While planning the bookstore tour of the DC/Baltimore area, I learned that the warehouse for an online bookstore was surprisingly nearby. We decided to stop in and see what we could see.
I was expecting something like the warehouse that is Second Story Books in Rockville. Out-of-the-way, hard-to-find, and a real treasure hunt, just a big room full of overstuffed shelves and boxes and not a little dust. I was way off.
First of all, Daedalus Books IS a little out of the way, on a side street, but it makes up for it with clear signage that is easily visible from the road. Second of all, it may be a warehouse, but it's not a used bookstore. Instead, it's a remaindered bookstore. The books are brand spanking new, but they're discounted because they weren't big sellers (don't be dissuaded, it makes for a fantastic eclectic/indie selection). And third of all, this is no overstuffed hodgepodge treasure hunt. Books are laid out neatly on tables and on shelves with enviable ladders, labeled "for employees only," alas. The storefront is bright, airy, and very clean. The employees are also excessively polite, and gave me the card to the nearest used bookstore in response to my query about selling used books (hey, ya gotta give some to get some).
While I didn't make any purchases this time around (it was towards the tail-end of the tour), I am thrilled to have found Daedalus Books. Instead of a used bookstore to wind away the hours, I think I've discovered a new go-to bookstore for, er, less selfish occasions.
Below is a photo of some of the stock. I forgot to take a picture of the outside, but it's readily available on Google. It's surprisingly hard to find on their website.
(Also, apparently no relation to Daedalus Used Bookshop in Charlottesville, VA; which I'm also a fan of, for different reasons).
I was expecting something like the warehouse that is Second Story Books in Rockville. Out-of-the-way, hard-to-find, and a real treasure hunt, just a big room full of overstuffed shelves and boxes and not a little dust. I was way off.
First of all, Daedalus Books IS a little out of the way, on a side street, but it makes up for it with clear signage that is easily visible from the road. Second of all, it may be a warehouse, but it's not a used bookstore. Instead, it's a remaindered bookstore. The books are brand spanking new, but they're discounted because they weren't big sellers (don't be dissuaded, it makes for a fantastic eclectic/indie selection). And third of all, this is no overstuffed hodgepodge treasure hunt. Books are laid out neatly on tables and on shelves with enviable ladders, labeled "for employees only," alas. The storefront is bright, airy, and very clean. The employees are also excessively polite, and gave me the card to the nearest used bookstore in response to my query about selling used books (hey, ya gotta give some to get some).
While I didn't make any purchases this time around (it was towards the tail-end of the tour), I am thrilled to have found Daedalus Books. Instead of a used bookstore to wind away the hours, I think I've discovered a new go-to bookstore for, er, less selfish occasions.
Below is a photo of some of the stock. I forgot to take a picture of the outside, but it's readily available on Google. It's surprisingly hard to find on their website.
(Also, apparently no relation to Daedalus Used Bookshop in Charlottesville, VA; which I'm also a fan of, for different reasons).
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