There was so many books to choose from. I thought the store only had one room but there a farther room in back with much more. The owner was really nice and i can't wait to go again. read more

Not a bargain. Maybe visit once just so you can tell your friends about the time you feared you might get trapped by an avalanche of books. I'm a small person and I could barely get through the aisles. I did find a few books I wanted but good god they were expensive. read more

You come here for the idiosyncratic Western North Carolina experience rather than to find a bargain book though she very well may have what you are looking for. I paid more than the cover price for a Ron Rash book and ended buying a copy of the owner's autobiography. I had an interesting conversation with the owner who can tell you anything you want to know --and much that you don't--about the area. read more

Smells strongly of mold, impossible to escape if there is a fire, and very concerning signs... read more

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Okay. Uh... I'm an avid lover of bookstores and have dealt with my fair share of disorganized and chaotic bookstore, but this takes the cake. I imagine if I had a week and $1000 I could find some amazing stuff. I found a hardback copy of Mystery Ranch, a boxcar children mystery. I found a vintage copy of H.A. Rey's Stars. I found an incredible book on French Impressionists. But all of those together would have been more than $80. This place holds HUGE potential, my biggest problem was how shockingly overpriced it was. Also, if you look at my picture, many of the books are shelved flat with the end of the book facing out. You have to completely remove the book to see the title. It could be such a treasure trove, but you're gonna have to work hard and pay a lot for your treasures. Also, the bathroom is a decrepit port-a-potty that is filled with spiders. I chose to hold it. read more

Bargain Book Shop - A typical aisle - Used Bookstore Near Me - Waynesville, North Carolina

On one hand, I feel as if I should be kind. On the other hand, I feel the need to be truthful. I've always loved bookstores, and used bookstores are a lot like buried treasure. Keeping that in mind, this bookstore would be best described as the equivalent of the Oak Island money pit. It might very well contain untold treasures, but my sanity argued if it was really worth the trouble of searching it out. The store was cold and dark when I arrived, but the owner, who came in a few very quiet and uncomfortable minutes after me, was kind enough to ask if I'd like her to turn the lights on, which she both did and seemingly did not do after I answered in the affirmative. The lights that did work appeared to barely outnumber the ones that didn't, leaving entire aisles completely dark. She also explained that it took four hours to heat the place, so she rarely turned the heater on. However, a warmer temperature would have done little to make me more comfortable. She asked if there was anything in particular that I was looking for, but I was so overwhelmed by the sight of the place that I couldn't think of anything specific, and what little I did manage to say, she promptly misunderstood. So began my fool's errand. There does seem to be some sort of filing system that has long-since been abandoned. The aisles are roomy enough, considering you are built like Jack Skellington, but with most aisles containing stacks of books in front of the shelves, I imagine there are few aisles he would venture down, and some that I doubt he'd even be able. I did eventually manage to find the sections of the genres I was interested in, but either the darkness, the close quarters, or the disarray convinced me to abandon my quest and move on. Some aisles even had the added convenience of the odd milk crate wedged tightly between the shelves, apparently for those who wished to reach the higher shelves in which to pull the books down on their heads. This store seems to have it all. Hardcovers, paperbacks, vinyl records, comic books, and I think I recall seeing a few VHS tapes, all fairly overpriced for a used bookstore in the front yard of a house in the middle of nowhere. I found several books that caught my eye, before my sense of self-preservation kicked in enough to tell me it was time to leave, but most were priced much higher than I was willing to pay for them, considering the condition some of them were in. Despite my best intentions, I did find a few books that, once going to the trouble of touching them, it seemed only appropriate that I purchase. The final price was enough to make me choke a bit, but I after having gone that far, I couldn't in good conscience back out. I suppose that I would go back at some point, if only to take pictures to better remember the spectacle of it all. Having read the previous reviews, I suppose that I'll have to stay long enough to find something I'm willing to buy, lest I provoke the wrath of the owner. In all honesty, she seemed very nice and she did try to be helpful, so perhaps that's where I should choose to be pleasant. I do hope that she will be able to continue running the store, though the prices made me question whether or not she intended to sell anything. read more

O.K., I have to tread lightly here. My husband is worried about me reviewing this place, but I have a job to do as a servant of the public. I find it hard to remain quiet in certain situations that can impact others. For almost ten years we had passed a sign stating this business' name. A fellow villager got to talking to us about the place, and the history behind it. After ascertaining the bookstore's existence, we decided to check it out. This bookstore is small, but interesting. Most of the goods are used books. There is a vast array, and they are arranged by subject. I also saw records, a box of comics, vintage books, and copies of the owner's own book for purchase. There are some problems. One: learning to shut up the Custer inside of you. Two: mold. Three: firetrap. Elaboration: I could smell the mold as soon as I opened the door. This is bad for asthmatics. The place is stacked with books from top to bottom, with very little space between rows. There are piles of books on the floor. Football players and people in wheelchairs cannot enter. Neither should people who are claustrophobic or have pyromania. There is no back door to emit air or allow for a quick exit. I realized that after I realized that my husband had never moved from the front door. There are signs everywhere stating: "I can see you stealing the Westerns", "If you rip it, you buy it", "Pick up what you dropped", etc. They have a definite anger angle. I feel like some records were put out just so the owner could state: "They are not for sale." The owner herself was pleasant. She comes down from her residence when customers arrive. This makes you a little nervous, because you feel like you are disrupting something. She told us that it is annoying when people mingle but do not buy. We bought something. Prices are a bit high. A kids' paperback was three bucks. (The mildew smell has largely faded...I stored the books outside for several weeks and sprayed them with perfume.) Finding this place is easy. Parking is no sweat. I would come back if things change. read more

This is an old-fashioned used book store... think of it as an out of the way holy place.

My Son James Kelly Morningstar (who also is an author) and I. went to this store on the morning of June 18 2021. It is jam-packed to the point of having to sidle down the aisles. There weren't any "bargains" that I could see there but I much enjoyed conversing with Judith. I hope she reads this. She was born a month before I was and some of her life experiences paralleled my own. I never lived without electricity but I did share some of her other young childhood experiences. Many were very unpleasant. Good luck to you Judith and keep on keeping on! read more

It was packed with books. That I didn't mind. Yes there was a strong smell. That I can get over. My error was not asking about the prices of the mostly used books. Unfortunately I assumed they were low priced. Much to my surprise a book I could pay $3.50 for on EBay was $12!!!! So much for the Bargain! read more

I went here because I needed Harry Potter books for my son's school book report and seeing as how I live in a small town and have trouble sometimes getting to the book stores in Asheville unfortunately I had to come here. She charged me 32.00!!! for 3 old, used, stained paperback Harry Potter books. You can get them brand spanking new at Barnes and Noble for 9.99 each. I feel completely taken advantage of and ripped off. I will NEVER go back and I will warn everyone to stay away!!!! Ridiculous!!!! Not to mention that just walking in the place is a danger. The way these books are stacked could hurt somebody! I always give people the benefit of the doubt, but I just can't here. Worst rip off of my life!!! read more

The previous reviewer was quite gentle. This place is hard to describe. We asked about an author - the owner said if she had that author, they would be on the shelf behind that stack of books in the aisle - but she can't move that stack. Neither could we, the space was so narrow, you could barely get a knee between the stacked books and the shelf on the other side. If your waist is over 36", your back will hit books on one side as your belly hits them on the other side, while you carefully scuttle down the aisle sideways. There is no way to browse in this store. I cannot recommend anyone go there to shop. read more