se-ren-dip-i-ty [ser-uhn-dip-i-tee]

–noun
1. the effect that allows one to make desirable discoveries by accident.
2. good fortune; luck.

Origin: 1754; Serendip + -ity; Horace Walpole so named a faculty possessed by the heroes of a fairy tale called The Three Princes of Serendip.

At O’Gara and Wilson, you may find what you are looking for – a paperback mystery for yourself, a nicely bound gift for a friend. These finds are the small triumphs of used bookstore shopping.

But they are not the great triumphs. In used bookstores, great triumphs are always the unexpected fruits of browsing. They seek you out, rather than the reverse. Your eye is drawn, perhaps, to a lower shelf, or a darkened corner. Your legs move on their own, and you know with certainty that whatever force moves them is guiding you to a book, or an object, that will be truly extraordinary. What is it? Do not ask “what is it?” Simply come and make your visit.