This was the most whimsical surprise. At first glance this is a college used bookstore where you can buy beads, incense and records. Don't stop there. The magic lies below. The stairs are steep, but proceed slowly and visit the basement used books. I spent more than an hour. It is organized into sections by subjects, but there is no card catalog. Imagine the best book smelling old school library with history and culture and most eclectic mix of books that you've ever experienced in your life. Most of them run between $4 to $8. Wander. Soak it in. It made me rewind in time thirty years. It will cure all stress and transport to times of old. I miss bookstores like this!!! I left with 8 used books. This place is good for the soul. read more

Von's Book Shop - Basement books. Roe after row like this. A MUST SEE! - Bookstores Near Me - West Lafayette, Indiana

If you like to explore this is the place for you it's filled with so much located not far from Purdue University. It's seems to take up most of the block each section is a treasure trove in itself from Books, Records yes vinyl and knock knacks. We all know college and their parents are on a budget so the price range here is perfect. I can say honestly no one will walk away empty handed and remember if you can't find it just ask and the staff here will direct you to the right spot read more

Von's Book Shop - Bookstores Near Me - West Lafayette, Indiana

I like Vons but the lady who rang me up was super rude and wasn't helpful at all I asked the price of an item there and she said she couldn't tell me the price. And insulted me in the process. She also made me wait a long time before she even spoke to me because she was working on fixing a beaded necklace. All and all bad experience. read more

Crazy cool knick knacks all over the store! Crystals, books, mugs, magnets, vintage stuff. Just weird random things. Worth checking it out if you have free time. read more

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Normally love this store but went today and had worst customer service. When I had questions had to interrupt the employees conversation with each other about Halloween costumes. Ask for help with beads and they handed us a pole to get them down ourselves. Never once did any employee offer assistance in the store almost an hour. read more

The MUST STOP SHOP for the Purdue visitor, what a collection! More museum and endless intricately setup garage sale like some old couple who wants to just show off their travel trinkets instead of make any sales. There is so many wonderfully random items here, stones, books, rare and unusual pieces, artifacts, no end to the eye candy. One of those almost impossible places living up to the hype of tourist trap without succumbing to the overrated fads or cheesy trappings to trap more tourists. There's a musty old fashioned feel here which enhances the visit, keeps things like they probably have been for decades. This is how it always needs to be. read more

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This is a neat place to shop for books. It's sort of difficult to find what you are looking for, so it is better for shopping for random "cool stuff". Keep your mind open and you will find something you want, even though you didn't know you wanted it before you walked in the door. The book shop is only one portion of a multi-sectional complex. Since the "shops" are all connected it's difficult to write a review on one of the sections, especially when I adore the jewelry shop, just west of the book shop. read more

Incredible shop with soooo much to see. They've got books, journals, clothing, tons of beads & gemstones, and all sorts of odds & ends. There is something here for everyone in the family. I could visit a million times and still find new trinkets. Highly recommend stopping by if you have a chance! read more

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Von's is the last of the great independent bookstores. Thank God it's in a college town, or else it probably would have shut its doors a long time ago. I have been dropping in for the last 15 years, since I enrolled at Purdue as a freshman in '97. They have a great selection of books, particularly in the humanities and social sciences. For sheer nostalgia, this is probably my favorite American bookstore. Get the discount card! read more

Fond memories of this bookstore from the late 70s/early 80s. Went back about 15 years ago with our 3 daughters. We bought 2 copies of The Halfblood Prince or Deathly Hallows...can't recall. The atmosphere of the store lent itself to Harry Potter, at least in our girls' eyes. So glad it continues on. read more

Bought My 1st Tarot Card Deck Here in 1996 (Still Have it!) and am now doing Professional Readings as the #1 TOP PSYCHIC on The SITE!

You don't shop at Von's, you experience Von's. Each time I go back, it's like treasure diving, but more reliable; I always find new and wonderful things I want. The bead selection is unparalleled imho, and if you're looking for gifts, chances are they've got what you're looking for. If it's your first time going, expect to spend a few hours browsing through their enormous and incredibly varied selection of crafting, gifting, and reading materials. Whether you're a resident, a student, or just visiting town, you owe it to yourself to pop in and look around. What you find might surprise you. :) And don't forget to visit the used book section in the basement. read more

Whatever you're looking for, you'll probably find it here (some exclusions apply). Want a new book? Von's has a huge selection. Beads? Clothing? Stuffed animals and movies and CDs and comic books and and. ... everything. Von's is a great place to stop in whether you're new to the Purdue area or a regular customer. It's fun to simply peruse the four sections. Plus, if you're a bibliophile, take a trip down to the basement and lose yourself. The store is broken up into rooms based on products (books, clothing, beads/accessories, electronics). The aisles can be a bit crowed at times. You have to be extra careful around the beads or one bump and they go flying! Prices here are a little higher than your typical mass corporation store like Wal-Mart, but that's expected from independent stores. If you're going to be in the area, I would recommend stopping in. read more

There's nothing else on campus like it. Besides the dorms, you can't rent movies anyplace close without driving. If you're into comics it's the best selection in the tri state area. And the beads...oh the beads!! It has been rumored that Von's is the largest retailer of natural stone beads in the COUNTRY. On top of that, they have the funniest greeting cards, little gifty things, and books + records for every taste. After spending 2 years shopping here, I decided to apply for a job. Although I may be biased as an employee for 2.5 years, I ended up being one of Von's best customers. Damn you, John, your store is so awesome that I would find a million things I wanted then my paycheck disappeared! :-) Things you can find at Von's: movie rentals CDs records posters purses/bags extensive greeting card selection stickers beautiful jewelry - stone and sterling silver from around the world body jewelry you can't even find at a tattoo parlor craft supplies beads - literally millions (stone, Czech glass, metal, Swarovski, lucite, African Trade) jewelry classes candles and incense - really quality scents and brands gifty things room full of stones and gems (knowledgeable staff for questions) comics used books textbooks new books for every subject and genre read more

Von's books is easily the best part of Von's! I can't believe no one has reviewed this yet... They have an excellent selection of used books in the basement- anything you want, they probably have it. I've bought dozens of books from them over the past few years, and the prices are pretty fair. Seriously, if you need reading material, check out Von's Used first, because they probably have what you're looking for at about 1/5th the price. I've bought a few new books here as well, and their selection is a bit different from some of the chain stores- more in depth in some areas, but I'm sure lacking in others. Just a great place to browse to find new reading ideas. read more

Loved this little but not so little Independent bookstore! For your Angelinos that read my reviews it had this distinct Silverlake-y vibe about it. This store was a plethora of stores thrown into one. You could pick up some beads, wander over pass some stuffed animals, find some DVDS and then browse through some random comic books from lord knows when. There was tons of stuff and it was very easy to lose yourself and lose track of time in here. read more

THE ONLY INDEPENDENT BOOKSTORE. Enough said! (with the exception of 'Robots & Rogues,' which tends to selectively market to the sci fi/fantasy/comic demographic - and that's not knocking the store, at all) Only criticism: Staff is STRANGE. read more

Amazing! A friend happened to take me here when I was in town for a dance workshop. My new favorite new and used bookstore/bead store, card store, music store...what don't you have, Von's?? I could stay in there for hours and be perfectly content!! I was super impressed by the amazing section of used sci fi/fantasy books...found a great old paperback by an author I love but who is harder to find! Love the gorgeous beads, too...their selection makes me wish I were more crafty! read more

Von's pretty much caters to my favorite things in abundance, and I could spend hours in the bookstore alone. I really think they carry anything I could possibly want to read. The basement is filled with long rows of perfectly organized used books, (le sigh) and I could probably spend an hour down there looking for gems. Teddy Roosevelt's history of the West for 4 bucks? Okay! Bibliophiles who want to get lost looking for something new or something classic won't be disappointed. No matter what the title, Von's probably has it. For more reviews on the other parts of Von's, check out these yelp reviews: http://www.yelp.com/biz/vons-cards-and-beads-west-lafayette read more

While the selection (both new and used) is almost comparable to a B & N the service and return policy is deplorable. I bought a brand new book and when I tried to return it a few days later, the pretentious clerk refused saying that he needed his manager's approval, and that I should come back another day when he was present. When I asked when he would be back the clerk condescendingly told me that he didn't know. Flustered and humiliated I left, swearing to never buy another item from this establishment ever again. My advice: buy from Amazon! Their service is a godsend compared to Von's. read more

I'm glad that in an era of online bookshopping and chain bookstores, Vons manages to survive and provide a nice selection of both new and used books, as well as other types of items. It's the typical college town bookstore, with books, records, hipster style clothing, beads, minerals, jewelry, and everything else that's so near and dear to various college students' hearts. The place is a hybrid of a highbrow bookshop with slender volumes of poetry, literary criticism, and philosophy, along with hippie patchouli scents, Tibetan singing bowls, beads, and peace symbol earrings. But what college town would be complete without a place like this? Come by, hang out in the used books basement where the possibility of burial by bookshelf collapse is always imminent. That's the best possible way to go, in my opinion. read more

I'm just going to make my review a collaboration of my thoughts on the entire establishment. The book section is plentiful, but I wouldn't go so far as to say that it has the best deals, I run in there when I am a little desperate for something to read. The beads, cards, what have you in the middle part of the store caters more to creative-types and people into jewelery. The record store, however, is well-priced and easy to navigate. I wouldn't recommend getting a rental card for their dvds unless you are very punctual (unlike me) and can get them back in a few short days, believe me the fees add up. read more

Vons books beats and records has been a staple in West Lafayette Purdue University ever since before I was born. A fire burned down a large portion of the upstairs but the record store and bookstore still are open to this day and are always a fun place to visit to find some off the wall record of book. read more

Love, love the jewelry! Every single time that I have gone looking for a piece of jewelry, the staff have always been extremely helpful and patient! I can always find something that is beautiful and well made! Thanks, Von's!! read more

Von's is an amazing store. Most notable is the used book collection--the basement is filled, nearly every cubic inch, with used books. Your purchases have the smell of the incense of the store after you take them home....which I, personally, love. I've never seen so many beads in one place. It's a wonderful place to go and get lost for hours. read more

I could get lost in Von's for days. Their selection of books and great unique gifts is fantastic, you can go for a gift, get a card and wrapping while you're there. Employees are polite and helpful. read more

I love this bookstore! They have every genre of book you can imagine. There is something for everyone, and I frequent it for gifts all the time. They have a great selection of journals that I have found people really like. Connected to the book store are Vons other shops that have an incredible selection of jewelry, rocks/crystals, music, and more. If you have never been you have to go get lost for a couple hours or days!! read more

I love Von's! I take all of our out of town guests there to shop, and they love it also. If you are looking for a gift for yourself or someone else, they most likely have it. Seriously, check it out! read more

If you want something wacky, come here. I always love taking my non-Purdue friends here and letting them shop around. They have tons of unique items you'd be hard-pressed to find at other shops in town. I always find something to buy here! They also have some really cute (granted hipster style) clothes here. Love it! Only issue is that the shop is *very* crowded and difficult to get around. It would be hard to get a wheelchair in there because the aisles are so small. I also had a fear I'd take a wrong step and break something! Otherwise, I love this place for it's variety (vinyl records, books galore, postcards, beads & jewelry, clothes, posters, pins, rocks & minerals...I could go on; It seems like they have everything here). read more

EXCELLENT bookstore!!! It is fairly large for an independent bookstore and the selection is very good. I also like the wide selection of cards that you won't find anywhere else. read more

My home away from home. The owner does a great job providing fresh new and used books and the friendly/knowledgeable staff do their best to keep up with the inventory! Prices are competitive with online and there's nothing better than browsing before buying. They also have a nice selection of rocks, fossils, knick knacks and whatnots. Great store!!! read more

It is incredibly important to support local bookstores, so I would highly recommend going there first if you are looking for a book. The organization of the store is not the most fantastic--the fantasy novels are under "science fiction", for example. Since it is an independent bookstore, it may not have some of the books you are looking for, but the selection is surprisingly vast. Definitely a good place. read more

World's greatest store, both book and otherwise. :) Basement full of used books, some you thought you'd never find again, others you didn't even realize existed. Great organization, very knowledgeable employees, clothes, vinyl, music of all kinds, comics, cards and stickers galore, plus jewelry and beads to die for---and overhead, a ceiling of umbrellas with some of the world's greatest art on them. Wigs, stuffed animals, "mystery boxes" as in "how do you get it open??", hinged jewel-covered animal boxes, plus stocking stuffers, sox with hysterical pictures and sayings--if you can't find the perfect gift at Von's for anyone, it doesn't exist. And if they happen to be out of the book or record you want , they will order it for you. I'm a Lafayette native, and have shopped Von's for many decades. I would be lost without them. Truly. The ONLY problem for those driving--parking (with construction!) can be a problem. So if you're a student, you can hoof it. Can't stand driving around campus? Call a willing friend or take a cab. Von's is worth it. read more

the book store staff was very helpful when finding books for me. They have amassed a large amount of new and used books for people of all ages. They selection here is absolutely amazing and truly has something for everybody. read more