I had always thought the name "2nd & Charles" referred to some downtown street corner of a big city like Boston. As it turned out, the name actually comes from "second-hand" (as in buybacks and trade-ins), and the first name of its founder, Charles Anderson. The chain has 40 locations across 18 states and is owned by its parent company, Book-A-Million, which was founded by Charles father, Clyde. It's bitter sweet that it moved from the now-dismantled Harrisburg East Mall to its current location. The business survived, but I like the old setting better, where it was part of a shopping mall and you could just stroll into the store during a general window-shopping trip. The new location is standalone, right across from the county courthouse (are the prisons still there?), where Toys "R" Us used to be. It has to be a dedicated trip. The new store is much larger, however. It has all kinds of books, including rare titles and collectibles. There are also gifts, CDs, musical instruments, and even LEGO bricks sold by weight. Heck, they even buy back old LEGO sets! Jumping on the "blind box" bandwagon, they now sell "Mystery Boxes" as well. It's a fantastic spot to treasure-hunt and/or sell items from your weekend clean-outs. It's great to see a unique business like this continue to thrive. read more

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Besides Bass Pro Shops, congratulations to 2nd & Charles for being the only retail store to survive the Harrisburg Mall. A huge store located in the former Toys R Us, with a tremendous selection of kids' books, records, and toys across all categories. There's even a free Mother's Day card creation event this Saturday for children. Plenty of staff around to answer questions. I need to bring in my husband's barely used hardcover books for reselling. Living in this digital age, it's great to see 2nd & Charles thriving. If you want new or get a great value with slightly used books, try the 2nd & Charles bookstore for a curated book experience. Earn points on every purchase. read more

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Maybe it's just my love for this chain, maybe it's just the fact I love any store that still resells old media. The selection here is certainly not as vast as the ones I have been too in Virginia. But they have quality. Pricing actually feels cheaper too. Not exactly sure what some of the bad reviews regarding that issue are, but they should try to visit the other locations if they think this one is bad. read more

2nd & Charles - Storefront - Bookstores Near Me - Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

Due to the redevelopment of the Harrisburg Mall, 2nd & Charles in March 2025 moved into what was part of the long-closed Toys R Us next door, across from the Dauphin County Prison. Parking lot entrance is directly across from the prison entrance, look for the crosswalks. While this location is supposed to be temporary, the renovations were nicely done. It doesn't have the aesthetics of the old location, but is bright and clean. If you don't know what 2nd & Charles is, it's a new and used books, media, and collectables store. Selection is well organized, but you need to know your prices. They have just about every book option you could want somewhere in the building and the Pop Vinyl selection is large. DVD/Blu-ray and video game selection is decent, but the comic books are overpriced per every 2nd & Charles. Remember to bring your own bags. Overall, 2nd & Charles is worth the stop when in the area. read more

I decided to go to 2nd & Charles and bring what I thought was my antiques. Could not believe that antiques could be considered not worthy. The store person that was supposed to pick out what was worthy or not decided that my black porcelain doll was not even worthy to be touched. He never touched the doll he never lift her up to see what was underneath there was some books underneath she did not want to touch it. This place is racist!!! If you don't believe me take a black porcelain doll there and watch it get rejected. This place is racist I repeat! read more

This place is the worst, they kind of shot themselves in the foot at this point. They don't know how to price....They have this one blu ray box set, used for $90. That same set is $60 brand new all across the board, who they hell do they think is going to buy that? That is one of hundreds of examples, they do that to books, vinyl, video games. IF YOU SHOP HERE LOOK UP EVERYTHING BEFORE YOU BUY read more

I wanted to sell my PS5 because I'm the only one of my family that plays it. Basically brand new. They offered me $77 for it. Went to Pay More and got three times that. Highly disappointing as me and my kids are very regular customers at second and Charles. I should probably say were very regular customers. read more

My family and I love this place! Every time we go, we just never know what we're going to find. Their book selection is amazing, their toys, music, and knick-knacks are always fun, and the prices are decent. We're always greeted at the door by friendly employees. I have gotten a few books from this place over the years and can't wait to go back for more. read more

Excellent service and staff was very friendly. Such a wide variety of books, funkos, figures, manga, games, movies, and they even had DnD and warhammer figures. The prices were very reasonable. read more

I was shopping with my sister on Saturday evening before Thanksgiving. She had picked out a book, was planning to join the rewards program, and we were waiting in line. There were three employees behind the counter; one of them (a guy) was waiting on a customer and the other two (both women) were doing something at another register. We were next in line. The two female employees looked at us and then left. The third employee was waiting for someone to help him with his customer. The two female employees were likely taking care of something themselves, but one of them could have helped us before leaving the checkout area. It is Christmas shopping season after all, for goodness sake! We turned around, put the book back, and left the store without buying anything. One employee left behind the counter on a Saturday during Christmas season is extremely poor customer service. read more

This is the only place in greater Harrisburg where you can find a gift for your inner geek. They have everything, from books to guitars to video games and outlandish merchandise. The employees here enjoy their work genuinely. They are happy to interact with customers and talk about all the wonderful things they sell. It always amazes me how they can speak technically about gaming items while recommending a book that most people have never heard of. The only downside to this place is that it doesn't have a listening space or a good book-sitting area. I like to play an instrument before I buy it, so it would be great if they had a headset with an AV cable so people could test-drive the guitar without disturbing the entire store. In this vain, many people like to read a few pages to a few chapters of a new book to see if they enjoy the content and author's tone. The store doesn't have a space where you can do this comfortably. Adding these few items would immediately push this rating from a 4-star to a 5-star. read more

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I love the new location of 2nd & Charles!it was such a big space! Every staff member that I spoke to, from the man who welcomed me in to the girl who checked me out. There is a great selection of books, vinyl, record players, instruments, tote bags, video games, video game accessories, and so much more! I purchased 2 used vinyl records. I was satisfied with the price and quality of the products. I appreciated that the cashier inspected the records prior to my purchase and encouraged me to bring them back if there were any issues. Overall, an excellent experience! read more

While in Harrisburg my husband and I visited 2nd & Charles inside a local mall. I would describe this place as the love child between Barnes & Noble and GameStop. All the books, video game systems, notebooks and even the smallest versions of toys were calling out for me to buy them. Unfortunately my budget didn't account for buying out a whole store so I bought a box of 50 mystery dvds for $30 along with a pair of socks. I was able to get a 10% off coupon which was helpful in bringing my total under $50. We actually ended up visiting this store once before Hersheypark and once after because we didn't want to spend too much the first visit and have the consequence be going hungry in the park. So we spent some the first time and more when we came back. If you love stores like Barnes & Noble or Gamestop mostly to explore for hours then this store is definitely up your alley. I would 100% recommend stopping by when in the area. Would give 10 stars if I could. read more

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This place was quite the novelty when it first opened several years ago and the used book offerings were quite attractive. The attraction of used physical media, especially discontinued and hard to find titles made it a go-to destination in the Harrisburg area. Since then, the store has lost some of that credibility as a place to find something really special. It is selling off physical media for pennies and even offers mystery boxes of CDs and DVDs in bulk to get rid of them. Like most places, a lot of sale space is dedicated to Funk Pops. If you like hunting through aisles for new and old Pops, you will enjoy spending time scanning the shelves. If you're just looking for something on a tight schedule, good luck finding someone who knows if or where your special item might be. The staff likes to create attractive, themed displays composed of various products. While nice to look at, I sometimes have to look around the store if a specific item isn't in the proper section. The inventory system, at least when I've asked, can only tell if a product is somewhere in the store - not where. On the plus side, the staff is friendly and helpful. The big sales floor is clean and the sections are almost always organized well. You cannot say the store doesn't have a lot to choose from. Selling items is an easy process, but don't expect anything close to resale value. It makes sense because, as a retailer, the store wants to profit by selling it at a reasonable price and still profit, so even if you think your book is worth $50 based on what you saw on Amazon or eBay, you might get $10 for it. Sometimes the staff comes back with odd offers that show they didn't really look into an item closely, but then they don't have a lot of time to research an item and rely on internal metrics to estimate their offers. The prices aren't special overall but they do offer a lot of clearance sales to move units and clear space. Unfortunately, the real collectibles under glass are pretty expensive. Everything "under glass" in the controlled area of the store is in piles. What is displayed behind the glass often hides the price sticker and the wall of items on shelves behind those display cases are hard to browse at a distance. It used to be a place where something interesting popped up on every visit but more often than not, I walk out empty-handed and only go in if I'm looking for something specific that is out of print but also relatively easy to procure online. It's only advantage is I can take it home right away. read more

A mix of Gamestop, Barnes and Noble, FYE and a comic book shop, you'd be hard pressed to not find something here. This location has a HUGE selection of pop figures, manga and video games. Check your prices as they have new and used mixed together. Recently I was able to get a used manga in great if not new condition for half the price of the "new" copy. They used to have a great selection of older games cira the NES - N64 but those seem to be phased out to just a select few behind the counter now. Again watch your prices and do a quick ebay/google search to see what the market rate is. Some days you can score a great deal, other days you leave empty handed. Its like a treasure hunt. They also take trades in but beware, its not like a pawn shop. You're not going to get market value and when given the choice of store credit or cash, store credit is usually 50% more than the cash offer. I mostly bring stuff here I no longer play knowing I'm not gonna get a ton for it, I just want the clutter gone and dont feel like listing it on ebay. They will turn down used library books and items they have too much stock of so then its returned to you to dispose of. They used to have a "free" bin outside you could put the items they wouldn't take so someone could pick them up but thats gone now. An associate said to many were abusing it or using it as a trash can so I can only imagine what got tossed in there. read more

This was my first visit to 2nd and Charles since they moved to their new location. I still enjoyed browsing the shelves, but there seemed to be a lot less used items for selection. Hopefully they will get more inventory soon. Service was good, as always. read more

Ok, this is not only an affordable place to get new/used books. It's a place to get gifts- I picked up an emotional support rubber squeak chicken for someone going thru tough times. There's everything for everyone. There is every genre of books here for fair price. There are acoustic & electric guitars, keyboards, record player, mugs, socks, CD, vinyl, stickers, tshirts, and so much more. The store is huge! I got stuff for kids Easter Basket here too. The mall is quiet since many big chains have abandoned this mall. Which is quiet sad since it's next to the busy Bass Pro. read more

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We love a good bookstore and 2nd & Charles never disappoints. Whether its a gently used book at an affordable price or a new book in mint condition, we always find what we are looking for. read more

Don't go there they treat you terrible and don't take any of your gaming console and games there they are the worst if you want cd,s and dvd,s go to Amazon and set up an account Amazon has a better selection of music and dvd,s and books that would be my recommendation and used cd and games don't waste your time and money and the magazine subscriptions don't even bother that's how they get you to sign up for something that you don't want so same your money and don't go to this place read more

BEWARE: Store policy is a scam. I traded books for years opting for store credit. I'm moving out of the service area and they will not let me exchange my credit for a 2nd and Charles gift card to leave behind with a family member. Not asking for cash, just the chance to pass my credit to a person that would BECOME a customer. In fact the only person that can redeem store credit has to be me, with my I.D. If I were to pass away there is no way to redeem the store credit. Just donate your stuff to good will or the library. The pennies on the dollar in store credit isnt worth it. read more

Terrible, Rude service. Refused to let my pregnant wife use the bathroom because they closed it an hour before store closing. Told us we can go down the street instead. Called me to a register and I waited 5 minutes before they checked me out, registers went out and put me back at the end of the line. Called someone else before me even though I should have been the next in line. 4 employees stood behind the counter including the manager and only one person was on register. No one helped me or another customer for at least 15-20 minutes. I've been to two 2nd and Charles in Maryland and never had such poor service. Will never be going to this store again. read more

Really love this store. Usually find a good selection of new materials every time I visit. I've found a couple gems over the past year, even in the free bin outside. Great place to visit a couple times a month just to see how the stock has updated. I am not a big fan of the system they use to sort their books. Alphabetically by author just isn't helpful if you're browsing by topic. I am very interested in presidential biographies, and the drawback to this classification system is that I can find a Washington biography in 2-3 sections, and even in those sections they will be nowhere close to each other. I'd have to look under C for Chernow, E for Ellis, U for Unger, etc. I still love the store, but the sorting always confuses me. read more

I'm a frugal book buyer and this store is the best!! Especially when you find deals buy one, get one free. The True Crime section and History section has a fantastic selection and great prices!! Check them out!! read more

I found this treasure this afternoon and I'm so glad I did. The place is HUGE! The variety of items is incredible from the books, vinyl, collectible items, etc. The store has aisles and aisles of used books that are in incredible shape and priced well below amazon/or other online book pricing. Place was very clean, staff was super kind. I can't wait to go back. read more

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Ugh. Too expensive. They do have a variety of things to purchase and it is fun to browse the store but they could offer more than 10% off $50.00 during Holidays. read more

I totally appreciate the fact that there is a business that will sell compact discs (such as Averrett Brothers for $3.49) for significantly lower than you would find on amazon.com. They are used, but inspecting the packaging is key. Books are cheap as can be, and there's a great selection. They run promotions on both music & books. Big selection of calendars, shirts, music equipment and the like. Worth a stop if you're in the area. One of the freshest ideas I've seen in awhile. This is usually my hang out at lunch time. read more

As a lover of books, comics, music, movies, and games, I was delighted to discover 2nd & Charles, which has all of the above. I would compare it to a Barnes & Noble except with more than just books. During my visits, the staff has always been very friendly and helpful, and parking was also easy and free. Overall, a great place to visit on a rainy day. read more

2nd & Charles - Accessible from the Harrisburg Mall - Bookstores Near Me - Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

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I love this store! If you are looking for good quality, cheap used books then this place is for you. Honestly I have never bought anything else here. I do think that their DVDS selection is priced way too high. I could go to Target and buy a brand new DVD for like 4 bucks more. With this being said, the first several times here I disliked the book selection. I thought it was too hard to locate items, it is confusing but it does get better. They even have little cheat sheets posted as to where you can find some items. The last time here I traded in some DVD and CD's. I wasn't expecting very much but they gave an okay amount of money. I know some people expect like 3 bucks per CD but that's unrealistic. I got like an average of 50 cents per item. I'm sure some things weren't worth much and others were worth more, so I just averaged it. The process took about 45 mins from start to finish. They just require an id to be presented. In fact, I'll be going to sell some more DVD's this evening. It's super simple and does not take up that much of your time. They just ask if you leave that you're back by close that night. All in all a decent store. They had some used musical instruments that weren't too terribly priced. As well as some band t-shirts that again weren't too much. Not much different than going someplace else to buy them. Super clean and never any issues with the employees either. Always pretty friendly and willing to help. read more

If you want to see a grown man cry and whimper, go to the "buy back" desk and I know this is a shock, but actually have items for them to buy back! I called and asked if I could bring books in. Told them exact amount and condition. Was told no problem! Took books in and a grown women and man were behind the counter. I filled my 3 totes in which the grown man came over and said "hey, only 3 totes!".....ummmm ok ?? Grown man proceeded to find management and ask if he had to take the books (in other words, do his job). After being told yes, he proceded to whimper and wine to his female coworker stating "they shouldn't be taking them and he doesn't want to" ( I think I may have even seen a tear in his distressed grown adult face). The women was less then thrilled herself and said they'd be done by 8pm (thats 2 1/2hrs!!). I said ok. In half an hour I got a text they were done. I went back to the store to find they only would take 10 books out of the 3 totes of mostly brand new books. It was clear that they didn't look at them and they wanted to make a point that I shouldn't have brought them in, but wait.....isn't that the "buy back" center?? And dont they sell books??? In the end the stores ok , the employees at "buy back" are whiney, whimpering adults who dont want to work. Save your time and find another place! read more

Cool store to browse in or sell back electronics or books! Right next to the Harrisburg Mall

Yes you can sell your old vinyl/books/electronics here...but be prepared to wait hours for what may turn out to be one or two bucks for a bag full of books. It'd be better to donate...at least you're not wasting your time. And if you do decide to leave the store and pick up the cash for your items the next day...you can't...it immediately reverts to store credit. The store basically has rows and rows of "popular" authors like Danielle Steel, Stephen King, and Dan Brown...but if you want anything out of the norm, you're out of luck. And you'll find no assistance from the sales staff in finding items. The computers aren't kept up to date with what's in the store...so it's basically up to you to find and seek what may or may not be there. There aren't any real "deals" here...it'd be cheaper (and a million times easier) to just order a .99 cent used book on Amazon and pay the shipping. Also they don't provide bags, a fact you aren't made aware of until you're being forced to buy one (ranging $2-$10) from the nagging sales staff. I have a friend that works there that says the managers expect a certain quota to be sold...so really it's not about being "a green company"...but rather making money at the sake of people's convenience and trying to pass it off as "doing the right thing." Also, there are NO RETURNS. Even if you immediately return to the store the same day to say that you forgot you already had a copy of what you'd just purchased. Even on damaged items...the store must test to see if it's "really damaged" ...meaning if a CD doesn't work on your CD player but it works on theirs...that you're a liar and must keep the broken merchandise. Save your time and $$... read more

Review from a few weeks ago: I was skeptical about a "used book store" on such a big scale, but my daughters are huge fans, so I was willing to give it a shot. This is not just a book store, though. They have an eclectic and FUN variety of toys, games and movies, plus books in decent shape. I wish the books were better organized, but the selection is good. They have a little bit of everything. I had assistance from a staff member named Meg, or Megan. She was friendly, efficient and had some great suggestions. It was busy when I went in, so check-out took a few minutes, but no complaints otherwise. I would recommend this for the avid reader on a budget, or a game fan. read more

Glad there is a second hand book/media outlet as large as this in Harrisburg. I have only visited once. I went mainly for the vinyl section, so I can't attest to the quality or selection of books. As far a cd's and vinyl is concerned, I was pretty disappointed. Tons of selection, however they obviously are don't look at anything before they purchase. Almost all the vinyl is completely overpriced considering most of it is scratched/dirty beyond being able to play. $5 records are worthless unless you can listen to them. Sadly, it's just as much a crap shoot as going to garage sales. I am not being a snob here, the records are beat! Second, the alphabetizing and organization is pretty poor. Artists are in the wrong genre (I can kind of understand this) or put by first name, rather than last. Example - Ike and Tina Turner under "I". In addition, their collection is overwhelmed by beat up classical records and other flea market junk. I wish they had a music section manager. Someone who knows their stuff and weeded out a few of the throwaways vs. keepers. Plus, the new vinyl you can find there is a tad overpriced. If they get a dedicated few folks who are able to put the music section in order, I'd be rather excited to have this place in town. read more

WOW. Do your research before you buy anything other than a book in this place. If you buy any used merchandise without first researching prices (as I suspect many do), you are part of the problem here. 2nd & Charles remain one of the MOST OVERPRICED shops I have seen in a LONG time. These folks make a pawn shop look like Dollar Tree. Selling beat up equipment for more than the new MSRP. No thanks. Be ye warned. read more

Been to this and other 2nd & Charles stores and each time I return to the Harrisburg location I'm reminded how pitiful the vinyl section is....the rest of the store I can't speak to... THE PROS -flexible hours of operation -lots of parking -pretty clean store -friendly staff -big selection of new/used vinyl THE CONS -beyond overpriced (titles that should be $1-2.99 are priced at $6-$8 -so many records are scratched and warped -organization is poor, appears nobody maintains the section well -budget bins are primarily thrift store records or ones that should practically be given away or sold for a quarter -major price gauging on reissues, especially anything 90s Overall this location is very weak when it comes to quality over quantity....too much filler, damaged goods and not really worth digging through unless you're a vinyl junkie like me and need a quick dig/fix when traveling on business with hopes to find a diamond or two in the rough! read more

Looking for a clean used bookstore with an excellent selection of books, movies, albums, games, and CD's? Look no further! 2nd and Charles offers book/music/movie-lovers a plethora of options for buy-sell-trade options. This specific location is large and open, with clearly marked aisles and sections. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable, and the selections change daily! read more

I took $750 worth of factory sealed collectible items they offered me $110 need I say more. Do not waste your time

Book selection can be hit or miss. If you're looking for Harry Potter you can buy the full series several times. But if you want something that wasn't a longtime bestseller you may not be able to find it. I have found some gems and I like the hunt. The organization in the book area is a mess. The signs are orange with white text which is very hard to read. And the way they categorize books means you may have to search several sections to find it. read more

Went there yesterday and when I checked out, some items that I had gotten off of the clearance shelf rang up at $0.02 and the cashier changed the price to $5.00. I've experienced cashiers lowering a scanned price for a sales item in other stores but never had one increase the price!!! We won't ever shop there again!!! read more

With each visit, the wait for your totes gets longer, the trade credit/cash offer gets lower, and the staff seems more and more weary. At first, it's easy to be taken aback by all the shiny pop-culture stuff on display (you want Funkos? well, they gotcha Funkos!), but seasoned collector types would be better off taking their time, money, and trade items elsewhere (Extremities Entertainment in Lebanon; Iko's or Tom's Music Trade in York). The convenience of their buyback program makes it appealing for those (like myself) who don't want to deal with the hassles of selling online, but be braced for a "realistic" offer when your number's called. The largely mainstream nature of the inventory (books, CDs/vinyl, DVDs/Blu-rays) and pricing seems indicative of the general area - I visited a 2nd & Charles near Easton that had a more varied selection of movies, at a more reasonable cost. If you're just looking to get rid of stuff and browse for a bit, it's a decent option - nothing more. read more