When you think rare book dealers, you might think New York, London or Paris. Well, add downtown Columbia to the list.

By next month, Scott Schilb hopes to open Schilb Antiquarian at 100 N. Providence Road next to Tucker's Fine Jewelry. There, Columbians will be able to browse a collection of rare books, manuscripts and artwork hundreds of years old: 18th century maps of the New World, 16th century apothecary handbooks, pre-printing press manuscripts from the early 1400s.

That's just a small taste of the collection Schilb has accumulated since he got started buying and selling old, rare books a decade ago. Through the magic of the Internet, Schilb was able to turn a hobby that began while he was in graduate school in Lexington, Ky., into a thriving business.

"I would just find myself enthralled and poring over these for hours on end and decided to make an obsession into a business," he said.

What started as the occasional find followed by a profitable resale turned into his day job six or seven years ago, when he stopped teaching to run Schilb Antiquarian full time. "I loved school teaching," Schilb said. "But I love books more."

Schilb has grown his venture into a successful enterprise. He now has connections all over Europe, where he acquires rare books and other wares through estate sales. He follows his industry like a doctor follows medical journals, and through e-commerce and online communication, he was able to break into an industry concentrated in the major cities of the world.

"I never imagined when I started that I would be doing this today."

Schilb has exclusively bought and sold online. He never opened a shop in Lexington, where he used to live. His wife, Jill, has Columbia roots. Her family, the Atkinsons, own the Candy Factory.

About a year ago, Schilb moved to Columbia, and he knew he wanted to open a gallery here. "If I'm gonna live here, I want to be part of the culture of this city," he said.

When he talks about Schilb's Antiquarian, he doesn't call it a store. He calls it a gallery. Many of his items cost thousands of dollars, but he wants the gallery to be a place where anyone can come and browse, or "hold a book that was held by a king." Street Talk held a volume that Schilb says was in the personal library of King Charles III of Spain.

"I want people to look, browse, engage, dream, become enthralled," he said.

He's not as concerned if the gallery makes a profit � Schilb said he does just fine selling online. Still, he's sure there will be locals who find an item they want, and he's sure out-of-towners will make their way to the gallery as well.

And yes, some items do cost thousands, but there are others that are at a price a much wider audience can afford, at just near $100.

Even if you can't make a purchase, Schilb wants it to be a community space, not unlike the city's art galleries. Like an art gallery, he plans rotating exhibits with various themes.

Yes, Columbia's small, but its people are just the type to appreciate Schilb Antiquarian, he said.

"We sell to nearly every country in the world, but we live in Columbia," Schilb said. "We want to bless our city. We want Columbia to benefit from the success we've had."