The Bookies for Sale, Will Close in June If Buyer Isn't Found by April 30

Selling books is a tough business, at least in 2025. But that's only one of the reasons that owner Nicole Sullivan — who purchased The Bookies in late 2021 after the passing of Sue Lubeck, who'd started the store in her home's basement in 1972 — is putting the bookstore up for sale.

If a buyer isn't found by April 30, Sullivan says, the retail store will close its doors on June 1. But even if that comes to pass, the Bookies will continue to serve schools and partners with book sales and events, and will also switch to online, pop-up and mobile sales out of the electric bookmobile.

"While our mission to create lifelong readers and support the Denver community remains the same, retail has not," says Sullivan. "With the advent of online shopping and big box stores offering cheaper options for books, toys, games and classroom supplies, it became necessary to rethink how the Bookies fit into the current retail landscape."

It's a big shift for Sullivan and the Bookies both, after the store picked up and moved from its longtime location off South Colorado Boulevard to a new location at 2085 South Holly Street. The new spot is brighter, more airy and cozier, with two fireplace nooks where groups can meet, a larger event space and an updated design.

Sullivan is no stranger to closing a well-loved bookstore. She was the founder of the very popular BookBar, the store on Tennyson she closed in 2023, in part so that she could focus on making the Bookies an ongoing success.

“The opportunity to be just a small part of the Bookies' story and long history has been a dream,” Sullivan says in a press release. “I’ve learned so much from the staff and community these last three and a half years. Both retail and the needs of educators have changed immensely since the store was founded in 1972, and there’s little doubt that big changes are still to come, so I’ve done my best to implement a plan ensuring another successful fifty years of bookselling. Given the
strong, passionate community backing of this store, I’m optimistic that a new owner will see the business through to its next chapter.”

Whether the store is sold or downsized, operations will continue without interruption at BookGive, the store’s nonprofit arm. Since its inception in 2020, BookGive has distributed nearly 400,000 free books to individuals and organizations throughout metro Denver.

In a letter to the community, Sullivan admits that the reasons for stepping away from the Bookies aren't just the economic realities of the literary retail environment. "After a little over three years of being a part of the Bookies’ storied history, I’m not quite ready to pass the torch, but life sometimes has a way of changing your trajectory," says Sullivan, citing health concerns of her own, a parent's Alzheimer's diagnosis and the "increasingly likely scenario" that cuts to Medicaid and Social Security will have adverse effects on her ability to run the business while also caring for her disabled daughter. "It’s beyond time for me to focus my attention on these areas of my life," Sullivan concludes.

Meanwhile, Sullivan is taking the opportunity to thank both the staff of the Bookies and the public that's long supported the store. "I promise that we will be diligent in finding the right buyer to care for this one-of-a-kind Denver institution," she says. "Given the current political and economic landscape, we expect the need for book access to only grow."

For updates, keep an eye on the Bookies website. Interested buyers can email [email protected].