A Legacy Written in Rare Books
Since 1954, Old Favorites Book Shop has been Canada's most beloved source for rare, out-of-print, and hard-to-find books — founded by Kathleen and Lou Morris on Yonge Street, Toronto, in 1954 and carried forward with the same devotion into the 1990's, by Joy and Ken Saunders and their children. Although the retail locations have since closed, Joy Saunders still operates Old Favorites online through ABE Books. and still offers assistance locating those hard to find titles, book evaluations, and supplying prop rentals for the film and television industry. We hope you enjoy our website and find the research resources provided helpful, as well as enjoying our story and the memories, and don't forget to sign our guestbook!
The original Old Favorites Book Shop, 36 Yonge Street, Toronto, c. 1954
Founded by Kathleen & Lou Morris
Old Favorites was founded in 1954 by Kathleen (Kay) and Lou Morris of Toronto, Ontario. Lou had served as business manager for The Canadian Forum — Canada's celebrated literary magazine — and together with Kay ran a book service out of a quaint coach house at 16 Huntley Street, behind Woodsworth House, the C.C.F.'s Ontario headquarters. That service, the largest general book service of its kind in Canada, grew until it outgrew its home and became the first Old Favorites Bookshop at 36 Yonge Street. Kay, a former English and music teacher and proofreader for The Canadian Forum, brought the same devotion to literature to every shelf. What began as a modest collection of out-of-print titles grew, over decades, into one of Canada's most respected rare book institutions — a place where scholars, collectors, artists, and curious readers came not just to buy books, but to discover them.
Read the Full Story→"If we don't have it… We can get it!"
Preserving a Literary Legacy
Archival Photographs
Rare photographs of the shop, its founders, and the community of readers and collectors who made it a Toronto institution across seven decades.
Browse the Gallery→
News Clippings
Vintage newspaper and magazine features chronicling the shop's history, Ken Saunders' expertise, and its place in Canadian literary culture.
View Clippings→
Documentary Film
Rare documentary footage and video tributes capturing the spirit of Old Favorites — the shelves, the stories, and the people behind the books.
Watch the Film→Searching for a Title?
Old Favorites Book Search
Joy , continues the tradition of Old Favorites with a personal book search service run from what could be considered a small coach house, we call the "Seldom Seen Coach House Collection". Describe the title, author, or subject you're seeking, and she will search her network of rare book sources on your behalf.
Active Rare Book Catalog
Browse the current Old Favorites inventory on AbeBooks — thousands of rare, out-of-print, and collectible titles available for immediate purchase, with new acquisitions added regularly. Or check out our research page for more help finding those elusive titles..
Rare & out-of-print books · Ships worldwide
"Old Favorites is not just a place to buy books. It is a place where the past and present meet, where the written word endures, and where every reader finds something they did not know they were looking for."
Old Favorites Book Shop · 1954–Present