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    Steel's Used Books

    3.8 (13 reviews)
    ModerateUsed Bookstore
    Closed Closed
    Updated 2 months ago

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    The front of the Bookstore. Looks small but had a lot of books!
    Brandi L.

    This is a small store from the outside but had a a ton of books inside. My husband was in book Heaven. The owner has some real treasures in there. They had a great Christian and Bible section.

    Andrew R.

    What an interesting place... I ventured into this little book store because I love local business and a good treasure hunt. But, I was totally unprepared for what awaited me inside. This place is a nut house. A fun house to be sure, but a nut house nonetheless. There are shelves after shelves of books with no real organization to be seen. However, the gentleman working it seemed to know where everything was within seconds. There were very loose categories (Bibles, Religion, Fiction, Non-Fiction, Biographies, etc.). In these sections, though, there was no alphabetical order to be seen, and there seemed to be a good bit of overlap between categories. The shop itself was kind of a train wreck. There were books stacked in random piles everywhere, and random items of all kinds from floor to ceiling. It was definitely a unique place, and not your average book store. Most of his books were older and rougher around the edges. There was a good selection of collector edition books with some very popular titles. I am not in to collecting books that are too fancy for me to read, so I passed them by. I also noticed that he seemed to be very proud of his books. They were very expensive, at least for my taste, and considering other book stores I have frequented. Larger, used books were in the $20 range, and smaller used paper backs were around $5. A little steep for me, especially considering their condition. Overall this was a weird place that I am sure has some hidden gems, you may just have to go digging for them (literally). You could spend hours in this place and not see a fraction of the books, not because they are all neat and orderly on the shelf, but because you will literally have to move stacks of books out of the way to see others behind them. If you are looking for a real treasure hunt then this may be the place for you, but it was far beyond my effort level for a good used book.

    A fun time exploring all these aisles!
    Chris C.

    Steel's is really an undervalued bookstore in KC! If theology is at all what you're looking for there are some great finds here that other places will not have. The other areas are less full, but there is always something. Always worth stopping in.

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    5 months ago

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    6 months ago

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    2 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Eclectic book store buy well worth the trip. Shelves and stacks of books at good prices. They buy, sell and trade as well..

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    2 years ago

    stopped during their business hours but they were not open. drove about 25 minutes to get there. no explanation

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    10 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    6 years ago

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    12 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    11 years ago

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    14 years ago

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    Rainy Day Books - Passing the front.

    Rainy Day Books

    4.4(51 reviews)
    13.6 mi
    $$

    Rainy Day Books is kind of the best of both worlds - a book lover's paradise staffed by book…read moreworms. It's a cozy space, but it's jampacked with books from all subjects. If you can't find what you're looking for - which for some reason happens me a lot - the staff is happy to order a copy for you. They're book club friendly. They also host a ton of fun book-related and author events. If you're interested, please follow their social media accounts. They'll keep you up to date.

    If you haven't been to Rainy Day Books, and you've passed by at any point, you're really missing…read moreout! Every time I go into the shop, even if I think I know exactly what I want, every staff member is so knowledgeable and helpful that I always leave with more ideas on my TBR! The little shop is located in the tiny shopping center off Brush Creek Parkway, which means it can be hard to find parking if the center is petty busy--but it's worth it! They have great sections for adult reads, but they also have great sections for kids and teens--you'll find what you're looking for even if you're not sure what that is. Over the holidays, I even asked for kids and teens recommendations from the staff which they were happy to give! As noted earlier, their shop isn't huge, but full of possibilities. And if at the end of your visit, you really still want that book they don't have in stock, they'll order it for you for pick up or shipping--it's a simple process and they're more than happy to help people find their perfect next read. They may not be a book superstore, but they create value in their suggestions, recommendations, and their tiny book reviews and recs on the shelves (even in the teens and kids sections, written by kids and teens!). So glad to have found this place early on in my time in KC, and so happy that they're still doing their thing in their amazing bookshop!

    Photos
    Rainy Day Books
    Rainy Day Books
    Rainy Day Books - My newest journal from Rainy Day Books, where self "growth" happens and ideas will "bloom"...yeah?

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    My newest journal from Rainy Day Books, where self "growth" happens and ideas will "bloom"...yeah?

    The Book Barn - Bookshelf

    The Book Barn

    4.5(4 reviews)
    19.2 mi

    Just wanted to update the community on the current state of The Book Barn…read more Yes, there are books in this store. Yes, you'll probably find what you're looking for. Yes, you'll be greeted by the sweetest lady with a ton of book knowledge. You will need to squeeze through books piled on the floor. You might see a broken shelf or two held up by books. The store is only open on Saturdays, I'm thinking from 11am-5pm or so.

    I would love to open a bookstore like this one. Piles upon piles of books all over the place…read more Somewhat organized, but the real gem is in the people. The older lady will tell you everything and can find anything. I talked to her just about my history with the Book Barn. In 1998, Lansing Middle School had an accelerated reader program. You read books and take tests on the computer (big deal at the time) and you are awarded points. I earned enough points that I was awarded a gift card to The Book Barn. It was written on a card with the amount, and each time you spent some of it the cashier would write the new amount on it. I walked in and asked for any recommendations. The younger lady working there gave me Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged. She gave Atlas Shrugged to a 13 year old. I tackled that beast. It took me 9 months, but I plowed through it and can now proudly say that I have read Atlas Shrugged. Overall, great service, great place to get lost it for an afternoon. Support your local book store!

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    The Book Barn - In 1856, our stored housed the first funeral parlor in the state of Kansas. Our customers have been dying to get in ever since.

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    In 1856, our stored housed the first funeral parlor in the state of Kansas. Our customers have been dying to get in ever since.

    Friends Of The Johnson County Library - Another photo of the children's books and there's also an area, not shown with seating for children and smaller children's books

    Friends Of The Johnson County Library

    5.0(2 reviews)
    18.6 mi

    I saw the recent advertisement about friends of the Johnson County library bookstore in the Johnson…read moreCounty magazine. This is a hidden gem that is staffed by volunteers only on weekends and I believe Tuesday evenings. They are welcoming and friendly and very helpful. We were greeted at the door and handed a price list and shown to where the various genres or items were located. They have a nice children's book room with a table for children to sit and read at and a wide variety of age levels of books for very reasonable prices. They also have a good selection of all types of books and I even saw the woman in front of us purchasing puzzles. They have media and music as well for sale. The address listed on this post is different than the one in the magazine, so I will post a photo of that. I think the address in the review is right next-door where they might store books. I will definitely be going back and we bought a good size box worth of books!

    For decades, I have only bought my books at the Friends Of The Library Bookstore. They are mainly…read moredonated by the public. Most are current, brand new hardbounds. They generally sell for $1.00 soft bound and $2.00 hard bound. I can't imagine finding books at these prices anywhere else. Plus the money earned goes to supporting the library. Win/win for everyone! The Johnson County Kansas Friends just moved into a much larger space. They have puzzles and an extra large sections for children's books. I especially like the antique books. I always leave with a full bag. If you are clearing out your shelves, also consider donating.

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    Friends Of The Johnson County Library - A variety of genres of books

    A variety of genres of books

    Friends Of The Johnson County Library - Fiction

    Fiction

    Friends Of The Johnson County Library - Vintage books

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    Vintage books

    Steel's Used Books - usedbooks - Updated May 2026

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