We were lucky to catch up with Moira Horowitz recently and have shared our conversation below.

Moira, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

For 13 years, I worked at an antique bookstore in Baltimore. I loved it but although the shop had been in the same location for over 40 years, on a street that was once known as “Book Row,” by the time I started working there, the neighborhood had greatly changed and we only got a handful of walk-in customers a week, most of whom traveled from outside of Baltimore to visit the shop. Most people in Baltimore didn’t even know the shop existed. So the one thing that I always wished we did better was connecting with the community around us. The shop was so cool and such an interesting resource for the city but the owner, understandably, was more interested in connecting with and catering to the more high-end collectors. When the shop downsized and relocated closer to DC, I wanted to fill the hole it left and then some. It’s important to me to teach Baltimore about antique books and antique book collecting. I want to make it a passion that is accessible to everyone. To achieve this, I seek out beautiful and interesting yet affordable items. Most of my books and all of my prints are $50 and under. It’s important to me that my inventory stays this way. Additionally, since I don’t have a brick and mortar location yet, I do pop-ups, and sell at local vintage and craft markets to connect with the community where they already are to share with them the wonderful world of antique books. I also hope to start doing more educational events about book repair and care at local bookstores.

Moira, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’m a 38 year old woman living in Baltimore and I sell antique and vintage books and prints. I got a job at an antique bookshop right out of college and that was basically it for me. A world that I didn’t know existed was suddenly opened up to me and I never wanted to leave. I was very fortunate because the shop I worked at was owned and operated by women who took to the time and spent the resources to teach me all about the trade and about book restoration. I’m unique in my industry because I am a woman, I’m young, and, for the most part, I stock very affordable items. I love what I do, and I love sharing this little niche with the world!

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

The bookshop that I worked at for 13 years moved and was forced to downsize in the beginning of 2020. This meant that I was laid off. It was a very small shop, just the owner, manager, and me. We were all devastated. I would have worked there for the rest of my life. After that I floundered a bit. I didn’t know what else to do. I had a very specific skill set. Eventually, I took a job managing a salon owned by a girl I knew and a week later the pandemic hit. The salon was not a good fit. Going from a sleepy quiet bookshop to a noisy busy salon was a bad choice. After that I decided to go for it and try to do what I love on my own. It’s been a hard road, and I still have to do odd jobs to make ends meet, but I love what I do and I can’t think of anything else I’d rather be doing!

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

I would say that both instagram and doing vintage markets have been huge for me. Most of my online sales come from instagram, and meeting people face to face at markets really helps spread the word about my business.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.underthecoversantiquebooks.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/underthecovers_antiquebooks
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/underthecoversantiqueandvintagebooks