Full bookcases line the walls and create rows in the middle of Amazing Books & Records. Records are stacked in boxes in the middle of the room.

Items are sorted by genre, creating guidelines for shoppers to browse for surprises. Owner Eric Ackland said 99 percent of the items inside his stores are used.

The new things? Cards by local authors and books that are either by local authors or about local topics.

Go Downtown

The Downtown location was Amazing Books’ first and opened in 2013. The next year, Ackland added a second location in Squirrel Hill.

There’s something special about being Downtown, Ackland said, adding it’s what people think of when asking “What is Pittsburgh?”

He said he likes the architecture and the old and confusing streets near the store, which all adds to the charm. Ackland is also hopeful for an ultimate revival and that Amazing Books will be a part of it.

In the store, business has has been the same pace in the past two years.

December and July/August are the two best times of the year, Ackland said, crediting the first to the holidays. The summer popularity is a mystery, he said.

Ackland’s gift recommendations