I bought comic books at that address many times as a young pup. I can't believe / didn't realize it had sold comics since the 40s. mind blown.
http://www.canada.com/story.html?id=c1b5ba9b-e2fa-43d9-9ace-843ca4d4e2cd
excerpt:
"Part of Vancouver's history, the store opened in 1946, as Ted Fraser's Book Bin at 1247 Granville at Davie. The original location was 6,000 square feet on two floors and one of the largest used bookstores in Western Canada. In 1963, Fraser and his manager, Eiran Harris, were charged with "possession of obscene material for the purpose of publication, distribution or circulation" when police seized several naughty titles, such as Whip Some More My Lady and Sin Teacher. They appealed all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada, but were eventually convicted and fined $3,400. The store changed names, and hands, a few times before Mabee bought the business in 1988."
Sadly, it had to change location a few years back and is now out of business, but it was a fixture for a long time. GIven the 1946 opening date, it probably sold the tail end of the whites in Vancouver right out of that location.
It's always sad when a good bookstore goes away.
It's interesting to me just how much this copy has traveled up and down the coast. Released in 1942, wound up in Vancouver at some point after the war. Made its way down to San Fransisco somewhere in the next 50-60 years, where my sister bought it as a birthday gift for me at Kayo Books, and now it's in the Seattle area in my collection.