Mysterious Galaxy bookstore seeking new ownership
Mysterious Galaxy, one of San Diego’s few remaining independent bookstores, announced Thursday it is seeking new ownership after 25 years in business.
“It’s time to pass the torch,” owners Terry Gilman and Maryelizabeth Yturralde said in a statement.
The two also operate Creating Conversations, which sells books at events large and small throughout Southern California, and they are retaining that.
“At this stage in our lives, we just don’t have the bandwidth to effectively operate two businesses,” Yturralde said in a phone interview.
Gilman, Yturralde and Jeffrey Mariotte opened Mysterious Galaxy in May 1993 with an emphasis on science fiction, fantasy and other speculative fiction, and that niche has helped it withstand the Internet-fueled winds that decimated more general-interest bookstores in recent decades.
Four years ago, it doubled in size, moving from longtime quarters on Clairemont Mesa Boulevard to a storefront on Balboa Avenue, just east of Genesee Avenue. The move gave it more room for author events, which have also been a key to its survival. The store hosts about 20 events every month.
Mysterious Galaxy also has something of a national reputation. In 2013, it received a community-service Raven Award from the Mystery Writers of America in recognition of literacy programs that benefit schools, libraries and businesses.
Yturralde said the sale isn’t a sign that the business is struggling, although she acknowledged that bookselling remains a challenging environment.
The ingredients for continued success are in place, the owners said: “a loyal customer base, a dedicated, hard-working staff, the technological tools to remain current and relevant, and a beautiful environment that appeals to customers of all ages.”
If no new owner is found, the store will remain open.
“I genuinely believe there will be somebody excited to buy it,” Yturralde said, “but if not, we won’t abandon our staff or our greater community.”
Mysterious Galaxy opened a second store seven years ago in Redondo Beach. It never took off as a bricks-and-mortar site, but a side business providing books at various events evolved into Creating Conversations. It now does “pop-up” sales at everything from writer’s conferences to private book-launches.
“It’s been another way of doing what we love to do, which is connecting books to readers, without having an actual storefront,” Yturralde said.
Anyone interested in buying Mysterious Galaxy can contact Gilman at terry@mystgalaxy.com.
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