The owner of an Endicott business that sells used and rare books says the place is doing well as the pandemic continues.

Richard Masters and his wife opened The Book Vault at 46 Washington Avenue in October 2011. The physical store has been closed since the statewide COVID-19 shutdown orders last March. The owners are keeping the place closed to protect their health.

Speaking on WNBF Radio's Binghamton Now program, Masters said business had been slow for awhile. But as the pandemic continued, sales increased. He said "no one was more surprised than myself."

Masters said things "really looked ominous" at first, noting the store went about ten days without a single online sale. Since then, business "picked up unbelievably."

Masters said people have been "cooped up at home" without much to do, so they're "rediscovering reading."

Although he's pleased with being able to serve customers online, Masters said he misses the opportunity to interact with them in person in the store.

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Contact WNBF News reporter Bob Joseph: bob@wnbf.com

For breaking news and updates on developing stories, follow @BinghamtonNow on Twitter.

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