Half Price Books is the best place I take the books and media as you thin out your collection. (Dunaway Books and Hammond's Books have failed to return communication and Left Bank Books' hours don't work for me.) That being said... you get very little money for what you bring in. Much less than other used bookstores offer. I know the stores need to make a profit. I don't expect that the inventory will get 30% of the asking price. But 20% or even 15% would be nice. Am I getting that? I think not. At Half Price Books, you don't know what you're getting for each item. How it worked in the past: Bring books to the counter. Wait to be paged. Return to see 2 (or 3?) groups of stacked books. Staff make a point of saying "These are the books we want. Those are the books we don't want." The "don't want" group is larger most of my visits. Staff offer to donate/recycle (read: trash) the books for you. Formerly (early 2020s) you could take accept the offer on the wanted group and take the donate group to your preferred nonprofit. How it worked about year ago: Though staff have your books separated into different groups, the offer is on all of the books, including the books they will donate/trash. Once the books are on the counter, you can't take a single book back without refusing the offer. You must take all the books back. A staff member told me that if there are some books I want to take elsewhere, I should put them in 2 different groups so I can have different offers. Hmmm. How it works now: You can't take any of the books back, even if you tell them in advance. Staff say they won't tell you which ones are the wanted/unwanted though after their review, the books sure seem to be in different groups. When you ask about this, they say this has *always* been the policy, and that they only deviated from it during the covid pandemic. (Then that was not *always* the policy, was it?) I imagine the books groups are something like of: sell here, sell at a different HPB location, donate, trash. If some of these books are going to be thrown away or donated, why not give them to the owner? It should be less work for the staff. So it's imperfect. This is as good as it gets for people hoping to unload of a few hundred dollars brick-and-mortar resell value in books for a little cash. Shopping here: I rarely buy books, journals, games, media and the other items sold here. When I want to buy something particular that I think will be here, Half Price Books is one of the places I shop. Buying a used book locally by a company that is based out of state is still better than buying from Amazon. I can usually find some books to bring for them to review while I shop. read more

Half Price Books - Bookstores Near Me - St. Louis, Missouri

Always have the best experiences here. Half Price Books has books, boardgames, DVDs, Video games and so much more for sale. They have a great selection of books and everything is so well priced. The staff is incredibly sweet and helpful. I have purchased many books here and will be back for more. read more

Half Price Books - Bookstores Near Me - St. Louis, Missouri

As most every reviewer has said, don't sell your used books here. For me, finding books to buy from here has been no problem but, usually, if I'm willing to buy a used book, I'm patient enough to find it used online. I do enjoy going in to browse the shelves and haven't had an issue with any of the workers I've encountered. read more

I like this store. I've been going for some years but it's always disappointing getting nearly pennies for your books. They have a great selection of books, CDs, videogames and other stuff. Sometimes you can get a good discount, other times some things are overpriced, especially in the cookbook section but overall I'll continue to go. It's a good place to take a break and check out some books. read more

I carried 8 boxes of books to this store to sell. They gave me $17 it cost me more in gas than I made and they make you stay in the store while they"evaluate " your books. There was only one person in front of me. I heard them tell him his offer was $15. I am fine with the fact that they make money off of your books but they should just say they pay 10 cents a pound. Certainly not worth the time and effort if you are hoping to make money off your books. You are really just donating them and they make you wait so you will spend money. read more

We buy many things there and have not been disappointed. Prices are fair and I can usually find what I need.

Solid 10/10. Excellent selection of DVDs and Blurays! Store is quiet and very well organized. There's more duplicates here than at other stores I go to. But prices can also vary due to this so you could find the same movie but a couple bucks cheaper. Prices vary but tend to be higher than other used stores but not by much. I haven't had much luck with rare releases but I've gotten some movies I wanted. Great place to stop by especially if you're interested in some books, too. I found some excellent suggestions on the "booktok" display. I don't use TikTok but there's some solid recommendations in that section. They've got used games, too, and some ok discounted areas. read more

A good selection, polite staff, and excellent prices! It is also to park here. The only thing missing is a cat.

It is nice clean store, the employees are nice and I always find good stuff there. The CD is prices are not at all in the spirit of half price! Nearly always full price and worse than just being the price of the highest on Discogs, someone is pricing them at Discogs + shipping. It is pretty lame and petty and can't be making enough extra to be worth going off brand to that degree. Euclid & Vintage Vinyl are much more fair and have better selections. read more

Good help in the store & I found most of the books that I was looking for. Prices are not great - I could probably get the same price on Amazon. I do enjoy looking at the book & getting to read a bit before I buy. read more

If you're wanting to sell books this is not the best place. I got far better prices from the World Of Books sell your books app.

Decent prices on a large selection of some new, but mostly used, books, comics, games, calendars. Stock is well organized; store is clean and brightly lit. Large cookbook selection! You can also sell items here, but be forewarned - they seem to keep their sale prices low by offering a miserly low price for your books, cds, etc. (To tell you the truth, I haven't found any used bookstores in St Louis that offer as much as the independent bookstores in California did - maybe the market has collapsed over the past three years .). But they do pay you in cash - no credit slip nonsense. Staff were friendly and there's plenty of free parking out front. Overall, this is still the first place I'd look to find a used book that I want the same day! read more

Half Price Books - Exterior of the bookstore, with its large off-street parking lot. - Bookstores Near Me - St. Louis, Missouri

Books as far as you can see at good prices- then you can see other collections if you get into it. Try not to talk with anyone cause this could be a long activity. Glad a coffee shop is usually pretty close. read more

I always check out this place first to try to find Bibles or whatever book I need the prices great and great location

I took several boxes of books into the store, and I was told it would be a few minutes before they could tell me how much I would get for them. I happily wandered all over the store. There were movies and albums, and cds to browse through. After a couple of minutes I was given a piece of paper to take to the register to get cash back. It was a very pleasant experience, and I'll be back again! read more

Always have the books I'm looking for at a great price compared to some of the larger retailers. And they are in great condition! Love supporting them. read more

Half Price Books - Bookstores Near Me - St. Louis, Missouri

Their customer service is the worst I've ever experienced. My advice is to stay away from HPB and also their online services.

This bookstore is very clean and neat! I am definitely impressed with this bookstore, and this is my first impression when I walk into this local business. 1. I was able to find several books for incredibly low price, much lower than retail price. On a sad note, I did not buy them. 2. However, based on the sample of books that I was looking for, I find that these same books vary in editions. In other word, some books are old, and then some books are more recent for the same exact title. 3. This local bookstore has a diverse selection of books in every corner. I could imagine how much money you could save. Remember this: you get what you pay for. These books aren't entirely brand new. You'll find some books in decent shape, perhaps a few edition older. Nevertheless, these books are still great prices. 4. The employees are incredibly helpful, polite and kind. They guide me to the right direction for my specific requirement. read more

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Half Price books is a great business. I always get top dollar for the books I sell to them. They also have a wonderful selection of books, movies, and music to choose from. read more

Great bookstore. Can't walk out without getting a few books! Sign up for their text messages for addition savings.

Always a good place to offload books you won't read again and don't want cluttering up your house. My friend says Dunaway offers better prices, but I've always been satisfied with the offers I've received here (mostly I DO NOT want the things in my house anymore). The 5 stars are actually for the help I got when I asked if there were any PS3 controllers in stock. I've checked a few different places, and they never have them out on the floor, but this time I thought I would ask... and lo and behold, there were three in the back. The employee said he'd briefly plugged them in to see if they'd turn on, which was a good enough test for me. I shook them, and they didn't rattle or sound like loose inside parts, so I chose to purchase 2/3. They offered me the price of 7.50 each, so even if once I get them charged, and they don't work out, I'm not put out. So, I guess if you need a red PS3 controller, you can go to this store and get the last one! ^^; read more

They have thousands of titles and the folks are helpful. Found lits of books for my granddaughter

I went to Half Price books to search for some books. I personally don't like to sell books to Half Price because I know that I can usually sell the book online for more. But each Half Price Bookstore has a different personality. I was able to find some good deals on the books I was looking for and I found a couple of cute books that I wouldn't have seen normally. I was impressed on how it was clean and set up for the holidays. read more

Half Price Books - Bookshelves - Bookstores Near Me - St. Louis, Missouri

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We frequent this location often but today was not a great experience! Upon arrival we noticed they had updated the order of books and games. As an attendant was passing I was saying I wonder where they moved the comic section. She continued past me and I spoke to her directly and she waved her hand nonchalantly in the direction... Then as we began to shop I noticed she seemed to be everywhere I was. I then sat down on the guest sofa towards the back and of course she began to work in that area behind me. My guy came and sat beside me while our daughter went to shop for her books and games. If this wouldn't have been an experience that we love to give her I would've said let's go! Now here's the kicker... once we completed shopping we sent our daughter to pay for our items and she came back holding all of our items in hand. I asked her if she had paid and she said yes but they didn't have any plastic bags! We just left with items in hand, frustrated. As I said in the beginning we come here a lot and have spent thousands of dollars on books, games and whatnots. Perhaps this is why stores are closing and people are going to online. Lack of respect is not something I'm willing to accept... read more

very impressive collection of books at this location The staff was helpful giving directions to the right location for the books he was looking for the isle are labeled clearly read more

I've been here only twice and I think it's my favorite place on Earth. First of all, parking. Giant but well organized, the sweetest employees, and everything so affordable! I buy DVDs, CDs, puzzles, and of course, books here. They have a wide range and variety, from vintage classics to the Bridgerton series. 10/10, go visit and give them some love! read more

They are dog-friendly!! Half Price Books is the best place to find a new book to read. The store is arranged like any other book store (by genre and then alphabetically) so it's easy to find the right aisle to browse for what you are looking for. There is a counter where you can bring your own used books/magazines/CDs/DVDs to exchange for cash. I brought in a box of magazines and was given a voucher to redeem at the cashier. It only took about 10 minutes for them to go through my stuff and come up with an offer. Obviously, timing will vary based on how many people are in front of you. The back left corner is where you can find the clearance section of books and DVDs. This is also where you can find magazines (Bridal, Food and Wine, Real Simple, NatGeo, MotorTrend). Also, keep your eyes out for carts of $1 or $2 books. If you can't find something you are looking for, ask the cashier. They may not have every author and every title, but they have the best prices on what they do have. She looked in the computer and was able to find what we were looking for. read more

I love to seek out used book stores whenever I travel somewhere new and Half Price was decently near where I was staying in STL so that's where I went. The selection at this shop is okay... the rows and rows of shelves make it seem like there are tooooooons of books to sift through, but once you get in there, there are a lot of repeats. Plus, there are multiple places where various genres are mixed up: for example, a book might be in the mystery section AND the fiction section or the cooking section AND the holistic health section. It's not the worst thing but it's kind of a disappointment to find the same titles across multiple shelves. Prices are rather high for used books, IMO. I purchase hundreds of used books a year for various needs between personal reading and homeschooling my kids, so I'm no stranger to used book prices... and the ones here are really quite high. We're talking $7-$12 for mass market paperbacks and $10 or above for hardcovers. Reference books are in the $20s and beyond. The used games and other non book items were too expensive to even bother with. Why spend that money when you can get a new one for a little more? I get that this is a more curated used book purchasing experience. You get to browse very well-sorted shelves and things are tidily priced and alphabetized. Personally, I prefer to dig through piles of books and find the gems. Again, this is my preference. Some people enjoy the nice organization in exchange for higher price tags and that's totally fine! It's not my jam. I will skip Half Price in the future and look for a more local dive with cheaper books and friendlier staff. read more

It has a decent selection, fairly clean- some of the books that have clearly sat for a while were covered in dust, and many shelves weren't in order which could be customers putting things back out of place. If you need help, figure it out yourself because staff ignores you when you're trying to flag them down. Multiple times, and different staff members. I would have dropped what I bought and walked out, but I did find a few gems in random spots. The only staff member that did speak to me was the one at the counter and by that point I didn't care to ask for help anymore. Do yourself a favor and visit any other location instead. read more

Thank you, Eliza, for EXCELLENT customer service !! She helped confirm order details on a brand new order I just placed. I was concerned about a delivery delay coming from an out of town store. She put my mind at ease that it should come soon as only 5-6 hours away. I hope Eliza can can assist you with your Half Price book needs at the U. City location. You'll be happy she did ! :) read more

I don't know how it took me so long to discover this place - but I'm glad I did! I had never heard of Half Price Books until yesterday. The name says it all. If you find any kind of bookstores intriguing, I promise this will not be a letdown. The place is seemed a lot bigger on the inside. You will very likely find something you will want, probably not need, but you'll feel good that you did. Even better, you bought it for a great price. Its not just books they specialize in - hundreds of music (CDs, records, even 8-tracks), comics, movies (VHS, DVD, Blu-ray, Laserdisc) and lots of memorabilia and collectibles. Plan on spending at least an hour just browsing. There's even a clearance section in the back of the store. One other thing: its probably the best place to turn in your old media items. While I donated most of my CDs to my local library, I had a hard time selling my old Blu-ray movies - in person and online. Slackers and Vintage Vinyl would probably just give me $2, or if I'm lucky $5 in store credit for 20 movies to sell to them. I ended up getting a great deal from HPB for my movies. I don't want to get anyone's hopes on this one - as results may vary for some. But I hope you get the idea here. So come check it out. It is at a busy intersection, but if you're in the mood for something sweet there is the cupcake bar just a few doors down! read more

I had hoped to get a little more for my books, but the employees were great, and knowing that what they didn't pay me for would be donated to various charities satisfied me read more

Very friendly and helpful staff. Always have coffee and water available. A large supply of used games, consoles, books, comics, and basically anything else that catches your eye. They have very comfy chairs you could fall asleep in, honestly. Probably one of my absolute favorite places to waste a few hours. read more

This bookstore is just great in so many ways. Tucked away in U City this busy bookstore has found its nitch in St. Louis. There's so many things you cans do here. From cash read more

Half Price Books - Bookstores Near Me - St. Louis, Missouri

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As a bookstore, no problem...they have a great selection at reasonable prices. As a book buyer, it's a rip-off; I brought in a large quantity of books(40-50) in good condition. About 20 were selected as worthy of the shelf: grand total; $7.50. I was told they have too many of some in the inventory. Suggest you look elsewhere to sell books. read more

All the books are in good condition and there are tons of books for really cheap! It's basically a library but with cheaper books!

This is a great place to sell books, games, music, etc. It's also not a bad spot to just hang out and buy stuff. But my move has been made so much easier because they will take all that stuff off my hands and donate unused books to various charities. It hardly gives any money - but the process is quick and efficient. They know what they are doing. I was surprised to like it - I had been avoiding it because of the warehouse look and now I really like its convenience and friendliness. It's also fairly spacious feeling inside and not at all unpleasant ! read more

I'm crazy excited to finally have a 1/2 Price so close to me!!! And just in time for Christmas shopping! I know that I'll be getting more than a few gifts there - for family, friends and for myself, of course! Now, if you're already familiar with 1/2 Price, you'll probably notice that the layout of this place is quite different. So it can be a little confusing at first and you might have to ask to be pointed in the right direction. But they have a great amount of space and great selection! read more

As a bookstore overall, this place is pretty good. If you're taking books or CDs there to sell them, you may as well plan on just giving them away because you'll get practically nothing for them. I took a large box of books in excellent condition and two large boxes of several hundred music CDs, and they offered $33.25 for the whole lot. The only thing more disappointing than their offer was the attitude of the employees I talked with. read more

Neat shop. Clearance section in the way back, paperback books for great deals too. Even comic and manga sections which were fun to hang out and browse. Vintage books make good presents for the christmas season! They do have movies and more if books aren't exactly your thing. Plush dolls and more leave plenty to look at if you're left waiting on your book nerd to make up their mind! read more