Selling books, swinging a soprano sax
Reg Silvester is as eclectic as his bookshop
Reg Silvester’s life is a lot like a well-read book with many storylines.
On the weekends, look for him in his bookshop at Queen Mary’s Market on 111 Avenue, surrounded by thousands of new and used books on neatly organized shelves. Nights are another chapter: You may find him playing his soprano saxophone with The Swing Cats, a brass and rhythm group he launched more than a decade ago. He also plays alto sax with the Saint City Big Band in St. Albert.
Silvester knows a few things about living an eclectic life. He’s been an Edmonton Journal reporter, founder of an arts publication, an antiques and collectibles dealer, a course materials editor for Athabasca University, and a band leader.
As a senior, Reg Silvester returned to Edmonton and the Alberta Avenue Community League in 2021, after a few years away in Saskatchewan and Athabasca. “I live two doors down from where I used to live in the 1980s. The neighborhood is affordable and that’s a huge plus. It is tidier and friendlier today. There are beautiful yards. I make good connections with activities at the league,” he shares.
His bookshop, Railway Avenue Bookstore, can be found around a few corners in the huge Queen Mary’s Market. It’s worth the easy search. Visiting recently, I bought two interesting books, both about exotic travel adventures. I can read and dream for a total price of only $9.
Along the way, Reg Silvester has learned a few things about business that he’d like to share.
“You need to be tough to run a business. When I had a business selling antiques, I bought high and sold low. I was a softie when it came to my customers,” he admits. His antique business, located in Saskatchewan, failed. Let that be a lesson, says Silvester. “Don’t be a softie.”
Running a business at any stage of life is a challenge, but it’s also an adventure. Silvester started selling antiques at Queen Mary’s Market three years ago. When a nearby retailer announced he was retiring from his book business, Silvester offered to buy it. He soon found himself cataloguing books alongside antique pottery and art, arranging his corner of the market into an attractive and well-organized world. Continuing to work part-time keeps Silvester active.
The move may not make the retiree rich, but it does have perks. “I enjoy meeting people, talking to them, and selling books that I know they will enjoy reading.”
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