A new chapter

SANDPOINT — It's been on his mind for a while.

But he loves books and loves helping his customers find their next favorite read.

However, creeping health issues and the long hours of running a one-main bookstore prompted his decision earlier this spring to close the Corner Bookstore after almost 30 years as a community cornerstone.

It's time, Orbaugh said, for his next chapter. 

"Me falling apart," he said of his reason for retiring. "Especially my memory. I can sing songs from when I was a teenager all the way through without a miss but I forgot my daughter's name when I was talking to somebody about her. There's lots of knowledge up there but it's not always easy to pull it out."

Orbaugh opened the store after a move to Sandpoint from Southern California, inspired his then-girlfriend's love of the area. After first settling in the Hope area, the pair moved into Sandpoint so that Orbaugh wasn't spending all of his time driving from the Hope Peninsula into the Sandpoint area. 

For the first two years, Orbaugh figures he worked seven days a week. Working to fill the rows of shelves, create a customer base and create the kind of bookstore the community wanted — diverse selection, cozy corners and something for everyone.

He loved talking to customers, finding out what stories they wanted to read, what kinds of books sparked their imaginations. He loved the magic that bookstores created and looked forward to when the bookstore opened after being closed Sundays and Mondays, staying open Saturdays to give everyone a chance to visit.

"I always looked forward to going to work," he said. "I couldn't wait for my weekend to be over. I just loved it there and I still do but I have to be practical, right?"

Before moving to its current location on North Fourth Avenue, the bookstore was a mainstay at the corner of First and Main — the site was the genesis for the store's name.

Before opening the bookstore, Orbaugh sold furniture in Southern California where he lived until moving to Sandpoint.

Although always a reader, Orbaugh didn't intend to open a bookstore; he was a collector, focusing on Stephen King and then Dean Koontz. He selling books online after noticing ads in a Stephen King newsletter where people were buying and selling books. 

"I had so many books that I decided I would do that," he said. "So, for about six years, I was selling books all over the world and I had a nice long list of collectors to send to."

Even so, his main living during his years living in Southern California came from selling furniture. Selling books was a hobby. 

It was some time after moving to Bonner County that the Orbaugh decided to move from online retail to a bricks-and-mortar store, complete with hidden spots, a diverse range of genres and the ability to get lost in other worlds. He'd sold books online for over a decade at that point and it made sense, he said at the time, to turn that love for stories into a place where others could find that same magic. 

In 1997, Orbaugh opened the book store, offering both new and used books. While the online business, focused on horror books and specific authors such as Stephen King; The Corner Bookstore was akin to a candy store for bibliophiles — every genre, new and used books and the ability to get lost in other worlds.

Since announcing his plans in mid-April, Orbaugh has been busy, working to sell as much of the books as he can.

The bookstore was listed for sale in mid-April and a storewide sale is ongoing to find new homes for as many of the books as possible. Not just the books are for sale, all of the store's furnishings, shelves and bookcases are for sale as well.

He thought, briefly, about going back online to sell books; adopting a slower pace.

"I don't think I want to bother doing that again," Orbaugh said, before laughing.