I was exploring Gloucester with my mom a week or so ago, and we stopped into Dogtown Book Shop while exploring downtown. It's a used bookstore, so it's a great place to browse. Don't come with a list, come with time to browse. The shelves are full of books, you might just find something special for your next read! read more

Dogtown Book Shop - Bookstores Near Me - Gloucester, Massachusetts

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Don't waste your time driving here if you're interested in any of the rare or collectible books shown on their website. I collect rare books, first editions, signed books, and other collectible editions. After browsing this store's website, I was excited to visit because I saw several books that were on my want list. I made a 90-minute drive on my day off and arrived with cash in hand, fully prepared to purchase several books. Only after arriving did I learn that none of the rare or valuable books shown on the website are actually kept in the store. Apparently, anything rare or valuable is removed from the shop and stored at the owner's home. There is no clear warning about this on the website. The books are individually photographed and presented as the store's inventory, so naturally I assumed I would actually be able to see them when visiting the store. I essentially drove 90 minutes for nothing. I've visited hundreds of bookstores across the country and have never encountered anything quite like this. The entire concept is baffling to me. If I'm considering spending hundreds or thousands of dollars on a rare book, I want to see the actual book. I want to examine the dust jacket, check the boards, look at the pages, and judge the overall eye appeal of that particular copy. That's a huge part of buying collectible books and, frankly, one of the primary reasons to visit a physical bookstore rather than simply ordering online. A bookstore advertising rare books that customers apparently cannot actually see at the bookstore is absurd. At the absolute minimum, the website should clearly and prominently state that the rare and collectible inventory shown online is stored off-site and is not available for viewing at the store. Had that been disclosed, I obviously would not have wasted three hours of my day making the round trip. The store itself is fine if you're looking for ordinary used books. But if you're a serious collector who saw something on their website and is considering making a trip to see it in person, don't bother unless you call ahead and confirm that the book will actually be there. read more

The perfect used book store. Makes you want to grab a book and curl up in a comfy chair. I bought 5 books, but easily could have purchased 20. The prices are reasonable and the inventory is outstanding. The young men working there were friendly and helpful. read more

I do fear fear this may be the greatest bookshop of all time. I was enthralled with the selection. I was wowed by the tutelage of the employee at the front for giving me two free stickers along with my purchase. Additionally, I found an incredible first edition Mao. I will remember it forever wahoo read more

Awesome book shop with great selection, I loved walking around in here. Lots of good books, some very cool old editions. They have a good mix of local books as well. read more

This is the quintessential used bookstore that makes you feel home-y and comforted. I adored this bookstore and felt like I could have wasted away hours searching through the stacks. I collect very old medical and psychiatric textbooks and found some very interesting additions to my collection. The shop workers were super kind and made me feel welcomed. Wish this store was closer to home because I could find myself getting lost in the ambiance of this store. read more

Went here while "staycationing." Great location and general atmosphere. The business card was right, I did find some great "unusual" finds. The general literature/fiction section was a bit smaller than I'm used to, but I'm spoiled by the amazing Cambridge used bookshops. The clerk/owner? was a little less than friendly concerning his clearly stated "have two hands free" policy. I was a bit taken aback when he told my father "I would rather you drop your camera rather than drop my books." I would have preferred a polite note somewhere stating a you break you buy policy. read more

I browsed a lot of used bookstores in my time. The majority act as junk warehouses. Not so at Dogtown Books! I bought three quality reads at Dogtown, and I didn't even have to look that hard. The shelves were stocked with great stuff. No digging required. The bookmark tucked into my purchases is actually a business card. Reads: Dogtown Book Shop Bob Ritchie books, used & unusual While I browsed the "used", my bf sought out the "unusual". He spent a spell thumbing through historical fiction written by uncelebrated local authors. There was a whole section of yellowing clothbound books pertaining to Gloucester's unique maritime history. Bob, himself, is a nice guy. Cheery demeanor, white beard and longish white hair - a popular look among used bookstore proprietors. Wished us a happy vacation on our way out. read more

You need to understand before you even set one foot inside, this is a bookSTORE, not a bookSHOP. The "aisles" are much too narrow to push a stroller around, and you'll probably find yourself discouraged from thinking about taking your kids in anyway. Be sure to leave all drinks by the door as you enter---multiple signs order you to use "two free hands" when browsing. I didn't make it far enough past the elitism to fully appreciate the store, which is a shame since it seemed like a pretty unique place. Lots of collectible used books and hard-to-find editions would have made it the perfect place to linger, but for the prominent lack of places to sit. Absolutely no chance of enjoying a coffee while you browse, though. Great selection, but I was turned off by the "strictly business" atmosphere... read more

The best book store around. A really fascinating, folksy, cozy, amazingly stocked store. Host Bob Ritchie is the kindest, most knowledgeable bookstore owner ever, and this little gem can hold its own with Manhattan's finest, and Los Angeles's finest. In fact, it's better. It's honest, and has no resemblance to a chain bookstores. Dogtown Book Shop is the real thing. I've corresponded with Bob several times and he has found for me hard-to-find books, and his prices are reasonable. Nope, I'm not his mother, just an admirer. read more

I've been here several times. The guy who runs it is great and seems to really like his job. The store is probably the fire martial's worst nightmare (the place is overly-full of books) but that's part of its charm. A warning: this is not a store that you can bring your dog into (THOUGH the guy who runs it won't put up a fuss if you have a service animal). read more

Dogtown Books is not your average bookstore. If you're looking for the latest best seller, you may have better luck heading elsewhere. But if you want to mine for rare used gems, this place is the place to find them. The proprietor gets a bad rap in a lot of reviews here, and I don't think that's fair at all. I've always found him helpful and knowledgeable. I'm sure everyone's had their own experiences, and certainly everyone's entitled to their opinions...I just don't happen to agree, and I've never had anything remotely like they've described happen to me here read more

Being a new resident to Gloucester I did not feel the need to go on yelp for reviews before visiting this "bookstore." I put that in quotations because I'm pretty sure Josef Stalin had more sense of compassion than the owner of this place. I was taking a nice stroll with my girlfriend and son, who is 6 weeks old and in a stroller, when he decided to visit this bookstore. We opened the door and the owner had his back to us blocking the entrance while talking to a customer. After saying excuse me a few times he turned around and we gently started entering. My girlfriend ever so gently grazed a box that was lying on the floor. You would have thought we had decided to Greco Roman wrestle by his reaction. His exact words were, "Do not touch or bang into anything in here. In fact if you can't see you can't go anywhere." Well guess what, neither can you with your personality. I'm sure you have some silver spoon lucky sperm winning clients but you just lost two hardworking people that enjoy buying books. Not to mention I as well as others will make sure no one visits your precious bookstore. FYI. There are these new things called iPads and kindles where people can just download books not to mention ummmm oh yes the internet where I can order it in my boxers while sipping on my 7.99 Cabernet. Enjoy your pathetic bookstore and make sure you kiss the ass of anyone who decides to make a purchase at your store. Cause I would have a better chance of getting Ted Cruz to vote for Obamacare then you ever showing a glimpse of personality. read more

I love Dogtown Book Shop -- people who've written reviews that have dissed the owner and his policies don't have a clue about the place. He's passionate about books, knows a lot about valuable old books, and does a good job of curating what's in the shop. Is it crowded, with narrow aisles? You bet. And that's what makes it a great place to browse. My brother-in-law spends hours in the shop every time he visits. You'll find things in this bookshop that you'll never see anywhere else. It's like wandering around someone's somewhat magical attic library. It's not a place for people pushing strollers or looking for a Barnes & Noble experience. There are plenty of places that can give you that experience, so go there, not here. But if you love books, love to wander around and look at unusual things, go to Dogtown Books and chat the owner up a bit. You'll find he's an interesting-- and very nice--guy. read more

We stopped in while checking out the town. My wife found a book about bridge marked $7. She told him it was a bit high. He asked if we flew in, were staying at a hotel and eating at restaurants. After we replied yes, he upped the price to $20. With that we left but I told him to enjoy our local tax money. Elastic pricing at its worst. read more

What people fail to understand, is that Bob is a great guy, with a passion and dedication for local history. It takes some time to break the ice with him, but he is a real and genuine person, once you know him as I do. To try and hurt his business, because you perceived that he hurt your feelings, is an asshole move no doubt. If I were him, I would go after you for libel! JP Boudreau read more

Wow, talk about lack of customer service! I was looking for a book and since Gloucester is sorely lacking in good bookstores, I figured I'd pop in and see if they had it. I walked in, got glared at with a cursory hello as if I was disturbing the man by entering the store. Tried to browse but found no rhyme nor reason to how things were stacked, and finally asked. The man wouldn't even check. He basically said huh? never heard of it. And that was that. No offer to order it, check the computer, not even an apology. Yikes. I won't be going back in there which is a pity since I can spend hours lost in quirky bookstores like this one purports to be! read more

This is a pretty decent place. The employee was pleasant and helpful. (Forget the name, slipped my mind. I think it was Bob but I'm not so sure.) This store is named after the historic Dogtown. It has a big selection for a small store which is surprising. I'd reccomend it! read more

This store is a fun selection of used odds and ends; including much on local history. It's too bad the owner is aloof and an utter curmudgeon. I recommend visiting The Bookstore down the street. read more

I love this little bookshop! We went in looking for books on a very specific topic, and found several amazing books. The selection and organization is impressive, but like any used bookstore, you need to hunt a little bit; which is part of the fun! I also found the owner helpful and kind, and we will definitely be back. read more

Its a wonder and a mess. But I love the place. They stock literary criticism whatever he gets in, so you never know what you will find. Not cheap. But always interesting. Wow its saying I am in San Franciso, well that would be nice. read more

I'm German and I ordered a quite expensive used book via the tomfolio-website from Bob's shop (which for me it is not without risk, since I can't check if the books is actually in the condition it is described, nor if the bookseller really ships anything after billing it to my credit card). Well, Bob put in in the (air-)mail the very next day, he packed it up very good also due to its value. The book is in excellent condition, just as he described it and in the email-conversation with me he was also very quick and very friendly! All in all an excellent service (and a great book) read more

If you like books more than you like projecting your own inadequacies onto others, this is the place for you. Here's what DBS offers; rare editions, out of print books, local treasures, foreign language books, and a knowledgeable owner. Each store in the Gloucester area has something different to offer, and DBS is the place to go for mining gold. read more

My husband and I travel to Gloucester every summer. We always visit Dogtown Books and have spent several hundred dollars there over the years. The owner is never friendly, but we come for the books, not his personality. Until today. My husband walked into the shop just after it started drizzling. He had barely any rain on his jacket. The owner told him he would have to hang his coat on a hook near the door. My husband explained that his wallet and other personal belongings were in the jacket. Rather than offer to hold his jacket behind his desk or offer another solution, he said "I won't have you dripping rain on my books for the sake of your convenience". He said this in a nasty voice in front of other customers. My husband was so stunned, he walked out of the store. We had been there the day before and bought books, and while I didn't expect him to recognize us (although plenty of other vendors in town do), we do expect to be treated with some courtesy. There are other complaints about his demeanor in these reviews. We won't be back, although I'm sure he won't care. By the way, my husband is a book collector, owns over 4,000 books and is well aware on how to take take care of books. read more

Surprised to read so many negative reviews of the owner of this shop: he was reserved like most of my fellow New Englanders but very helpful to us. Definitely not a place for baby carriages, simply won't fit. But the shop has an interesting and eclectic collection of books and in our case maps enjoyable for browsing, with an owner both knowledgable and friendly. read more

Terrible and extremely RUDE owner. The place looked liked it belonged on Hoarders. Unnecessarily rude to my children who are eight and ten. Books are over priced and I found that they could be found at yard sales. I was mostly beyond APPALLED at how rude and inconsiderate he was to me and my family. I will never go back there and highly suggest you do not go there if you want anywhere near a somewhat friendly service. ! read more

This is a marvelous bookshop, with a great proprietor. The collection is delightfully eclectic and, while well-organized and properly shelved, isn't so regimented that there is any lack of opportunities for the occasional surprise. And, contrary to the comments of a few (who appear to favor bookstore conveniences), the proprietor has not only a wonderful command of his profession and passion, but a real twinkle in his eye, especially for young people. He spent an extended time helping educate my 11-year old on the various early editions of the Hardy Boys (my son's great reading love at present). I find him to be exactly what I look for in a bookshop proprietor. I cannot recommend this shop highly enough, assuming you are looking for a real used book shop. read more

Bob is extremely knowledgeable and always generous with his time. Yes, it is difficult to move through the narrow aisles packed with books. You will enjoy treasure hunt. If you have a special area of interest, Bob will look out for you. I visit regularly and Bob often has something he has held aside for me to see. I love this place and, yes, I have been a regular at the Strand and St. Marks too. Bob has had too many accidents with spilled water and coffee so forgive him if he seems a bit brusque. He is truly generous and kind. Please don't hesitate to hang your wet clothes on a hook--no one will touch them here. read more

I've found very interesting titles here that I was pleasantly surprised to chance upon. The staff was knowledgeable, friendly, and helpful. Prices are reasonable. The store is also nestled amongst a street full of interesting shops. read more

Owner is exceptionally rude. If you want high prices, poor customer service, and a hard time finding what you are looking for then Dogtown books is the way to go. read more

Dogtown books is a great used bookstore. I'm a longtime Gloucester resident and am glad to live in a town that has a used bookstore on our main street, as well as a different shop for new books, separated by only a few blocks. Dogtown books is a one-man operation run by a man who knows books and his business and offers fair prices to people trying to sell books to him, based on what the market is, which is easy enough for me to check up on, by going online myself and seeing whether something is available used and if so at what price. read more

My college age daughters and I are all bibliomaniacs. This was the best store ever for true booklovers. It's not for the Costco Target discount shopper but for people who truly love and or collect books. Many of the books are valuable and irreplaceable so not the place for active kids, food, or water of any kind. The owner is so knowledgeable and knew instantly if he had any of my sometimes obscure requests. If you love books ignore the negative reviews. They just don't get it. The owner helped my daughters and spent lots of time and even gave them some antique postcards free of charge. We'll be back. read more