It was Brian Lampkin who initially opened Rust Belt Books in Allentown in 1996. Rust Belt’s current owner – Kristi Meal – started working at the book shop in 1998, and eventually took it over in 2004. Suddenly, she found herself “with books and some space,” before Allen was “getting big.” At the time, she recalls, she asked herself, “What am I going to do?”
“The money was bare,” Kristi told me, during a recent heartfelt chat in the back of her bookshop, which is now located on Grant Street. “It was so bare… that I decided to close in January as a way to make money [laughing]. With fewer expenses, I figured that would be a good idea. The intention was to formulate plans of doing big stuff throughout the month, but I just kind of shut down. I was afraid of failing at the book store. But then I figured, if it doesn’t work, then it’s not because of the lack of trying – I was committed to making a go of it. I decided that if I was overly concerned about every penny, then that would be a disservice to Rust Belt… don’t get wrapped up in the money. Concentrate on the relationships and be creative. Don’t overthink it.”
By not dwelling on the minutia, Kristi realized that she was able to grow the business. Rust Belt became such a successful enterprise that Kristi was able to purchase a building at 415 Grant Street, expand her footprint, and build her book inventory. The new building also allowed her to spread her creative wings, with a backyard for intimate events, and a rentable upper-rear studio that seconds as a gallery, with pop-ups, poetry, and book clubs. The second floor (not pictured) is an intimate spot for meditations and such.
Rust Belt’s West Side home is fabulous. Stepping inside is akin to a soulful journey through time and space, where spinegazers can spend hours sifting through the precious 30,000 book titles.
“It’s a unique inventory,” Kristi imparted to me. “There’s so much here. Each book has been lovingly curated. I love the books. I have a connection with the books. It’s like a madness. When I go to people’s houses in Buffalo, I scan the rooms for book titles, to see what sort of people they are. I can’t engage without knowing what books they own [laughing].”
Kristi told me that she is so attached to each book at her shop, that it is wrenching watching them walk out the door. It’s one of the reasons that many of her coveted books aren’t even out on the floor. She literally can’t bear to part with certain titles that she absolutely adores.
“The books are not on consignment,” said Kristi. “I have hand-picked each title. They all have meaning for me. When a customer leaves the shop with a book, I think to myself, it’s gone now.“
The book collection at Rust Belt is so uncanny and spellbinding that Rust Belt has become somewhat of a mecca for bibliophiles who travel the country in search of certain gems. The day that I visited Kristi, a couple of book aficionados from New Jersey had scoured the selections, scanners in hand, to load up on books that they will then resell (most likely) online. Upon exiting with their bounty, Kristi had mixed emotions. The New Jerseyans had come in, wreaked havoc in every aisle, and had purchased titles that they knew would be super-sellable online. Apparently, this type of shopping spree is not that unusual anymore. At the same time, the significant sale made her week, business-wise.
During our interview, a young couple beckoned Kristi to the front counter, to purchase a few books. I stood on the staircase, listening to the shoppers, who were absolutely enamored with Rust Belt. They had been browsing the selections for over an hour, and were ecstatic about their finds. It was this voyeuristic experience that told the true story about Rust Belt. Watching Kristi interact with the couple encompassed everything that I was attempting to seek out during the interview. The excitement. The passion. The knowledge. The connection. Kristi was in her element. At that point, she was one with the book shop. The energy was palpable, as was the passion.
Truth be told, the reason that I interviewed Kristi in the first place is that she is attempting to sell the business, and the building. Not long ago, a reader reached out to me via email, to ask me to write a story on this turn of events. She included a photo. Yes, I had heard that Rust Belt was for sale a while back. But I decided not to write about it at that point, because I know all too well how personal these types of decisions are. Then that email came in, explaining that if Kristi didn’t commit to a sale, she was just going to liquidate the stock and close Rust Belt. That’s when I decided that maybe it was time for a Hail Mary. After all, we’re talking about a matter of roughly three weeks. We’re also talking about a beloved book store that has become an essential part of so many people’s lives.
“I realized that it was time, when this thing goes off in me that that tells me that I’m done,” said Kristi. “I call it my soul bell. I always knew that the number 2022 would resonate with me. I have to follow that inner. During the pandemic, people would come in and say thank you. They wanted to thank me for having this grounded book store – a vital other store that you feel other than. This is cultural capital.”
“The secret of Buffalo is deep soul. It’s going to take someone with deep soul to take over Rust Belt,” explained Kristi. “Over the last couple fo years, people have stopped in and said, it’s always been my dream to own a book store. Owning a book store like this is a lot of work. I don’t recognize that because I’m a hard worker. There is someone out there that is a mix of character, dreamer, and business person. I never owned a business before Rust Belt. I figured it out. Now, I will be closing (or selling) at the most successful time that the business has ever had.”
Kristi told me that the right person could take Rust Belt to an entirely different level, if they did a number of things that she never did. Kristi never paid much attention to online sales, for one.
“It’s a relatively new realm of book selling,” she explained. “I always concentrated on the floor. I have 30,000 books, all chosen one at a time. The business is hovering (in a holding pattern), and the bottom line is growing. There is an inventory here that the world would love. I plan on opening in 2023, to close. If I don’t find a buyer, that is. The inventory will have to be priced to find homes. The property is an asset. It’s an established business. It’s like a temple. I’m willing to help the new owner, by staying onboard for a while to guide them. A new owner could do so much more. There’s a shed in back down the alley where they could sell coffee. They could do podcasts in the windows. There are so many branches that they could grow. This was not my direction, but they are things that I thought about. There’s a duality of old and new. It’s an old world business, but it’s the future for people who are disillusioned with the way that the world works.”
Anyone interested in talking with Kristi, is welcome to stop into Rust Belt for a chat. This would be a great opportunity for a cooperative arrangement, if time warrants.
To learn more about Rust Belt Books and Grant Street, read this article.
Rust Belt Books | 415 Grant St, Buffalo, NY 14213 | (716) 885-9535 | rustbeltbooks@yahoo.com | Instagram | Facebook