I knew right off that I had a lot in common with Chaim O’Brien-Blumenthal, 16, of Brewster when I read his T-shirt promoting the great Strand Bookstore in lower Manhattan.

“Oh, I see you are a Strand fan,” I said, remarking that it is nearly 60 miles away and more than an hour’s ride from his hometown.

His face lit up letting me know this teenager was a real booklover. We both agreed that pouring through the tables of used books looking for treasures was pure fun. And you always find something really neat.

“It really is the biggest used bookstore,” he said. “There isn’t anything like it.” He said he has stood on line to sell some of his unwanted books — the store is known for replenishing its voluminous stock daily buying from some volumes from its customers — and he said he has also bought many books there.

Actually, for many years the teenager has been a collector of various items — buttons, bookmarks, stamps and coins for years and was featured in a 2005 article in The Journal News.

The Strand Bookstore celebrated its 80th anniversary last year. In addition to used books, the store sells new titles are 50 percent off the cover price, some at 20 percent off. They also have art books, first editions and rare books, and book accessories.

Store staff will even build a library or help with a film or theatre set that needs books. Victorian-Era books at $250 per foot, new leather classics at $300 per foot or contemporary fiction for $30 per foot. “We’ve put together libraries for hundreds of clients, including the Plaza hotel, Steven Spielberg, and Polo Ralph Lauren,” according to its Web site.

I didn’t notice at the time that Chaim’s shirt said 8 miles of books. The store now boasts of 18 miles of books, which refers to the main store and the many other Strand outlets throughout the city. Maybe his shirt is an older model or a clever version referring to the George Wills’ 1970s comment about all the books at the Strand. The newer versions in many different styles are available at the store and on its Web site.

The Strand is at 828 Broadway (at 12th St.)