Everything You've Always Wanted...

No lines. Lower prices. Easy returns.

What sounds like a dream in the dog-eat-dog world of Harvard Square bookstores may be coming true if a 1987 College graduate has his way.

At Affordable Books at 114 Mt. Auburn St., David S. Graham '87 means to give the Coop a run for students' hard-won money with a small, nofrills shop that beats its 26 competitors in Harvard Square in service and convenience.

"In these two weeks, students have a hell of a lot of purchasing power," says Graham, remembering his undergraduate days. "They deserve at least not to stand in line and not to pay an inflated price."

Graham's shop, which bills itself as an alternative to the Coop for textbooks, began business last week and will stay open until October 17. Located above Chili's Grill and Bar, it claims to provide books at a 12 to 20 percent discount off Coop prices, although on a smaller selection.

Stark white walls and rickety wooden shelves testify to Graham's cost-cutting, and Affordable Books can't match the Square's up-scale booksellers for browsing atmosphere.

But the shop's young owner intends to make up the difference. "We accept returns with a smile," he says. "If service institutions aren't willing to provide service, [for-]profit institutions like mine are," he says.

Among his offerings: home billing to parents for students' charges, and no harassment for book returns.

He even boasts of a maternal touch. Sheila L. Graham, David's mother, runs the front desk. And he sells firewood.

Graham, a former Government concentrator and Quincy House resident, is a newcomer to the book business. He spent last year working and traveling through Asia and the summer building patio decks around Cambridge.

He decided he needed a job only because he hopes to attend graduate school out West sometime in the near future.

"A life of poverty as a graduate student doesn't suit me," he says.

Hence the store. Becuase he orders different editions, Graham can boast some dramatic savings on textbooks, though on an admittedly limited inventory. For example, the text used in Social Analysis 10, "Economics," sells for $45 at the Coop but only $25 at Affordable Books.

But titles from many of Harvard's most popular courses--such as Literature and Arts C-14, "The Concept of the Hero in Hellenic Civilization"--cannot be found on Affordable Books' shelves.

Graham said he could not provide texts used in Harvard's Core Curriculum because the Core office refused to give him its course syllabi.

"The Core office gave me no help, just a long list of explanations, none of which were satisfactory. Their general attitude was, 'We don't want to piss off the Coop,'" Graham said.

A late start--only two weeks before the start of fall classes--and problems dealing with more than 40 different publishers added to his problems, Graham said.

But he plans to struggle through and be back next spring. And he's learned some lessons the past weeks, too.

"If I could have done anything different I would have bought a cash register--right now I'm running everything out of my tool box."