Helping Things Find a Home
In my almost four years of being a CSU student, I had always passed the store Bizarre Bazaar on my way to any number of things. This is not a situation unique to me as the store is located across the street from Colorado State University and is probably passed by students hundreds of times everyday. Even so I had never found myself actually in the store. That has now changed as I finally made my way in to see what is behind all the mystery. After spending a delightful half an hour or so meandering through the store, soaking it all in, I was able to sit across the counter with Scott Makarchuk and talk.
Alex Gusdorf: So Scott, What is your job here?
Scott Makarchuk: Well haha, I'm the co-owner of the store. I pretty much just take care of the place.
AG: Okay nice! And how long have you had this place?
SM: Oh I’d say, about almost 10 years now. And before that I had a shop in New York.
AG: Oh wow, How is working in fort Collins compared to New York?
SM: Well Most major cities have some sort of store like ours. But when [my wife and I] first moved here, there was no store like ours. There was no one doing what we are doing.
AM: And what are you guys doing here? Why should someone shop here or a thrift store instead of the big stores like Barnes and Noble?
SM: Well what were trying to do here is find a home for these books. We can get anywhere from 1–100 boxes of books a week that people don't want anymore. But just because that one person doesn't want it anymore, doesn't mean someone else wont want it. A store like Barnes an Noble will have books that are for now but they're not going to carry something out of print. Were that option for people.
AG: Wow, that a lot of books to take care of. Is it a challenge to keep track of everything you get?
SM: Yes its a lot, but we know what we have here. Most people shop with they're phone in their hands. They walk into the store knowing exactly what they're looking for or if what they want is even available. Here, we are old school. There is no database with everything on it. We know our inventory. if some one asks if we might have something, chances are we know where it would be.
AG: Well that's very impressive.
SM: Yes, well there's about a 3 month training period before you are fully capable here. This isn't a job where you train for a week and just get thrown out on the floor.
After a bit of explaining the technical side of the store a little more, started talking about the importance of second hand stores.
Alex Gusdorf: So Scott, why is it important that people shop at second-hand stores?
Scott Makarchuk: Used books are their own kind of special. It’s cool to have the new edition print of something, but there's a certain kind of energy that comes with knowing you're holding a book that 5 other people have read. There's a sort of continuity that comes with that. You don't get that at the big stores. You find things that you'd never think you'd find here.
AG: And I'm sure the same goes along with the music?
SM: Oh yes for sure! Records have been making a comeback where many people are appreciating the medium itself. But to really appreciate it, you have to get the original. I have many people who come in the store talking about how they can get a Beatles album on vinyl, never been touched, at Walmart or something and that's nice, but the way these new disks are being printed, its just inferior quality. Its a lost art the way they're printed. I don't know if its just the way they have a guy pressing the vinyl or what but the difference is there.
AG: So you're preserving the quality?
SM: I would say that's a part of it. I want to show people that shiny new out of the shrink wrap isn't the only way. We just have so much to offer. we wanna make sure these books find a home.
Bizarre Bazaar is located across from CSU at 1014 S College Ave. Fort Collins, CO 80524
