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 are very much generalists, but have particularly strong holdings in literature and history.

Store Hours: 

Monday-Saturday 10-5

Services offered:

We buy books by appointment only. If you have books to sell, please email books@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.