There are few bookstores still around in San Francisco. It seems bookstores are becoming rare and when I am able to find one it's a treasure like finding a penny in circulation ( RIP to the US penny ). The Mission District has few books stores left. There is one book store which you can still find $1 books ( pennies welcomed) and it also has many interesting used books. On 24th street past South Van Ness Avenue there is hidden gem which has been in the neighborhood for decades. Adobe ( not the software company) Books first started in my old neighborhood on 16th street between Guerrero and Valencia streets. In the 2000's it moved to the 24th street location in the Mission District. This bookstore has lots of great books from all around the world and also has an art gallery with interesting art exhibits. Inside the book store feels like you stepped into a library ,record store and art gallery all at once. This is one of my favorite bookstores in San Francisco. Go to Adobe Books although over the years they changed " address" now they are located on 24th street in the Mission past" South Van Ness" where the books have the written word which has been "express" which has been published by a book "press" Once inside Adobe Books which is located a few blocks "apart " from the 24th street " BART" once inside Adobe Books you will see gallery with"art"and outside you will see the $1 book " cart" read more

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I have been an Adobe Books customer for more than 10 years now and am so glad this bookstore continues to exist and provide community, along with the books obviously. And art! read more

I am a fan of bookstores as I love books & good to see that that Adobe Books is still fighting the good fight by keeping their doors open in the days of Amazon & Kindle. I got a friendly greeting when I walked into Adobe Books recently by an employee who works here & appreciate the kind gesture. Adobe Books has been around since 1989. There is a nice Eastern Religion & Philosophy section. Good Music & Rock N Roll section. The Poetry Section has local poets. There are New, Used, & Rare Books sold here. They also have a nice Zine selection. Besides books there are many community events here including: Artist talks, poetry readings, live music, experimental music, & author readings. Perhaps as things become more digital for better or worse bookstores will serve the purpose in the future of hosting community events & kudos for Adobe Books for doing a good job in facilitating that! Overall a good vibe & worth a visit if you are in this part of the Mission. read more

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I walked past this bookstore and wanted to peek inside and found the most organic, raw, and utterly beautiful pieces of collective community art I have ever seen (in the bathroom). The place lives and breaths the community that surrounds it. The owner I met was incredible and easy to strike up a conversation with. The place is so comfortable and you'll find something you're interested in in no time. This is an absolute beautiful used bookstore in the Mission district. read more

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Adobe is best. For the past three years I have consistently come to adobe to hang out and connect with my community. There is always a good book, a good convo or good time in general whenever I pull up to this bookstore. Art shows are always interesting and music events bring a cool crowd. Stoked to witness the beauty that is adobe books and it community it cultivates there. Come check it out and be curious of what it can offer you read more

Has a plethora of events including concerts art shows and literary events. Had some comfy couches that are covered in dog hair. Staff needs to be more professional (the dude at the front desk was dropping nonstop Fbombs with his friend and had no interest in my existence as a customer) and more knowledgeable about books. Space often just seems cluttered without any sense of purpose or organization. The "new arrivals" cart seems like a mishmash of books that no one wants...which also describes huge chunks of the store stock. Dog Eared Books on Valencia has a better organized/curated selection of used fiction. read more

Stopped in for the first time yesterday and was surprised how many unique books they have. Great smaller 2nd hand bookstore with really nice people and a cozy ambiance not to mention amazing prices on books! Love these kind of passionate bookstores. Salute read more

Cute little neighborhood bookstore only a block away from my favorite Jewish Deli "Wise and Sons!" I love their cute round tables - great for the after school kids to encourage good reading habits or maybe even study. They do carry best selling and have some really old classic books too. I found a "Sophocles Plays" paperback that was only a few dollars. It was a great find. I'm glad Adobe Bookshop is here even after all that technology, sometimes a good page turner is better than some popular "e-readers!" Cheers! :p read more

Adobe Books - Front entrance: everyone welcome, coming in is a requirement not an option. - Bookstores Near Me - San Francisco, California

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This is why I love used bookstores. The sign says closed, but the door is open with 2 guys inside. Who knows, maybe they're doing inventory? We hesitantly ask at the door, hey are you guys open? One guy says under his breath as he flips the sign, "hm, the doors are open and there's people inside, I guess were open." I love the fact that there are still places in the world that don't kiss your ass. They are pure and truly open just for the love of books. As far from a Barnes and Noble as you can get! I definitely bought some used paperbacks because I need to support these places and know they still exist. With quasi-sarcastic employees and awesome music and the real deal you can only get in SF. read more

Adobe Books - Great used books! - Bookstores Near Me - San Francisco, California

Cute little neighborhood bookstore. Not a huge selection, but fun for browsing. There is a small art gallery in the back.

Adobe books is a special place that always brings community together. I have thoroughly enjoyed many of the community art events and workshops that they put together and host every month! Adobe has a wide collection of eclectic books and comics as well, which can be super helpful when buying a special gift for someone special or when you want to treat yourself with a new fun read! It is such a fun and cozy place to see art, read books, and spend you afternoon talking with friends and your community! read more

First-time stopping by -Interesting collections of some classy comics, DIY books, sci-fi, and novels. Will be a fun place to explore & discover what's trending! - A cart outside the door, of $4/ each books for sale! Seems like a good place to find cheap books for a quick read. - Cute, small, relaxing area for reading, with a small couch & plants. - Herbal scent throughout the store. They might be putting out a scent dispenser. However, I was not a big fan of the smell. - Lighting wasn't ideal, was a bit too dark to read. read more

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I really love this book store. It's one of the few remaining independent bookstores in San Francisco and a part of a dying breed of businesses run by independent booksellers globally. Even if you don't always find what you're looking for, being that it is a used bookstore, you definitely will discover a rare and eclectic assortment of books in a variety of genres for amazingly affordable prices. Adobe features artworks by local artists in its gallery space and hosts music and spoken word events as well. It really is part of a vibrant community in the most colorful neighborhood in San Francisco. read more

Great used bookstore. Been there a couple of times just to browse -- haven't purchased a book yet but was really tempted with a $4 copy of Umberto Eco's Foucault's Pendulum. Prices seem reasonable to me. They have a well-rounded variety of books as well. The bookshop is a co-op so they also host events occasionally and they have a small gallery in the back for local artists. The staff is friendly and the ambience is perfect. If I lived in the neighborhood, I'd definitely be here all the time. read more

Community bookstore that hosts indie musicians like noise acts, and a tiny gallery, books by local indie authors and all in a tiny well kept space. Yes. Yes. Yes. The soft spoken owner sets the tome in Her chic outfits and an ability to both be available to answer questions and hang back and just allow you to browse. Comfy chairs and plenty of local fliers are the frosting on the cake. read more

Great time @ Adobe Books as they hosted Brave New Jokes. 7 local comedians did a great job entertaining the crowd with personal stories and raunchy jokes, I loved it! Brave New Jokes happens the last Saturday of every month and it was a good show. Even better it was FREE! Only thing, Adobe books needs more chairs as there were more people than seats. read more

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What can I say about Adobe? The staff including Andrew, Heather, and Kyle have been extremely helpful in selecting and finding books for me. I first stepped in this bookstore this past Halloween in a witch costume. The staff were handing candies that night. That started my journey in looking, and buying books plus ended buying one of their tote bags. I could immediately tell they appreciate me with the purchases. So you think Amazon is cheaper? Think again. I mean THING AGAIN. The cheapest book I have see on Amazon is a penny but does not include the $3.99 shipping cost. Right off the bat you know any used books will cost more than $4. Here is how Adobe can help you out. Just in front and across the store, are carts with books on sale. The one on the street side is $1 each and the other one is $4 each. Not only these books are cheaper, but you are supporting local business at Adobe bookstore. I am an avid reader. I read almost anything in various topics in different languages. If you are looking for old, rare or hard to find classics, look no further than this store. This is a great place to read, meet other patrons, artists. They host events from time to time. Will I come back again? I sure will as long as this place is still here. read more

disappointed by how rude the staff was. this shop was actually recommended by my dad, so while i was in sf i figured i'd pay it a visit. i was very excited to look for a book i've been meaning to get, unfortunately they didn't have it. but what made me give 1 star was the rude staff: i took a photo to show my dad i had visited the bookstore and as i was taking it, the guy at the front asked us to "not take photos for social media." while trying to explain, he interrupted to reiterate. i would've understood if he had asked for us to not take photos, but he said it in a way that implied we were just there for a photoshoot, which was very condescending and unwelcoming. it honestly ruined the experience for me. such a bummer because the store is very lovely. read more

entering Adobe Bookshop, i got a very friendly greeting. checking out the books, just noticed: spirits, nonfiction, and "social sciences?" not a lot of books nor categories seen. lots of walking around space. maybe they haven't finish moving their books over... prices seem to be 50% of listed price. read more

Great find during a recent visit to the Mission. As with all used bookstores, you'll find a broad selection of eclectic titles in a variety of subjects. The children's book section was smaller than expected, but our kids found plenty of things to capture their interest while the grown-ups browsed through the other parts of the store. Staff was very tolerant of the kids. read more

Great shop, was hoping to find a good Sci-fi book and ended up with a book about cacti. Great selection of all kinds, you should definitely be walking out with a book. read more

i would have given zero stars but we cant do that on yelp so the one star is salvaged by the awesome girl working at the shop. She was super kind and really willing to suggest some books for us even though we were being the customers that came in 5 minutes before they closed. We apologized repeatedly for coming in so late and said that we could leave at any second if they wanted us to. The girl insisted it was okay and that it took some time to close down anyways so we browsed for a couple more minutes. After debating for a book we ended up getting a book from the discount rack. Ebenezer Scrooge over here was apparently thoroughly annoyed with the 10 extra minutes that we spent after closing (even though the other girl was still closing up the shop). and was extremely rude through our checkout. He kept sighing and shaking his head and rolling his eyes at us. Sorry we made you get off your ass from browsing Facebook to check us out. Never coming back. Don't want to bother the man's facebook browsing. read more

Staff is to customers as people are to puppies, they'll give you a nice pat on the head. The selection is rich and full of variety, very reasonably priced, and the feel is homey and comfortable. I like to associate myself with this place, it has a history, I read a Chris Johansen interview today where he talked about being a regular here when he lived in San Francisco, and the back room is an art gallery which always carries art that indulges the little vagabond in me. Cant say enough, feels like I'm walking out with a gem in my hands every time I leave, book notwithstanding. read more

The new space is great! I found it easier to navigate than their old spot on 16th St. The books are shelved where you'd expect, prices are reasonable, and the people who work there are friendly. There's a back room with weird art (not an insult; that's my favorite kind). Plus, they had a book I didn't even know I wanted until I saw it. While I'm sad that they were forced to move, I'm excited that Adobe Books is now closer to me! read more

Adobe Bookshop is by far my favorite used bookstore in the Mission District. They have a wonderful, eccentric selection, even for a used bookstore. The employees are always helpful and polite without being standoffish, which is key in a bookstore. I was in a week ago, and I came across a real gem: Mick Farren's Gene Vincent : There's One In Every Town. I love Adobe books, and it's location on 24th St which means I'll certainly stop by the next time I'm in the Mission District and then I'll head over down the street to the Blind Cat to enjoy a brew while I read my book from Adobe Bookshop. read more

AWESOME: only carries good and original books. I picked up a 1973 edition of Leaves of Grass by W. Whitman for $8. There's really no reason to read anything but what they carry. read more

Andrew and the cooperative team at Adobe Books have held it together and supported writers and artists for many years. Please support them! They have a wonderful selection of used books and a great calendar of events here. They also have amazing art shows. Places like Adobe are what makes SF great. Shop there often! read more

Best bookstore in the Bay Area! I can pretty much count on finding a book that is exactly what I'm looking for. All the classics and relevant older books. Some total gems hiding out for legitimate used-book prices. Also, the evens are some of the coolest around, with writers, art openings, and music. Support the place that fosters community! read more

This place is a joke. Books are out of order and not alphabetized and place is filthy. It's almost as bad as when they were on 16th. The sf literary scene prides itself on being stuck in its own world and way. Very narcissistic. There is nothing here for the every day customer which is pathetic and defeats the entire purpose of a retail bookstore. read more

This local bookstore has been in business since 1989. It has always supported the local arts community while having a wonderful, eclectic selection of used books. The live music, the art shows, the literary journals are treasures. I hope this bookstore is here for another 30 years! read more

This place is small but packed wall to wall with books of all kind, whether you want some classic lit or moderist poetry. The interior is cozy with a few places to sit and browse and the front usually has free or cheap dollar books to buy if you're just passing by and want something new to read. Plus, they host events every so often if you're looking for a small crowd to socialize with! read more

one of the best curated used bookstores in sf with decent prices. it's small yet mighty.

Great selection of classic literature at reasonable prices. I could have spent a LOT of money here!