McPhrey Media owner David McPhrey stands in front of the wide selection of used books and other media for sale at his new store in Hixson.If you go
McPhrey Media is at 1966 Northpoint Blvd., Suite 128, and can be reached at 708-0685, or visit mcphreymedia.com.
East Ridge resident David McPhrey has moved his online media business of 15 years into a brick-and-mortar location in Hixson, the 5,000-square-foot McPhrey Media.
“I was very successful [online], so I decided to try it in the real world,” said McPhrey, who opened the store last June with business partner and uncle George “Bucky” McDade. “He always wanted to open a comic book store, and I always wanted to open a book store.”
The store carries predominantly used books, as well as all other types of media – aside from videotapes, cassette tapes and vinyl records – such as CDs, board and video games, DVDs and Blu-ray Discs. Also available are new comics, graphic novels and collectible toys.
“We have a good selection and good variety, and the staff is very friendly and helpful,” McPhrey said. “If you live in Hixson, Soddy or Red Bank, we’re closer than anyone else.”
The closing of many used-book stores in the last few years, including the recent closing of the Book Rack in Red Bank, does not worry him too much. Although sales have taken a hit with the popularity of e-readers such as the Kindle, McPhrey believes there are still plenty of people who prefer to crack open an actual book.
“Most actual readers still want books on their shelves,” he said. “I know people who use Kindles, but I don’t know anyone who goes out and gets rid of all their books.”
McPhrey said he still does some business online, selling mainly out-of-print books through sites such as Amazon.com, eBay and Barnes & Noble.
The shelves at his store are filled with books on a wide range of topics, all neatly arranged and well-organized, making it easy for customers to locate what they want.
“It’s the only book store of this size in the Hixson area,” he said, as to why he chose his location on Northpoint Boulevard, next to Goodwill and the old Double Hill Billiard Club. “We don’t have the selection [Chattanooga used book and CD store] McKay’s has, but we’re working on it.”
He said the most common thing he hears from customers is that the store is much larger than it appears from the outside. It still has space for more inventory, which is slowly growing as more people become aware of the store, he said.
Eventually, McPhrey said, he would like to expand into the 10,000-square-foot space next door.
McPhrey Media owner David McPhrey stands in front of the wide selection of used books and other media for sale at his new store in Hixson.While sourcing items to sell through his online business, McPhrey traveled all over the Eastern Seaboard and saw a variety of used-media stores. He said his business model follows that of Bull Moose Books in Maine and Half Price Books in Texas, both of which operate several 10,000-square-foot neighborhood stores in their respective areas.
“I tried to take what I saw from the successful ones, and stay away from doing things I saw that were unsuccessful,” he said.
He wants to stay in the realm of a discount store, so he offers a 10-percent discount off the cover price of new comics and graphic novels. Many comic book stores offer a discount to people who have joined the store’s subscription service, said McPhrey, but he is offering the discount to all his customers.
McPhrey said 90 percent of the store’s inventory is acquired through trade, adding that the trade credit he offers is higher than average. People can also use trade credit to purchase new comics, graphic novels and toys, which he said is highly unusual in the business.
Email Emily Crisman at ecrisman@timesfreepress.com.