Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Denton Recycled Books Records CDs housed in downtown square historical Wright Opera House

By Minnie Payne

Denton Recycled Books Records CDs

DENTON — When I was attending the University of North Texas taking journalism courses, part of one of my assignments was to watch a particular video on my outdated VCR. I looked high and low and couldn’t find the movie until one of my fellow students suggested to me, “Go to Recycled Books Records CDs, 200 N. Locust.” BINGO! I found it. “Look for the purple building on the square,” my fellow student said.

Present owner Don Foster’s former wife, Lucy Wright, started the then small Recycled Books in 1983 on University Drive.

“Lucy had been manager of a Half Price Books store in Dallas and had the good fortune of inheriting some money from an aunt, so decided to start her own business,” Foster said. “She looked at several different locations, inside and outside of Texas, and decided on Denton because UNT and Texas Woman’s University were located there.”

Foster, a UNT English major, said that he was working in the print shop at UNT and was a customer of Recycled Books when he met Lucy in 1983.

“We courted and married in 1984,” he said. “After we married, I joined the business and the store grew quickly.”

Because there was so little space in their small store, Foster said they moved the store to another location just around the corner from TWU.

“We were located in an interconnected store front area and when we outgrew that location, the business next to us went out of business and we took over that space,” Foster said. “After we did that, wonderful books started coming in, and we grew into a third space that opened up beside us.”

Because the store was bursting at the seams and there were no more interconnecting spaces to take over, he said they were in a dilemma as to what to do.

“The company that owned the property we were located in also owned the old Wright Opera House downtown and suggested that we take a look at it,” he said. “We decided to make the move in 1990 and moved all the contents from the old location into the first main floor.”

He said that within a year the mezzanine, basement and every nook and cranny of the 14,000 square foot store had filled up.

According to Denton Librarian Laura Douglas, the Wright Opera House was built in 1899 and was the elite showcase of Denton. It was built from the bricks of the condemned 1870s courthouse and operated until 1910. The opera house occupied the second floor and operas as well as other musical entertainment were performed. The Boston Store, a men’s clothing store, was the last first floor tenant prior to Recycled Books Records CDs moving in. Presently, there are seven luxury apartments on the second and third floors.

Foster stresses that not only does he employ 15 highly qualified employees who give a personal touch, but that the store is packed with high quality merchandise.

“We don’t buy DVDs or records that are scratched, and we provide play stations where our clientele can listen to their selections,” he said. “We have a money-back guarantee as to the quality of our products.”

The store’s motto is “Quality is our buy word.” he said.

“We’re always on the lookout for quality merchandise, and if the seller wishes, we’re willing to go to homes to make purchases,” he said. “We have a lot of phone orders which we mail from the store, and we also sell on Amazon.”

He said that they don’t sell text books or Reader’s Digests and do not sponsor book clubs.

Carolyn Bason, a customer, said that she and her husband have been steady customers of Recycled Books Records CDs for 15 years.

“I know that I can find obscure titles for myself and the school library where I work,” she said. “The service is superb, and it’s a special feeling to be recognized and helped immediately when you walk in the door.”

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Comments

geopunk Anonymous

Not true!! My wife and I have found tons of books there and even some music. Does anyone need any books?... we have a ton.

8 months, 3 weeks ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )

chasd00 Anonymous

I wish i could pick up that building, business, and people and put it in Deep Ellum

too bad the only 4 year college near us is SMU :(

8 months, 3 weeks ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )