[mc32]

I think you might have hit it with the "intellectual" aspect. Which is curious, in some respects because booksellers are mere merchants rather than producers (artists) one might stretch it and say they are curators (but any merchant is a curator).

With regard to knives, there are some people who do sit down and discuss process and knifemaker and tradition, history of a particular blade, provenance, etc. So it does happen. Chefs tend to have favorites. Swordspeople tend to have favorites.

But I have to admit, I think your point about perceived "intellectualism" might have merit (and explains the book part, but not the bookstore part but perhaps it's social aspect of the bookstore as you imply.