Let me tell you about Half Price Books Inc; they've manage to corner the market in used books as they drove many "mom & pop" bookstores out of business. I was a seller of used books that I got at flea markets, garage sales etc. where I'd often get several boxes of books then bring them over to my local Half Price bookstore. They'd separate them into two piles; one they wanted; and the other they didn't which I'd have to take with me. Several years ago that policy changed. Now they say they'll only make an offer for everything, even though they say the reject pile isn't worth anything; nonetheless they insist upon taking everything in a "package deal". When I questioned what was wrong with the reject pile, they said they were either too old and worn, had some water stains or yellowing pages or even had a moldy smell. Yet when I looked around the store, their shelves were full of many books that fit the criteria of rejects. Also it seemed the reject pile grew larger over time, meaning that they were getting a majority of my books for free; and obviously putting them on the shelves to sell. I noticed many that I brought in and had gotten nothing for; being sold after I was told they would only be "recycled". I pointed that out to the manager and was told they didn't need my business any longer. I contacted the corporate office to complain about the store policy that clearly was driven by greed and pointed out that they also weren't even scanning all the books in the "buy pile" and was told that the store was acting upon "corporate policy" and had done nothing wrong in refusing to buy from me; as I had questioned their integrity. I was told they were only following corporate policy. Corporate considered me a "problem customer" simply because I questioned their methods. Obviously it's a case of corporate greed as the policy intends to maximize profits at customer expense with a "where else are you going to go" attitude; since there's very few independent bookstores left! read more

They had a great selection all in one place. A lot of obscure titles that might not be so easy to find.

After dinner at Turkish Kitchen we went to Half Price Books. It's an ok store. Lots of books that I've never heard of. Hubby found 2 books & 1 got one DVD for cheap: Convoy! Drama in Arctic Waters by Paul Kemp. List price $9.99-Half Books price $4.98. Master & Commander by Patrick O'Brian - Half Price Books $6.98 I got: Kathy Smith Lift Weights to Lose Weight for $4.98. Now need to get some hand weights. They take credit cards. No bathrooms available for customers! read more

Great selection, affordable prices, and awesome sales process that allows for you to get rid of your unwanted books and games quick and easy. read more

their buyers cherry pick and that prevents customers from making their own choices. I never sell in stores anymore, it's just a waste of my time. read more

TL;DR AMAZING BOOK STORE TO SELL YOUR BOOKS I had about 15 books in pretty good condition. I tried selling them at other book stores in the area, but they only took a few top selling books that I guess are in high demand. Half Price Books took ALL my books. Although I only got $16 for all of them, I wouldn't have been able to sell them elsewhere. If you need a place to sell your books that aren't the hottest, Half Price Books is a good bet. read more

This place is awesome as a customer looking for cheap, affordable books, CD's, DVD's, records as they have a wide selection of interesting stuff from different decades/eras for a great price! However, as a seller you will get very little for what you're offering. I got a whopping $2.31 for 8 books total in good condition - music books, guidebooks and other books. You may be better off just donating your books to a Little Library and at least getting a fair trade. read more

I just want to give a big shout out to Half Price Books for providing a FREE children and young adult book give away at the recent Bay Area Book Festival!!! As a volunteer steward of Little Free Library, charter #125518, I am ALWAYS on the look out for how I can reasonably keep my library stocked with fresh selections (thrift shop, Friend of the Library, Half Price Books bargain area). Thank you, thank you, thank you for the opportunity to have a very large bag full of "new books" for my patrons! read more

What a gem of a bookstore! Pretty much everything is discounted here, and it's so nice to explore the store and get lost among all the old books. It's very organized here, with everything in designated sections, like the art books, the YA books, the children book, the historical fictions, the science fictions, etc etc. With the loss of Shakespeare Books on Telegraph Ave, this is a good alternative to that to get discounted books. It's also very large, so you could walk around and get distracted by the books for hours. There is a comic book section, but if you want more of that, head to Fantastic Comics right next door. read more

PHOTOGRAPHY. Shelf space devoted to photo books is 3 ft wide x 7 ft tall. These include books by photographers Ansel Adams, Man Ray, Minor White, Annie Liebowitz, Lee Friedlander, and Imogene Cunningham. I have a photographer's resume and have had exhibits at three large museums and at 5 galleries. And so, I realized immediately that the photography books, which included portraits, landscapes, and experimental photography, were chosen with great wisdom and insight. Thank you Half Price Books! ART AND ARTISTS. Artists represented here include, Vermeer, Miro, Michelangelo, Chagall, Goya, and Robert Indiana. One of Robert Indiana's paintings takes the form of two panels, side-by-side, which read, "EAT DIE." Professor Bruce Ames kept a photograph of this painting in his office, because one of the fields of science where he is a leader and authority, is carcinogens in food. SCHOLARLY FICTION. Fiction that is taught in high schools and colleges is also finds plenty of shelf space (7 feet tall x 50 feet total shelf length). This includes, Shakespeare, Homer, James Clavell's SHOGUN, Kurt Vonnegut, Mark Twain, Leo Tolstory, and Normal Mailer. SCHOOL EXAM PREP BOOKS. These include books for preparing for the GRE exam, GMAT exam, ACT exam, SAT exam, and advanced placement calculus test. MOVIES (DVDs). Shelf space is 7 ft. tall x 40 feet long, and the movies include Forrest Gump, Gremlins, War Games, Star Trek, and also TV shows. CDs and vinyl LP's. These include classical music, 1960's classic rock'n'roll, country & western, folk music, jazz, blues, and new age music. PHILOSOPHY. While an undergrad at U.C. Berkeley, I was a biology major, but nearly all my humanities classes were philosophy classes. The selection at Half Price Books resembles my own collection of philosophy books. Hurrah for Half Price Books ! ! ! The books in the philosophy section includes, Kierkegaard, Hume, Marcuse, Aristotle, George Berkeley, and Nietzsche. RELIGION. My dad was heavily interested in various religions, and so this section of Half Price Books reminded me of my dad's home library. This section has books on Christianity, Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism, Mysticism, and many Bibles, and also books on studying for the ministry. When I was an undergrad, I took a course on Christianity from a professor affiliated with the Graduate Theological Union and we read books by 3 different Christian theologians. Once again, hurray for Half Price Books and their intelligent selections of book topics. NEW AGE & SPIRITUALISM books have shelf space of 7 feet tall x six feet long. SPORTS. The section with sports books included biographies of famous athletes who excelled in golf, tennis, cycling, football, basketball, surfing, soccer, and other sports. SEWING. Needlework, quilting, knitting, and beadwork (7 ft. tall x 12 ft. long shelf space). GARDENING. Books include, "Understanding Garden Design," "Western Garden Book," and "Grow Great Grub" (7 ft. tall x 6 ft. long shelf space). TRAVEL GUIDES. I estimated that the number of travel guides on the shelves is 1,120 books. Amazzzzzing ! ! ! COMIC BOOKS. Comics are kept in 30 bins. Comics include, Batman, Justice League, Flash, Fantastic Four, Iron Man, and Star Wars. BOOKS w/ REPRODUCTIONS OF COMIC STRIPS. Several shelves are devoted to books with reproductions of newspaper comic strips and of magazine comics, including, Calvin & Hobbs, Dick Tracy, New Yorker cartoons, and Archie & Jughead. GRAPHIC NOVELS. Graphic novels are like comic books, but with higher quality color printing, and with many, many more pages. Shelf space devoted to graphic novels is 10 ft long x 5 1/2 feet high. GAMES. One part of the store is devoted to board games, and puzzles, including a 500 piece dinosaur jigsaw puzzle. ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. The shelves devoted to books for kids in elementary school surround an alcove with the dimensions 15 feet by 30 feet. These books included Bambi, Where's Waldo, Jungle Book, and Thomas the Tank Engine. SCIENCE FICTION. The shelf space devoted to sci fi is 7 feet tall x 15 feet long. ROMANCE. The shelf space devoted to romance books is 25 feet long x 6 feet tall. MYTHOLOGY AND FOLKLORE. The books on mythology and folklore included, Irish Fairy and Folk Tales, Arabian Nights, and The Golden Bough. MYSTERY AND SUSPENSE. Shelf space for these books is 7 ft. tall x seventy feet long. WOW ! ! ! BOOKS ABOUT SCIENTISTS include, Edison, Tesla, and Galileo. Many popular science books, and books about animals (bees, horses, birds, dogs) are also available. read more

My favorite book store they have so many vintage and old books, hardcover, that you can't find anywhere else! The employees and book sellers are so helpful they will look up any old book you need and find it and get it shipped for you! read more

They bought my books! I went to at least 3 used bookstores in SF in hopes of getting rid of my middle school and high school books in exchange for some cash (not asking for much). Even though, they were in pristine condition, none of the bookstores wanted to buy them because they were fad books (aka. The Clique Series and Twilight). My friend told me this bookstore would buy most if not all books, so I decided to give them a try. I came with my box full of 15+ books (including hardcover). The book exchange is located at the very back corner of the store. The process goes a little something like this: 1) You check in the the person in the back. You MUST HAVE YOUR STATE ID to sell! 2) You leave your books there and are added to the waiting list of other people selling books at the same time 3) They will tell you how long it is going to take 4) You have to stay inside the store until they call your name over the intercom and let you know how much they are willing to buy your books for 5) You take your exchange receipt to the front cashier where you will redeem your cash! They guy told me it would like 40mins, but it actually really took about 20mins! I sold my box of books for $10, which I was quite happy about considering other places wouldn't buy them. Aside from buying books, they sell many new and used books and other material ranging from academic books, comics, cook books to calenders and games! read more

I had such a fun time browsing the shelves! Inventory is eclectic and pretty random, which is my personal favorite type of used book store - perfect for browsing without a wishlist. I came across some gems in their ecology section, including a herpetology field guide I'd been wanting to buy that was reasonably priced. read more

Decent location and a good selection of books including SAT prep-type books, textbooks, vinyl records, calendars. This location feels musty and dusty, but it is a used book store after all. Some spaces are a bit tight and there are a good number of patrons browsing around the store, so be mindful of other people's space as well. Prices are decent. Haven't sold anything here though. read more

Great bookstore located in downtown Berkeley. Half Price Books is the place to go to for cheap books and to sell books. Offers great, diverse selections of books, ranging from literature, science, history, and children's books. Textbooks are sold as well. They also sell games for consoles, movies, DVDs, records, board games, and other miscellaneous items such as tarot cards, calendars, etc. read more

Half Price Books - Books, Mags, Music & Video Near Me - Berkeley, California

Great bookstore with a wide selection. Friendly staff and great prices! A must for any book lover!!!!! read more

"How HPB Saved Our New Years Eve" and other chronicles in the life of Ligaya... Hoping to research our winter escape to paradise I moseyed in to find a 2005 edition of Rough Guide to Jamaica. Meanwhile, my fellow tripgoer visited his neighborhood Border's snagging a copy of the 2007 edition. Unbeknownst to him, the following crucial section had been removed from the newer version: "Jenny's Favorite Cakes on West End Road (also serving up potent ganja cake) is the spot for foul-tasting mushroom tea, while Ted's on Sheffield Road, mixes up mushroom-flavored daiquiris." So while our unadventurous buddies slammed piña coladas with Canadian tourists and boogied with khakied folks celebrating their 20th anniversaries in a mega resort from hell, we hiked up our dragging hems and waded down a path of dancing moonlight. With my dress billowing around in the waves, our eyes crinkling with shared secrets, we played the rims of our champagne glasses, reverberating harmonies into 2009. Thank you HPB, for making these moments possible. Lesson learned: New prints fly off the shelf quickly but come to HPB with an open mind and you'll likely be pleased with the goodies unearthed. Though not a place to procure a particular title, the collection is comprised of overstock pawned off by the behemoth stores. The displays and windows tempt with coffee table volumes galore, random how-to-videos, a smattering of LPs, VHS tapes and CDs, and the occasional toy. And perhaps the clincher? They're open until 11pm for night owl browsing! read more

Half Price Books - Books, Mags, Music & Video Near Me - Berkeley, California

A great place to pick up some new reads. This location is very organized and I love the large selection of books, most are used but they also carry new titles. As the name suggests, everything is quite affordable and you can find some great deals in the clearance section as well. I also love that they: - Have in-store WiFi - Offer chairs for customers to lounge in - Are open late - Keep everything organized. Books are easy to locate. - Send you emails about coupons and deals (just sign up for their book club!) read more

Half Price Books - Books, Mags, Music & Video Near Me - Berkeley, California

Half Price Books is like a box of chocolates, as you're never sure what you're going to see. I come in here when I have a few extra minutes before a Berkeley Rep Play or my Haas Alumni meeting. This place certainly has a lot of stuff, and there are treasures that I have found within. Each visit also seems like my first as stock changes over more rapidly than the frequency of my visits. I just find the place too disjointed and quite frankly would rather wander the shelves at Pegasus a few blocks down Shattuck. read more

Why you might want to shop here The store is well organized. Prices are reasonable The hours are long Why you might not want to shop here It isn't a locally owned store It is hard to park read more

Huge selection of books! They also sell used CDs and movies, not a huge selection but it has some great items. I've come here on various occasions to either sell my books or buy. The selling process is really easy. Just bring in your stuff, wait a few minutes while your stuff is being assessed and they'll call your name over the intercom when they're done. You can choose to accept their offer or take it someplace else. Not a bad way to make a few extra dollars and get rid of extraneous items. The only downside to the store that I've come across is that they don't have a database of books in their store. Maybe I'm expecting too much from a used bookstore. read more

During one of the many stops I encountered during my trip, I stumbled into the book store by pure chance. After noticing a small rack of Blu-Ray movies by the entrance, it was the first thing to look. After a couple of minutes, there and behold was a copy of the 5 disc limited edition of Blade Runner. This version is out of print and can only be bought online or one was lucky as myself, at a reseller shop. The price was $15 which was a bargain compared to $30+ online for a used copy or $50+ new. The case itself was empty so assuming they had the actual discs behind the register. After glancing around for gifts, I headed to the cashier. He let me inspect the discs with no rush. After I was satisfied by how the condition they were in, purchase made! If I had more time, I could have spent probably a lot more time browsing. They have a lack of hardcover books which is normally the usual preference for myself. This is definitely a must stop for book and movie lovers alike. read more

Haaaaazaaaaaah players! Reading is essential for the youth! Reading provides the mind with tools which can be used in all areas of life! I hate iPads, if I weren't rich and ballin unbelievable I wouldn't have 3 of them. Kids need books man, technology is cool (shout out yelp, Saksfifthavenue, porntube, youporn, etc) but it's just one thing, you can't just write clever reviews, buy $125 socks, and jerk off! Don't lose the knowledge gained from reading! This girl who says she's my fiancé bought a coffee table book on wall paper here for $40 that didn't receive any compliments (except from my mom) the 7times we had it out when company came over so now it's in the cupboard. That's the only bad purchase I've ever seen at this place and it's her fault because the book JUST had pictures of wallpaper. It's like buying a book of google image- "wallpaper". I don't make mindless decisions like that. I frequently purchase used books from this place and although what I want ain't always on the shelf the majority of the time Banana Hands gets what he desires. And when he doesn't he gets a surprise. Mr. Non-Fiction hater loves surprises. I'll be honest, a great night for Luscious Petroleum Organic is curling up and reading an interesting story, then, after I feel like my mind is stimulated, having a crazy wild uninhibited love making session for 93mins. Hit this place up and buy something that will better yourself players! Haaaaaazaahh to the intelligent! read more

This book store never disappoints! Great selection of both new and used and I can spend hours and hours just wandering around in search of the new read. Good prices and friendly staff. read more

Danger, danger! Seriously - I need to start a 12-step group for bookstore addicts - I just cannot resist going into Half Price books - I always end up finding such great gems here. A friend who was visiting from NZ was just floored by the bargains - apparently books are much more expensive for kiwis and he found xmas gifts for his entire family here! Great used and new books, all sorts of other goodies you'd expect to see in a bookstore. Bring a bag and a couple hours to peruse their awesome inventory. read more

I love coming in here for cheap books. Especially your NY Times bestsellers, they'll probably have it in like hardcover on the shelves in the back or paperback in the front. I like to fill up my movie collection sometimes, $5-7 for a decent movie. Generally they are kept in good condition, I hardly find them all scratched up. They have a nice manga and comic collection. I find some complete series of older mangas that are not found at B&N. I remember finding CLAMP's Magic Knight Rayearth (a 1990s manga) here and it was in very good condition, no wrinkles or dogear corners. Sometimes I find the latest magazines for very cheap, cheaper than your subscription price. In the back of the store, you have your $1 books. You can find good reads for that price if you're okay with having a few wrinkles on the cover or on the edge. However, you do find some that are very well kept and are good material. Everything is very organized. The only thing is that sometimes you just don't know what genre your book falls under, then you might take a longer while to search through the aisles. I'm sure you can throw the name out at one of the workers there and they can help you with the search. I haven't sold any books to this store yet. Don't expect a lot in return, because after all, they're trying to sell at half of the labeled price, they're not going to offer a whole lot for your stuff. read more

If you are going to nursing school check out this store because Yes I paid $1300 and got back $85, I appreciate it and in the end the information changes very little from edition to edition. I stopped by the store because it I wanted to sell my nursing books back. This is the thing with nursing books, you don't need them and the school makes you think that you need to buy their bundle. I never used a book in nursing school and every semester they had you buy new ones. Amazon would not buy back my books so half price books gave me something. I am not sure if this this company is affiliated with Books Inc., but I am done with Books Inc. I found gems at half price books and my 2020 reading future looks bright. read more

For someone with no expectations, this book store is pretty awesome! The books may not be half off but they are definitely cheaper than elsewhere like Amazon or Target. I would go back for sure! They have a good selections of new items for kids, too. My son found more than enough things that interest him, like Marvel and dinosuar items. read more

There is nothing I love more than a late night bookstore! Stays open until 11pm, always as quiet as an actual library but conversation is had, EXCELLENT SELECTION despite how limited the categories are and they have real cool rare finds. I have gotten really good pulp here, discontinued occult books ect you get it.. Just excellent, one more time. read more

Since I am both archaic and poor, I love places where everything is half-price. They had a clearance section for both CDs ($1 each, or 10 for $5; that's as cheap as the pirated ones in Asia!) and books (less than $3). They had Super Nintendo games! (Well, a total of four cartridges, but I felt my heart jump with joy.) I was hoping they'd have Super Bomberman, but alas. I'll keep dreaming. Although I couldn't find the books I was looking for, I did find 3 CDs ($3), so I was rather overjoyed anyway. + friendly employees. :] read more

I could lose an entire day just exploring their selection of used and new books here - that's why I don't come early in the day but later at night when it's near to closing time. If I need some cheering up I come here to lose myself and forget about what's stressing me out - very therapeutic! And if I found something (or somethingS) I liked I don't go broke because their prices are almost always affordable! Aside from books, I found a used copy of "Rat Race" the movie that I had been searching for high and low for months! And it was dirt cheap. read more

Books & stuff Affordable books, both new & used. I come here during the holidays to splurge on family gifts, usually I end up spending less than $10 & their children's selection is pretty extensive. If you're looking for gifts and books at an afforable price, this is a great place for you. For the holidays I purchased ALL my gifts here. Some awesome stuff I've bought: - interactive books for kids - origami kit fod kids - Buddha cards (kinna like Goddess cards) - picture books of the Bay (Got my older sis a great SF photo/counter top book) - coloring books for kids - classic novels for my younger cousins I'm so over people buying meaningless stuff. This bookstore is filled with gifts for everyone and at an affordable price. Love the Earth, Renee Rises-- The Filipina Recycler, Reuser, Reducer read more

Half Price Books - Great youth literacy selection at affordable prices! #halfpricebooks #berkeley - Books, Mags, Music & Video Near Me - Berkeley, California

I really like Half Price Books. The people who work there are always very nice and helpful. Even if they only buy a few if your books they take all of them. If it takes a half hour to get an offer I always enjoy checking out the cookbooks and music books. read more

I love books and book store is like my Disney Land. This store is super close to Bart and I used to see it on my way to work or back from the gym but never had the energy to stop by..until one day I did and I am since a biggg fan. They have a hugeeeee collection of books, games and so many other cute stationery. It's all half prize of course..and it's open until pretty late too. I hate the fact that all physical stores are one after the other closing down..but I wish and pray that this one survives. This is a gem guys, truly one. read more

It's only my second time walking around in Berkeley, but this time, with a friend who graduated from Cal recently. Strolling around Shattuck...and was curious what was this store about... Walked in the store, went straight to the music cd section not expecting very much. I must say...the store doesn't seem very inviting on the outside, but once you walk in, it's heaven for a bargain book shopper and for serious bookworms. Assorted used CDs at cheap prices (less than $5), but titles are limited and you pretty much have to search around to find anything. There was a clearance section where all the CDs were less than $3. I found a Backstreet Boys CD for only $1! Yes, i am still a sucker for old music, but hey, they had 4 different albums ofBritney Spears CDs scattered all over the place. Anyways, I went to buy the BB CD. Friend wanted the first britney spears cd. As we went up to the cash register, there was no CD in that britney spears album. Turns out, according to the cashier, the CD was stolen....ahem..wow So...i got lucky with my CD, no Britney for my friend =( read more

This place is an absolute classic spot in Berkeley, everyone I know is an HPB addict. Amazing selection, I can always find whatever books are on my reading list in the fiction section. Great prices as well, $5 for the book you've been meaning to read for months. Staff are super friendly and helpful. I could get lost in Half Price Books for hours. There are so many bomb bookstores in Berkeley but this one takes the top spot for me, cannot recommend strongly enough read more

I enjoy coming to this store. It is like a easter egg hunt for books. I am always surprised at what I may find here and a such a discounted price. My experience in selling my books, cd's, and dvd's was also a pleasant one. When I took my stash in, I was thinking I'll receive $5 for all. But they offered me more that what I was expecting. What a great joy to my amazement. Do note that they cannot accept dvd's that don not have a UPC code. If you like a good hunt and at cheap prices, you should stop by. read more

This was a trash ass semester because I felt academically unfulfilled. It warmed my heart to splurge on books that truly fed my soul and I have no doubt this was only possible at Half Price Books. read more

Half Price Books - Christmas came early. - Books, Mags, Music & Video Near Me - Berkeley, California

Nestled on the slum streets of Shattuck Avenue is one of my favorite bookstores Half Price Books. They have been supporting Community literacy and making textbooks affordable and easy for people such as me who don't like to pay full price on anything unless there's a discount. One of my favorite places to go. when I'm strolling around Berkeley, or picking up a pizza pizza or just have some extra time I always checking out this book store. This book stores amazing too because they were special books that Ive wanted and I had to see if they had it in stock and they didn't, but they were willing to call the other bookstores and have it shipped and I was able to return to the bookstore within the following three days and pick up the book. I appreciate good service like that. I am a firm believer of supporting bookstores even though it may be a humongous project to cater to. Especially since we are living in a tech generation and everything we read is on the internet please make sure bookstores like this thrive. Please support. read more

They don't allow to bring scooter into the store. They kicked me out because I had a scooter. And also books are not reasonable price at all. read more