Photo: Huub Zeeman

Ed and Madeleine started Poortopia because the historical book trade in the Poort is struggling. Sales are declining, and upcoming renovations at The University of Amsterdam makes relying on chance encounters unsustainable. The future of the book trade in the Poort is at risk, and we need support!

Poortopia, the largest vendor at Oudemanhuispoort Bookmarket, now has an online presence. Following tradition, we sell secondhand books in 'the Poort'. As Ed,  puts it: "There is still a certain atmosphere here. It has an old history. It has been here for nearly 150 years already. It has always been a book location. Traditionally, this has always been one of the most important places for books in Amsterdam."

Poortopia was born from this need to connect with more people. Over the past decade, our tables have changed and grown with the help of the neighborhood. The bookstand is a community project, here to serve everyone. It's a place to talk, browse, buy, or just hang out.

Going online, we want to give locals the same joy of exploring our street stalls — an adventure through language, in the street, and in dreams. 

Boekenstalletjes in de Oudemanhuispoort. Gefotografeerd voor het geïllustreerde weekblad Het Leven. 1925 ca. Foto: Stadsarchief Amsterdam

Boekenstalletjes in de Oudemanhuispoort. Gefotografeerd voor het geïllustreerde weekblad Het Leven. 1925 ca. Foto: Stadsarchief Amsterdam

As things change, we have had to adapt. Our shop stalls alone now hold over 15.000 secondhand books from daily city hunts, showing our dedication. Since every item we sell is unique, we’ve had to find efficient ways to manage, like using our phones to speed up the photography process.

As street sellers in Amsterdam, we listen to people's dreams. We want everyone to join in and embrace "the mystery of it all", as one customer put it. Books help us do that. Everyone's welcome.