Experiences at Grolier Poetry Bookstore in Cambridge, MA

Hi folks - I'm new to the board but not to poetry, and I was wondering if some others here can give me a second opinion on something.

For years I'd heard fantastic things about the Grolier Poetry Bookshop in Harvard Square, MA. One of only two poetry-only stores in the US, it has an outstanding reputation. But when I made my trek there I was sorely disappointed.

The primary reason was the poor selection. There were a lot of books on the shelves but on closer inspection many of them were quite old, ill-kept, and damaged by time and the elements. Many more books were simply not there at all: no Adrienne Rich, no Pinsky, no Jeffers, no Crane, not even any Eliot or Shakespeare on the shelves. Several other prominent authors were conspicuously absent - it was a bit of a shock given the store's reputation. When I asked about some of these authors and titles the shopkeeper seemed to have just heard of them during our chat (Jeffers and Hart Crane, specifically) - she didn't seem to know much of anything about poetry beyond the very basics. I placed a "special" order for a book I know I can find in just about any other bookstore, but I never received notice from the Grolier asking me to come pick it up.

The place itself seemed quaint and pretty in an old New England way but the experience there left me cold. Has anyone else been to this store and had a better time than I did? I want someone to tell me I'm wrong and that I just caught them on a really bad day or something (my visit was in December of 2012). It would be a shame if this was the usual state of things there.

I'm sorry I can't give a good second opinion. I feel like I've heard of Grolier's, but have never been.

Based on your description, it sounds like a kind of place that had its heyday decades ago, and now is existing on a sort of lingering fame. Maybe people now go there "because it's Grolier's," rather than because it's the best of the best. Alternatively, maybe they skimp on the well-known books because they figure you could find them many other places, so they'd rather focus on small-press or unusual books that are less accessible. (That wouldn't really jive with your conversation with the shopkeeper, but I'm being optimistic!)