In 1982, when the owner was having financial problems, it was taken over by Barry Mason, a former special effects engineer and inventor, and his wife Karen, a former journalist, who had been working as distributors for Larry Flynt's publications.

[1][2] In addition to gay porn and adult toys, the store stocked back-list paperbacks,[3] novels by LGBTQ writers, science fiction books, Bibles, and foreign newspapers.

Circus of Books was caught in an FBI sting and Barry Mason was prosecuted; his lawyer mounted a First Amendment defence and he was let off after a guilty plea by the corporation.

[2][4] In 1989 the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department ordered that the West Hollywood store close from 2 AM to 6 AM after complaints that it attracted hustlers.

The West Hollywood location closed on February 9, 2019,[2][1] with the owners' daughter Rachel Mason, an artist, musician, and filmmaker,[6] stating that the easy accessibility of gay pornography and cruising apps like Grindr replaced the need for a spot like Circus of Books.