Three Lives & Co
Three Lives & Company is a Greenwich Village independent bookstore selling curated literary fiction and hand-signed first editions to local readers and nationwide shipping customers. The six-person shop, owned by Toby Cox since 2001, relies on community reputation and knowledgeable staff.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Three Lives & Co does
Three Lives & Company is an independent bookstore operating from Greenwich Village in New York City, with an original storefront at 154 West 10th Street (currently relocated to a temporary space at 238 West 10th Street during construction). Founded prior to 1991 and owned by Toby Cox since 2001, the store employs approximately six people and specializes in curated literary fiction and non-fiction, including a hand-signed first edition program with titles priced from $30 to $100. Its customer base spans local Greenwich Village residents, dedicated literary readers nationwide who order via phone, email, or an online order form, and collectors seeking signed editions and author events.
The business operates with no proprietary technology stack: the tech layer consists of a basic website (threelives.com) with an email newsletter subscription form, an online order form introduced during the COVID-19 shutdown that processes requests for UPS Ground shipment ($7.95 for up to 4 books, $10.95 for 5+), and standard email/phone order channels. There is no API, no mobile app, no integrations, and no AI/ML component. Distribution is omnichannel in a small-scale sense — in-store browsing, curbside pickup, phone/email ordering, and nationwide shipping — alongside complementary products such as gift certificates, preorders for upcoming signed titles, and canvas tote bags. Marketing runs on a quarterly email newsletter, an Instagram presence, hosted author readings, and community word-of-mouth in the West Village.
Revenue is generated entirely through one-time retail transactions on books and ancillary items (gift certificates, tote bags), with no subscription, licensing, or recurring revenue model. Pricing is unit-based and publicly disclosed for the signed-edition inventory, while standard book pricing follows typical bookstore margins. The store has no external funding, no parent company, no subsidiaries, and no identified institutional ownership, functioning as a privately held, owner-operated independent retailer. Its value proposition rests on staff expertise, curated literary selection, special-order follow-through, and decades of community trust in Greenwich Village.
Three Lives & Co firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Three Lives & Co
- Legal name
- Three Lives & Company
- Website
- https://threelives.com
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Three Lives & Company is a Greenwich Village independent bookstore selling curated literary fiction and hand-signed first editions to local readers and nationwide shipping customers. The six-person shop, owned by Toby Cox since 2001, relies on community reputation and knowledgeable staff.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Three Lives & Co industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Independent Bookstore Retail
- NAICS
- Book Retailers and News Dealers (4592)
- akta.pro primary industry
- General Bookstores (New Books) (CRALAAAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Used, Rare & Antiquarian Bookstores (CRALAAAB)
Keywords
Where Three Lives & Co is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Three Lives & Co business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Book Retail Sales: Physical retail sales of new and rare books, including hand-signed first editions priced from $30-$100. Also offers special orders for customers.
- Online and Shipping Sales: Online ordering system with direct-to-customer UPS Ground shipping ($7.95 for up to 4 books, $10.95 for 5+ books). Shipping available nationwide.
- Gift Certificates: Gift certificates sold online and mailed to recipients or purchased in-store.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Signed First Editions priced $30-$100 per book |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels4 records
Three Lives & Co product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Three Lives & Company operates an independent bookstore in Greenwich Village, NYC, selling curated literary books including new releases, classics, and hand-signed first editions. The store offers in-store browsing, online ordering with nationwide UPS Ground shipping, special orders for hard-to-find titles, gift certificates, and author events and readings hosted at the shop.
Product overview
Three Lives & Company is a traditional independent bookstore offering a unified retail experience centered on physical and online book sales. The core offering is curated book sales (new releases, classics, hand-signed first editions) supported by services including online ordering, newsletter subscriptions, preorders, curbside pickup, and gift certificates. The store does not operate a modular platform architecture.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Curated Book Sales Traditional retail sales of curated new and classic literary books available for in-store browsing, online ordering with direct shipping, and curbside pickup.
- Hand-Signed First Editions Hand-signed first editions priced from $30 to $100 depending on title and availability, offered to collectors and literary enthusiasts seeking unique signed copies.
- Special Orders and Preorders Advance ordering service for upcoming titles, signed and inscribed copies from featured authors, and hard-to-find books requested by customers.
- Gift Certificates Gift certificates sold online and mailed to recipients or purchased in-store for use on books and merchandise.
- Author Events and Readings Hosted author readings, book signings, and literary events at the bookstore, including author drop-ins for signed copies of their works.
Companies that use Three Lives & Co
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Three Lives & Co technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Three Lives & Co partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Three Lives & Co competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Greenlight Bookstore: Independent Brooklyn-based literary bookstore with a comparable mission of community-driven curation, staff recommendations, author readings, and a similar indie-spirit — a clear direct peer despite its borough difference.
- The Strand Book Store: Iconic independent NYC bookstore famous for its '18 miles of books,' literary curation, rare book room, and author events. Closest large-volume direct peer to Three Lives on literary specialization and Manhattan customer base.
- McNally Jackson Books: Independent NYC bookstore with multiple Manhattan locations, deep literary focus, author events, and a strong curated selection of literary fiction and non-fiction — directly comparable to Three Lives in mission, customer base, and event-driven community model.
- Albertine Books: NYC French-English bookstore inside the French Embassy with a curated literary inventory and diplomatic/cultural cachet — comparable as a single-location, literary-specialty NYC indie serving a dedicated reader community.
- Housing Works Bookstore: NYC secondhand bookstore with a curated literary selection, in-store cafe, author events, and a strong community identity — comparable as a literary-focused NYC indie with event-driven traffic.
- Book Culture: NYC independent bookstore with multiple Upper West Side/Morningside Heights locations, strong literary and academic focus, author events, and community programming — highly comparable business model and customer overlap with Three Lives.
- Rizzoli Bookstore: Historic independent NYC bookstore specializing in illustrated, design, and literary books with strong visual merchandising — comparable as a curated NYC literary institution with high-end inventory and brand cachet.
Regional players
- BookHampton: Independent literary bookstore serving the Hamptons with author events, signed editions, and a community-curated model — directly comparable in indie literary focus, but operating in a different NYC-area geography than Three Lives.
Broad incumbents
- Barnes & Noble: National bookstore chain with physical retail locations, an online storefront, and broad inventory across literary and genre titles — relevant as the broad incumbent that defines the competitive set Three Lives operates against, though it lacks the curation and community focus of an indie.
Others
Market position
Strengths1 record
Weaknesses1 record
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Three Lives & Co social profiles
Digital presenceThree Lives & Co financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Three Lives & Co leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Three Lives & Co funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Three Lives & Co M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Three Lives & Co
What does Three Lives & Co do?
Three Lives & Company operates an independent bookstore in Greenwich Village, NYC, selling curated literary books including new releases, classics, and hand-signed first editions. The store offers in-store browsing, online ordering with nationwide UPS Ground shipping, special orders for hard-to-find titles, gift certificates, and author events and readings hosted at the shop.
Is Three Lives & Co a public or private company?
Three Lives & Co is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Three Lives & Co founded?
Three Lives & Co was founded in -1. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Three Lives & Co based?
Three Lives & Co is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does Three Lives & Co make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Book Retail Sales are the primary driver. The others are online and Shipping Sales and gift Certificates.
Who are Three Lives & Co's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Greenlight Bookstore, The Strand Book Store, McNally Jackson Books, Albertine Books, Housing Works Bookstore, Book Culture and Rizzoli Bookstore. BookHampton is listed as a regional player. Barnes & Noble is listed as a broad incumbent. Bookshop.org is listed as an others.
Does Three Lives & Co have an API?
No public API is recorded for Three Lives & Co.
What industry is Three Lives & Co in?
Three Lives & Co's product category is Independent Bookstore Retail. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRALAAAA, General Bookstores (New Books), with a secondary code of CRALAAAB, Used, Rare & Antiquarian Bookstores. Its NAICS code is 4592.