F6 Saturday, March 27, 2021 — THE MEDICINE HAT NEWS


Unlimited Characters getting people reading


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GILLIAN SLADE Southern Alberta Newspapers Gslade@abnewsgroup.com


A bookstore that only opened in the fall of 2019 has already been voted the best in Medicine Hat.


George Giffen, owner of Unlimited Characters, says his secret to success is the variety of used books that customers will find on the shelves of his store.


Giffen says he was determined to bring in books that are fresh to the community rather than just recycling what is already available locally.


“I travel out of town and buy estates and negotiate with other bookstores,” said Giffen.


The COVID pandemic has hampered his travels to source supplies but he is not running short of books. There are about 30,000 books on the shelves at Unlimited Characters and about another 150,000 in storage, he said.


Many of the books by popular authors can be found in the community but Giffen wanted to go beyond that.


At Unlimited Characters you may even SUBMITTED PHOTO


George Giffen, owner of Unlimited Characters, stands among the 30,000 used books in his store. He makes a point of sourcing interesting books that are not already circulating in the community.


be able to find three volumes about the ancient Roman Empire, he explained. Volumes like that may be available new but you’d pay about $170 for three volumes. If you buy used, you may only pay $30 or $40.


The mission is to get people reading by providing books they want to read.


Giffen says if people can’t find books they enjoy, they simply stop reading.


He says one customer told him she has not had a television for many years because reading books is so much more interesting.


There is no need to worry about trying to find a book among the 30,000 at Unlimited Characters.


Giffen says fiction is shelved alphabetically by author’s name and then reference books are categorized by subject matter such as food and beverage, recreation, biographies, history, faith, etc.


Regular clients know what they’re looking for and buy up to 20 books a week especially since the pandemic started and they have had more time on their hands, he said.


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