear in the social fabric that is hard to repair. Something that was – isn’t anymore.

Scheduled to close at the end of January.

At the end of January Fly By Night – Antiques and Books will close its doors for the last time. Personal health reasons are such that Michael Cowan, who has been running the store for more than 20 years, can’t do the work anymore.

The focus is on used books with every imaginable title in a store that is a collection of shelves that go to the ceiling and packed in stacks on the floor as well.

Cowan started with just books but developed a personal interest in antique items and began stocking things that appealed to him.  It grew into a strong part of his business.

The books are sourced by a person called a “picker” who gets called when there is a household that might be moving and wants to get rid of the books.

People managing an estate will call the picker and ask him to just please pick up everything and get rid of it.

Row upon row of shelves that were a destination for those who were looking for something new to read.

For book lovers these stores are paradise – a place to spend hours glancing over titles.

Bob “G”, was uncomfortable having his last name used,  said he is “out of the picking business, too old to do the running around and lugging heavy boxes of books.”

He tells the story of once picking a guitar that he paid $20 for and then learned it was an antique Gibson that he resold for $22.000

“The last time Michael and I counted the inventory there were more than 20,000 titles on the shelves.”

The bookstore has a small but very loyal customer base that drops in regularly; they are in the 60 to 85 age range and each as their own interest area. The store has customers who read Westerns; other who like everything they can find on the two World Wars and others that look for romance or mystery titles.

Michael Cowan – books and people are the two things he knows.

Cowan started with operating a bookstore in Oakville and moved to Burlington which has always been seen as a good book market.

Bob adds that there are fewer buyers; the younger people aren’t readers and they aren’t nearly as many true book lovers.

Mike was a generous person, he helped the down and out; he wasn’t in the business to make money.  He loved books and he loved people.

Store closes at the end of January. Michael’s brother Rick is handling the closing.

Why a bookstore named Fly By Night.  Not exactly the name one would put on the lease application.  Has to do with owls.

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