Visit and Review of AO Photo Book Center in Hong Kong

[ed9119]

I have been in HK for a few days now on business and slated to go home on Saturday 2 July.

Yesterday, 28 June 2011 after a morning of appointments, I had an hour to spare before lunch at 12pm at the IFC. Without a shopping agenda in mind, I figured on spending the hour walking around the huge IFC shopping mall.

I was getting bored ........ fast.

Wandered around the Airport Check-In area at level 1 of the mall area (below is the Hong Kong Station where the Airport Express Train station is) ...... nothing interesting there either ..... there were 2 all-glass elevators next to the Check-In area I took it up to P3 (level 3) and turned right.

10m away on the right I hit paydirt as I stumbled upon the AO Photo Book center (address Shop 3021 Level 3, IFC Mall Tel:+852-2781-1400)

another perspective of store location (walk towards left of image and take the lift down to the Airline Check-In Counters on level 1)

NOW I WAS WIDEEEEE AWAKE !!!!

 

[ed9119]

Got to know a very nice young lady and her assistant running the store there... she's a little shy holding up the 2.5kg Leica Historica while conveniently hiding her face from my P&S ha ha ha !! I spotted 2 copies there at the store for HK$1400 each......

There were good numbers of out-of-production 35mm and medium format cameras there as well ..... mostly not for sale but some had price tags on them ......... this jewel of a store was like a museum of cameras and rare photography books with many stuff on sale

No Lowepro, no Domke, no ThinkTank, no Tatanka camera bags at this shop ...... but they do have a whole load of old school, all-leather/canvas camera bags and camera straps on sale including a sweet sweet Hasselblad hardcase

 

[ed9119]

It IS a bookstore first ...... in essence selling photography books first and then camera accessories and cameras but do not go there expecting to buy a digital camera ...... they are totally old-school film oriented

I went through the titles on the shelves and it was literally jaw-dropping ....... photobooks from mainland China from the 80's through current contemporary ....... enough rare and current Magnum books to fill my wildest dreams..... and so so much more ....... I needed a half a day in this store instead of an hour

 

[ed9119]

The service at the store was very good although the salesgirl's knowledge on details of photography books and photographers' books' featured works could be better ....... ok this not a fair comment on my part ...... the staff service was great and they had a database to refer to if you want to source for a book that might not be available physically at the store.

BTW, IFC Mall is on Hong Kong Island ....... nearest MTR station is the Central Station ...... ask around how to get to IFC if you're unsure

They were very understanding in allowing me to take photos in their store after I had explained to them about Clubsnap and my wish in sharing with others online about their store.

Ironically this was a BRANCH store ......... AO's MAIN FLAGSHIP STORE is located at Ground Floor of Asia One Tower , at 8 Fung Yip Street, Chai Wan tel: 852-2976-0913 I CANNOT imagine what other goodies and treasures the main store holds

Their email is at info@aophotobook.com if you have book or other enquiries.

Best of all they have a website http://www.aophotobook.com/bookshopmain.php

They DO NOT do online/internet sales

Going through their book catalog online this evening ........ I am sure I will be visiting either one of their 2 stores the moment I have time to sneak away from work in HK