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

I have been shopping here for as long as I can remember. I love their music section!! I have bought tons of records a.k.a. lp's yes they still have these here. I also purchased many cassettes here. Remember those? And no, they don't have these anymore. I have bought a whole lot of cd's here. Their used selection is the best I have found. They have all the genre's that get my blood pumping. Rock, punk, industrial, metal...they have it all. Plus they do sell the new stuff just in case you can't wait for someone else to pass it on. And don't get me started about the books. I am a book whore. Some people collect unicorns or salt and pepper shakers. I collect books. These guys have books lots of great beautiful books. Reasonably priced too. They also have dvd's. Role playing games and memorabilia. They also have other random cool stuff. It's a great place to waste a few hours and then happily emerge with a bag full of goodies. read more

This is a dusty cavalcade of pulp, print and binding. The organization is bad, it lacks tidiness to say the least. But here you'll find huge collections of DVD's, fine books, dirty books (both in content and hygiene) Want a 1976 Cheri magazine- its here, 132 copies of a Twilight novel? Oh yeah. Zombies? Uh-huh. History, Art, everything! Its huge, its clumsy, and its like nowhere else in Denver. read more

I LOVED this place. I wish it wasn't a 45 minute drive from my home!!! This spot is in a run of the mill shopping plaza (with Hobby Lobby, if you are looking for it from the road). You walk in and it is just a sea or vinyl, books, board games and just stuff. It is positively overstuffed. Now, even though they might be bursting at the seams with product they keep it organized. The records are well kept and they have great selections (from cheap finds, to new releases). The books section has a ton of variety and there are even some older printings in there. It is a place you can get lost in for a couple hours! It is a must if you are a book hound or a vinyl hunter! read more

Black & Read is seriously old school...exactly the way a music/book store should be. Go shop there if you have some good music in mind. Or better yet, go on a whim and spend time picking through forgotten favorites and rare finds. CD's and LP's abound and "the book side" is fantastic for finding great deals on art books (my favorite), cookbooks, fiction, rarities, and so much more. (FYI, if you love sci-fi this is the place for you). Buy, sell, or buy and sell... Awesome. read more

If you love books and music, you've found heaven when you step through the doors at Black and Read. Don't bother going unless you've either made a list of specific items you're searching for, or you have several hours to look til your heart is content. extra bonus: the kitschy stuff... I found a used "Family Feud" board game for under a dollar! there are also tons of videos (VHS) and DVDs. read more

Black and Read is more than a book store. Black and Read is more than a record store. Black and Read is a destination, a gathering place for music lovers and book lovers, for cutting-edge hipsters or well-worn antiquarians. Black and Read is amazing. The first thing you'll notice is that it's somewhat challenging to find the door. The windows and doors are all covered with posters so they all look the same. There are actually signs that say "This is the door" or something like that. Once you find the door, depending on which side you've entered, you'll be greeted by piles of books or rows of vinyl. It's also likely you'll have never heard the music that's playing but you'll want to find out who it is so you can buy the album. The music side has lots of new and used CDs and LPs. If there's a hard to find album you've been looking for, chances are good that you'll find it here. My brother found some crazy Ween album on vinyl that he just about flipped out over in the store. The book side is where you are at risk of never being seen again. There are piles and piles of books on every surface and all over the floor. The shelves are actually quite organized, so finding something isn't as hard as you'd think. If you're a collector, they have the rare books behind the counter. There's also a huge selection of games here. They have lots of RPGs and also lots of board games. We're not talking Monopoly here. Instead, they have all those board games you've never heard of but are popular around the world and seem to have massive underground followings. The music employees are very knowledgeable, but you'll feel like you're in a scene from High Fidelity if you listen in on their conversations. The book employees are very laid back and seem to have a huge knowledge of the games. Most of the time they're deep in conversation with someone about a game and the best strategy, newest expansion or characters for the game. I love to go here to hang out. You always hear the most interesting conversations and you'll surely find something you can't live without. The prices are great and the experience is unsurpassed. read more

Hi, my name is Mariko and I am a Bookaholic. It has been 16 days since I bought my last book (which was actually 9 books and a couple of journals). I can't really explain it, besides the fact that it's an addiction. Every time that pulped up tree parts molded into delicate pages I can't help myself. I thought that I could beat it, that everything was going to change, but I found myself picking up random books to add to the box at home in the "to read" pile. I feel their covers and it excites me. I feel that for that time, I am in control. When I collapsed my bookshelf by doing double rows on shelves, I realized I had a problem. But it's hard to stop when you've gotten into this habit, and with Black & Read so close to home- it's impossible. Every time I enter that hidden little shop the blood fills my head and I feel safe and at the same time powerful. It doesn't matter that I have no clue what I'm craving. I'll find something anything that will satiate my need, that yearning to open one and read it. read more

This place is just plain cool. I am into metaphysics and they have a pretty impressive collection, from new age thought to aliens to astral projection to bios of famous mediums. A lot of classics too, which I particularly love. I'm not big into vinyl records, Dungeons and Dragons or VHS tapes, but others apparently are, making this place a real score for them, I'm sure. It's the books I love, though --- and they have many, many of them in just about whatever genre you need. For cheap! read more

Okay Been going to this place since a yelp buddy recommended this for RPG games a few years ago and man was he right!.. I use this place as a great motivator for excercise, and ride my bicycle 6 miles to get here because it's sooo worth it! They have everything I could ever want and I can stay in year so far about 3 hours. My 2 daughters love this place too and my 15 yr old goes crazy with finding comic books. We sit in that area and read books we may purchase and we always leave buying several books/comics/and other stuff. I love their new age section and scary storys/myth books, it's fantastic! They carry all my sci-fi books I like, but you have to get them fast because the one's I like seem to sell fast too. I read everything and I mean literally Love reading everything from Text books-young adults and all kinds of genre's, it depends on the mood. I found a few VIctoria Holt books too and they were only $2, where as amazon was more with the shipping. I could just drown myself in this store because it's such a wealth of knowledge and it's like heaven to me. What can I say, some women like spending their money on shoes and shopping....well...I like spending mine on food and books. :-) If you play RPG this is your one stop shop, and they carry a lot of new stuff too.. This is a D & D haven/heaven for sure!! Soo worth it and such a priceless gem! P.S unless you're inlove w/books I don'e recommend you riding a bike this far lol, but butt hurts when I do and always call my hubb's to pick me up...But it's a great outdoor Workout that's for sure going up hills to get there. read more

For all of your nerdly needs. I recently discovered Black and Read when trying to find expansion packs to my Zombies table top RPG/adventure game. Not many stores carry them, but Black and Read does! I got distracted many, many times on my way to the back corner where the game items are. I was pleased to discover an entire wall of table top RPGs for all of my role-playing needs. People. People. Seriously, listen. They have the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles tabletop RPG. It doesn't get any better than this. As for the rest of the store, they have an amazing music selection and I was able to find CDs from the obscure Berkeley punk bands of my youth. Their book selection is interesting, but aside from that, their comic book/graphic novel selection is staggering. This store is heaven on earth. Join me in a hallelujah for Black and Read. read more

I wish I could say that I loved this place, I really do. It has a HIGE selection of Board games at Amazing Prices and more vinyl than you could every browse and a ridiculous selection of used books and movies. The down side? Don't come here if you are claustrophobic. The aisles are cramped and it looks like it was organized by squirrels on drugs. There are piles of crap everywhere. There is no inventory control system in place so how the heck would they know if they are out of a board game? or if a board game is selling well? Or not selling at all? They can't. If someone came into this store and put an inventory system in place and cleaned it up a bit it would be one of the best stores in the metro area. It has seemed to thrive in spite of itself. If you have ever wondered what living with a hoarder would be like, come here. This place is in desperate need of some TLC. read more

This store is fantastic. Music, books, and games, need I say more? I can't believe it took me so long to get into this shop, and frankly it's probably good that it did because I could spend hours here. There's so much to see that it's a bit overwhelming, but trust me when I say there's something for everyone here. The staff is very friendly and helpful if you need them, otherwise they let you peruse the aisles of treasures without bothering you. I can barely make it through one section of the store before something distracts me in another section. Punch me in the face and make it Black & Read! I can't wait to go back and spend some time looking around at everything. read more

I admit it: I'm a Bookworm. A Geek. I LOVE reading. And I love the nostalgia that fills my heart as I wander through aisled jammed with old favorites and original hardcovers, the scent of old book jackets and yellowing pages filling my nose. I see books I read until the binding fell apart as a kid, the classics I never got around to reading, my favorite Pulp Authors, and more. At Black and Read you'll also find a plethora of nearly useless VHS classics (I mean, really, who has a VCR anymore?) but it's still fun to look through them. I didn't see any Beta Max tapes, though. Oh, the good old days. What else will you see? Art books. History. Fiction Novels. Kids' books. Comic Books. (I'm sorry: "Graphic Novels") Games and toys, too. All this set to the soundtrack of a Ramones LP from the Music side of the store. CDs, Records, Posters, all the remnants of a 1980s Tower Records. How do you not love a place like this? read more

Black and Read is my favorite store on the planet! I have loved this place since 1995. I can never escape this nirvana of pure media bliss without a bag or two - EVER! Black and Read has an amazing array of vinyl, cds, dvds, books, novelty gifts, vintage board games, funny tees, trinkets, gadgets, stuff, stuff and more stuff galore! This store caters to everyone - all ages, musical tastes, literary fancies, etc. If you can't find what you are looking for in here - then you haven't looked enough or it is hiding behind some shelf someplace in there. Yeah - it is true that the shelves are overflowing but I find that to be a terrific thing - it is like a treasure hunt to shop here. And if you can't find a particular title or whatever it is you are looking for they will find it for you most of the time. What major retail outlet will do that for you in 2011? - Most of the employees at Black and Read seem to enjoy a good challenge and finding your unusual, out of print requests is often their specialty. The owner of this place - Danny is so wonderful to his customers. He loves to get to know everyone who shops at his store and after 15 years of coming here it is really cool that he goes out of his way to start a friendly conversation or see what he can help me with. Try getting that degree of service at Wal-crap and K-fart - it's not going to happen. If you are looking to expand your media collection in any way - books, magazines, dvds, cds, records, whatever, this is THE place to find that obsolete or hard to find title you need. This is also an amazing place to find thoughtful, unique and rare gifts for birthdays and other special occasions! read more

Where else can you rediscover your love of The Spice Girls? Fairly small and they seem to have 4 or 5 copies of everything you would never want, still a fun little second hand store. read more

Review based on my interest in gaming. As you enter, head over to the left side of the book store. All along the side wall are gaming books. Lots and lots of gaming books. The front third are the new ones but even better, the back two-thirds have a lot of older, used books. Heading to the back of the store, there are several board games on the last two or three racks and across from that are more board and card games. If you continue to the right and then make the next left turn, that rack has old 1st and 2nd edition D&D books, always great when you need to find an older book. To the right of the D&D shelf at the end is another shelf of gaming books. I want to say World of Darkness or White Wolf but honestly I can't remember. I'm a Shadowrun gamer mainly (Fantasy Cyberpunk) so don't pay as much attention to other games. The number of books here exceed even Bonnie Brae Hobby down on Broadway. They have a nice little selection of dice in the front counter and the staff are very helpful and willing to order books for you. read more

This is the perfect place to come to when you don't really have anything in mind, but just want to explore the nooks and crannies of this mismatched in search of some hidden treasure! And even then, I came here with a specific thing in mind (Zombie Fluxx!!) and was able to find it! They've got pretty much anything you can think of. Movies, music (cds-vinyl), games, books, etc. Everything is almost too reasonably priced, and the staff are more than friendly and helpful. Now, living in New York, I wish I spent more time here when I lived in Colorado! read more

A fairly good used book store, and the records section is a dream come true if your a Jazz fan. Very full, with aisles having books stackked in them, you can hunt and find some real treasures. A very large selection of used books, so if you are looking for a specific book, this might well be the best first stop to find it used. The album and records, though! If youlike Jazz, you NEED to check this place out. Finding many small run and out of print CD's in tsock, of obscure and hard to find musicians just plain made my day. I will be going back again and again. 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've been itchin' to dig for vinyl and decided to check out Black and Read. They have a decent collection of vinyl and can keep you digging for hours. i found a few unopened pieces of vinyl that I had to pickup. Prices are good and average around $2 a pop. They have another section for CD's and a large section for books. read more

Between the racks and racks of used LPs and CDs, the hand-written labels and signage, and the oddball newspaper-clipping collage art on every available surface there is the feeling that by simply walking into Black & Read you have become infinitely more hip. This feeling is in no way misleading. You are about 10x cooler AND smarter than you were five minutes ago. Black & Read is like someone took my crazy teenage identity crisis and turned it into a store. Is it a punk-rock used music store where you can find unique, weird bands to impress your friends with? Yeah, it's that. Is it a musty old library full of secret guidebooks for starting your very own revolution? Absolutely. Is it nerd heaven, supplier of all the best board games and card games and dice and disturbing stuffed animals? Oh, heck yes! Highlights: -The bathroom. Seriously, just check it out - the aforementioned collages on literally every available surface make for a very interesting public restroom experience. - The dice selection is so awesome that it's stupid. - The cheapest trading card game booster packs in the city. Specifically, the Magic: The Gathering boosters are still the same price they were five years ago. - Looking for a unique gift? Check out everything they keep by the register. There's a multi-player card game for everyone in the entire world, I promise. read more

I've been going to Black and Read since I was a kid and truly considerate it a suburban stronghold of my adolescent years. They have a unique array of books, music, posters, T-shirts, games, toys, trinkets and other random stuff you didn't even know you were looking for. It's the perfect place to spend a Sunday afternoon, typically browsing through the newly stocked used CD section or combing through records. I particularly like their selection of posters because they have some rarer used posters mixed in with more mainstream stuff. Some people have made comments about how cramped the shelves are, but honestly, I think they work with the space they have. I'd rather they overstock and continue to provide an interesting selection of books than under stock to make things look "pretty" (I may be a little biased, because I remember when the store was half that size). This place is truly unique and that's why I love it. I don't think I've ever been to a book/music/games store quite like it. read more

Killin' it. Saw Speedwolf play Record Day here yesterday, and I gotta say I don't know which was better. So thankful to have a place like this still around. read more

Black & Read - Speedwolf. #NationalRecordShopDay - Vinyl Records Near Me - Arvada, Colorado

I love this place! This place as been around as long as I can remember and I go here when I can't seem to find a certain book, or Cd's, games, DVDs and they even sometimes have records. They have a huge selection of whatever you maybe looking for and even things you may have thought about and then forgot about, it is a great place to go and really affordable too. Great place to go and this location that is right off of 80th and Wadsworth is the original location and the only place to go for some of the best of the old stuff! read more

A smallish but well-stocked used bookstore. If you are 'into' used books, you will be right at home here. Something of interest: One day a week (used to be on Saturdays) they do a massive "one price" sale where all paperbacks are like 50 cents. Great oppotunity to go 'nutso' on a book buying binge. This place is GREAT, with a friendly knowledgable staff. They might not be able to locate an exact book, but they can point you to a general area or pile LOL. Enjoy! read more

The moment I walked in I was shocked...piles of books all over the floor, cluttering the walk ways. How am I supposed to find a damn book I may be interested in other than sitting on the floor rifling through piles of books and getting in the walk of passersby... No organization at all in the CDs or books...drove my OCD brain absolutely bonkers... read more

Maybe I've had one too many shiny, aesthetically-arranged bookstores that have been decorated with their Instagram hashtags in mind, but I really loved Black & Read. I've been in a few times in the last few months, a few times to buy books and once to sell some old board games while I was in the process of moving. Everything is a little messy, with haphazard shelving and books in stacks on the floor, which makes navigating a little frustrating. There's a mix of vintage and modern books, which means you have to dig through to find either of them. Of course, I'm no stranger to hard work, but if I was looking for something specific or in a hurry it would be an issue. The staff is friendly enough, although fairly unobtrusive. They don't bother you if you're browsing which is something I like a lot in this type of store, actually. read more

Fantastic book, music, and game store. Huge selection and friendly staff. I will definitely be back.

The best location to find rare music, used books, new and used role playing books and gaming books, as well as oddities and rarities just for fun. I have been shopping at this locations for years now, and have never had any issues. The employees are helpful, pretty funny and are really familiar with the store's content. There are lots of out of print books hidden on the shelves, and each section is well stocked with a robust variety of choices. If you like gaming, then this location has some of the best prices on individual packs of Magic the Gathering, as well as miniatures for most of the biggest game systems, and consistently as a reasonable price, or a straight up discount. Anticipate spending a few hours here, just to hit the tip of the iceberg. read more

Someday, I'll learn how to do check-ins. I was back again to buy books. Prices were awesome and I was able to track down the authors I was looking for. It's still crazy in a good way inside the store. I'm okay with that. It almost makes it unique in this day and age. read more

Black and Read is a fantastic place to go for browsing for games and books, and if I was into Music the same way I'd go for that too. Their selection of new RPGs and Board Games is one of the best in the Denver Area, and their discounts - printed clearly on each item - makes the drive up north worth the Gas and the Time spent. Additionally they have a collection of used RPG books which are worth looking through to save even a few more bucks. As for books, they have shelves crammed and overstuffed with all sorts of books, especially paperback fiction. It's worth the time to stop and hunt through for your favorite authors, or even just to scan for something to try for a couple of bucks. And if you're into Graphic Novels or Manga, they have a bunch of them up by the door. It is very crowded, and sometimes there's boxes of stuff laying around, which makes it look a bit shabby. But usually it's a great place to go to scratch that bibliophile itch. read more

I've been coming to Black and Read for well over a decade. Every single time that I walk through the front door I feel a mixture of terror and delight. Black and Read has a huge assortment of books, movies, music (vinyl), and pretty much anything that would bring joy to that one high school kid who sits alone in the cafeteria every day. I can't really bring myself to be too excited over the mountains of weird games, the Magic cards, and things that one might expect to find at a Sci Fi convention, but there seems to be a pretty dedicated clientele that really appreciates these things- so rock on. Some people might not appreciate the layout of the store. When one walks into the book/nerddom side of the store, as opposed to the music side, one is inundated with stuff. There are boxes upon boxes of books randomly spread across the floor, piled high into towers of literary delight. While they do have something like a system of organization, a person ought not to go into Black and Read looking for something in particular. Unlike those who really need more organization, the reason that I continue being drawn back to Black and Read is the thrill of the hunt. When I begin digging through the books I am often surprised by an unexpected delight. I love that. In the age of online booksellers, Black and Read is the sort of bookstore that reminds me of the greatness of the smell of old paper, the crackle of a book spine, and the sheer pleasure of experiencing the unexpected. read more

Entrance into the store leads into the music area with plenty of cassettes, vinyl records and cd's. It's a bookstore/music/video/game store. I was in the market for a self-help/guide book as a gift for a relative about to start college and I found what I needed for $8. As much as I miss $1 bookstores back in Cali., I have yet to find a place here in Colorado, so Black and Read will have to do. It is decently organized, with the exception of a few things randomly placed in locations that you probably would never think to look unless you actually browse. One section of B&R houses a wall of board games, however, I was not familiar with many of the names, except for Settlers of Catan. The boyfriend seemed to enjoy the store, especially the smell of paper pages filling the air, he felt like he could spend a whole day there. B&R is a quaint little store, I'll stop by when I need something, but not quite a place I could spend a whole day like the BF. read more

Good DVD section. I stopped by one day and was surprised to see the selection both of movies and classic books (two of my favorite things). For the munchkin, I picked up both a Sesame Street movie and a Clifford the Big Red Dog video. I would have shopped more but I had to pick up the kid. The place is a rarity (especially in the day and age of mass market bookstores) and is a needed visit for book aficionados. When you go, be prepared to spend some extra time going through the place. It is somewhat cluttered, pretty much in the same manner as a creative genius' house. But navigating around is a rewarding experience for those that have diverse interests. If you are the type that sits around wearing sweaters in a house full of cats getting lost for hours in a book, then this place is your new home. Come to Papa! read more

There's something here for everybody and anybody. Be it books, board games, music, Kthulu plushes, etc...you're bound to stumble across something. Everything is reasonably priced with a wide selection of goods. If you've never been here, you need to drop in just to see what you're missing out on. read more

This location has an AMAZING board game selection. Not only do they have super new and hard to find games, but they have some of the most competitive prices I've seen. read more

I've been able to find some books in there, which is nice. But they're extremely cheap when I try to sell something. Think of the lowest possible price on something you want to sell, and then cut that in half. I don't even go in there anymore. Better deals elsewhere. read more

Wish they had more of these retail outlets with collections of a variety of collector's items, whether used vinyls, CDs, movies, gaming products. Most of all one can spend hours just absorbed in the numerous books they have accumulated over the years. They have it organized and categorized by genres of the used books for easy access. Every time I venture out here I always go home with interesting finds and treasures that I consider oldies that appeal to my taste. One can't just window shop here! Best part is that there's a Hobby Lobby and Target in the same plaza so if I am to incorporate the books for crafts and hobbies for convenience. I highly recommend this place for a rainy day! read more

The music store is 5-star-worthy excellent: The kind of place to take your time browsing through vinyl and CDs. Cool jazz is often playing. The employees really know their stuff, and are professional and enthusiastic. I sold some used CDs there, and they were great to work with. I have yet to develop as much of an appreciation for the bookstore (the "Read") side of this equation (hence the 4-star overall rating). I've got nothing against stacks of old books, where you need to rummage around a little. But when I've been there, the place looked like someone had been evicted from their apartment -- random boxes full of books, literally tossed into piles on the floor. The folks there didn't seem to convey an enthusiasm for reading as much as I would have expected. read more