Bonnie Benson didn’t dream of entering the book business, she “fell into it.” After studying composition in music school, she headed for Berkeley, Calif., where she started selling objects at the Berkeley Flea Market in between jobs. Over time, her focus grew more and more on used books; after a couple of years, that was all she sold.
After 15 years of curating and selling her book collection on the west coast, Bonnie and her late husband Bob shipped a truckload of books to Great Barrington, Mass., and unloaded them into a quaint yellow house on Main Street. In 1991, they opened the doors of Yellow House Books to the Southern Berkshire community.
32 years later, Yellow House Books remains a beloved institution in Great Barrington’s small business community.
Yellow House hasn’t changed much since they set up shop in downtown Great Barrington—same location, same values, same great offerings. However, when Bonnie’s business and life partner Bob passed away 12 years ago, managing the store turned into a one-person operation. That is, until Bonnie’s nephew Ray Garnett moved to the Berkshires to join in the family business nine years ago. He’s been here ever since, and his love for his aunt’s shop dates back long before he became a partner.
“I’ve been coming to the store since I was six. I’d come here every summer,” Ray mentions. He’s not the only one who has developed a long-standing relationship with the shelves. Bonnie has witnessed many customers return year after year. “Some of them not only have their children come back, but their children have come back with their own children. We have seen many families grow up here,” Bonnie says with a smile.
When you walk through the door of Yellow House Books, you’ll first be greeted—assuming he’s awake—by the store cat, Ripley. You’ll next notice an impressive collection of 100 percent used books, ranging literature and poetry, arts and music, mythology and philosophy, gardening, building, a sizable children’s section, and more. Make sure to give yourself some time—you’ll want to browse. As Ray says, “Our real strength is in the books you didn’t know you wanted until you saw them. The ones you wouldn’t have thought to ever look for.”
Yellow House didn’t hesitate when the Berkshire region developed its own currency in 2006—they began to accept BerkShares right away. “When we first heard about BerkShares we just said yes automatically,” Bonnie offered. “Local currency? Support the local economy? Definitely.” Ray adds, “We never hesitate to take them because we need things in our community, and we use BerkShares to buy them. It’s great.”