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    The Friendly Used Bookstore

    4.6 (25 reviews)
    Closed 10:00 am - 4:00 pm

    Services - The Friendly Used Bookstore

    Community Service/Non-Profit

    The Friendly Used Bookstore Photos

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    3 months ago

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    6 months ago

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    3 months ago

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    3 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

    I love this little bookstore. The volunteers are really nice, helpful, and it's pretty organized.

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    3 years ago

    This is a great store to find new released book at great price. Volunteers that run the store are friendly and helpful.

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    3 years ago

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    12 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    9 years ago

    Helpful 2
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    11 years ago

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    14 years ago

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    6 years ago

    Great prices, random treasures to be found. From text books to fiction and DVD's. Love this place. Great and friendly staff!

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    9 years ago

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    14 years ago

    I love this place! Books for a quarter or fifty cents! I am a frequent customer & love the people who work here. Great store!

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    11 years ago

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    11 years ago

    Amazing bookstore with great prices and super friendly staff. I stop in on the regular to find new treasures.

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    5 years ago

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    12 years ago

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    17 years ago

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    14 years ago

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    9 years ago

    Great way to get unheard of prices on a great selection of used books and support the Santee Library at the same time!!

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    Ask the Community - The Friendly Used Bookstore

    Review Highlights - The Friendly Used Bookstore

    They are affiliated with the Santee library, and the people who volunteer to run it are very nice and very helpful.

    Mentioned in 4 reviews

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    Book Place - Posey Ann and a bag of to be reads

    Book Place

    (48 reviews)

    $

    my favorite used bookstore in the whole of san diego!! so many books across every genre and for…read moresuch excellent prices. my personal favorite part of the store is the sci fi and fantasy room at the back. also the owner tyler is so friendly and happy to help you with anything! also a great spot to sell old books for store credit

    My life partner brought me here as a birthday surprise and I'm hooked. We typically would visit…read morethat bigger one in North Park, but that place has become a hellhole for morons standing in aisles taking instagram shots. Hard pass. I managed to toss books like rocks at them as if I'm a bridge troll. However, after cussing out some 23 year old that cant even read, I've decided to move on to better bookstores. (Or I was told I'm not welcome back, same difference). Anyway, BOOK PLACE IS RAD. I am hooked, on the book. I don't really enjoy the Barnes & Noble because A) Expensive as hell, and B) AI cover art everywhere. So, Book Place. Cluttered how I like it. But in a good way. Like, you think you might find Iain Banks in the mystery section, but actually he might be in the Thriller section, or both! And you've discovered a new author on the way! I just love how it feels to have such a variety of books. Some spent time being loved by someone, and others, maybe were a gift that they trashed and it ended up here. Everyone who works here is cool, we can chat about books, and they'll tell you if they have something. Though personally I enjoy the thrill of the hunt for something I don't know if I'll find. I've always managed to find something. Plus, their prices are great. The buyback option is awesome. (Plus you have the opportunity to share what you loved... or didn't love and give someone else your hot garbage!) They've got a rental system too. So it's kinda like if Blockbuster came back, and had a baby with a book Place. They've got the oddities I crave. They have the weird science fiction with the holographic covers from the 90s and early 2000s (yeah those nerd ones). Star Wars novels, covered (and I don't mean the post-Disney garbage). I love this spot. It's not super close to home, but it gives me a reason to venture into this part of the county. Makes me very happy. Support this place and keep it alive because I need it in my life.

    Bookoff San Diego - DVD heaven

    Bookoff San Diego

    (486 reviews)

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    Kearny Mesa

    I come here once a month or so. My wife and I love it (although one time she didn't get as much…read moreselling them books as she wanted, but that's not the point of this review). Today I had a rather complex purchase/exchange I needed done, and Angel couldn't have been more helpful. He was very professional in how he handled everything. It's the type of thing us regular customers like to see. That way to run a business is perfect. This is easily my favorite place to get used books, CDs, and DVDs.

    I came in search of anime figures and I will say that the selection was VAST albeit very chaotic in…read moreits organization. Their manga selection was large and very well organized. They also have a large selection of Japanese manga too which I've not seen at other stores and was cool to see! We browsed their games and Pokemon cards as well. They had a lot of consoles and handhelds. They had a lot of dvds and blueray. Their regular book selection was extensive though I didn't look too much as it wasn't why I was there and my husband and kids were wanting to go get dinner. Overall while it was a very cool place, I feel like the pricing left a lot to be desired. Most of the manga I came across that I was interested in were priced very close to or at MSRP and the figures were disappointing bc every single one that I recognized and happened to know the going price on was significantly higher than it should be -- even super used ones that had no box were priced higher than you could get them for brand new! So even though I wanted to take the time to dig through the chaos and find a gem it made me hesitant bc i figured that even if I did find something I wanted, the odds were likely that it would be marked well over its value

    Verbatim Books - Coolest bookstore in San Diego! Luyi Zhao photos

    Verbatim Books

    (338 reviews)

    $$

    North Park

    Verbatim Books in North Park when in the area is a must…read morevisit. After getting iced strawberry lemonade from Subterranean Coffee across the street, I stopped in for a looksee. This books store has new and used books for all ages and a menagerie of stuff, some nostalgic vintage, comical, nonsensical and just entertaining. I'm a collector of lots of things, mostly luxury items and or things that have value. I've been at this bookstore many times but this time I was curious to see what valuable $$$$ books was available. The staffer Jon was pointed to the locked golden book case. Next to The Sexual Key to Tarot was The Ritual Magical Manual $650., appeared to be $$$$...but FYI There's a collection of books: The Bible, Dante, Dickens, Emerson, Molière, Poe, Voltaire, to name a few...all reproductions in golden edge pages, classically bounded for gifting or to showcase in your new library. Verbatim is not a hugh book store by comparison to The Last Bookstore in Downtown Los Angeles. Despite its moderate size, it still takes multiple visits to see and appreciate everything vintage, quirky and most of all enlightening. Worth visiting. Recommend

    Probably my favorite stop on the San Diego Bookstore Crawl! The cozy decor inside and the warmth of…read morethe service. Plenty of space for you to 'cop a squat' if you find a book you want to dive into before committing to purchasing. The books are in a orderly fashion. Lots of cool bibliophile gift items too in case you are looking for stationery as well, they offer a few items to select from; ie; Journals etc. Respectfully Reviewed

    Helen's Book Mark

    Helen's Book Mark

    (58 reviews)

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    Hidden gem in Escondido that you do not want to miss. The store is quite large, so don't let the…read morestorefront fool you- rows and rows of used books! My first time here I purchased a few children's books and a 300 piece puzzle. This summer, my youngest son has fallen in love with large puzzles. I never pay full price for kid things. Why? They lose interest in them so quickly! I really didn't want to pay almost 20 dollars for a puzzle on Amazon....and then I remembered this bookstore. I called to make sure they still had a puzzle section and they sure do! They have such a lovely variety too! I'm sure you'll find something you like. My kiddo was thrilled when I let him pick two puzzles and I picked one. You can't beat the prices....and they offer an credit policy too! Three puzzles cost me less than one puzzle at a big box store or online. Stop in here and support local business. I'll be back!

    Two stars for cleanliness and friendly staff…read more Three stars off for the most important aspect of a used bookstore... price. $5 per paperback? More for hardbacks? For a book whose spine is parting? Missing pages? C'mon. Don't even bother looking at most of what they call "Vintage" books. They ask a king's ransom for them. I found paperback after paperback that was priced at over $20 each... for a book barely 50 years old and a cover price of $1.50. Outlandish. I actually performed a reality check and went to Ebay to check on 7 or 8 of those titles. In each case the books sold for much less on Ebay than Helen is asking. They most definitely need to adjust their pricing schema. It's not like they're paying rent in downtown La Jolla for goodness sake. I was originally, upon walking in, going to say their large, diverse selection is a strength. Now I understand it's simply a function of them not selling their books at a good turnover rate at all... consequently, their stock piles up. Shame.

    The Friendly Used Bookstore - usedbooks - Updated May 2026

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