Est. 1989 · A Family Business

Every Book Has a History

Ardis Books founder Rob Newbury's love of books began in childhood. He was a regular visitor to second-hand bookshops and could rarely resist rummaging through the book tables at local jumble sales. In those early days, he mainly collected children's books and humorous titles, particularly the Giles cartoon collections, which were easy to find and offered excellent value. Over time, his interests broadened to include older books, rarer editions and more unusual finds.

The Early Days

When a Hobby Became an Opportunity

It wasn't until 1984, with the arrival of the monthly magazine Book and Magazine Collector, that Rob began to see books as something more than a hobby.

The timing couldn't have been better. Having recently married and bought his first house, Rob had very little disposable income, and the magazine offered an intriguing way to change that. Half of it was devoted to articles about second-hand books and their values, while the other half featured catalogues of books for sale and wanted by booksellers.

It's difficult to imagine now, but before the internet, selling books without owning a physical shop was rather more complicated. Booksellers relied heavily on printed catalogues, often issued monthly, to reach potential customers. Book and Magazine Collector opened up this market considerably, giving amateur sellers like Rob a way to reach collectors across the country.

Seeing a chance to earn a little extra money, Rob decided to try his hand at selling.

A young Rob in an armchair, reading beside his bookcase — Rob at home in the 1980s, reading beside a well-stocked bookcase.

Rob’s list of books for sale among the booksellers’ adverts in Book and Magazine Collector — Rob’s list of books for sale among the booksellers’ adverts in *Book and Magazine Collector*.

“The Childrens Books of Malcolm Saville”, one of Rob’s articles for Book and Magazine Collector — One of Rob’s articles for *Book and Magazine Collector*, on the children’s books of Malcolm Saville.

The Thrill of the Find

Ten Pence Well Spent

Before long, his Saturday mornings were spent visiting local jumble sales and car boot sales, searching for books he could sell on. Initially, he focused on children's books, annuals and comics, which regularly found their way onto jumble sale tables as parents attempted to reclaim some space at home. Later, his interests expanded into modern first editions and more specialist non-fiction.

The venture proved reasonably successful, with the occasional particularly memorable find. One such discovery was a collection of thirty first-edition Elinor Brent-Dyer books, complete with their original dustwrappers, which Rob picked up for just ten pence each. They sold well at the time, and some of those same books would now fetch hundreds of pounds apiece. Heady times indeed.

During this period, Rob also contributed around a dozen articles to Book and Magazine Collector. Some offered advice on running a small postal book business, while others explored collectable works by authors he particularly admired.

Going It Alone

A Leap of Faith

As Rob's career in computing progressed, however, bookselling gradually took a back seat. Working first as a computer programmer and later as a systems designer, he was earning a comfortable living, and for a year or two the books became more of a sideline.

By the late 1990s, things had begun to change. Rob was growing tired of the daily commute, and family circumstances meant that being closer to home was becoming increasingly important. These were the early days of the internet, when working remotely for an employer was far from commonplace. If Rob wanted to work from home, the most practical solution was to run his own business — and returning to bookselling seemed the obvious answer.

On paper, the idea was wonderfully straightforward: buy books at a good price, sell them for a profit, pay himself a salary and the taxman his share, and repeat. Of course, the reality was rather more complicated. Looking back, Rob readily admits that embarking on an entirely new career in his forties, with a wife and four children to support, was perhaps a little mad. The business made money from its very first day, but nowhere near enough to support a family at first, and for a couple of years credit cards and goodwill helped bridge the gap.

What Rob did have was his background in computing. His knowledge of rare and collectable books was still developing, but he already understood websites, databases and selling online, at a time when much of the second-hand book trade was only beginning to embrace the internet. Gradually, things fell into place, and what had begun as a modest venture grew into a thriving business. The finer points of bookselling took a little longer to master!

Rob in a newspaper feature: “You really can judge rare books by their dust-jackets” — Rob in *The Independent*, 22 May 2004: “You really can judge rare books by their dust-jackets”.

Vladimir Nabokov’s Ada in its dust-jacket — Vladimir Nabokov’s *Ada*, home of the country house that gave Ardis its name.

Behind the Name

The Story of Ardis

Every business needs a name, and Rob already had one to hand — with a literary origin, although it arrived somewhat by chance.

Back in 1989, when establishing himself as a freelance computer specialist, Rob needed a name for his new company. After discovering just how many variations of names like ‘Titan Computing’ were already registered, he looked elsewhere. Ardis is the name of a country house in Vladimir Nabokov's novel Ada, a book Rob particularly admired, and so Ardis Systems Limited came into being.

When his career eventually shifted from computing to bookselling, it seemed only natural to carry the name forward. Ardis Systems became Ardis Books, and the name has stayed with the business ever since.

A New Chapter

A Family Business, Reimagined

In 2009, the business moved into its own dedicated premises, where Rob continued to run it successfully for the next sixteen years. By 2025, however, he had begun thinking about slowing down. After decades at the helm, the time seemed right to downsize and gradually wind things down.

But the next generation had other ideas. Rob's youngest son, Guy, and Guy's wife, Milly, weren't quite ready to see Ardis Books come to an end. Instead, they offered to take over the business, relocating its stock to their own office in Marlow and setting about giving it a new lease of life.

Today, Ardis Books remains very much a family business. Rob continues to lend his experience to sourcing books and managing the accounts, while Guy and Milly focus on developing the business and building its future. The arrangement also means Rob can enjoy a little more time with his wife, Tia.

While much has changed since those early days of hunting through jumble sales, our values remain exactly the same: good-quality books at fair prices, carefully packaged and safely delivered to your door.

With a fresh outlook, a new website and the same passion for beautiful and interesting books, Ardis Books is entering an exciting new chapter. We hope you enjoy exploring our collection.

Happy hunting!

Young Guy in a rocking chair, reading Holes by Louis Sachar — Like father like son, Guy reading *Holes* by Louis Sachar in the summer of 2006.

Guy and Milly among half-built bookcases and flat-packed shelves in the newly moved-into Marlow office — Moving in: Guy and Milly putting bookcases together

Charley among the bookshelves of the Ardis Books office — Charley, our first employee, in the office as it is today.

What We Believe In

Honest Grading

We photograph and describe books carefully, highlighting any faults rather than concealing them, as we want our customers to be delighted not disappointed when their books arrive.

Careful Handling

We pack carefully with top grade packing materials and boxes to ensure books arrive safely. All items are tracked and sent with reliable professional couriers such as Royal Mail, Parcelforce, UPS or Fedex.

Specialist Knowledge

Ardis Books founder Robert Newbury has been selling books by post since the 1980s and has vast specialist knowledge which he is passing on to the newer members of the team.

Genuine Service

We are always available to answer queries from buyers and sellers alike, and are always pleased to hear from you.

Still Here. Still Finding Good Books

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