Store History

Recycled Reading of Vermont Books & Instruments is a unique shop where you’ll find an amazing array of stock to satisfy your curiosity, sustain your imagination, and entertain you. It is an independent book shop, music store, and art supply store all in one.

The shop started as a used book, music, and movie shop in June of 2011 at 25A Main Street in Bristol, Vermont. Later that same year I started carrying the Strumstick®, a three-string easy playing and portable instrument made in New Jersey.  I went on from there to bring in instrument strings, a few ukes, and a selection of world drums, as well as children’s instruments.

In 2014, the shop was expanded and moved to a larger location across the street at #20, allowing the addition of thousands of additional books.  I started carrying quality discount books, CDs, movies, blank cards, more new release titles, as well as maps.

More musical instruments were added, to include acoustic and electric guitars, ukuleles, Strumsticks®, banjos, mandolins, bodhrans, world drums, percussion, harmonicas, recorders, children’s instruments, sound equipment, accessories and more.

In 2012, an art supply and craft section was added and has continued to grow to become a large part of the shop.

Another move was made to the current location at 1 Main Street in 2017. Here the children’s section was finally able to have the space it needed and includes a large selection of picture and board books, chapter and young adult books, as well as history, science, and nature books.  In 2019, I was able to add STEM related building and science kits, craft kits, art & craft supplies, LEGO activity sets, Melissa & Doug toys and crafts, puzzles, and games for all ages. A great selection of graphic novels is always in stock and DCF award books are added each year.

Also in 2019, the games and puzzle section was greatly enlarged to include White Mountain jigsaw puzzles, D&D books & accessories, strategy & world building games, family and party games, card games, and more.

As always, you will find great books. There is a large and diverse history section and you will find one of the largest Vermont books section in the area. The nature section includes a nice variety of guide and identification books as well nature writing. There are books on CD, a large cooking section, essay collections, biographies, fiction, literature, science fiction, mystery and more. There is also an antiquarian and collectible books section, including first editions and signed books.

I invite you to come to the shop, have a cup of coffee, browse to your heart’s content, sit and read, and to Supply Your Imagination.