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    Changing Hands Bookstore

    4.5 (432 reviews)
    Closed 10:00 am - 9:00 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

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    Madelynn F.

    Love! Love! Love! Great selection of books here (new and used) and great selection of trinkets and Knick Knacks to gift. I came to look and I walked out with 6 books. Cute Photo Booth in the back of the store. You can buy, sell and trade books here. I definitely will be back!

    Christina M.

    Changing Hands Bookstore has longtime been a favorite of mine, it's a fun bookstore to visit. I enjoy coming in to browse and grab a snack next door at Wildflower Cafe. Today I looked at a couple books and ultimately ended up buying a non book item. They have a lot of cool stuff for gifts as well. The staff are friendly and can assist with a book trade. They sort through books -- checking their condition, the shops stock levels, the sale history of the titles, etc. Desirable books are priced and placed on a shelving cart listing half of the price in credit, which is redeemable for anything in the store. We recently donated a bunch of books to the library so we might have been able to see about a book trade first, but I forgot. I will try to do a book trade the next time.

    A wider view
    Michael W.

    The last time I stepped into a bookstore was when I was getting my Master's degree. That was ages ago. This bookstore is a lot more pleasant. Changing Hands is more than your typical bookstores. Of course, they have books, but they also have kitchenware, home goods, games, et cetera. It's a good place to look if you're looking for a fun gift for somebody in your life. They share a parking lot with Trader Joe's, so that means it can be a hassle, but don't be discouraged. They host book signings here, too, so get the info on their website to see if your favorite author will be visiting soon.

    Is the new and used books so have to look at them to see what you got!
    Randy D.

    Cute place, with all sorts of trinkets and stickers. Really love coming here and pop in every time I'm in PHX area. Have a large collection of new and used books in a variety of genres. It's attached to a restaurant as well so can eat and browse all in the same stop I usually grab a couple books and a handful of stickers. Also got a little Buddha to add to my collection!

    Eddie B.

    Wow! What a cool place. You would think it was small as you walk up to it but it's really quite large. They have a TON of books, collectibles, and knick·knacks available. The people are all friendly and can help with selecting just the right book. The prices are awesome and seems to be better than most places. On top of that, they have a big doorway into the wildflower cafe next door so if you're here shopping or reading or just hanging out and get hungry, you can just walk right through and grab a bite, a dessert, or a tasty beverage. 5 stars for this cool little nook!

    Tchotchkes
    Marisa B.

    Super cute place with TONS of books and adorable/funny little tchotchkes! I went with a friend to look for cookbooks and had a lot of luck (found 2 really good ones) - I will be coming back!

    Bridget H.

    What a great store! They have an exchange program where if you bring in your books in good condition, they will go through and see what they can sell and give you store credit in exchange! Staff is so nice, and it was lovely talking with them. The prices are reasonable as well! What a great place to grab a gift for someone or yourself!

    Jennifer T.

    I love Changing Hands! They have been one of my favorite mini self-reset rendezvous spots I forget about too often - a room of requirement when I need solace and inspiration, an escape from reality to be a kid again. The staff here have always been kind, polite, respectful, generous with their work - I've found many Kodak moments of inspiration on my trips here and simply cannot get enough every single time I've gone. While I'm partial to the new age material myself, I find there's always something waiting to be found there for anyone! They also hold many local engaging and entertaining community events such as live musical performances, meet and greets, seminars and other workshops! Stopping by to pick up a monthly newsletter is one of the highlights to my bi-weekly trader joe runs Local art is displayed all around the front of the shop and staff picks placed perfectly so you'll have to scan every shelf a zillion times to really scratch an itchy noggin I could spend hours debating which items to take home first because the prices just can't be beat when you're having so much fun finding inspiration here. IMPULSE BUYERS BEWARE. AND DO NOT BEHAVE HERE

    Free event!

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    15 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    11 years ago

    I love the charm of an independent bookseller. This is one of the few remaining, and the only one in my are. Let's keep them afloat!

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    10 years ago

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    15 years ago

    Helpful personnel and wide variety of new and used books... Love it and I will return!

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    13 years ago

    Great local bookstore. Employees are super helpful and they have great events and book clubs.

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    12 years ago

    Such a great book store and they have such unique gifts my wife loves their jewelry and they are quite reasonable

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    12 years ago

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    11 years ago

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    14 years ago

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    12 years ago

    This place is a lot of fun to shop at. Find anything and everything. Very nice. Rare and hard to find books.

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    12 years ago

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    11 years ago

    I love this store because they had Jason Segel come do a book signing!

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    18 years ago

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    11 years ago

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    11 years ago

    Friendly and well stocked full of cool things. Make sure to stop by on your birthday too!

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    10 years ago

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    9 years ago

    Business owner information

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    Info C.

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    17 years ago

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    Page 10 of 11

    Ask the Community - Changing Hands Bookstore

    Do you sell/ donate old magazines someone can use for collage making?

    Hi there. We don't carry magazines, but thanks for keeping us in mind. Maybe the good folks over at Bookmans?

    Hi!, do you have any book clubs? Can I have more information ? Thanks

    Hi. Thank you for reaching out. We have a few store run book clubs and a few book clubs that meet in the stores that are managed by others. Here is link with more information. https://www.changinghands.com/page/bookclubs

    Does changing hands have a coffee shop?

    Hi Shannon, Yes, we do have a coffee/espresso bar in our Phoenix store on 3rd Ave & Camelback. In… 

    Is Changing Hands dog-friendly?

    For our Tempe store -- yes, your dog is welcome. For our Phoenix store -- yes, but ... only service dogs since we serve food there.

    Do you have a copy of Dignity By Fire?

    I think you should try calling the store.

    Do you buy any used books?

    Hi Maureen -- we accept books at both stores for trade credit but not for cash. Give us a call if you'd like more details. Thanks, Bob

    Do you sell puzzles?

    Hi Lynn, We do! We have a large selection of puzzles. They are only available in store.

    Do they also buy used books? Not the run of the mill, mass produced but rare hard to find books?

    Hi Crystal R -- we don't deal in rare and collectible books but you can try Old Town Books… 

    Are small, well behaved dogs allowed?

    I saw a dog here once

    Do you sell maps?

    Yes, we have maps at both stores of the southwestern states and the Valley. Bob Sommer

    Are you open today?

    We are closed today, sorry. We’re also closed on New Year’s Day in Phoenix but open in Tempe from noon-9 for our annual Customer Appreciation Day sale.

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

    Review Highlights - Changing Hands Bookstore

    Local business, active in the community, great lectures and workshops, staff that are super helpful.

    Mentioned in 8 reviews

    Read more highlights

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    Shirts 'n' Things

    Shirts 'n' Things

    4.6
    (108 reviews)
    3.2 mi
    $$

    It was my first time going here and this place has a large selection of alternative fashion. I…read morestopped by for the graphic tees and was not disappointed! There's also cool trinkets, jewelry, and other fashion pieces. Just a heads up, the store is cramped but for what they offer, it's understandable. Ive seen some reviews on here mentioning workers stalking but I noticed they need to be at certain stations to help you out. They hold your items until you're done shopping and I assume thats to prevent stealing. T-shirts are priced at $25 but so are average graphic tees. If anything, they do have clearance/sale racks to look through. Overall, great place, great selection, great workers, and okay pricing.

    Been here many times and have spent hundreds of $ over the past few years here. Good selection,…read morebut DO NOT buy shoes from here if you think theres even the slightest chance youll return them. Bought shoes on a Friday, wore em for two hours till they started tearing my feet apart (I am not blaming the store for this part in the slightest). I thought oh no worries- ill exhance it for store credit since that what it says on the receipt. Chucked em back in the box with the receipt. Went to exchange/return them on Sunday- only to be told that the soles are too worn to be returned. This policy is not stated anywhere, and the receipt simply says "exchange or store credit with receipt, no cash refunds". Pretty disapppointed with his reasoning which was "I cant sell them again". Never seen such a strict return policy. Will just be purchasing straight from Demonia next time.

    Photos
    My Big Homie and me!
    My Big Homie and me!
    Shirts 'n' Things
    Front

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    Front
    Wijaya House

    Wijaya House

    4.7
    (19 reviews)
    1.9 mi

    I've been wanting to check this shop out for awhile now and I finally got to today! My mom and I…read morehad a great time here. We decided to do a DIY watercolor painting. They have all the supplies and set up and clean up everything for you. There's a variety of DIY crafts to choose from and you can do them anytime that isn't during an organized event or class. The atmosphere is so inviting, peaceful, and relaxing. I even got to take home a beautiful bouquet of flowers. This place is a little of everything. Books, relaxing environment, flowers, crafts, and unique gifts all wrapped up in one. This shop is such a gem and I can't wait to come back!

    This was a cute place to stop at. It was a bit difficult to…read morefind, as it's on the other side of Garcia's Mexican restaurant, and there wasn't much of a sign to see where it was. A few parking spots were available out front. But now that I know where to find it, it shouldn't be difficult in the future. There wasn't anyone else inside when my friend and I arrived. They have a small inventory of books available for purchase and I did appreciate the variety the book genres they had. Prices were what you'd expect for brand new books. There were lots of places to sit, including some comfy couches. The woman working was really nice. They have an area to purchase drinks and snacks. A fresh flower cooler was also there to purchase pre-made arrangements, but we didn't find any we liked. It looked like they offer different classes there too.

    Photos
    Florals
    Florals
    Sci-fi selection
    Sci-fi selection
    Outside patio

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    Outside patio
    Kinkan Gifts

    Kinkan Gifts

    4.9
    (18 reviews)
    3.6 mi

    My friend always talks about this little stationery shop in Tempe, Kinkan Gifts, and I am so happy…read moreI got to finally check it out. Everything in the shop was curated to perfection and anyone/ everyone can definitely find something they may like. The owner and their staff seem to really love what they do and want to bring joy to the community. Everything seemed to be priced appropriately, especially since I know they get some of their items imported from Asia/ Japan. If you love cute stuff and getting into your crafty/ journaling era, definitely check out Kinkan.

    Saw this place on TikTok and had to go check it out. The shop owner had stepped away for a bit but…read morehad put a sign in the window that she'd be back shortly. There are a couple of chairs out front and so we sat down to wait for her return. It was a good reminder to slow down and not be in a rush all the time. Such a cute shop! Found a fun selection of washi tape, some cool pens, was tempted by a journal or two (I have sooooo many blank ones at home that I had to pass on another one today), and some super cute stickers. It was a bit of a drive for us to get there, but we overall enjoyed the experience and were happy to be supporting a unique local business.

    Photos
    A white maxi dress for women with a tan woven seagrass bag
    A white maxi dress for women with a tan woven seagrass bag
    Refined and unique accessories, wallets, hats, handkerchiefs, and earrings from Japan
    Refined and unique accessories, wallets, hats, handkerchiefs, and earrings from Japan
    A classic white ribbed dress with a woven seagrass handbag from Japan

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    A classic white ribbed dress with a woven seagrass handbag from Japan

    Changing Hands Bookstore - bookstores - Updated August 2026

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