I’m sure you’ve heard that one person’s trash is another’s treasure. Well there is one local Las Cruces, NM business that I know puts this principal into practice. Coas Bookstore in the Downtown Las Cruces mall features the Southwest’s largest book inventory with new and used books on every topic imaginable.
My husband and I stumbled across Coas shortly after moving into our Picacho Hills home in Las Cruces, NM, and we’ve been regular patrons ever since. I love to read and have never found a bookstore quite like Coas. Whether you’re a book lover, a collector, a knowledge seeker, or just looking for something to do, you’ll find what you’re looking for at Coas.
The bookstore was founded in 1984 by archaeologist Patrick Beckett. The business started out as an archaeological publishing business and gradually morphed into a community bookstore. Today, Coas features two fully staffed family-owned bookstores in Las Cruces. What makes Coas so different is that they sell mostly used books.
In a recent article in the Las Cruces Bulletin, COAS owner Mike Beckett was quoted as saying, “COAS is unique because you never know what you are going to find. We have so much coming in that our inventory is growing and revolving daily. You could come back even later in the day and find a new treasure.”
Coas receives anywhere from a few hundred to thousands of books a day. With the economic hardships, people are looking for ways to save more than ever before. Coas gives patrons the opportunity to turn in the books they no longer want or need for credit. Then that credit can be applied toward the purchase of other used books, cds, dvd, vhs tapes and more. You can find out more about how Coas’ trade system works here.
The stores, located Downtown at 317 N. Main St., and near New Mexico State University at 1101 S. Solano Drive, offer customers rare, used and out-of-print books at rock-bottom prices. Not only that, but the stores boast one of the largest used book inventory in the Southwest – more than 450,000 books in stock. Plus they also buy, sell and trade books, CDs, DVDs, VHS tapes, audio books and games.
Coas really has something for everyone. Personally, my favorite sections are fiction, cooking, health and child care. My husband Tommy leans more toward their extensive collections in the areas of construction, remodeling, fishing, history, New Mexico, and business.
My son loves to head over to Coas on Saturday mornings for story time. Participants not only get to enjoy a story, they also get to take home a free book from the huge children’s book section.
As the revitalization of downtown Las Cruces continues, we are so lucky to have a great locally owned, anchor business like Coas in the downtown mall. Owner, Mike Beckett has served on the board of directors for the Las Cruces Downtown Partnership, the organization tasked with bringing new life and businesses to the Downtown district.
Coas is just one of the great reasons to visit the downtown Las Cruces, NM Mall. Head down this Saturday to check out Coas and visit the Las Cruces Farmers market as well.
COAS is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday-Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. For more information, call 524-8471 or visit www.coasbooks. com.
Contact us today at 575-523-2500 for more information all that makes Las Cruces, New Mexico so unique. Picacho Mountain features spectacular Custom Homes, Patio Homes, Town Homes, Neighborhood Retail, Boutique Hotel and more!
