The Story of The Printed Page

Even if you’re paying close attention to the road as you drive down South Broadway, you might not notice one of the hidden gems of Denver’s independent business landscape. The Printed Page Bookshop lives in a charming Victorian cottage on Antique Row. A yellow and black sign on the front porch announces its focus on used and rare books, but a step inside is necessary to appreciate all that this charming storefront offers the reader.

While the number of used bookstores continues to decline, the argument can be made that the value they offer the communities around them is on the rise. Successful owners are the ones who have taken on unique business models focused on the specialized interests of their clientele, while at the same time maintaining broad bookworm appeal. With The Printed Page now in its seventeenth year of operation, its longevity is a testament to founder Dan Danbom’s steadfast commitment to literature, history, and the art of the written word.

Strength In Numbers

The Printed Page operates under a trio of owners—Dan Danbom, John Frantzen, and Chris Harned. Frantzen joined Danbom as co-owner a year after its opening, and Harned came aboard in 2020 following a career as a high school teacher. The store uses a co-op business model, and each of its nine booksellers rents their own section of the store where they stock titles that fall under the category of their specialty. Every subject matter is covered, and the selection is constantly changing. The Printed Page also serves as a hub for book collectors, a place to gather and share their own stories. Danbom places booksellers in a category with bartenders and barbers as he recalls being amazed by what complete strangers tell him about their lives. “Your taste in books is certainly very personal, and when you get into why you like what you like, the conversation can take a very personal route.”

The Printed Page is a member of the Rocky Mountain Antiquarian Booksellers Association. Danbom, Harned, and Frantzen are all graduates of the Colorado Antiquarian Book School, an organization offering education to booksellers, librarians, teachers, and collectors. Asked what one learns at the Colorado Antiquarian Book School, Harned recalls the scope of his learning, as imparted by instructor Rebecca Romney, rare book expert on The History Channel’s hit TV show Pawn Stars. “They start from scratch: What is a book? A book is an object. How is a book constructed? We learned about the Incunabula, or the first books printed before the year 1500, on the Gutenberg Press. And, of course, how to source books and everything about the book business.”

The meaning of the term Antiquarian is easily misunderstood to imply a simple connection to a bygone era. This nostalgic connection to the past is, in fact, the draw of antique collecting for the layman browsing the shelves of antique shops. The term antiquarian, as it’s used in book collecting, refers to the value of the book, which is often not relative to its age so much as to other characteristics – its publishing edition and scarcity, whether it was signed by the author, or perhaps who it belonged to. What gives a book value is a complex story not visible to the untrained eye, and Danbom cautions that most old books are not valuable. “People think that antiquarian books are old books, and that old books are valuable. Most old books, frankly, are just old. But a first edition signed Steven King book might be worth $15,000.”

Finding the “White Whales”

Some of the most sought after titles that have come through the shop include a first edition of Frank Herbert’s “Dune” and Philip K. Dick’s “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?”, the basis of the movie “Blade Runner.” Both arrived in a single collection of science fiction that had been sealed in storage for 30 years. Danbom comments that finding a rare book is easily the most fun you’ll have as a book collector. “It was just almost electric finding that science fiction collection and opening those boxes like a sealed piece of somebody’s life. I was like a panting dog,” he laughs.

Financial success as a rare book dealer relies on one’s ability to let go of the gems he discovers. Danbom recalls selling first editions of “The Grapes of Wrath” and “The Catcher in the Rye” and wishing he had them back. He consoles himself with the recognition that another might one day come through the shop. A treasure hunter will celebrate any prize he finds, though Danbom does have a few “white whales” he’d love to see come through the shop. A first edition of “Alice in Wonderland” would sell for several hundred thousand dollars. The initial printing was recalled because the illustrator was unhappy with the artwork, and only twelve copies remain in private hands. A signed first edition of “The Great Gatsby” is another holy grail. When the classic was initially published, F. Scott Fitzgerald was in Europe, and only a handful were signed. Danbom estimates the value of one of them to be around $900,000 as he reminisces about having seen and held one in his own hands. Some books are so rare that their value can’t be determined by any market. The notion that they might never change hands is hypothetical enough that the estimated price is simply whatever it would take to convince the owner to part with it.

A Treasure Hunter’s Journey

The story of The Printed Page begins with its opening in 2009, just as the e-reader was growing in popularity. In the 1980s, Danbom held a career in corporate communications working for the Public Service Company of Colorado prior to its absorption by Xcel Energy. Denver Post reporter John Dunning was a friend of his and brought him on at The Post as a book reviewer. When Dunning later opened The Old Algonquin used bookstore on East Colfax, Danbom and his wife became minority silent partners. It was then that Danbom’s interest in books as collectible objects began to take shape.

He served as the “book scout” for The Old Algonquin, spending his weekends at garage sales and estate sales, sifting through piles and boxes of paperbacks with coffee stains and dog-eared corners on the lookout for anything of value. His father would accompany him on these treasure hunts. “He asked me several times if I ever thought about starting a bookstore, and I assured him that was a crazy idea.” The elder Danbom died in 2000, so when the younger opened The Printed Page in 2009, he honored his father through the naming of his own bookselling business within the co op: Danbom and Sons Books.

Dan Danbom’s endeavors as a writer are not limited to book reviews; he was also a feature writer for The Post and has authored books of his own. Much of his writing is inspired by his experiences as a bookseller. Danbom’s “I Met Another Dead Man Today” and its sequel, “The Man From the No Kill Orphanage,” are collections of essays about his experiences buying book collections from the bereaved as they offloaded the belongings of their recently departed kin. Indeed, one can tell quite a bit about a person from the books they owned, how they kept them, and the items found tucked inside.

For The Love of Bonnie Brae

While many of Danbom’s writings are diary-style anecdotes of the goings on inside The Printed Page, he dips his toe into history with “Becoming Bonnie Brae: The Story of a Neighborhood.” A Bonnie Brae resident since 1979 who has watched the neighborhood evolve over the decades, he was inspired by its centennial anniversary in 2023 to compile what he could through research and conversations with neighbors and local historians. The 55 page pamphlet offers a peek at George Olinger’s early vision for the neighborhood, its slow growth during the Depression, how life in the 1920s informed home design, and how the streets got their names. “Becoming Bonnie Brae” and “The Man From the No Kill Orphanage” are available at The Printed Page or directly from Danbom.

Independent bookstores like The Printed Page remind us why certain businesses feel alive in a way no algorithm or overnight shipping box ever could. They’re built on human quirks, deep knowledge, and the kind of personal connection that can only happen face to face. They preserve stories, expertise, and relationships that would vanish in a landscape dominated by uniform storefronts. In a neighborhood that’s seen many beloved establishments fade with the passage of time, those that remain become anchors not because they sell something rare, but because they offer something indispensable: character.