Paul Sobel, Sheltams Newsstand

Paul Sobel, owner of Sheltams Newsstand (named for his two sisters Shelley and Tamara), fell in love with the news business as a kid after his father became a part owner in a bookstore. Paul knew that this was what he wanted to do. He has owned and operated several newsstands in Los Angeles and opened Sheltams at the Farmers Market 34 years ago. He says he still relishes the fact that he's always dealing with a new product almost daily. He and his wife Elizabeth have two adult sons.

"I don't know if I could've been a journalist myself because I don't know if I could've written on deadline, but I love this product. It's constantly changing. Everyday, we get new merchandise to sell. I love that I'm surrounded everyday by this huge spectrum of thought and ideas.

Somebody can come into the store and find something that appeals to them. There are so many different magazines in various subjects. There really is something for everybody. People come in, looking to be engaged, to be informed. We're not just fulfilling someone's immediate need but to expand their minds on some level.

In this particular economy, magazines help take people away from their worries. It's an inexpensive way to entertain yourself and sort of get away from it all. Fashion, gossip, entertainment, home design, travel, hobbies, puzzle magazines, international newspapers and magazines, all of this is here. And we have what I call "evergreens", those special edition magazines related to a famous celebrity or historical figure. These generate a lot of interest and are considered collectibles. They're very popular.

The newsstand is such a source of so much (political) opinion. I think the strangest thing is the degree to which people feel free to express their opinions whenever they see a headline. It is stimulated by what they see and read, and it causes some interesting conversation right at the counter. Often, people are reluctant to reveal their true political thinking, but someone will blurt out something and then there will be someone of the opposite opinion and the sparks begin.

Actually, I love politics. I think that's one reason the newsstand is so interesting to me, all this political opinion available. I don't love politics enough to want to be a politician, but I love analyzing it, watching it, engaging in the ideas that come from politics.

I do worry about where journalism is headed today, but I'm confident we're coming up with ways to respond to the advent of the internet. Our new on-demand newspapers that give our customers the option of reading complete newspapers from anywhere in the world is very exciting.

I've loved being at the Market. After 34 years, I don't know all my customers' names, but I feel like I know them. I feel connected to them, the fact that I come in contact with them, there's a familiarity. In a big city like LA, there has to be a place for regular interaction, and the Market is that place."

(323) 934-0318, Stall #818