Dropped my things off in a nice storage box and got it back the next day with the handles that connect to the lid broken lol

I always love coming to book-off. So many neat things to see. They unfortunately no longer carry Japanese magazines which was one of the main reasons why I would come :( But they have a great selection of old-school games that make you so nostalgic! Be sure to stop by the Tokyo Central next door for some yummy snacks. read more

Bookoff - Costa Mesa - Bookstores Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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We spent $100 usd today for $250 worth of books! Every time we visit in-laws we come here since our only option for japanese books is full retail at kinokuniya in the bay area. We come here for buying and the deals are great, have never tried selling. In the early days of book off there was a j-network of students and exchange students who would sell when they moved back to Japan, nowadays there is a very diverse selection of stuff to choose from. For the kids we always hit up the japanese childrens section, we check out the art books and magazine back issues since they are so cheap. With the local kinokuniya closed we have noticed a drop in more current Japanesemagazines and books. Huge amount of japanese and English manga and american comic books and graphic novels. Holy crap, get your nerd on and never pay full retail. Their dvd and bluray section is legendary, you can find crazy selections of movies, tv shows, etc.. all for super cheap. There's way more english selection than japanese for these. Pawn store kind of stuff like cameras, guitars, vinyl, toys, collectibles, and video games so they definitely have a lot more than just books. read more

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Usually always have a good experience at this location, however this time when we were at checkout the cashier, Fatima, gave us a look and accused us of changing the price tag of the item we were purchasing. Book Off often does this with their price tags where they will update the price of the item by placing a new tag over old price tags. Yes, this can be a concern for stores but if this is a regular procedure that their staff does, you shouldn't accuse customers of changing prices. We even saw this same practice being done at other Book Off locations (refer to photos). I don't often leave reviews but this was just an unpleasant experience. read more

Bookoff - Costa Mesa - Bookstores Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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Nice used bookstore in Tokyo Central plaza. There a large selection of under $2 books in the back of the store. The store has higher priced popular used books in the aisles. I books I were looking were in the aisles and higher priced than Ebay. If you are not looking for anything in particular the back is nice to check. read more

First off, this place is a magical heaven. Secondly, Vanessa just went above and beyond regarding a return issue that was my fault. She was patient and took time to handle the situation. 11/10 customer service! Thank you Book Off, we will see you next Saturday :) Vinny read more

My son was looking for some cd's. I called ahead to see if Bookoff had a selection for him to browse. The person who answered the phone was very polite and helpful. It sounded like they were very busy in the background, but the staff member still asked me questions about what we were looking for; not rushing me off the phone. I wish I remembered their name so I could give them a shout out here. Once we arrived, we were impressed by how much of a selection they offer. They were as busy as it had sounded on the phone, but they were attentive to all the customers. My son found several cd's for his collection and I found some books. Their prices are unbelievable- amazing sale section of $1 and up cd's, dvd's, etc. read more

I have been coming to this Bookoff location for some time now. They have a large selection of books, so if you enjoy reading I suggest you pay them a visit to find a good read. Their books are in great condition, and you can find them at a good price. Or...if you have quite a large book collection that you would like to downsize or want to make a bit of cash back on some books, then I recommend you bring your collection to sell too. Bookoff has an extensive collection of everything: books, video games, anime collectibles, funko pop figures, and Pokémon trading cards. So, if it's not books you're after you might just find something else that peaks your interest here. read more

Service was good...employees did their job...huge selection of everything pop culture...here are the cons...if you're looking to sell anything, just know that they buy low and sell high...like really high...here's an example: inquired about what their buying program pays out for movies (dvd, Blu-ray etc)...they pay 10% of fmv IF it's valued above $10...anything under is .50 cents...across the board...also took some time to browse the store for about 20 mins...looked at toys, movies, video games books & vinyl...all atleast $2-5 above fair market value...cool store though...not bashing...I think it's a dope shop...great concept...just giving everyone some info... read more

Waited 3 hours for my items to be priced/sorted after being told it would take 45-1 hr. Completely lowballed me and didn't take half the items they said they did online. Waste of a day and my time. Makes me not want to go back to even to shop. Employees dgaf read more

Don't trust whatever they say on the phone to you. After speaking on the phone about 16 rare and first edition books in good condition, I was offered 30 cents for just one book. I had specifically asked if they were going to lowball me and was clear about what I had. read more

What what? Great service and selections. Got my Batman fix here. Get your anime and comic book fixation satisfied at a great price.

Nothing gets me more excited than dollar used vinyls. It was Japanese supermarket day so I decided to check out Book-Off prior. Best decision ever. As I walked in, I took a left and then a right and voila! A used vinyl section. It was screaming for me. This immediately produce a massive quantity of serotonin in my brain...like a bowl of pasta. I was even more excited to see the dollar price tags on these vinyls. I was able to walk out with 16. It's going to be a good day. This store carries large amounts of videos, books, manga, comics, toys, instruments, e-goods, fun! I didn't have too much time so I only focused on getting vinys records today. Next time I will pay more attention to the other sections of the store. Good service. Very organized store. Another satisfired customer! read more

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Sucks that the only place you can sell your used DVDs and books is at Book Off. Message me if I'm wrong. I had a stack of DVDs and few Star Wars books to sell. 12 items and only got $1.54. Seriously? The cost of gas to drive up to Costa Mesa cost more than $1.54. 2 books for $0.10 so $0.05. 10 (SEALED) DVDs for $1.44 so $0.14 each. This is the standard price when you go to sell. However if you want to buy a book, it starts at $3, maybe $5. Talk about for-freaking-profit business. And don't bother going on the weekend to sell. I arrived at 10:30 am on Saturday and was told the wait would be 1.5 hours because someone dropped off a pallet full of books. If you do want to sell - just donate to Salvation Army or a Mom and Pop Used Shop (never Goodwill). This place is ridiculous. Never again. read more

I've been here a couple of times, and it was a cool place. Got some rare DVDs and books at great prices! But my last trip there dropped my rating. The staff there are very sweet, especially the male employee with long hair, but there is a lady who I believes manages the store. She allows people to open the boxes and take the discs out. Not to inspect the disc for scratches, but just to take out and toss around the store but screamed at me when I didn't stand where she wanted the line. Luckily, they have other locations, because unless I am truly desperate for something, I won't be back. read more

Not too long ago, this particular location had thousands of comic books. Today, literally, 3 short unfilled boxes of CRAP COMICS.... like worthless garbage. And to make it funnier, out of the 400 or so books, HALF were multiple copies of the same 3 or 4 comics. Lame. Where have all the Good times gone....Unless they get a dramatic amount of new comic book inventory, don't waste your time. read more

Book-Off isn't as well known in the United States as it is in East Asia, however Book-Off has so much to offer as a second hand retailer. There's a wide seledtion of Manga in English & Japanese along with Light Novels. There are also figurines, a vast collection of literature and books, collector's items, DVD, and Criterion Collection Films. The store is nearly organized and it isn't too hard to find things, especially with the manga listed Alphabetically. There are some great finds as well if you look close enough. They also buy items but you're more likely to get chump change rather than profit. read more

This place is awesome. Good used book selection. And was very impressed with used collectible action figures and Funko pop figurines. read more

Bookoff - Costa Mesa - Bookstores Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

The rude lady that was working today is horrible we had purchased a dvd yesterday and selected no receipt on their computer and got home and found out the dvd didn't work. The lady wouldn't even give us a store credit or work with us at all. Pretty bad customer service. read more

Good place to buy and sell books here. There are funko pops and movies physically. Wish they can give bit more on selling items. read more

Bookoff - Costa Mesa - Bookstores Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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Probably one of the cleanest, most organized and more diverse bookstores I've ever been to. They have everything sorted by category: from used manga in Japanese (that practically looks brand new, if we're being honest), to manga in English, children's books in Japanese and English, action figures (new ones), video games (both used and brand new), video game consoles, musical instruments, DVD and Blu-Ray movies, music CDs, and even fiction and non fiction books in English. The staff is friendly and courteous and you can even bring your own stuff to be evaluated and sold for money (that part is hit or miss, sometimes you get a fair amount for them but also once I brought about 8 different books and I got like 3.15 for them, so that's up to you if you take the money or keep your books and donate them or something). read more

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clean and organized store. my favorite book off location after the gardena location. its got a pretty decent selection of japanese books and raw jpn manga, i spend a happy and long time exploring the store aha. compared to other locations, good prices, very clean and organized, and good place if your interested in reading things in japanese. the jpn book selection is much better than the eng book selection in size. the condition of their books are pretty good condition and the raw japanese mangas are like almost new, but have only been sitting around untouched. kind of small section for eng trans jpn manga but there lots of jpn titles, books and magazines to look at. as a buyer, the prices are pretty good compared to other location and i scored a really sweet price for an old remix shonen book and an interview magazine for some of my favorites anime and manga series. id come back~ read more

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I've been here a few times. I'll say this, parking is a nightmare. You have to contend with Tokyo Central and a deli on the corner, which means the parking lot is usually packed. I've had to drive around about four or five times before I found a spot. If you come during lunch, forget about it. They will buy books, DVDs, CDs, but don't expect to get a lot for it. Obviously, comic books, graphic novels, and DVDs will fetch you a bit more, but if you're donating books don't expect to get anything back more than $3-$4. Also, the wait times for them to go through your books varies. Ive had to come back the next day to pick up the money and books they wouldn't buy, but I've also waited as little as 30 minutes. So it just depends on how busy it is (your best bet is to come early mid-week, in my experience.) Note - they stopped buying back books in Japanese at this location, so you'll have to go elsewhere for that. They have a pretty big collection of books and DVDs, but they have an ever-growing figurine section. They also sell second hand electronics which look to be in good condition, but I can't speak on their quality. It also looked like they were gutting their Japanese language section (might have to do with why they're not taking any more books in Japanese at this location.) Overall, if you can find parking, and you're not looking to get a ton for books, or just want to check it out, it's worth a visit. read more

Dropped off books and other collectibles here on a Friday. They told me it would be ready in an hour possibly, if not the following day and they will text me when it's ready. Figured I would just come back. It's been 5 days, and the receipt they give you say if you don't come back in 7 days they will keep the items without providing you credit. Tried to give them a call with the provided number on Yelp and the call rings once, and the line is picked up and dropped. Thought maybe the phone number is incorrect, checked their website it is the correct number. Ridiculous, don't bring your stuff here to drop off because they will STEAL your items. read more

Costa Mesa Bookoff is the most organized of the bunch! Bookoff is one of the few used book and DVD stores left around. That is why most people come here. But what else do they have? CDs. Vinyl records. Video games. DVD players. Video game systems. Anime Toys. Unopened collectible figures. Funko Pop. Star Wars stuff. Yes, it's a thrift shop for nerds! This location is impeccably organized. Titles are all alphabetized and duplicates are filed next to each other vs. being randomly mixed in. This saves a lot of time when you're trying to find a specific season of your favorite TV show. They have foreign films, obscure titles, all kinds of random stuff. The only thing they don't carry is DVDs that only play on other region DVD players. All Bookoffs are well organized but the Costa Mesa is next level. Prices on rare items range from fair to slightly expensive. On common titles, prices are very reasonable and often times you can find what you want in the clearance $2.50 DVD section. Looking for that iPod shuffle charging cable? A first edition Gameboy? They might have that retro gear that you've been trying to track down. They also buy all of the same stuff that they sell. If you are selling a very common CD or DVD they aren't going to pay too much for those, but they do pay more for things that are either rare or in high demand. A great excuse to get rid some of those old titles that you will never watch or listen to again! read more

My new favorite bookstore! I've always wanted to go by here after shopping at Tokyo Centeal nearby and today I finally did. The store is extremely clean, well-lit, and all of the books are in great condition. Aside from the plethora of books (including a back wall full of books that are only $2) they have a bunch of video games, Pokémon cards, board games, nendroids, funko pops, and movies/tv shows/music CDs. The staff members were very friendly and assisted customers in finding books. The store looks little on the outside but is massive, and each shelf is stocked to the ceiling with books/games/toys. Definitely a perfect place for book lovers, anime lovers, and collectors! read more

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So I've got to say that Bookoff has got to be my favorite used bookstore around! I've known about this place for a couple of years but only recently started going frequently. It's definitely a place you want to go at least once a month. Also, plan to stay here for at least and hour. Books I really like this location bc not only does it have a large selection of books of all kinds in English, they also have a lot of Japanese books. About half (or a little over half) their store is Japanese books + manga. I would say most books will run you around $5 - 15.50. The genres are very organized and really easy to navigate. They have half an aisle filled with just manga (usually priced around $5-$7) and one shelf dedicated to the sale mangas (I think those are priced at $2) The other side of this aisle is mostly manga in Japanese, and a few shelves with graphic novels. They have a decent amount of $1 books on the back shelves. DVDs and CDs Lots and lots of these. Very organized. These include Blu-rays. Each of these are sorted out with A-Z dividers to find stuff easier. They have a pretty big anime section. Prices vary, but I think most regular DVDs will run you $3-$5. oh yeah, they also have a tiny section of vinyls (like 4 boxes filled with vinyls) Merch They have a whole aisle dedicated to figures and merch from different anime, movies, shows, etc. This aisle is pretty organized and they have a few clear cases with the more expensive ones in them. The smaller merch stuff goes for around $5 (keychains, dustrags, folders,etc) They also have A LOT of funkos Electronics They have a good amount of electronics; about an aisle big. they have a clear case for smaller electronics and i believe they have some in front where the registers are. their electronics range from headphones to stereo equipment, phones, keyboards and so on...if youre looking for something specific, I would call them to see if they have it in their store. Thoughts on pricing: So I would say 95% of the things you're going to find in this store are priced cheaper than you will find online. I saw a used "Art of Spirited Away" book for the same price as online for a new copy (the book was in great shape but still). I also saw a Vegito (Vegetto) and a Vegeta SS4 figure that I was interested in but they were both priced $3-$5 more than what they were going for brand new online (again, they were both in great shape BUT STILL lol). That being said, although most of the books you'll get will be priced cheaper than online, I would still advise people to check how much the book is going for before purchasing (unless you dont care or not looking for a bargain and just want the book) Selling: I went in here with maybe 20 volumes of manga, a few ps4 games, a few DVDs, a couple game guides, and a few other books. I got about $54 for all of it. So dont expect to make some major buck. If you're just looking to get rid of some stuff and want a little something out of it, come here for your selling needs. Sell your items for the sake of convenience, not for the sake of making a lot of cash for your used goods. All in all, I would definitely recommend Bookoff to anyone looking for a deal. The staff is pretty friendly and will help you if you ask. Its slightly smaller than the one is Westminister but I like the fact that it has Japanese books as well. Im a huge sucker for artbooks and drawing books and it gives me a wider selection to choose from :) read more

Bookoff - Costa Mesa - Art of Uncharted was in the $1 area!! Manga was $7.95 and the FF book was $20 :) - Bookstores Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

I do not recommend it coming to this location. They are a bunch of thieves and literally pay you be on Penny's.. they want to only pay me $.20 on CDs that some of them are not even open yet and $.50 on books that were brand new but yet they're going to be listing them for top dollar absolutely horrible operation. Then when I asked for my items back, they were shocked I wanted them back and then they said well. We've already put them out on the shelf for sale so I didn't even agree to the price that they offered me but yet they already put my stuff up on the shelf for sale. Horrible way to do business. It's like China robbing everybody it's horrible. You're better to take your stuff to a Goodwill and get a write off slip. read more

I've been coming here for years - both to buy and sell books. Let me start by saying although this store doesn't seem big from the surface - it is huge! They have a great selection of books, DVDs, manga, Japanese books, toys/action figures and electronics. Their store is also very clean and organized which is a huge plus. Now, the disappointment here that comes from many is their buying price - it isn't always half as much as we'd wish for. Once I came with 2 giant boxes of books and only got about $25. Today I came with 25 books and left with $11.25. My books are always kept in great condition but I tend to only keep the ones that I really like to make room for more books. To me, it's not a deal breaker for me at all. Because it's either sell your books, keep it on your bookshelf to collect dust, or donate. And, making a few bucks is better than getting nothing when you donate. On top of that, the stuff you sell to the store ends up helping to keep them in business because they will resell for profit. Their books are very reasonably priced too. I'm a member of Book of the Month so I do sell a lot of their selections to Book-Off once I'm done with the books. I've seen a few BOTM books on their shelves where selling price starts at $5.50 for a hardcover, you really can't beat their deals. Because BOTM is roughly $14.99 + tax every month so it's nice when you see a BOTM selection selling for a fraction of the price. Anyways! I would highly recommend coming here because you just never know what you will find! A great store with friendly staff. Highly recommended. read more

If you are looking for marvel, DC, or Star Wars, book off may have what you are looking for. We picked up cool collectibles for our place. Book off offered new and pre owned books, movies, toys, electronics and more. Because they buy and sell preowned items, each book off store is different. Will return read more

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Definantly worth a stop, figure section was what I was mostly interested in. The pricing was pretty high to justify most of them aren't properly in their box. A lot of miss priced stuff that I would consider to be too high for new, let alone 2nd hand with defects. There were some rare finds but also saw some stuff that I couldn't judge the legitimacy of. The manga section is organized very well. The pricing was retail for 2nd hand manga :/ not sure why you wouldn't just get a mint copy at banes in noble for that. Big section of Japanese books and manga as well as some light novels, so those were interesting to see. Just wish the prices on the figures were better. read more

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I dropped off 150 DVDs 20 Books and 5 Blueray. They gave me my ticket and said they would call Tue with a price. Nothing. I called Wed. They admit the have me the wrong ticket. Have them more information. Thursday nothing. I called Friday and the offered $48. I said do you have the right package as you lost the tickets. I was told they didn't buy many as they were scratched. I went to the store and they found my items after 20 mins. I pulled out brand new still wrapped in cellophane. I asked how are these scratched they are new unopened. No answer. read more

What a great find. This place has a plethora of anime and Manga magazines. On top of it, they have video games, televisions, new books and used books. We will be coming back! read more

Bookoff - Costa Mesa - Books - Bookstores Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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Bookoff is like the Japanese Big Lots, where they seem to sell pretty much everything, including books. You can get books and media in English and Japanese, guitars, game consols, rice cookers, and dolls, including Funko Pop. I stopped by here to check out their inventory. They actually had a decent selection of 2nd hand Funkos, and even a rare one from Game of Thrones: Ramsay Bolton, the bastard himself for a mere $7. The box was not in mint condition but if you're looking to complete your collection, this is a good place to check out. Parking can be tough, as the Tokyo Central market patrons take most of the spaces. read more

Bookoff - Costa Mesa - Funkos - Bookstores Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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I am so happy that Book-Off exists in a world filled with Gamestop, Best Buy and Amazon. I can't think of any other place where you can buy classic video games, much less imports. The prices are all pretty reasonable, and everything I've bought is in excellent condition. They also sell plenty of other electronics, and this was the only place where I could find a fourth generation Kindle without a touchscreen. The price and condition were outstanding, and I felt like I had won the lottery. You might be surprised at what you find here. There are several Bookoff locations, and while all are great I like this one for its selection of video game hardware. You never know when you'll have a hankering to fire up a Nintendo 3DS or PS Vita. Glad to see these stores thriving, and I hope they stick around forever. read more

Bookoff is probably one my favorite places to go in this area. It appeals to me since I'm a video game nut, but it will also appeal to people of many other interests. If you are into movies and TV shows, they have a wide selection of both, as well as other video such as fitness discs. If you are a musician, whether it be a clarinet player or a MIDI maniac, they have various instruments for your hobby. If you are into computing and AV things, they have various computers, computer accessories, and cables. If you are into books, they have a wide selection of books, whether it be classic 18th century literature or 21st century graphic novels. If you are into toys, they have a wide range of toys, such as Funko Pop figures, Matchbox cars, or even NSYNC dolls from 2000 that nobody seems to want, considering they've been sitting there for years. Not only is there a wide collection of several things, the prices are also pretty reasonable. You can typically find used games for various consoles for very fair prices, and most of everything else is fairly priced too. Personally, I typically walk out of here with a Kirby manga or two and sometimes a cheap DS game, which typically runs me only about $15. Not only is there a wide selection of fairly-priced goods, the staff are also kind, helpful, and have a good sense of humor. If there is one complaint I have, it's that they tend to undervalue certain things, such as video games and books. Still, that's understandable, since they have so many people dumping things off as it is. Bottom line, I would definitely recommend this store. read more

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Ive been to this location a few times now. I love How every time I come in I'm never greeted yet everyone else that walks in after me is greeted and yes ive paid close attention to that. Also there's something seriously wrong with the pricing. Ridiculous! I highly recommend shopping at the Westminster mall location, way better pricing ($1 books) and much better selection. Definitely no over priced books. Or shop online at thriftbooks.com Update: I contacted book-off over Instagram about the pricing and was told some made up mumbo jumbo that made no sense. To sum up what they are trying to say, I'll put it in my own words, Its like goodwill selling a donated table that has scratches, ware and tare, a few chips here and there and wobbles for more than the cost when it was brand new and in perfect condition. I've included their response so you can read the nonsense. Book-off, you are not Amazon, Target, Wal-Mart, or Best Buy. You are the goodwill of books. Furthermore, the author, Caroline Kepnes has NOT died and the book has definitely NOT gone out of print. Regardless to any excuse you may have, the book should have been priced no more than $5 NOT $19.50 more that the cost of buying it new. I've also included a pic of the same book being sold brand new at target for lest than what its being sold for at a used book store. Side Note: this is only my opinion about the Costa Mesa, CA location. The one located at the Westminster mall is definitely a 5 star. read more

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Such a great place. In a way it takes you back in time. Not a lot of bookstores left, so I really cherish this one.

From a selling standpoint, you are better off lighting your items on fire. I am moving and thought I could make a few bucks on old books. At 0.18 cents a book and poor service this experience was not worth the trouble. read more

The manager is very arrogant because he decides which customers he wants to serve (09/12/24). The staff is very undertrained, for example several staff members have told me at various time they do not know what sheet music is and where it can be found in the store. The staff does not communicate well. How long will it likely take to review books you brought in? Getting an answer was like pulling teeth. Sections are not labeled adequately. All that time standing around why not produce a map handout? Why not produce more section labels? This appears to be a store that does not care about working with its customers. I cannot comment on value because I left the store shaking my head at what appeared to be total incompetence. read more