Home

Member Directory

Search Member Inventory
at IOBABooks.com

Member Autobiographies

The Standard
(our magazine)

Book Terminology

Description Definitions

Code of Ethics

Mission

Bylaws

Board of Directors

Membership Application
(and dues payment)

Links to Book Related Sites

Contact the Editor

Contact IOBA

 

 

 

Members Only Home

All material © IOBA

Table of Contents Email the editor Printable page Print entire magazine

History of Dan Glaeser Books

Daniel Glaeser

Most book dealers have a story about how they found themselves in the book trade and I am no exception.\ I don't think there are many small kids who aspire to grow up to be used book dealers, but I may be as close as they come.

From my earliest memories of childhood, I have been fascinated by commerce. I loved everything that had to do with just about any aspect of commerce. I can remember when I was 6, teaching my 2 year old brother how to count using play money as my media for teaching. Whenever friends came over to play I would often suggest playing "store." Of course, I wanted to run the cash register: that was my favorite part. Add to this the fact that I was an early reader: I was already reading before I got to pre-school and when we arrived in Modesto mid-way through first grade I angered my teacher by reading the entire reading textbook (a year's worth of curriculum) my first weekend in her class. Books and commerce, commerce and books - I guess my childhood was a foreshadowing of what was to come.

During college I truly became a voracious reader. In addition to the textbooks for my business classes (no surprise there), I was often reading as many as 10 books at once, just for fun. I never did find much interest in novels, but loved non-fiction, especially theology and church history. I also discovered the joy of used book stores. Every Thursday night the main street in downtown San Luis Obispo, California was closed off for a local Farmer's Market. For most of my 4 years at Cal Poly Thursday nights meant the trek downtown for fresh veggie's, ribs at McClintock's, and an hour or so at Leon's Book Store which was a favorite among Cal Poly students.

Just 2 weeks after graduation from Cal Poly, back in my hometown of Modesto, California, I received a phone call from the owners of Modesto's premier used book store Yesterday's Books. Since I had grown up with their children and had known them for over 10 years already, the invitation to work at the store was an easy one. In fact I was called at 10 in the morning, and started at 1 that afternoon. What started out as a six-week temporary position grew into a full-time position, one that I held for six years. During that time I started my seminary training, feeling a call into full time ministry. To help pay my seminary bills I started selling books mail-order and even signed up with a new Internet based dealer-to-dealer network called Interloc. My employers were aware of my moonlighting in the same industry and even gave it their blessing.

I left my employ with the Dorman's at Yesterday's Books in the spring of 1997, having joined a music-based missionary troupe based in California. For the next 6 years I spent my life on a bus traveling throughout the United States and 18 foreign countries, giving as many as 300 concerts a year. In 2002 I completed my third two-year tour of duty and knew it was time to come home, but not sure what I was to do when I returned.

What I knew is that I needed a non-traditional job because I wanted a flexible schedule that would leave the door open for ministry opportunities that would open up locally. Well, the Internet market for books had changed dramatically while I was on the road and it was easy to step back into what I knew well. Plus, I could run the business from my parent's home while I re-established myself financially and explored the next chapter in my saga.

So that's the current chapter in the life of this book dealer. I specialize in religion (surprise, surprise) hoping that a good inventory of Protestant and Catholic theology and history reference will enable me to be of service to busy pastors and seminarians. In addition to the Internet business, I exhibit at several book fairs each year as well as several home schooling conventions. And yes, the flexibility of a home-based on-line business has allowed time for local missionary opportunities. For the past three years I have worked as the assistant Christmas Kettle Co-coordinator for the Salvation Army in Modesto where I also serve as the Church Worship Leader.

Blessings!

Dan Glaeser operates Dan Glaeser Books in Modesto, CA and can be contacted at http://www.DanGlaeserBooks.com