Materialistic Uptown bookstore and gift shop opened recently at 76A San Marco Ave., St. Augustine, Fla., the former site of Anastasia Books. The Record reported that longtime city residents Trevor Smith and Melissa Gibson combined their business backgrounds to launch the new business. For the past 20 years, Gibson had managed Materialistic on St. George St., "a mainstay for St. Augustine" that sold T-shirts and eclectic gifts. The shop closed in April 2020 due to the uncertainty of the Covid-19 pandemic.
At about the same time, Smith's ownership of the Flagler College Bookstore ended after more than 40 years of local, independent Smith family management when in February, the college shifted the bookstore lease to Barnes & Noble.
His parents, Bob and Diana Smith, had opened the Booksmith in the late '70s, and Bob Smith eventually took over the management (and subsequently ownership) of the Flagler College Bookstore in 1978. Trevor began began working there in 2002, and when his father retired in 2010, he became the owner.
Gibson and Smith discussed the possibility of melding the two shops earlier this year. The Record noted that when he learned that longtime friend Sandra Parks, owner of Anastasia Books, was ready to retire, he "purchased the long-standing business and began curating the books to make way for his new business partner, Gibson, and her Materialistic experience and merchandise.... Materialistic Uptown is a balance of fine books, gifts and T-shirts. Paired with eclectic music and the subtle scent of incense, Materialistic Uptown is truly a unique combination."