Shannon Ramsey and Nat Herold, longtime co-owners of Amherst Books at 8 Main St. in Amherst, Mass., have put their store up for sale. The Daily Hampshire Gazette reported that the owners "are seeking to sell the inventory and the Amherst Books name, bringing the latest era in bookselling to a close."
"We're hoping to sell to someone who envisions being able to continue the foundation that has been laid," Ramsey said. "We feel pretty passionately that there should be a bookstore in business in Amherst."
A post on the shop's Instagram page noted: "Hi friends! You may have heard that the store is for sale. We want you to know we're still here and have no plans on closing! As Nat & Shannon move onto retirement and a new career path, respectively, the best case scenario is that we find a great buyer who will keep our store running as is. We'll keep you updated, but we're not going anywhere at the moment."
While there has been a major shift in the commercial district, the increase in apartments in Amherst center and more people living downtown has benefited the business, Ramsey said. "We're seeing an increase in customers, folks who are excited to see we still exist. To be a retail shop in downtown Amherst now is a rare thing."
Herold has sold books in town since 1981, running Goliard Books on North Pleasant Street from 1983 to 1990. He has been at the 8 Main St. location since 1998, first managing the Atticus Bookshop and then, in 2003, along with about a dozen investors, taking over the store with co-founder Mark Wootten and renaming it Amherst Books.
Ramsey was hired to work in Amherst Books' textbook section in 2008 and was a part-time bookseller, leaving for a few years and then returning to work and apprenticing with Wootten until he retired to Maine in 2017. "I've enjoyed it so much and there are always new challenges to rise to," she said.
Business Improvement District executive director John Page noted that Amherst Books holds a special place downtown: "We are deeply grateful to Nat and Mark, and later Shannon, for more than two decades of devoted stewardship at Amherst Books. Operating an independent bookstore is both joyful and demanding work, and they have carried that responsibility with passion.... We are confident that new ownership will find both a loyal customer base and a community that understands how essential a local bookstore is to the vitality of our economic ecosystem."
In a notice on the New England Independent Booksellers Association's website, the owners called Amherst Books "a profitable business with significant areas for growth, including introducing online sales, building a more robust internet presence, and continuing to build up the non-book inventory. Our small but mighty team of four is a key asset and we would strongly suggest you retain them. Nat is also willing to stay on during an ownership transition. We rent our location.
"We are hoping to sell in 2026--serious inquiries only, please! Starting price is $400,000 for inventory and business; we're ready to negotiate. Reach out by email to shannon@amherstbooks.com."