How to read at minimum cost

October 10, 2009 5:31 AM

What are some non-pretentious used bookstores in London?

I'm looking for the sort of second-hand bookshops that aren't full of rare, out of print, hard to find or necessarily obscure texts; I simply want a bookshop full of readable books that have been discarded by their previous owners and so are marked down to a reasonable used-book price. I can currently find this sort of material online (amazon, for example, has sellers who sell super cheap used editions of currently in print editions of books) but would like the instant gratification of purchasing used books in person. The sort of things I look for are generally in print and are contemporary non-fiction or literature. I'm having trouble finding shops that meet these criteria in London (I'll go anywhere but central and south are most convenient); does anyone have any recommendations?

posted by Polychrome to shopping (12 comments total)

Search google for Oxfam book stores in your area - example.
posted by fire&wings at 6:00 AM on October 10

There always used to be a big co-operative bookshop/stall place in Greenwich market.

Also try the South Bank on a Saturday - huge used book sale there at good prices.

Somewhere around Portland Place is a charity shop that has a lot of remaindered and review copies.

And in the bottom of the Thomas Neal's shopping centre place near Seven Dials there's a bookshop/cafe that used to be quite good.

Oxfam are usually highly priced and they also are known to throw away books in dumpsters rather than recycling them... just saying...
posted by LyzzyBee at 8:15 AM on October 10

Might be worth trying Notting Hill Book Exchange - they have a large selection.
posted by laukf at 8:51 AM on October 10

Could also look at the Gower Street branch of Waterstones. I'm no judge of what counts as pretentious, but if you want a lot of used books, that one's a good place to go.
posted by fearnothing at 9:08 AM on October 10

Skoob
posted by vacapinta at 10:29 AM on October 10

Where are all these pretentious used bookstores? I've never managed to accidentally find one before. You can't go wrong with the Oxfam bookstores even though they are very overpriced these days. Otherwise, my best used book finds usually come from charity shops, weekend markets and car boot sales. The recommendation of the book sale on the South Bank is also good - there are some more reasonably priced stores amongst the larger, more expensive ones.
posted by turkeyphant at 10:47 AM on October 10

Seconding Notting Hill Book Exchange. They have a reduction system such that anything that doesn't sell within a month gets a price reduction. And again the month after that. And the month after that. I haven't been in well over 8 years, but I went there often and rarely picked up a book and thought it was overpriced (considering it's a centrally-located, for-profit shop). When I did, it more than evened out with the surprise bargains.
posted by K.P. at 1:25 PM on October 10

Skoob is still going? Awesome, I totally second that recommendation.

Sounds like Polychrome has experienced some of the attitude you find in the shops on Charing Cross Road and around Colet Court.
posted by vickyverky at 1:39 PM on October 10

Not used books but if you do go to skoob (thirding the recommendation), try going up Marchmont Street and take a peek at Judd Books. They sell remainders, so you can get brand new books at really good prices and they have a great non-fiction section. I

(I don't think it's so much pretentiousness but some obsession with book collecting which ends up inflating used book prices and drives non collectible editions to the garbage bins - or to the free books section and 50p section at skoob, for instance)
posted by lucia__is__dada at 2:40 PM on October 10

4thing Skoob--great stuff.
posted by thomas j wise at 3:29 PM on October 10

Halcyon Books in Greenwich or The Bookshop on the Heath in Blackheath should you be round our way.

(I've just learnt while looking for links that Tlon Books of Elephant and Castle is gone - *sob*)
posted by calico at 4:03 PM on October 10

Thanks! I've bested the bookshops I managed to check out this weekend (after Skoob I didn't actually need to go anywhere else that day) though I haven't been everywhere & am looking forward to the rest.
posted by Polychrome at 4:11 AM on October 12