Barry Tilles has dreamed of opening a store for out-of-print and unusual books and records for many years. It all began during a long-ago stint as a cab driver when he realized that a charity-run bookstore in his neighborhood routinely threw out many books it didn’t think it could sell. Barry started examining the discarded piles after his shift, taking home what he found interesting. Soon he became an intentional collector, searching for items that were special or outside the mainstream in some way. Eventually, he decided it was time to share the collection with others. “I wanted to create a place where people could wander around and discover interesting things they didn’t know about before,” said Tilles. Visitors to Good Dog Records and Books, which recently opened at 1187 Centre Street, can see that he’s succeeded.
Good Dog’s inventory is eclectic, offbeat, and thoughtfully curated, reflecting Barry’s personal interests and his sense of customer taste. Interested in quantum mechanics? How about psychology, mathematics, or Yiddish? Boston true crime or classic pulp fiction? All these, and more, have dedicated shelf space. Browsers will also discover early-twentieth-century science textbooks and fascinating old atlases and maps. Music-wise, surprising treasures include eleki, Japanese surf music, and rautalanka, Finnish 60’s rock. Prices are reasonable, starting below $10 for some paperbacks, and rising depending on the rarity and quality of each item.
The result is a delightful place to browse, find unique gifts for family and friends, and treat yourself to a discovery or two. The photos show just part of this reporter’s first haul. (As every item at Good Dog is unique, shoppers should not expect to find these in the store, but rest assured that hundreds of equally fascinating items await!)
Good Dog opens every day a little after noon, except Saturday when it opens at 10 a.m., and it has a graduated (quirky?) closing schedule that makes it a great place to stop after doing other shopping or eating out. Barry closes at 6 p.m. Sundays, at 8 p.m. Mondays and Tuesdays, 9 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays, and 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.
