Uncle Edgar's and Uncle Hugo's Bookstore Re-opened!

In the spring of 2020 Uncle Edgar’s and Uncle Hugo’s bookstore was destroyed in Minneapolis during rioting after the death of George Floyd. I wrote a post on the devastating fire. A link follows this post.

Almost immediately, Sam Blyly, started a GoFundMe page to help his father, Don Blyly, re-build and re-open the store.

In the past 2 years approximately 3,200 donors have contributed $200,512 to aid the return of the “Uncles”. I was one of the donors.

After many frustrations Don was able to find a spot for his new store at 2716 E. 31st Street.

I am glad to report the store opened to the public on August 14.

Through updates from Sam on GoFundMe I have followed the resurrection of the “Uncles”.

Don has been working to re-stock the store and every update has provided more information on the books and now crossword puzzles to be available for sale.

Congratulations Don. It is a great achievement to have a new “Uncles” store and excellent news for readers and authors. I look forward to visiting the store on my next trip to Minneapolis.

A copy of today’s update is below.

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https://mysteriesandmore.blogspot.com/2020/06/uncle-hugos-and-uncle-edgars-bookstore.html

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October 19, 2022

How’s Business? Signings, signage, t-shirts, and jigsaw puzzles.

By Don Blyly

Our first two signings, with Mike Kupari on September 10 and P. C. Hodgell on October 15, went well. Our next signing is with Lois McMaster Bujold on November 5 from 1 to 2 pm for Penric’s Labors, an omnibus of “Masquerade in Lodi”, “The Orphans of Raspay”, and “The Physicians of Vilnoc”. If you can’t make it in person you can order a signed copy through our website at http://www.unclehugo.com/prod/index.shtml

The sign finally was installed on the west side of the building last week. We are hoping that the new awnings will be installed on the front of the building within the next few weeks.

A couple of the local TV stations did reports on the Uncles re-opening. You can search the internet for “CBS News Uncle Hugo’s Science Fiction Bookstore” and “KARE 11 News Uncle Hugo’s Science Fiction Bookstore” if you want to watch the reports. You can see the new building, Ecko acting as store dog, and me explaining things to the camera.

We are getting close to having all the used mystery trade paperback listed on Abebooks.com and put out on our shelves. There are currently about 1500 used mystery trade paperbacks on the shelves, and we hope in the next couple of weeks to finish listing the rest of our current stock, and then be able to start buying mystery trade paperbacks. It will be a lot longer before we will be able to start buying used mystery hardcovers (but we can still accept donations and put them in the basement for a while if you have to clear some out of your home or storage locker).

We are going to have to place a new order for t-shirts and sweatshirts in a couple of weeks. We normally carry t-shirts in adult sizes S to 2XL and sweatshirts in sizes M to 2XL. If you want some size or color that we don’t normally carry, you should contact me at [email redacted] before the end of October so that we can discuss whether I get what you want to order.

A week ago I placed an order that included 37 different designs of jigsaw puzzles, a majority being 1000 piece puzzles at $21.95, but also some 300 piece, 500 piece, and 2000 piece puzzles at assorted prices. They haven’t arrived yet, but hopefully they will be here sometime next week, and I can try to figure out where I’m going to display them all. Some I ordered one copy, some I ordered two copies. Selection will be best for those who shop early. With supply chain problems being like they are, I’m not sure if I’ll be able to get a restock order in time for the holidays.

Construction continues on the re-build of the Minnehaha Post Office station behind and on the west side of the Uncles. The walls are up, the roof is partially up, and they are trying to get the place sealed before winter hits, so that they can do the interior work in a somewhat heated building. The Uncles building is shaking a lot less than it did during this past summer, and by sometime next summer I’ll be able to walk next door to drop off mail order packages instead of wondering if the mail man will stop by today to pick up packages.