About Us

Our Shop

Yesterday's Muse Books is an independent used and rare bookseller that has been in operation for almost 20 years. Our 'brick and mortar' shop opened in December, 2008, in our hometown of Webster, NY. We specialize in Literature, Military, American and Local History, and General Antiquarian.

Store Hours: 

Monday-Saturday 10-5

 

Services offered:

We buy books by appointment only. If you have books to sell, please email holly@yesterdaysmuse.com with some photos or call us at 585-265-9295.

Materials we DO NOT accept: Encyclopedias/dictionaries (unless pre-WW1); newspapers/magazines (unless pre-WW1); romance; postcards; ex-library copies; books with heavy highlighting/underlining/marginalia; bibles (unless 1800s or earlier); audiobooks; books with mold/mildew; books with heavy odors; modern hardcovers missing jackets; incomplete sets; books that are incomplete or in poor condition.

Book rental for events and productions. Please contact us for more details.

Appraisals for insurance purposes. Please contact us for more details.

Please visit our affiliate page at https://bookshop.org/shop/yesterdaysmuse to place your order for new books and pre-orders.

 

Our Staff 

 

Jonathan Smalter (Founder & Owner, Store Manager) has over 20 years of experience in the book trade. He is a member of the Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America (ABAA), former vice president of the Independent Online Booksellers Association (IOBA), and a 2011 graduate of the Colorado Antiquarian Book Seminar (CABS). His expertise ensures customers receive aptly assessed books and materials at competitive prices. When he is not at the shop, he can be found playing board games or camping with his wife Kristine, listening to a wide variety of music, enjoying Rochester’s restaurant scene, or relaxing with a quality scotch or beer.

 

 

 

Holly McEwen (She/Her/Hers) (Assistant Store Manager, Book Fair Coordinator) has over 15 years of experience in the book trade and is a 2019 Colorado Antiquarian Book Seminar (CABS) graduate. From Bookseller & Receiver at Barnes & Noble, to a Library Clerk at her public library, she has now been part of the antiquarian trade for over 8 years. Her combination of current and previous book-related professions has put her in the unique position to be adept at understanding the workings, differences and similarities of the various worlds of The Book. In 2016 she attended her first book fair and has been hooked ever since.  She is a collector of Scotland materials, The Arabian Nights, Witchy things, taphophilia, Baba Yaga, women's biographies and fantasy. Nerd at heart, Crime Junkie, and a lover of all things Halloween, she can be found reading historical fantasy and mystery/thrillers, listening to true crime podcasts, snuggling with her fur babies The Rhiminee Cat, Vex’ahlia, and Zephalia, painting with her Husband, walking through a local cemetery, or imbibing in a quality wine and dreaming of Scotland.