I haven't been here in years so it was good to go back. They have nice and updated displays right when you walk in. The staff immediately greeted me when I walked in. Then they have great signage with all sections well marked. I was there looking at childrens books and the section was super cute. They had nice displays and even some stuffed animals. They have tons and tons of books, it's amazing and a little overwhelming. I was surprised some of the prices weren't better. One book I picked up was the same price online as it was at half priced but then other books were very discounted. Overall a good experience. read more

Nice used book store, great knowledgeable staff. A few more words to get my 85 characters.

I always love going to half price books. Their business model of buying used books means that the things they have in stock can change from week to week, so I always have an excuse to stop by! They have both hardback and softback books, used and new, and all are in at least good condition, although most are in creat condition. A couple are well loved, but they tend to be older softback books, and they mark their price down accordingly, which is nice if you're looking for a deal. They have a small selection of vinyls, which isn't my thing, but I always see a couple people browsing the selection. They also carry boardgames and puzzles, so you can find fun stuff for game night if you're interested! My favorite thing about this store, and the reason I keep coming back, is that they have a selection of foreign language books! Not just how to learn the language, but content in the original language! It's perfect for putting your language learning work to practice! It's not the biggest section, but because of the rotating selection, you get a couple of gems every now and again! Oh, and they offer discounts to teachers too, which is pretty cool :) read more

Hit with an unexpected economic storm and financially hard up, I'd sold numerous books back in December. Today I saw close to 10 of them still in the cookbook section, 6 months later. Sold them for $3-4 a piece, and now these I saw are $18-28 per book. That's maximally a low of 450% to over 900% markup. Top markup for retail is 60%. Most businesses would be happy at 40%. When I mentioned it to the "buyer", he smirked and offered a sarcastic "sorry." Their books now, they can do what they want, but don't go expecting anything other than predatory pricing on books you want (or need, during hard times) to sell, or "half price" to buy. read more

I prefer this store to larger National book stores. They don't have half price books in New England so this place has been new to me since I moved to the Midwest. The store is well stocked and most items are gently used as opposed to new which I love! I can often find newer releases after a few months at half price, it can be the luck of the draw so you may need to drop in often if your looking for something in particular. They do have a few displays of new books which I believe are 20% off list price which is often still a bit too rich for my blood. I love their clearance section. It's always worth checking out! They have a large section dedicated to mysteries which I love!! I would say most books I buy here are $5.99-$9.99 and like new with some costing as little as $2-$3. Half price books is probably one for the few Chain stores I still shop in and that counts for a lot! read more

Always been my go to stop in Madison and the Twin Cities. Love this store, but surprised how much prices have increased. More expensive than half price in many circumstances and way more than Kindle versions. We will be looking at other options in the future. read more

Love this place - lots to look at, nice selection of everything, and good handling of pandemic protocols. Not terribly happy that they close at 5 - don't know if that's a pandemic thing or if they always closed early - because we drive up from an hour away. Almost always find something here! read more

I don't know why so many people are complaining about the selection here. I stopped by here looking for a few things to read on a long flight, and I walked out with a collection of poetry by Andrew Motion, a Zelazny SF classic, and some stuff by Mill (On Liberty, The Subjection of Women, and Uitlitarianism), for $9. My only complaint is that their inventory isn't hooked up to amazon or abebooks, so you have to go to the store to see what they have. Well, that, and someone I knew from high school works here now, and I don't think she recognized me (sadface). read more

Best location of this chain. Great mix of old and new books and other media. Prices are reasonable and the store is well kept but feels like a homey bookstore. Any time I'm in the Madison area I plan to make a stop here. read more

I have been downsizing and selling my books, CDs and DVDs here. The service has been hit or miss. Last week when we were here it took nearly 90 minutes for them to tell me that the four boxes of things I brought in were worth $50. While I waited, I heard one person calling people telling them their quote was ready whenever they wanted to stop in the store. Today I brought four more boxes. The woman would not let me leave the store telling me it was "store policy" not to let people leave. That must have changed in the last few days.... she told me there were a few small orders in front of us and it wouldn't take long. Been sitting here over an hour and no end in site. If they think I'm going to walk around the store and buy something they have another thing coming. I'll find another place to sell my things - someplace that realizes a store based upon value doesn't mean rude, demeaning "service." read more

Like their east-side counterpart, HPB is hit or miss depending on the stock. It's been awhile since I had last been into this location, but on my last visit it seems like they had done some rearranging. While there I wasn't able to find any of the books I was looking for, but the cashier was able to look one up to let me know it was available on the east side. The buying staff was particularly friendly on this trip - my shopping companion off-handedly mentioned he was having a serious case of heartburn and the woman helping us overheard and went in back to grab him some heartburn relief from her personal stash. This also happened to be one of the most fruitful selling trips I've seen - he got back about $35 for a box of comic books. When I've taken in a similarly (retail-)valued amount of hardcover books I've been offered around $3. Regardless of the selection I'm always going to have the same qualms I always have (many items are, to me, overpriced for being used, and the buying offers for what I sell tend to be so low it's not worth my time and effort), but it's all about being in the right place at the right time to snag a good deal on something you want (or want to get rid of). read more

This place has an excellent selection of kids books! Has board books, picture books, chapter books, puzzles and games too.

Decent for a Half Price Books, but less interesting than the Frugal Muse. OK selection of older "nostalgia" books. Annoyingly, the checkout staff loaded my Half Price Books bookbag up so that it ripped, and then failed to comp me a replacement -- they wanted a buck, and I had already spent a hundred. Great customer service, guys. read more

The employees here are either... 1. Old and have no idea what they are doing. 2. Young and incredibly rude. I've had experiences with associates talking about me behind my back thinking I've left the store. It isn't a very pleasant place to be. read more

This place used to be better and more knowledgeable and helpful. I guess I hit bad staff day or something. good prices and a great selection. Need chairs to sit and read. read more

When selling books/music/movies, they always offer a higher price than other used book stores. Great selection and even better staff!

Selection is rough sometimes, but that's not their fault. They're dependent on what people bring in. It's their pricing. Double Price Books. They have records for $25 that should be in the dollar bin and they probably paid a nickel for it. I have started donating some of my stuff to goodwill or the library. Something to feel good about, rather than being insulted by their buying staff's pitiful offers. read more

This location, while convenient (steps away is the Metro Bus West Transfer Point), doesn't have the selection of books and music that the East side Half Price has. I don't know if it is a different customer base in each location or what. Still, it has comfy seating while Barnes & Noble has none, and they do have coupons during the year. read more

One of my regular date nights with a friend was dinner at the Vintage and then vinyl and book shopping at Half Price. I also love their blank cards at the front by the registers. I come here every year to get cool artsy fartsy calendars too. read more

Bought a Ruth Rendell Series 1 DVD set and should have checked myself as employee said everything there, and disc 3 is actually Series 1. I like this disc also so will keep, but disappointed the store is supposed to check and didn't. Should send me correct disc at no charge or partial refund!! read more

I love coming in here before or after eating at Laredo's or Vintage. They have a fun selection of books. Check out the sale section for some real bargains. Overall, I've found their books much more reasonably priced than some of the used bookstores down town on State Street. I don't come here to look for specific books, but more so to browse and find treasures. The books are usually in pretty good condition too - I've bought several gifts for family members here. read more