The marlin fish on the side of Melville Mansions was from a fish restaurant called Horatio's that once graced that corner. Sun damage caused it to lose its colour over time, but Melville Mansions gave it new life with a fresh black coat. Our mascot is officially in its goth era. Happy Spring week, Melville!

In this Week's Melville Untold,

• The Man Who Made Melville Literary 📇

• Pet Winter Wear Winners Announced 🧣

• Meet The New Ratz Team 🐀

Let’s go. 

— Aubrey Moloto, Kele Jackson

The Digest

37 Years, 7 Shops, One Obsession: Meet the Man Who Made Melville Literary 📇

Melville's known for its "boho vibes," incredible restaurants, nightlife, and of course, its coffee shops. But what's coffee without a good book in your hand?

That's where this week's focus comes in – one of the most important contributors to Melville's bookshop culture, Doron Locketz, the founder of the 37-year-old Bookdealers shop.

A True Joburg Native

Doron is a rare species in this city: a true Joburg native. He spent his early years in the suburbs of Sydenham and then Berea. As an accounting student, Doron worked as a banqueting waiter at the old Carlton Hotel before becoming a chartered accountant with a lifelong passion for reading books.

He received books as presents as a child and spent countless hours in the library, eventually building his own collection from all the books he'd gathered.

From Bookkeeper to Book Dealer

Doron got his first taste of the book trade when a mate suggested he sell some duplicates at a flea market. After selling his first book, getting blooded in the trade, Doron's accounting brain crunched the numbers, beamed at the potential margins – and he was off!

The side hustle became real as he began selling part-time at the Flea Market in Edenvale. He was "hooked" on selling books from the first sale, despite spending more on chicken pies than his turnover. It was the potential that excited him.

Doron became a market regular, frequenting "the coolest market at the time" at Newtown Square and the Yeoville flea market, and he also sold at Mardi Gras. After a fantastic run at markets, Doron saved up and rented a closet-sized cubicle in the Bazaar Centre in Yeoville, and Bookdealers was born.

He kept his day job whilst his parents helped manage the shop. Obsessed with the numbers, he carefully tracked break-even points and turnover in a trusty notebook. As business improved, Doron scaled up, buying second-hand books from charity sales and marking paperbacks at 70c with hardcovers reaching 90c each! "Reading books was very cool back then!" Business was booming.

The Leap of Faith

At 35, it was time to take the plunge. He began selling books full-time amidst strong doubts from his father... who later ate his words.

After a year trapped in the closet, he broke out and moved to a larger store in Yeoville, then to an even bigger one on Rockey Street. When an opportunity arose to buy his first property on Rockey, he declined because it included purchasing the existing stock of clothing as well. A decision he's very happy about today, given the decline that later befell those areas.

The Melville Love Affair

By the mid-80s, business success went up and to the right like a hockey stick! They kept trading whilst venturing to the northern suburbs, hitting markets and especially Mardi Gras.

When Melville held their first Mardi Gras in '86, Doron jumped at the chance to sell books there and fell in love instantly!

"Melville was where we wanted to be," sold by the epic energy and festivities of this creative, cosmo area. Without hesitation, he leased a store in the same building as the then "very busy" De La Crème.

Early Challenges

He was swayed to move by the Mardi Gras, but afterwards it was doodstil! Quiet. He began wondering if they'd made the right move. Having honed his salesmanship at markets, accosting customers from the pavement came naturally. He'd convince passers-by one by one, usually heading to De La Crème or other busy restaurants like Horatio's and Sam's Café. Eventually, a loyal customer base formed.

The Golden Era

During the area's golden '90s era, they thrived off foot traffic from vibrant 7th Street, especially at night. Trading until 10pm, people out for dinner would stumble by and buy books.

The business expanded further when Doron brought his nephew in, Guy Friedmann, and librarian Vivienne Yudaken, who managed bookshops in Rosebank and Rivonia, respectively. At its peak in the early 2000s, Bookdealers boasted seven branches across Joburg, including Melville, Rosebank, Bryanston and Rivonia.

Weathering the Storm

By 2008, the economic downturn and social media's rise triggered a decline from the glory days. Then, "Jeff Bezos dealt another massive blow" by popularising the Kindle, starting the electronic reader trend.

"Books became less fashionable," and physical book collecting declined.

Doron noted that "social media has hurt us a lot because people don't read as they used to." Despite these challenges, Bookdealers survived, though they had to close several stores, culling down to three.

Another major challenge is abundant stock. Contrary to initial fears of insufficient inventory, he now turns away people wanting to sell books and has two storerooms full of unpriced stock. The sheer volume makes pricing a continuous headache.

The team shrank considerably after his nephew returned to the UK in the late 2010s. Recently, Vivienne retired at 65 – an event she'd warned about years ago, though knowing didn't soften the blow.

Adapting and Evolving

Doron now owns two stores: one in Melville and one in BluBird Centre near Melrose Arch. A third in Rivonia continues trading under their name with new ownership ("He wouldn’t change the name!" Doron quips).

He's made huge efforts to adapt digitally, establishing an online presence with around 22,000 titles listed on their site and platforms like Bid or Buy. His son helps with social media.

While online sales grow slowly, they haven't matched physical shop turnover. They've diversified, adding:

• Vinyl records

• Classical CDs

• Postcards

• Posters

• Old maps

• DVDs

Revival Signs

Despite digital shifts, Doron remains optimistic about physical copies, especially collectable titles. He's seen "revived interest in physical books, particularly children's books." He emphasises that people value personal service and face-to-face recommendations, creating a loyal customer base.

He loves it when people who've left the country return years later to find the shop still open and relishes moments when newcomers discover the shop and offer lovely compliments.

They've had incredible moments with notable visitors like Max du Preez, Winnie Mandela, and Pieter-Dirk Uys, enjoying pleasant book-shopping experiences.

I Love Melville

Doron's most treasured memory remains the very first Melville Mardi Gras, where Bookdealers sold tons of books. He reminisced about what a "wonderful community event with such fun" it was – so much fun that it hooked him on the area! "Closing off the street for such an event was unique in Joburg at the time."

Doron loves Melville's resilience. "The area continually bounces back from down phases to new heights!" He's confident it will pick up again. He cherishes his early Melville days when it was “tremendously trendy with very good restaurants like Horatio's and Sam's Café, which were among Johannesburg's top restaurants."

VisIt bookdealers for a literary fix at 12, 7th Street, Melville. Call or Whatsapp: 0832658402.

Open Monday - Friday - 09:00 - 18:00. Saturday’s til 4 pm and Sunday til 3.

If you loved today’s time travel through Melville’s book shop history, why not buy us a coffee?

What’s Happenin’ 🤔

It's spring! Time to finally leave your shell, hermit.

Check out the events calendar for a comprehensive list of Melville events - The Melville Pulse Events Calendar 

Melville Weather For The Week 🌸

Wednesday 

31° 🌡️ 13°  | 🌥 |  🌧️ 0% | SSW 13 km/h 💨

Thursday  

29° 🌡️ 11° | ☀️ | 🌧️ 0% | ENE 11 km/h 💨

Friday 

29° 🌡️ 12° | 🌤️ | 🌧️ 0% | ESE 9 km/h 💨

Saturday 

29° 🌡️ 12° | 🌥 | 🌧️ 0% | N 6 km/h 💨

Sunday

22° 🌡️ 13° | 🌤️ | 🌧️ 2% | N 6 km/h 💨

Monday 

27° 🌡️ 10° | 🌤️ |  🌧️ 1% | N 7 km/h 💨

Tuesday 

27° 🌡️ 9° | 🌤️ |  🌧️ 1% | SWS 4 km/h 💨

Live & Music Events Lowdown 🎸

 Ratz has reopened, and Great Dane have come into Main Road. Your weekend decisions (and your liver) just got a lot more complicated. 

04/09 | Thursday | 6 pm - 2 am | Coca Restaurant and Lounge | A Random Groove | Free

06/09 | Saturday | 7 pm | chiesa di PAZZO LUPi | Reza Khotha Quartet ft. Jonno Sweetman, Shane Cooper and Buddy Wells | R180

07/09 | Sunday | 4 pm - 11.30 pm | Zouk Melville | Soft Serve Sundays | Free

07/09 | Sunday | 1.30 pm | Resource Gallery | Sunday Lunch ft. Ms Niksta and Urban Esemble | R500 and Corkage: R100

For more updates as the week goes on, visit our instagram page @snapson7th or our new Melville Pulse event calendar

Civil Matters 🚰

Urgent Water Crisis Meeting Tonight

Residents, heads up! There's an urgent public meeting with Johannesburg Water happening tonight at 6pm to address our ongoing water supply issues.

The meeting's online via Microsoft Teams - you can join using this link: Join Water Crisis Meeting

Councillor Kyle Jacobs strongly encourages all affected and interested residents to attend. Johannesburg Water will provide clarity on current challenges, outline what's being done to fix them, and explain what this means for us in the immediate and short term. There'll be time for questions after their presentation.

Don't miss this chance to get answers about our water situation!

The Tail End 🐾 

Pet Winter Wear Competition Results

It's announcement time! After an insanely adorable winter, spring arrives with the sound of trumpets! (And probably a few happy barks).

Our Pet Winter Wear competition, in partnership with Ziggy's Pet Pamporium, has concluded. We have two winners receiving fantastic prizes from Ziggy's: a R1,500 voucher for first place and a hamper worth R750 for the runner-up!

All votes received by midnight on 31st August were counted, the competition closed on the 1st of September.

In second place, with a whopping 54 votes, snagging the runner-up spot: the gorgeous, animal print-clad: contestants number 1, Ripley & Hicks!

Aaand, the most fashionable Pet in Melville award goes to: the super cool, supremely swaggy and shades-wearing pitbull with a massive 66 votes - contestant number 6 Bumpy!

Give a round of a-paws for our winners! Congratulations to Bumpy and family. You arrived fashionably late and stole the show! A true style icon for the ages. That swagger is undeniable.

We'll contact both winners about collection details shortly.

Thank you to all participants and voters! This is what the Melville spirit is about; fun moments that create Melville magic, like celebrating our beautiful animals!

A massive thank you to Ziggy's Pet Pamporium for partnering with us and adding the sparkle to our Melville Magic! 🤍✨

Stay tuned for our next competition! Reply to this email if you have some ideas.

Business Bites 🗂

We're adding a dedicated business section. Previously, "Icing On The Cake" covered business openings, closings and general news, but there's so much happening that it needs its own space. Melville Untold is a living publication that grows and changes as we learn.

Service Station’s One Step Away From Winning!

Our Melville gem is one step away from winning a 702 Best In Gauteng Award! Votes have been cast and are being counted for Service Station to win in the brunch category.

If you've eaten at Service Station, you know this is no mistake. We hope you backed one of our own, they definitely deserve it. All we can do is hold thumbs now and maybe order another one of their breakfasts for good luck.🤞

New Ownership, Same Spirit

 Welcome New Arrivals

• Great Dane to Melville

• Ratz ownership

Ratz: Honouring Legacy Whilst Looking Forward

We caught up with the new Ratz management team to introduce the hood and see what they have in store during this fresh chapter of Melville's oldest club still trading.

If you're familiar with Melville nightlife, you'll already know ex-Smoking Kills bartender, DJ and event organiser Coco (of P_ssy Party). They’ve joined forces with WacomBoy (Khanya Kemani), an event host and DJ with extensive entertainment industry background, forming a solid management team with diverse skills and experience.

They've been brought in by new owners Andrew The DJ (Kitchener's founder) and his partner José, who co-own the Irish Club and previously owned The Colony Arms.

They chose to invest in the Ville because they feel many legacy clubs and spaces – like their old venture Kitchener's in Braam – are being overtaken by trends and commercial culture. They fear this could happen to Melville, with many clubs predominantly playing Amapiano and hosting young mainstream crowds.

"We wanted to be somewhere we can bring a specialised atmosphere and add to the eclectic culture Melville's always been known for," they explained.

Their plan is about honouring Ratz's roots and legacy whilst catering for longtime patrons. They're not shying away from being intentional about operating as a queer bar either, making the space inclusive and safe for queer people and authentic Melvillains who know a good tune when they hear one.

They love that Melville is such a tight-knit community, especially amongst businesses. Other owners and managers popped by on their first nights to grab a double, introduce themselves, and offer support. That's the Melville way!

Ratz will bring back many beloved features and add on a few of their own:

• Let’s just repeat that for the people in the back: R90 for 2 x double and mixer specials all day is back!

• New menu celebrating nostalgia with legacy favourites

• Pool table (new feature)

• Wednesday and Sunday karaoke nights

• More queer community events and collaborations with spaces like Liquid Blue

We don't know what you're hearing... but it sounds like RATZ IS BACK! All the best to Coco, WacomBoy and the new ownership!

Great Dane: Fresh Energy on Main Road

And speaking of legends, there's a new big dog on the block. Great Dane has also arrived in the hood, bringing more energy and colour to Main Road. They're opening in the space that housed the old Ocean Basket.

Tune in to next week's newsletter for a deeper introduction with Great Dane’s team!

Art in Melville 🖼

Titanic Wreck Discovery’s 40th!

The Titanic Museum SA (Tintanic) exhibition celebrates the 40th anniversary of Dr. Robert Ballard's discovery of the Titanic wreck on the 1st of September by offering a 40% discount on First Class Premium tickets for the month of September. Jump on this offer before it’s… well, you know.

It's open Saturdays from 10am to 12pm and the offer runs all month long!

Grab discounted tickets here: 40% Tintanic Exhibition Discount

Markets Watch 🎪

Spring Markets Heat Up

Last time we looked ahead to September happenings at the Koppies. Let's check in with the markets this week.

Artisanal Market Spring Festival

Spring arrives with a bang at the Artisanal Market by the tennis courts. They're having a spring market this weekend with loads of activities featuring:

• Raffle: Get entered by buying at any stall; winners receive a massive spring hamper

• Story time for kids at Laurel's That Lovely Shop stall (second-hand books and cute crochet toys) starting from 11 am

• Kids' carpentry workshop where children can safely wield a hammer and feel like a true artisan.

• Live music and much more spring festivities!

Melville Market Spring Festival

The Melville Market at Kruis hosts a Spring Festival market on 27th September over the tourism weekend, featuring exciting activities and art exhibitions. We'll bring you the details closer to the time as plans are confirmed.

Thank you! 🙏

Thank you for diving into this week's happy news with us. Enjoyed the read? Consider buying us a coffee.

You can also support the team by booking us to shoot your events or refresh your social media content. We'll make you look so good, even your high school rivals will be impressed!

'Til next Wednesday, Melville,

Stay rosy, stay resilient, stay ravishing!

Veloma ✌️