Beyond Bedtime's Antique Books a Special Feature

Antiques weren’t originally the focus of in Dormont, but since the store opened in 2010, owner Jamie Grassman said her collection is picking up followers.

The inconspicuous round table at the front of the Potomac Avenue store is becoming an increasingly popular stop for customers, many of whom have returned to the store to ask about appraisals, or who have put in requests for special finds.

“This is actually a smaller part of my business,” Grassman said. “But I do have customers who search that table for specifics, whether they’re looking for a particular hymnal, or just something to decorate an antique bookshelf.”

Because of those books, the bookstore won a this summer for having the best antiques, a designation it shares with on West Liberty Avenue.

Beyond Bedtime’s antique books mainly come from antique sales or auctions. Grassman keeps between 50 to 75 books on a rotating display—the Pittsburgh-centric books are displayed in the window—but she has about 300 in stock.

The table holds some real gems, including history books about western Pennsylvania, a 1928 copy of the Oxford English Dictionary, and a prized turn-of-the-century copy of “Uncle Tom’s Cabin.” Grassman said she also can have any book appraised.

The books themselves are unique, but Grassman said she has made some great finds flipping through the antique pages.

“One time we thought we had a president’s signature, but it turned out to be nothing,” she said with a laugh. “Still, we find a lot of things in the books. We’ve found old pictures, bookmarks or pressed flowers. It tells you something about the person who owned the book before.”

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