Unorthodox approach to old words turns basement sale into a money-spinner

By ELLEN READ

Taking an unorthodox approach to business has paid off for Auckland bookseller Warwick Jordan.

He didn't really mean to become a bookseller. And even now that he's firmly established with his Hard to Find Bookshop chain, Jordan still isn't convinced about the whole business thing.

While his shops are commercial enterprises and must make money, he maintains that isn't his main motivation.

But it was when he started.

In 1984, Jordan was running a hand-operated letterpress printing and publishing business which he says was an "extraordinarily good way of not making money".

To supplement his income he began selling some of his personal book collection from the Onehunga basement in which his company operated.

Word soon spread, which led him to shift to street-front premises in 1988.

Jordan has had no formal business training or planning, but the Hard to Find chain now has seven outlets and an internet operation. The newest shop is Baxter and Mansfield in Wellesley St, central Auckland. A Wellington shop is planned for next year.

Jordan is no longer the sole, or even major, shareholder in the company. He describes himself as the company's emperor and says he builds up each new shop around a personal contact.

He believes the chain's success is due to the fact that the staff love what they do and are good at it and that the business does not "screw people over". "We're a tough business, we've got to make good mark-ups but we don't rip people off."

He attributes some of the success to there being few competing businesses when he started.

A sense of humour has also helped. During the 1990 general election, Jordan and his then sole staff member formed The Hard to Find Bookshop Party and stood in Onehunga and Mt Eden.

"It only cost $300 to be in the election, and the name of your business is then on every ballot paper. Excellent publicity."

The rules have now been changed to ensure all political parties have at least 500 members.

"I like to do business with a certain sense of humour but I'm still in it to make money," Jordan says.

The shops buy their books from private collectors and deceased estates.

The most valuable - the shops are a combination of collectibles and ordinary secondhand books - is a $20,000 hardback first edition signed copy of Joseph Heller's novel Catch-22. It is not kept on the premises.

Hard to Find bookstore