Since they first became friends, Stephanie Batten and Callie Oldham have joked about running a bookstore together. The two met when they were teaching second grade and high school, respectively, at the same school.
“About a year ago, she came to me and was like, ‘Alright, we’re going to do it. We’re going to open a bookstore,’” Oldham said.
Their business, Paper Trail Books, isn’t a typical brick and mortar bookstore. Paper Trail has no physical storefront. Instead, the duo vends at different pop-up markets and events in Mebane and the wider Alamance County area, such as Filament Coffee + Tea’s “Gilmore Girls” night.
Pop-ups, Oldham said, help Paper Trail engage more directly with the Mebane community. Exchanging recommendations, meeting other readers and getting new customers interested in reading are the community interactions Oldham looks forward to at Paper Trail’s pop-ups.
“When we started, there was no bookstore. And if you had to go to a bookstore, you had to drive to Durham, or you had to drive to Burlington, Elon or something,” Oldham said. “We wanted something local.”
All of their books are used copies sold for less than $10. Their original stock was pulled from Batten and Oldham’s personal collections. Since then, the duo has made trips to different thrift stores and library sales — including sales by Friends of the Alamance County Public Libraries. Customers are also able to donate books in exchange for store credit.
Batten said she wanted the business to contribute toward sustainable reading habits. Their low pricing makes the books affordable for a wider audience and more accessible for readers who want to try out a new genre or author. Batten said she hopes Paper Trail creates a welcoming environment for new readers and their low-price range books encourage more people to immerse themselves in stories.
“It’s something that I valued as a kid. I had a great childhood growing up, but to be able to escape into a book and into that story, it was just really powerful for me,” Batten said. “Especially through teenage years — when there's all kinds of things going on and your mind is all over the place — putting aside your own worries and just falling into a book.”
Another way Batten and Oldham aim to get people engaged in reading is through their “blind date with a book” program. The books are fully wrapped in paper with brief explanations of the genre, plot and reviews.
Batten said they pick books that aren’t commonly shared on social media, such as the “Bookstagram” and “BookTok” communities on Instagram and TikTok.
“I tried to pick books that were not as popular,” Batten said. “We don't have to follow every book recommendation that the culture is giving us.”
Oldham said “blind date with a book” tends to be their best-seller at events and is a fun way to engage with their customers and curate a reading experience. For Batten, connecting with other readers is her favorite part of vending at events.
The nature of tabling at pop-up events also allows them to keep their main jobs, Oldham said. Oldham said the pair’s ultimate goal is to buy a trailer and convert it to a “bookmobile,” which would allow them to schedule their own pop-ups instead of only vending at events hosted by other businesses or organizations.
Paper Trail Books’ next event is during downtown Mebane’s holiday reveal event Nov. 2. The Paper Trail booth will be set up from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. outside of Filament.