Pistil Books & News opened its doors to the public for the first time on November 17, 1993. Our retail store was a former garage on Pike Street in an area that was in transition from "Auto Row" to retail and other businesses. Cafe Paradiso had opened up in the same block just a couple of years earlier. The Wild Rose, Seattle's only lesbian bar, anchored the corner, The Comet Tavern was nearby, and Ronnie's Upholstery occupied the basement of our building.
Before we opened, Sean and a hired carpenter constructed our eight and ten foot high bookshelves. Friends helped us varnish the shelves, and we laid our flower mosaic entry way floor (which is still there today-- the space is now occupied by Bimbo's Burritos).
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| Carpenter Evan and Sean preparing to lay the mosaic flower floor. |
We have saved our cash register receipt from our first day. We made $120.25! 25 people visited our store that first day, and we sold a fair amount of classic fiction, including
The Little Prince,
A Wrinkle in Time,
Shakespeare's Complete Works, and
The Catcher in the Rye.
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| The average price of books sold our first day in business was $2.56. |
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| Amy outside our storefront way back when. |
