Hidden just off El Cajon Blvd in La Mesa is East County Vinyl; another local shop that proves you…read moredon't need to keep going west in order to find good records in San Diego. It shares a home with the Consignment Shack, which is fun to pop into and browse once you've finished shopping around for music. The inside of ECV is somewhat unconventional, yet welcoming. Once you walk through the door, there are couches and chairs set up for relaxing. You will also find various pieces of living room furniture for sale. It feels like going over to a friend's house, especially when you are greeted by the store's owner and main employee, Kelly. Her customer service is top-notch, and she will talk to you like she's known you for years. One of the coolest things about this shop is its vintage record shelves. They used to belong to an old Tower Records store, but are now used for Kelly's ever-changing inventory of classic, used vinyl. She also has a distributor for new vinyl, just in case you're in the market for a high-quality repressing. With the rise of corporate vinyl taking over the music section of big box retailers, it's nice to see small business record stores in your own backyard. Drop in and pay a visit to East County Vinyl. Their prices are more than fair, and they have a guaranteed return policy. Be sure to follow them on Instagram for daily videos of new arrivals and restocks.

What a great selection! I walked in while waiting for a friend and found an album I didn't…read moreanticipate finding. A little pricey but I don't mind considering its condition and the small business. These presses were replicated heavily and I can appreciate a good authentic! It's always a good time in this little shop.

We had such a great time going through the recently added records. We found an REM gem and a Weezer…read morealbum I've been looking for. Great fun!!

If you're looking for records this is a great place to look. Located in downtown La Mesa. Friendly…read morestaff and helpful also. I came in looking for a specific vinyl record and they did not have it but he right away got on his computer and looked for it and provided me with the information to a website where I could purchase it.

This is one of my go to comic stores here in SD. It's not a far drive from me but the parking lot…read moreis small so be aware when you come you may have to park on the street. I like this location the best as there usually isn't any kids here and only adults so it's not a hectic as the mall locations of kids running around. They have such a huge section of everything: Funko Pops, licensed merch, lanyards, plushies, action figures, model kits, new/old/kid/etc comics, graphic novels, and their whole wall of cards from sports to franchises and of course pokemon. I will warn you now don't buy their squishmallow or pokemon - its very very overpriced which I know what the market is going for but I recently saw a kid a big one for 90$. The same goes for Pokemon yet so many people buy from here as they're fully stocked. Just now its highly marked up eg: ETBs are like 90 and up. I come here for the comics because they have a wall of new ones and their hugeee back issue inventory. I usually always walk out of there with at least 25 bucks and easily more of comics trying to complete older sets. If you shop here a lot I recommend getting their membership it's a one time payment and you easily make your money back if you shop often. Will never get tired of this place! ps the murals are super cool to admire every time i go.

We came in on a Sunday night. My husband was looking at Pokémon cards. We asked the girl at the…read morefront for 5 packs and the girl looked at him and said "sorry, we close at 6pm" my husband looked at the clock and it was exactly 6pm. Instead of helping us check out and take the business she pretty much said she can't help and when we walked in no one mentioned anything about them closing when we walked in? Seems odd for a shop that looks like it could go out of business. No one was in there? I would not come back. What kind of store denies service when all we wanted to do was pay????

Came in to browse and absolutely loved it, I brought my toddler and we both loved it. Cashier was…read moreamazing she was so friendly and gave me a Pokemon card. Love this store family friendly and will be returning.

* heart eyes emoji*…read more If im not buying online, or small owned bookstores I love a good Barnes & Nobel stroll In Grossmont center . Next to Jamba Juice. Clean, good space layout, CLEAN restrooms. This place is dangerous. Awesome for books, accessories and gifts for book readers and a nice sort of toys and gadgets for all ages. Friendly staff and a few membership perks.

This is a great location! For some reason I feel like you can find books here that tend to sell out…read moreother places. As well as sports cards! They always seem to have some here and in stock. I came here looking for a book that's been evading me and sure enough they had a few in stock! I also appreciate all the displays here and how organized everything is. This is a good location!

The staff were very nice and helpful when we asked a question about locating a young reader chapter…read morebook series. The store is nice and big with a great variety of books. Checkout went smoothly and the cashier was so friendly! We ended up getting 2 young reader books and 1 blind box for $35 (not too bad!). I would recommend visiting this location if you happen to be at Grossmont Center.

Nice, friendly staff. Great free classes. Plenty of parking spaces. Clean, quiet neighborhood. Good…read moreselection of books.

Grew up going to this library when there was an Am/Pm in adjacent lot. Was so busy for the…read morecommunity; after school programs, voting poll, fundraisers, magic shows, and even Christmas Tree sales in Dec. in the 80's they talked about making it bigger, in the 90's they talked about renovations, in the early 2000's more property was bought for addition, and in 2023 the mayor promised a new library. Almost 50 years later it is the same tiny, old, smelly library. Very disappointing.

Love this Friends of the Library bookstore. Super nice volunteer. My first time was during the 2026…read moreLibrary Friends of San Diego County book crawl last week. That was a great way to get more familiar with the Friends bookstores throughout East County.

this is a cozy little bookshop in the library. Always excellent customer service and a rotating…read morecollection of thousands of books at a great price. For $10 a year you can become a friend of the library and get even cheaper prices on the books.

What a gem I'm already excited to come back!! We were out and about and randomly decided to stop in…read moreto check out the Consignment Shack and WOW! They house "East County Vinyl" inside which has such an extensive collection of both new and used vinyls that are all priced SO well - we walked out with 5 used vinyls under $30, SCORE (two of them were priced at just $2)! We've already tried playing all 5 of them and they were in pristine condition. Walked into the back and they have a really nice assortment of furniture, art, books, a small rack of clothing, vintage decor and collection pieces alike, all of which were priced very well!! Even though the clothing rack was small, I found this really cool Padres shirt :) The gentleman working today was also very kind and helpful, he even offered to hold the vinyls we found up at the register so we could continue perusing around the store. The consignment and vintage market, especially in San Diego, marks up prices but the Consignment Shack makes it affordable for all! Can't wait to come back!!!

This was a really cool store. I was in the area and decided to stop by. Very glad I did. They have…read morean extremely large vinyl area. It felt like the old school days browsing through old records and finding great deals... unlike other stores where they overcharge. The owner was sweet and very welcoming which was appreciated. I was able to find a few vinyls to add to my slow growing collection. The other side was more of the consignment area, offering a variety of items, from comic books, to vintage Barbie's, to furniture and more. When I make it back to this area, I will definitely stop by again.

I've shopped here over the years and I always get at least two books here every time I go in. For a…read moreused bookstore, they have some of the best prices in San Diego and have a great selection of titles, especially compared to some of their competitors (a couple of them I consider overrated but shall remain nameless). The owner is always pleasant and his cats are an absolute treat to interact and pet with! I recently saw their news segment a couple days ago and was happy to see that the owner refused to sell their rare books to AI buyers. It's a tough market for small businesses these days, especially bookstores as readership is on the decline. Good on them for sticking to their integrity and protecting books. I will happily shop here and continue to support this business.

Looks like this book store specializes in Literature. Lots of lit fic and classics. It's quite…read morecluttered but packed full of gems. I found a wonderful copy of Jane Eyre here and if I'm looking for used classics I am definitely coming back. There are two store kitties to keep your spirits high while hunting.

The staff/volunteers are so kind and genuinely friendly. Even before I went to the register I…read moreoverheard so many lovely interactions helping a kid find a book he might like, letting an older customer promise to bring back the change she was missing on a return visit, and just chatting nicely with each person as they were checking out. My interaction was no different. The selection will be varied as with any used bookstore, but they have quite a lot on offer for the small space they occupy and I ended up leaving with four books, myself. Plus it is a lot more guilt free ending up disliking a book you got for a buck fifty than a book you paid upwards of $16 for. It can also be a great source for those who want an inexpensive book that they won't mind using for an art project like book page origami or blackout poetry, since they have tons of mass produced paperbacks. The location they're in is also ideal since right next door there are amazing cupcakes, plus a coffee shop within the same mall. And the Santee Library is right there if you're local and have a library card. Super easy area to kill an hour or two in.

I think this place has the best selection of books with the most affordable prices. I was able to…read morefind a ton of rare classics that have been on my wishlist and my husband has been able to find his wishlist books, too! The book turnover rate is pretty good and we often come here every few weeks or so. Parking is cramped here and I think the ladies behind the desk are kinda cold/distant to customers who aren't regulars. The person in front of me had an engaging, friendly conversation with the cashier but when it was my turn the cashier did a complete 180 and seemed really unfriendly. Not sure why because I was buying 4 books and paid in cash. Oh, well, not my problem!