I love Half Price Books. This location isn't the biggest in Austin but has a great variety of books, vinyl, music, collectibles and everything in between. I am a buyer only. I've never had occasion to sell anything, so I can't speak to that side of it. The staff is always helpful and friendly, and most importantly they let me browse without interruption. Go in today! Smell the books!! read more

Half Price Books - 183 HPB - Books, Mags, Music & Video Near Me - Austin, Texas

We also enjoy going to bookstores from local to chains. This one is close and sometimes we just stop in even when not on the plan originally. We sometimes even do fun games, like this time we each went out and found 3 books we were interested in and then had the other person pick just one for us to buy and read. It was a fun time. One guy was putting back books near the front, one guy was the cashier, the line got to 5 or 6 people and weirdly the guy restocking never came over to help check people out. It is the one issue I have with this location, I don't know if others have this issue. I get with one or two people but when the line gets to 6 or more and you can CLEARLY see it from where you are stocking books just help. Anyway it was a quick visit, the cashier was friendly. read more

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Nice location , well organized and friendly employees. Variety of books and magazines available with new books available daily. read more

Half Price Books - Half Price Books - Books, Mags, Music & Video Near Me - Austin, Texas

I had some books kicking around and thought I would sell them to Half Price Books. I know these places don't give a lot back as far as what you paid for books. But I really didn't have a use for the books any longer and wanted to get rid of them. I dropped off like 8 books and got $4.50 back. As I waited for the gentlemen to evaluate my books I poked around the store to look at what they had. Didn't take long before he called my name over the intercom. And that was it. Pretty quick and straight forward. read more

Half Price Books - Checking the movie section - Books, Mags, Music & Video Near Me - Austin, Texas

They offered $29 for 60+ books. Lady was also standoffish and lazy. Refused to tell me the price of a specific book and insisted I get back in line and restart the process rather than her simply telling me the offer of the individual book. Online services are superior to this scam of a business model. read more

I love this place! Always clean and neat. Super easy to find books by author. Also good for games and LPs if that's your thing. This location lacks art/ photography books. Staff is always friendly and helpful. read more

I love this place, everyone working there is super nice. The vibe is super chill, and it's genuinely such a fun time.

This is my go to store since it's the closest one to me. I regularly sell books here. Staff is always friendly. I wish they'd pay more for some books but oh well. This location isn't massive but I wouldn't say it's small either. I wish half price prices were a little bit cheaper considering the current economy but it is what it is. Other than my minor qualms here and there, I like their selection. I found some pretty cool (and some retro!) books here. I like being in the cooking and health section a lot and always find cool new things to read or look at. I also like their clearance wall in the back! read more

So disappointed with the direction of HPB. Been a customer for many years and it's not what it used to be. Especially disappointed by this week's experience of taking in four boxes of good to like-new books for HPB to buy. Decent interesting books. And they "offered" less than $20 for the lot. These offers are more of an insult, or joke, than anything else. Feel bad for the employees that have to tell you what the offer is with a straight face - I bet many customers feel like I did and get a bit snarky at the poor guy just doing his job. Sorry dude. I'd always thought HPB had a benevolent aspect to their business - buy books at a decent price to the seller, resale books at a decent price, and participate in the community. Don't know about the community angle anymore, but they are failing on the other two points, it's a shame. At least they still are in business and employing some people in hard times, kudos for that. read more

The store itself is typical of the chain - pretty well organized, not cluttered, not dirty. Three stars for the buy back offers - they really should change the "we buy books" sign to "we accept donated books and will tip you for carrying them in". Took in a box with 20+ good condition books, their offer was $1.00! Years ago the chain would be decent on offers, but the last few years the offers have been getting lower and lower. They still charge a fair bit for books when you buy off the shelf, so the deals just aren't there any more. read more

I'm new to the area so this was the first time I'd been to this HPB location! Overall, I had a good experience. The store is smaller than others I'd been to so the selection wasn't really what I was looking for. The staff was very kind though. The store was clean, the aisles are wide so you don't get in the way of others, the layout of books was in (mostly) alphabetical order, the prices are good of course, and there's plenty of parking! I see this people a location I come back to every now and then! read more

My rating remains unchanged for this store, and my review (the same as before) is listed below. However, I had to post an update: Lunch Lady Doris Soupnazi *smiled* at me when I brought some more books in to sell! Either my raw animal charm is winning her over, or it's my Axe Body Spray regimen. (Double-tap of 'Signature Suave' followed by 'Dark Temptation'.) *** Great selection at this mixed new/used book store. Also a great number of CDs and DVDs, with a few board games tossed in for spice. It also has a counter in the back where you can sell your used books et al. One of the ladies working at the used book counter initially comes off as a cross between Lunch Lady Doris and The Soup Nazi from Seinfeld. However, I think it's because people must argue with her over the value of their books. She's actually pretty cool once she gets into your collection. Of course it could be simply that she approved of my taste in literature, so YMMV. Worth a stop by even if you're not selling, as they really do have a nice selection. read more

I have probably been at this location numerous times. Romance, fiction, non-fiction, biographies, sci-fi, cookbooks, gardening, you name it they have it. Most likely have purchased about a dozen books here. You can definitely say, their price is right. Although trying to sell your used books here, not a good idea unless you are trying to clean up your house. There is a reason they sell so inexpensively, they buy cheaply read more

What a magnificent place to hit up for a date. We were by the restaurants there having lunch when my girlfriend pointed out Half Price Books across the street. I had never been to one and it was the best follow-up and a neat, little adventure. We got to walk off our meal and browse through this library of awesome books in the meantime. There's nothing quite as calming as making your way through a library of books and having the scent of pages and ink surround you. The collection was all organized, and there is something for everyone at sweet prices. We picked up several horror and fiction books, all at great prices. Too bad they don't have one of these near me. read more

Half Price Books - 'Sharp Objects' by Gillian Flynn. Also picked up 'Dark Places'. 'Stay Sexy & Don't Get Murdered' by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. - Books, Mags, Music & Video Near Me - Austin, Texas

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I was offered 5$ for a set of MCAT books from a leading test prep for which I paid about 500$ about 4 yrs ago . The gal at the desk, said that it was so because the books were old and probably of little value. I wondered if the human anatomy, biology or biochemistry or perhaps the testing format changed so much in 5 yrs. The woman ahead, of me by a few seconds, unloaded some novels and some Christian books. She got 15$ for 15 books which is a lot more than what I got for academic material. I walked around the shelves, stuff that you would have bought for under 10$ in Costco, Barnes & Nobles or may be even Borders back then is priced here between 20$-50$. Perhaps it was half priced then? If it were not for the hassle, I would have advertised it on Ebay or Amazon and sold it when it someone that valued it made a compelling offer. read more

We've been to this halfy many times and thought i'd reviewed it before. Some visits produce lots of books i'm looking for, some days the pickings are scarce, today was one of the good ones. I try to stick to a list of what i'm actually needing, found about 3 books I've wanted. read more

Half Price Books - Books, Mags, Music & Video Near Me - Austin, Texas

I'm new to not only the Half Price Books experience, but Central Texas as well. I've been doing the rounds in order to figure out which will be my favorite location. Well, this one definitely ain't it! You figure after spending almost $200 on books, they'd be happy to give me an old box to carry them in, but no. Instead, I was told, "Don't expect this every time!" Every time?! Buddy, don't expect to see my face in there again! And by the way, every other Half Price Books I've been to from Washington state to Texas has given me a box upon request, with a smile even. Later gators! read more

Offered less than $4 for 5 hardcover books, was told I could "donate" the other 15 books. "Donate" sounds like it goes to charity right? No it goes on the shelf and is sold for profit. Sell your books elsewhere or donate to a real charity. GOODWILL AND Salvation Army 5 min. Away both take books and actually help people. Not a chain making $ off your "donations". Will re-review if they add a 0-star option but I guess for now they get 1. I have spent $100's on books here without realizing how scummy they really are, I will never return knowing how they trick people. read more

They have a terrible staff here and the way that they buy books is quite terrible but when it comes to a cheaper way of buying books ... well you can't really beat them other than perhaps online purchasing. It is also a fun place to just go and browse if you are needing to kill time. Think of this place as a Barnes and Nobles but just not as fancy maybe? hehe read more

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Absolutely the worst place to order from . I ordered for $200 a 21cd set plus workbook program, plus three extra sealed program helps from Amazon. What did I get from this seller? The workbook. That is it! Worth $10 on the open market. These people either don't know how to read or how to compare what they're selling. Short story: they don't know or don't care. How can anyone but a fool miss the fact that you need to sell 21 cds if that is what the original program contains. Not just the workbook, which is valueless by itself. NEVER EVER AGAIN. THE WORST POSSIBLE RIPOFF SELLER. JUST PLAIN STUPID OR LAZY OR BOTH. BUYER BEWARE!!!! read more

Don't hold your expectations when you bring your books for sale. We brought 3 big bags with books, good books, almost new condition. We made an appointment, drove about 40 min to the store, came on time and waited about an hour, they paid us $4! We only received a bitter feeling. read more

Book re-sellers are odd, because they reflect the tastes of the surrounding areas. I imagine that this location is a four- or five-star place to someone who grew up in the area... but as to the weird scene or anything straying from a Christian curriculum, this store is constantly lacking. What it does get is high points for service, which brings it up a bit in my book. The great service and knowledgeable employees remind you that the place still deserves the "Half-Price" brand name on it. read more

Half Price Books - Bookin' It Northside - Books, Mags, Music & Video Near Me - Austin, Texas

I've been coming here for years, literally since I was a kid. There's always a great deal to be found here. It's pretty standard as far as Half-Price Books go, to be fair. But I say that in a good way. They have plenty of PLENTY of books, good service, plenty of movies, plus those really old antique books that you just can't help but run your fingers over their leather binding. Their book buyback pricing might be a bit of a scam, but you know what? They've also supplied me with literally countless books and movies and graphic novels at greatly reduced prices, so I'm not going to complain. read more

I love wandering this store. There are some great selections across genres and I always walk out with something. And for those complaining about the buy back prices, it's pretty silly to get mad about people not paying more for your items. You aren't obligated to sell them back. I worked at a bookstore years ago and remember people yelling at me because they wanted the company to give them more money. But here's the thing- their prices are low because of it. If they paid more for your items prices would go up and people would complain about that. I'm a person who keeps a library full of books so I am more interested in low price acquisition than profiting from resells, though. read more

You ever go into a retail establishment and they have two prices on an item and they honor the low price because they always erring favor of the consumer? Well, Half Price Books doesn't. They had a book I wanted for $5. It was also priced $20. As I checked out, I pointed this out to the cashier. She rang it up as $20 and said, the book lies. I had another book, but I can't deal with a business that's OK with lying. I left buying no books. read more

Took 30 plus books in excellent condition and a like number of CD to sell to Half Price Books. They gave me $10.20 for the lot. Seriously I should have just dumped them in the garbage versus driving to the store and waiting a thirty minutes to find out they would only give me $10.20! read more

I wanted to sell some movies so I came by with a big box I was told I needed to wait at the store and it would be 30+ mins the guy had an attitude I guess because I brought him more work, no eye contact and mumbly, I browsed the store and went back after a long 30 mins, watching them go through my box of movies slowly taking one out and talking with coworker about the movie then checking the disk etc. It was upsetting he had no sense of urgency at the end he accepted 2 movies out of 30, waste of time. read more

I took about three boxes of healthcare & technology textbooks in to see what they were worth. The gentleman who assisted me was professional, but was a little condescending. When he called me up to give an estimate of what I had was worth, he said $5. He said most all would get recycled. Or he would help me box all the books back up. I asked for my boxes back and I would donate them somewhere perhaps. He did not seem to pleased. Why would you want a bunch of books that you just told me are not worth anything?? The next day I was near Parmer and Mopac and realized there was a 1/2 priced books near there. I did take 6 boxes of books a day before at that location and got over $220, so I thought I'd try that location again. For the same books they offered me $20.25! Four times the amount then the location on Anderson Mill! If you have books to sell, it would be worth the drive to not go to the Anderson Mill location (and I live off of Anderson Mill) and try a different location. The location on Parmer were very professional and respectful. read more

Everyone likes a deal, and half price is a deal. This location is clean and organized in a way that appeals to me. The sections are clearly labeled and for the most part, the books are arranged in alpha order by author. There is walking and breathing space in the aisles, and it doesn't stink. They also have a store-linked online presence, so if you are looking for a particular book, they can check their network to see if they have it elsewhere. You can search nationwide on their website. And they have music, in the form of CDs and LPs. That's right, retro fans, they have vinyl. It's not as huge a collection of music as Waterloo has, but it's there, and priced about the same as Waterloo's. Where I ding this location for the rating is mostly on their buying practice, which I think pretty much applies to all HPB locations. Whatever excuse they give you (and I've heard them all), they won't give you much of anything for your books. The most I've ever made is $12, and that's for multiple stacks and bags. I still sell them just to get rid of them and keep feeding the HPB machine. Maybe you can hold your head just right and do better. If you can, let me in on your secret. read more

I have mixed feelings about Half-Price Books. If you're just browsing...good place to browse and save money. If you are looking for something particular....it is VERY difficult to find anything. They don't keep electronic records of what they have in the store. They say it's alpha by author (and categorized by interest), but it's frequently out of sorts/order. IF you happen upon an extremely knowledgable employee, they can sometimes help you, but that's SOMETIMES. I went in today with a list of 19 books I wanted....and found after about an hour....0. However, my daughter and husband were happy that they both found something to bring home. The prices are great. We've sold here a few times, and while you don't get much for them...I guess it's better than dragging them around for years or trashing them. read more

dont expect much more that a nickel per doller value if you sell your old books records, dvd's or anything here, their goal is to make money despite the kind of hippy personal attitudes. I had bought a book on cd for $10 (half the list price), listened to it once, returned it for a whopping offer of fifty cents. For that return, I donated it to the library. Amazon offers cost effective alternative for low cost used books. read more

I could spend HOURS in this store browsing the books and music. I don't because 1.) There's no place to sit and 2.) I don't wanna be that creepy guy who lurks around in bookstores. You know who I'm talking about. I go here first when I want a book that I'll only read once or just don't have the heart to give money to an author because of a personal distaste for (but still can't resist reading the book). I sleep better that way. Half Price is also perfect for disposable paperbacks (Stephen King and the like) that you've been meaning to read for two decades but haven't. There's no point in buying new if they have them at half price. And you can buy more of 'em. I'm usually browsing the biography, political opinion, or fashion section. I've been waiting for years for the Gucci by Gucci coffee table book, but I've never seen it (I guess I'll just buy it new, darn it.). Sometimes you get lucky and find a hard to find that they don't sell new, but this is few and far between. I rarely ask anyone to look up a book; I forgot if they actually can't, or if their search database is such a hodgepodge that you'll find it faster just browsing yourself. The DVD section isn't bad, but I always hesitate to buy used because of the possible damage and scratching. That's just a personal hangup though. If you don't mind used, buy away. Once you buy the books, plan on keeping them or passing them on at a free trading post. I hauled in literally hundreds of books compiled from my grandparents and my own family, and I think I got like $10. Of course it took them an hour and a half to process them, and that's all I got. Very similar to Buffalo Exchange...unless you've got something uber-special (like a first edition, which you wouldn't want to hock anyway), they will literally pay pennies for what you have. It's no biggie, it was great dumping off my old dust collecting VHS tapes there. Regarding the staff, I only recall them being very silent. They aren't really there to help, you're basically on your own. That's fine with me, this is one place I think I can hold my own. Even though this isn't the largest or most interesting Half Price, it's my first stop before the other major chains. A book is a book, so for once I'm not all snotty about a place that'll save you some money! Check it out. read more

This and the North Lamar location are my two favorite Half Price Books locations! The mystery section here is fantastic. I am never disappointed. If I have trouble finding a good mystery/thriller at the Parmer location I head over here. The staff is friendly. South Lamar staff is probably my favorite, but they aren't bad at this location. The clearance section in the back isn't the best I've seen but it isn't the worst either. I wish they had a autobiographical /memoir section, but you can't have it all. If you enjoy thrillers or mysteries like I do this is your store! read more

Have a good selections of romance books, and Science fiction. I'm sucker for them read more

Half Price Books is cool for perusing and whatnot, but I'm just not that much of a fan. I've taken boxes full of books there to sell and they've offered me just a couple of dollars. I get that they're trying to make money, but still...for the kinds of books I'm ever needing to sell (solely paperback fiction, maybe a couple of hardback), I am better off posting it on paperbackswap.com and mailing it to someone who requests it, getting a credit for it, then requesting a free book for myself. I've been in there when my out-of-state cousin comes to visit, as she doesn't have anything like Half Price Books and gets excited to stop in, and I've picked up a couple of books on the clearance shelf so that's cool. Other than that, I don't usually find myself shopping here but I can see why others like it. read more

I'm a frequent shopper here because of the great selection of books as well as the clearance movies. (Cant beat $2 movies) For the most part the cashiers are always pleasant and have never done anything to upset me or make me feel unwelcomed. This has been the friendliest location I've been to. read more

The staff are very friendly. The store is small and has a very home-y feel. Best for browsing when you know you want to buy a good book or movie, but don't know quite what you want. It can be very luck-of-the-draw-ish. They also have super cheap cassette tapes and records. There are usually a couple racks of clearance books, like $1 or $2. read more

Have kids who love books? Great bargains to be found here! We LOVE to go weekly and check out the clearance bins out front. We always find lots of books for 50 cents - $1 just waiting for us to take them home. We tend to collect all the books in a series and get excited when we find one we don't have yet. (We've bought nearly the whole American Girl History collection here on the clearance racks.) If you homeschool, make sure you get the homeschool discount card. They take the discount off of the clearance books too! It also pays to sign up for their mailing list as they send out coupons through out the year. The have a homeschooling section as well. So if you tend to use curriculum, you might find something useful. During the summer, they have a reading club for kids. Your kid reads a certain amount of books each week and gets paid with a $3 Half-Price Books gift card. The only annoying part is that they have no idea what they have in stock but that's to be expected with a store of this nature. read more

This is my favorite half price books in all of Austin Yes it is small and yes they don't always have the books I want, but they always have something great and the comic books are always stocked full. I would give it 5 stars but i have come here too any times looking for a certain title and they never have it. The staff is insanely knowledgable and always know what book I'm talking about. They gladly have conversations with me about the book and make going there a really good experience. Keep it up Half Price read more

I was trying to sell some books, took one and a half hours!!! Also, the bathrooms were absolutely disgusting.