Oblong hits 40-year milestone

MILLERTON — It’s not every day that a business finds success. It’s even less frequent that a business is able to do so for four decades — but that is exactly what Oblong Books & Music has accomplished in its 40-year history.

The Millerton mainstay opened on Oct. 15, 1975, and since then it has been making bibliophiles and music aficionados alike absolutely joyous. It’s a feat owner Dick Hermans acknowledged took him by surprise.

“We were just trying to make lunch money,” he said. “We had no idea where it would go to and it didn’t talk too long to realize that we really enjoyed doing it as long as we could make the economics of it, which it pretty much has.

“We haven’t grown a lot in the last few years but it’s definitely been nice and steady business and this year business has  been very positive, which is very nice.”

So, too, is the atmosphere of Oblong, where one can find a wide array of books — from every imaginable genre — lining the shelves. Music CDs are also available for those seeking something sultry or perhaps upbeat, and everything in between.

“I get all my DVDs and albums here, plus some good books,” said Millerton resident Ralph Fedele, who added that having a book store in town is fantastic. “It reflects the community; it actually just scratches the surface, with writers, artists, musicians — there’s a lot of culture here, it’s terrific.”

Oblong is an independently-owned bookstore, which means there isn’t a trace of major book sellers like Barnes & Noble or Amazon in its midst. There are roughly a half dozen independent book sellers in the Hudson Valley — stretching from Saugerties to Woodstock to Hudson to Millbrook — and Hermans said his stores in Millerton and Rhinebeck benefit from that environment.

“We’re kind of a little bit of survivors here, but we also have the advantage of having Manhattan an hour-and-a-half away, so we get good weekend business all the time,” he said. “I think it’s helped keep us going, because people who come up to this area are not looking to go online to Amazon or to a chain store. We’re unique; we’re not duplicated anywhere, so people enjoy that.”

So, too, does Hermans, who said he never tires of going to work.

“I love coming to work so to me that proves that I made the right choice somewhere along the line,” he said. “To me it’s just nice to have the freedom to make your store feel the way it can.”

And he’s done that multiple times. During its 40-year history, Oblong Books & Music has moved three times, all within a short distance of each other on Main Street. In the beginning Oblong was at the current location of Charlotte Taylor’s, a 400-foot space it made home for six years. Then it moved across the street to the current location of B.W. Eagle Eye, where it remained for eight years. Then, in 1990, it moved to its current location at 26 Main Street. In 1994 Oblong Jr. opened on South Center Street.

“We’ve been able to meet our needs and our customers have become loyal,” said Hermans. “In some cases we have three or four generations shopping in our stores, and to see that transition in the community feels good.”

In September of 2001, Oblong Books opened in Rhinebeck, right on the heels of Sept. 11.

“We couldn’t really do much shouting about the store because there was so much going on,” Hermans said, adding that his daughter and partner, Suzanna,  manages the Rhinebeck store. “So that store got off to a slow start. Now it does more business than here in Millerton and I suspect that will be the case for years to come. Rhinebeck is a lively town, and kind of upscale. Millerton is busy, but Rhinebeck is really busy.”

While staying on top of his business endeavors, Hermans said he’s working toward getting the Millerton Business Association up and running. He’d also like to see the Harlem Valley Rail Trail completed some day soon (he’s president of the Rail Trail Association). Beyond that, his hopes are simple, he said.

“For the store, I’d just like to keep it healthy and to be here another 20 years,” he said. “I’ll probably be here the next five years, and beyond that we’ll have to see what happens. But it’s fun to come to work and do something different every day.”

To help Oblong celebrate its 40th anniversary, stop by the store and pick up a tin of Oblong Oolong Tea, by Harney and Sons Fine Teas. Twenty pomegranate blueberry sachets cost $5.99. To call Oblong Books & Music dial 518-789-3797.