Wow! What a great store! The selection of books seems carefully curated and thoughtfully organized. For instance, there's a shelf labeled "philosophy" and another for "new-agish thinking" labeled "mumbo jumbo." The owner is very knowledgeable and friendly. I found a couple of books that I was looking for in just a few minutes, and the prices were extremely reasonable. Will be back... read more

I absolutely love browsing in a great bookstore. It is wonderful to be able to look at books I am not familiar with. The atmosphere was amazing! So friendly, calming and welcoming. I felt as if I was walking into an old friend's house. The books and records are arranged thoughtfully and the prices were reasonable. Definitely worth spending sometime browsing and purchasing. read more

Backstreet Beat - Used Bookstore Near Me - Bainbridge Island, Washington

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It's where audiophiles travel back into a time that only existed in their dreams. You'll feel ethereal. Like nothing matters but the vinyls. The music. The level of great products at affordable prices. My journey had brought me here to find a Thelonius Monk vinyl...which sadly they didn't have. My journey continues. Instead, I purchased two records for 5$ (deals or nah?). But this place...I'll tell ya...if you haven't gone, you're doing yourself a disservice. I mean it's no Barnes and noble type corporate giant, so avoid if that's what you like. Sometimes quality and nostalgia are priceless. Once you get that whiff of vintage books, it's a wrap. P.S. - You'll have to walk by someone's extremely well kept reading room to reach vinyls. I recommend, at the least, browsing there for a minute. read more

Backstreet Beat - Cozy set up. Browse and purchase books! - Used Bookstore Near Me - Bainbridge Island, Washington

Great prices, good atmosphere, not too hard to find. I'll definitely be back! I got two paperback fiction novels in perfect condition for $3 and $4. We broke college students need more places like this to shop from, reading can get expensive :) read more

Great store! Lots of hard to find (back home) vintage vinyl. Great condition records. Friendly store owner. He has some great vintage jazz and blues records. Definitely will visit this store again. read more

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Catching up on Yelp reviews. Discovered this indie music and book store in downtown Winslow on Bainbridge Island during a walkabout day trip with The Homie back on 7/7/18. Vinyl, books, and a knowledgeable/personable store owner makes for a terrific store visit. The Homie ended up buying an eclectic collection of various stuff and things. I enjoyed thumbing through all the vinyl records in various genres. Yes, I admit I'm a big fan of old school...I like to hold books and play records and cassettes (mix tapes anyone?) despite today's technology. I can tell this is a labor of love from the carefully curated items by the owner and his interactions with other customers. Great find! read more

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I traveled from Portland, Oregon to Seattle for a few days and a friend recommended this record/book store on Bainbridge Island. The next day we took a ferry from Seattle to the island to walk around for the day. I stopped in the Backstreet Beat and bought a handful of nice vinyl. A very small store, but nicely curated. Very friendly and great service. I would certainly recommend stopping in. read more

fair prices and a neat little selection of books... the guy behind the counter was super nice and their system of labeling books is really funny (you'll see what i mean!) definitely worth stopping by when you're in Bainbridge... i'll be back for sure! read more

Love our local record store, lots of great music and books, always interesting records to choose from, and Raymond always has great suggestions for trying new genres out. Love this shop. read more

Stumbled upon this extremely well organized and edited record and book shop during a trip over to Winslow for lunch with out of town guests. What a pleasant surprise! The record selection, while a bit small, was a real quality array of mostly 50's-80s rock, jazz and R&B. I didn't expect to find Brian Eno, Iggy Pop and Jobraith albums amongst the usual suspects. He had an interesting selection of 45's too. Everything was wrapped in protective sleeves. Bonus points for a record snob like myself. The art and music books were above average as well as his shelf of suggested classics for High School students! Raymond was very welcoming and well versed in his inventory. Definitely worth stopping in the next time you are in Winslow! read more

A triple whammy of goodness. Not only vintage vinyl and used books, but every time you buy a used book or record (sustainable) at fab prices you're supporting a local business (buying local y'all!). It's a win-win-win! It's hidden in plain sight, across from T&C and near the post office in the brick building. Raymond always has something fabulous on the turntable. And (bonus!) he is a world-class photographer who occasionally has his work on display. Stop in for a chat, culture and good deals. read more

Small, but a truly fine collection of books and music. Most of all the prices are great. I really like that the store has some unusual paperback books, not easily found. Can't wait to go back in a month. read more

The best places are often best-kept secrets. This place is a perfect example. Bainbridge Island's main street (Winslow) boasts a lot of attractions that tourists love. But among the very best shops is tucked away down a little alley off of the main drag. The ambiance in this shop is among the best in the world -- and I've shopped record and book stores all over the globe. It is small and humble, but it has personality far beyond the usual used shops out there. It's one of those stores you can later boast that you found a special book/album/tape cassette in little-known corner of an island. There's no pretentious attitudes. It's just a chill, laid back shop that is so nice to know is out there in the world. And if they don't have something, chances are they'll be able to order it and mail it out to you -- for those very hard-to-find items. I could keep going on and on about how much I love hitting up this shop whenever I pass through the island. But really, you just have to go there -- you'll understand. And do yourself a favor and chat up the shop owner. read more

Wonderful bookstore & record collection. Owner kept the store open late for us which was very nice and he was able to read my mind as I was looking for a few specific books I couldn't name-he had both! Great customer service, awesome selection, wish I could've spent more time there. read more

As an avid lover of records, I can't say enough great things about this store, and it's owner, Raymond. The selection is small, but mighty. Raymond will go out if his way to guarantee your satisfaction, whether it's searching for and holding specific requests (which he has done on multiple occasions), sharing knowledge, or just being respectful/professional while maintaining a laid back and friendly atmosphere. The selection is always interesting and very fairly priced, a nice mix of all genres. Each time I have visited this place, I could have inflicted serious damage to my bank account. Father's day was a blast, and looking forward to my next visit!! read more

I love this store, I love the books, I love the records...I'm afraid an ungodly amount of my paychecks may go here.

Fantastic vinyl collection- best for vintage finds & nicely organized. Shopkeeper is authentic and knowledgeable.

I love this place. I often go in just to hang out and get my head on straight and the owner doesn't seem to mind. He'll always chat with you about whatever books he just got in or whatever record is spinning at the moment. My own record collection has quadrupled since he opened up. Every time I cash a paycheck, I go straight from the bank to treat myself to a few, and Ray always remembers what I bought last time and has some input on what I should get next. This is, without a doubt, the coolest place on Bainbridge Island. read more

The shop owner knew his stock well and was really helpful in helping me find what I was looking for. He attended well to others in the shop simultaneously. He was great at listening to customers, finding requests if he had them, and suggesting other great options based on their interests. read more

Come for books and records, stay for the atmosphere... Backstreet Beat is just a great place!

Small but excellent poetry section! I was there a bit before it closed - I wish I could explore it more! The owner was extremely friendly too. read more

This is the best of both worlds! Great finds for both books and vinyl/CD's. Raymond and his staff are knowledgeable and friendly. Worth a stop if you are in town for sure! It's worth mentioning that everything I've purchased there has been of very good quality. read more

A cozy, hole-in-the-wall, vintage book and record store, Backstreet Beat instantly won my heart. I loved everything: the packed wooden bookshelves; the sit-and-sink leather armchairs; the Iron & Wine album playing softly over the speakers. What impressed me most, however, was the collection of books and records itself--most similar stores have a jumbled anything-goes catalog, but not Backstreet Beat. It was evident that every book and record in the store was carefully picked and reflected Raymond's eclectic but distinct taste. If you love books, records, or comfortable chairs, you should stop by on your next visit to Bainbridge Island. read more