The Newsagent’s

The Newsagent’s is a shop on Fayetteville Street in downtown Raleigh that works something like a newsstand, if a newsstand also sold records. The shelves hold vintage books, vinyl records, cult films and key comics, every one of them picked by a person.

The owners are open about the point of it: they think algorithms are flattening culture, and a human being choosing what goes on the shelf is the answer. There is coffee too, and the place is small enough to talk in without shouting.

What to know

• The shop buys books, records and other items from the public.
• A published list explains which items the shop will not buy.
• An FAQ page answers common questions about buying and selling.
• The stated mission is to help rediscover and preserve culture.
• A newsletter lets subscribers hear about things first.