Because Black and Read is tucked in and hard to see while driving along Wadsworth, I haven't had the chance to stop by until this past weekend. I didn't really have any expectations and decided to just check it out but ended up very surprised. First off, the service here is top notch. Since we walked in to when we left, the people here are the prime example of customer service. Great job guys! There are a ton of new and used puzzles, board games, records, etc here. The prices are in between a thrift store and places that only sell new stuff if that makes sense? Especially if you're looking for board games, you would really enjoy this place. There were so many here that I have never heard of before. I got a used puzzles here for $7! I look forward to coming back here and browsing around! read more

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Just about every record in this store is overpriced - many $10 or more above Discogs valuation. Extreme example - they have a sealed copy of Neil Gaiman Signs of Life, clear vinyl edition, selling on Discogs for $8 new. The sticker price at Black and Read...$60. Six. Zero. If you're looking for something specific there's a good chance you might find it here. Just know you're probably going to overpay for it. read more

Black & Read - Sealed copy at B&R - Vinyl Records Near Me - Arvada, Colorado

Dangerous place if you like games, books, or vinyl. I wandered in looking for ONE game and um...er...left with more than one. The place is packed. And I mean packed. Luckily the employees, a super friendly bunch, knew where to look or whom to ask where to look or knew the answer right away. They are there to help and is reflected in their attitude! I would say it is chaos in there and there doesn't seem to be a method to the madness but it is VERY worth your time to wander EVERYWHERE in the store. There are gems around you didn't even know you were looking for. I will be back! read more

Black & Read - Easy to find store front. Enter in either door. - Vinyl Records Near Me - Arvada, Colorado

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Amazing selection of new and used books, records, games, and a bunch more. Super friendly and knowledge staff. My go-to place

I was introduced to Black & Read by my partner. He introduced me to the store when he needed to sell some of his board games. He describes it as "stepping into someone's attic," which I would say is a pretty accurate description considering there is some organized chaos happening in the store. There are so many great things in this store including used board games, new board games, RPGs, used books, new books, CDs, music, and records. It is a really cool place to go and spend some time looking around. I find they have really cool puzzles often too. We kind of cycle through board games so my partner will bring his board games to sell, then we'll come home with some new ones. I tend to spend a lot of time looking through the dice to see if there are any dice that would be good to add to my ever-growing collection of dice. I try to always buy something when I stop in since I want to see this independent store succeed. It is a gem! read more

Black & Read - Vinyl Records Near Me - Arvada, Colorado

This eclectic collection of books, music, role playing games and more is like the wish in the dark corner in your mind. You never knew it was there, but when you finally find it, it is like searching for memories. Between every isle, hidden in corners, and seemingly lost until you lift your dream like a treasure. The store owners and operators just want to help you find what you are looking for. They are extremely friendly and knowledgeable as to everything in the store. I highly recommend this store for anyone who is looking for a collectible game, great music, or just your next favourite novel. Did I mention it smells like a well read book in there? I love this place! read more

Insane amount of inventory. Worth it to take your time and walk the entire store. Great finds!

I used to come here in 2001 when I first moved to Colorado and recently came back with my two daughters and the place hasn't changed. It's geek heaven. My kids like the selection of anime and manga and I can dig through old punk memorabilia. read more

This place is definitely a gem and not common anymore to find these used media stores. It's a treasure trove of books, music, movies, and games. They usually have things piled up at one of their front doors that they haven't even had a chance to organize and put away. It's just amazing. I've been going there off and on for years even though I don't live anywhere close to it, it's just an experience! You almost always find something that you want. And the place doesn't look that big until you get inside and then you realize that it just goes further and further back. I could spend hours in there if I had the time to do it. It's a lot of fun! I hope this place continues to stay in business because it's one of a kind! read more

Great place! Not sure how this stayed off my radar so long, but glad to have heard about it. I was specifically shopping for used board games and escape room games, and found plenty of good deals. Prices are quite fair, even for relatively new releases that are used yet in great shape! They also sell plenty of new/used board games and role playing game resources. Staff were knowledgeable and welcoming. I look forward to returning! read more

NGL, pretty bummed I have to leave this review. I've been to this place once before and it was great, but this time was a little different. On Tuesday, March 19th I went into the store to look through their vynal collection. This time, their vynal assortment was somewhat organized, yet it was very hard to pinpoint exactly where things were as they could be in a multitude of places. After searching for almost 2 hours, I found 5 very pricey vynals that I liked, but wasn't sure if I was in love with. When I went up to the cashier, I made sure to ask what their return policy is if any. I was told I had 14 days... however, I was not informed it would be store credit, or that 2 of the vynals would lose $20 value at purchase because they were already out of their original packaging. I went home, looked these vynals up & found 2 of them being sold for much cheaper online. I was bummed, those were gifts and I would've much rather purchased them new/unopened rather than opened. I would not have come in and spent $250 on vynals I wasn't sure I was going to love if I knew it was a 14 day EXCHANGE policy. When I went back today, I told them I did not have my receipt, but I did have the card I paid with as well as the bank transaction from black and read for the items. The way he told me he could do the exchange sounded like store policy, so who's to say it would be any different if I did have the receipt? No one gave me this information, and I won't argue with a customer service worker, so in my sleep deprived state I just decided to try the exchange route. After looking for about 15 minutes I collected my vynals and told the clerk about the information I had received upon purchasing these vynals, the response I got back was basically "yea, sorry." So with no hopes for rectifying the situation, I went home. The person I dealt with today was giving me bare minimum information, like, would I have been able to get a full refund if I brought in the receipt? I don't know, and even if I did bring in the receipt, who's to say this guy's way of handling the situation would be any different than any of the others working the store? I guess I just have to go in and specifically ask for the person who worked March 19th and ask him specifically ‍‍ read more

Black and Read is legit. Can't believe I hadn't been before. It's huge and affordable. Great selection! Support local business and save the environment by shopping here read more

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Interesting independent book and music store that is chock full of stuff. They have a lot of sci-fi and fantasy related books and games. Not really my thing but if you're into that you'll love it here. read more

Great selection of new and used records. My daughter was in heaven! We shop for vinyl regularly in NYC and she found MORE at this spot in Colorado. read more

This place is amazing! Books, Records, and GAMES! Something for everyone here. Great selections of new and used. Looks like they're pretty active Kickstarter backers as well. Good prices. read more

This might sound kind of petty, but here goes anyway. This used to legitimately be basically my favorite store in town. As in ALL OF DENVER METRO. Cheap but good DVD's, a ginormous and seemingly unrivalled selection of tabletop RPG books and games, a massive selection of old-school DND and Warhammer 40k novels, of the kind that hasn't been seen in Barnes and Nobles for ~20 years. But last Saturday I was just weirdly accosted/barred from entry by the cashier running the place, an old dude with a ponytail. There was a woman I didn't notice taking some kind of survey, and for whatever reason the cashier wouldn't let me enter until I answered her question. I think he realized his mistake afterwards, but I hope it's understandable why I'm pissed. I don't know if I'll be shopping here again just because of this. read more

I love small businesses, and I am definitely of the mindset that we need more locally owned business, bookstores, and record stores. But in the almost 10 years that I have lived here this place has accumulated as much stuff as my junk drawer. There are decades old books that, while they may be at a reduced price, are still pretty expensive for the state that they're in. It's also not very clear what the inventory tracking looks like which might attribute to why so many items are overpriced. I absolutely love the game selection but it honestly gives me a bit of anxiety going into this store. The piles and piles of books at the end of every bookshelf make it almost impossible for more than one person to walk and or look in a particular aisle. read more

I like walking through and looking at all of the things for sale. Sometimes you can find really unique items and most things are very reasonably priced. Great place to go for new finds, but call ahead if you're looking for something more specific. read more

The vinyl selection has gotten better but the prices are out of control. Sure times are tough but I buy enough records to know a ripoff from a fair deal. It's a real shame because this used to be my favorite store. Try Twist & Shout or even Wax Trax instead read more

This place is close to my house. I dig it! I can go here often and just enjoy being around all the vinyl. They could tidy-up the books and game section but it works just fine like it is. If they cleaned that part up a bit I think they may sell more stuff. What do I know though? I recommend coming to this store and just chilling with all the cool vinyl. Record store day they have had live bands there. that was cool. read more

Black & Read - RSD 2019 - Vinyl Records Near Me - Arvada, Colorado

HUUGGEEE collection of tabletop games. I travel extensively and love to visit game stores in different cities. I can't recall ever seeing any store anywhere with more of a selection. So for that I would give them 5 stars. HOWEVER, I've never seen a store so disheveled in my life. There is absolutely no organization whatsoever. Stacks of stuff everywhere. And not simply because a shipment came in. They are just sloppy. The store didn't feel clean at all. Management needs to step it up and place a priority on organization. Such a shame. There are much better choices in the Denver area if you'd like to shop for tabletop games. read more

A great, local, independent store! Tons of books, CD's, DVD's, Tapes, records, dice, board and card games! I LOVE this place! A tiny bit cluttered but that just adds to the awesomeness. read more

This is my favorite book store !! It has been here in my neighborhood for many years. I really like their selection of used books and vinyl. They have a lot of posters and things as well. Many record stores have gone out of business in recent years, but this place gives everyone the opportunity to shop for items that are now very hard to find read more

This place is amazing. I came to trying to find a new boardgame that i couldn't find elsewhere. I was provided excellent service. I love thst they advertise Goth and Industrial music on the front of the store, among many other genres. And they sell vinyl?? *squeee!* From now on, i'm buying all my books, games and records here and. read more

Love this place! We started board gaming with friends a few years ago. Black & Read is always the first place we go when we want to pick up one of the latest games or comb through the slightly used games to get a good deal on a popular game. This is the kind of place that keeps you coming back for more. read more

I went in looking for a specific couple of CD's. They only had one, but offered a few alternatives in the same genre. We got to talking about tunes, and both of us forgot to check the CD cases. I got back to Pennsylvania, and found two of the three I bought were empty. Bummer. I emailed, they checked, and mailed them to me a couple of days later. Great customer service, great selection of tunes, and tons of goodies on the other side of the store. Thank you! read more

I went in specifically looking for used vinyl records, so I can't review the books or game section. They have a huge selection, but every time I found a tab for a band I was looking for, it was empty. I spent about an hour looking and left empty handed. There were two guys behind the counter neither offered help or seemed to even know three of us where shopping. They were involved in their own conversation which was ok with me since it was pretty clear they didn't have what I was looking for at the time. Hopefully I'll get a chance to go back and upgrade the review. read more

Best store for RPGs books and also best store for board games. RPGs are mostly 20% off so most of the time they are same price as Amazon only you don't have to wait. Same thing with board games, they are mostly on sale! I love this store and visit it on a weekly basis. I'm a huge Starfinder fan and they are the only store I've found with Starfinder Adventures. This is a store you should visit! I love it! read more

This place is literally bursting at the seams with a selection of great games, new and used, old and new. RPG's and tabletop games galore, and almost everything is eligible for discounts. Great place to trade old games, books, whatever. The staff is REALLY nice and very helpful. read more

Love this store. They have a little bit of everything. Brought my youngest son in to get some DnD stuff now he's hooked and begs me to take him every weekend. read more

Absolutely love this store, been going for years. Amazing selection of vinyls and rpgs's. Amazing friendly staff that's super helpful. Always a great visit! read more

We need to keep places like this around so I'll do the only right thing and give them five stars! But don't get me wrong these guys deserve it! and earned it! 78th and wadsworth in Arvada co but don't judge them for being in Arvada it's still cool! read more

I am completely in love with this store! I have been looking for a cool, funky bookstore where I could swap out my old books for some good used ones. They lose one star for only giving me $10 store credit for my entire staples paper box full of books, but at least they were nice about it. And, I was able to get 4 good used books that I'm looking forward to diving into. They had a great selection of hard-backed novels. Most of their book inventory is fiction, but they have a pretty decent sized non-fiction area as well (apparently they are paying bigger bucks for non-fiction because they are running low). Where are the prices? The secret to figuring out that mystery is to open the cover of the book and look for the price written in pencil on the first page. I didn't really peruse the music section, but that is virtually a second store next to the used books & DVDs area. It reminded me of this fantastic little music store called The Underground in CA that I used to love. If you've got a few paperbacks lying around, take them here and swap them out and check this place out. You'll be glad you did. read more

I've been to my fair share of record stores all across the country. Black and Read is a great place to find amazing compilation records. The soul and oldies sections are unreal and I always leave with awesome priced 60s compilations. Located in a strip mall, Black and Read is a little bit off the beaten path in Aravada. They also have an extensive book selection and used CDs too. A+ read more

Black & Read - Vinyl Records Near Me - Arvada, Colorado

Pretty cool record shop with a decent punk rock CD & Album section but not too many 45's. I was on a mission to find something by the Damned and they had their first album on CD that was a reissue version that I didn't have so I left happy :o) I will deffo check them out again if Im ever on that side of town. read more

I love this place.. I'm lucky I live really close by.. Usually on a Sunday when we're bored We go to Black and Reds.. We can roam around in there for hours.. so many cool, weird and interesting things to find. The sales staff is really nice .. I'm so glad you are guys here read more

The best. If you're like me and you dream about that special local bookstore with secret nooks and crannies where you can sit and read for a spell or might find something unexpected, this is it. Tons upon tons of used and new books, and plenty of other things as well! I am a Board Game collector of sorts, and they have an amazing selection with prices that are hard to beat. If you like music, especially vinyl, this is also the place to be. Yes, it's chaotic and a bit disorganised on the book side of the store, but where some might be turned off by that, I think it's part of the aesthetic and charm of the store. It reminds me of a childhood hiding in the library or in the stacks at the original Tattered Cover and sorting through wave after wave of books. Plus, it's full of that lovely smell of old pages. If you're a fan of Black Books, Bernard would highly approve... And you know how that irritates him. read more

I'm almost reticent to admit it, but Black and Read has recently overtaken a certain East Colfax recreation destination as my favorite record store in town. Why? For the simple fact that it's NOT just a record store. Its more like a wayback machine with the dials set to a random, cooler time and place. Whatever your poison, Black and Read carries everything you're looking for (and a few things you didn't know you couldn't live without). Where else in town can a heavy metal fella buy a Husker Du bio, first-pressing Bathory LP, Camp Blood t-shirt AND back issues of Kobold Quarterly? Twist and Shout has cool credit to spare, but I feel an all-too-rare sense of belonging whenever I walk into Black and Read these days. Love the staff, love the in-store stereo, love the selection...I've even learned to embrace the ambiguity of walking over stacks of Louis L'Amour paperbacks and mountains of Forrest Gump video cassettes. Like our man Forrest, you never know what you're gonna get when you set foot in Black and Read, but you can be damn sure you'll walk out a richer man for it. Did I mention they sell the cheapest booster boxes in town? What else could you seriously ask of them, free D20s with every purchase?! Keep dreaming, true believer... Long story short, if you have a proclivity for anything nerdy (and face it, we're all nerds about SOMETHING), be it bound, recorded, or played by on a card table, Black and Read have got you covered. Now get out of mom's basement and get your ass up here! read more

I love the smell of old books. If I could turn the musty scent that just cries out for a person to curl up on a threadbare armchair and waste hours lost in a good mystery, I'd do it. Black & Read OWNS this particular aroma. An impromptu visit last night had me yearning for more time and energy to really give this gem the attention it deserves. The book selection is outstanding. If you're looking for anything from cookbooks to suspense to smutty historical romance (dirty little secret just aired right there), they've got it covered at a ridiculously affordable price. There's a decent-sized corner full of kids' books, too, but no where to actually sit down and thumb through what's available. This is not a good place for little kids, which is why I can't throw the five stars at it. My daughter was wiggling like a fish in my arms the entire time we were in there, and there are zero places in that store that allow for the frolicking of toddlers. Due to time constraints and the fact that I was practically asleep on my feet, I didn't even wander into the music section, but rest assured, I will be back. Furthermore, if I ever decide that yes, I do want to toss about 20-sided dice and discuss trolls and mages and whatnot in significantly greater detail with friends while eating Cheetos and discussing the upcoming Ren Faire with unbridled enthusiasm, I think I know the place to satisfy all my gaming needs as well. And yes, that last paragraph consisted of just one sentence. read more

Wowza, this place had me on my knees and begging for more. Records, CDs, DVDs, and books cover each and every available surface. I love records and it was a joy to shop for them here. I was very much reminded of the scene from High Fidelity when John Cusack says, "I will now sell five copies of The Three EPs by the Beta Band" because all of a sudden a Modest Mouse tune came on and I felt I must instantly buy the album - again. The next room over is all about the books and movies. There are new books and used books. They didn't have every book I looked for and were missing a few high profile sci/fi authors that caused me to shake my head in wonder, but I'm hoping they were just sold out. The graphic novel section was impressive and they won me over with a special shelf labeled "Edward Gorey," a favorite illustrator of mine. I find myself looking for reasons to trek to Arvada just to worship at this media mecca. read more