Marvelling at the books and objects that adorn the interior of Needful Things, it’s easy to get lost within the confines of Dublin’s newest secondhand book shop. Step inside and the hustle and bustle of the outside world fades away. Owned by John Healy, a Trinity graduate of English and psychology, it is the kind of place in which a woman may try to sell you an antique clock that she purchased purely for the sound of its chime, while students eagerly root for their reading lists in the background. Healy branched into the book market almost eight years ago when he started selling collectibles online, and remarks that he always had the idea of a physical shop in the back of his mind. Needful Things is the physical embodiment of that long-dreamt-of idea.
Having abandoned his vision for a shop in December 2017, Healy’s dream was not without its setbacks. High rental prices in Dublin, alongside the practicalities of opening and running a shop, turned him off the idea. He sold his shop stock and auctioned off over €2,000 worth of books. Then, about four months ago, Healy drove past a space for lease on Aungier St and decided to call the real estate company on a whim. Within two weeks, he was preparing to open the shop, in a whirlwind process that he calls serendipitous.
It’s early days for the shop but Healy is hopeful. Already, he has built up a flourishing customer base and the central location of it naturally lends itself to footfall. Healy also points to the way that books have been fetishised within the collectibles market and how this has boosted the trade. There is a growing movement towards collecting and enjoying physical objects in recent years, and Needful Things offers a fascinating variety, from antique maps and Georgian dressers to secondhand books that range from €1 to €5. A lot of the appeal of Needful Things lies in this merging of collectibles, although the challenge is to leave without purchasing something as delightful as it is unnecessary.
The antiques market moves in cycles, with certain objects gaining and losing popularity regularly. It’s worth having a look at something like antiquesworld.co.uk to see what types of antiques are currently available. The London book market has shrunk of late, with the iconic Charing Cross Road losing a lot of its main antique book shops. Yet Healy emphasises the keen interest in antiques within Dublin. Needful Things offers a lot to the Dublin literary scene, whether you want to pick up a classic novel for some pocket change or invest in antique volumes of your favourite book. The shop will also be partaking in the upcoming Culture Night, with Healy hoping to host a reading of Jonathan Swift and a talk on the medieval history of antiques. A stone’s throw from Trinity, with the welcome assurance of a student discount, Needful Things is a must-see on your ramblings and will hopefully establish itself as an Aungier St institution.
