Don't bother if you're looking for Christian literature. She met me at the front door and doesn't carry anything except some novels. Largest used bookstore in the area? That's a joke. Area is a little rough looking, too. Didn't feel welcome at all. read more

Brant's Used Books - Bookstore - Used Bookstore Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

My husband picked out books and a puzzle for our little ones only to find they doubled the price from what was written inside the book. She said the puzzle was from $6 to $12, I could get a new one from Amazon for $5 more. My husband rightfully declined to be overcharged and walked off. Very dishonest and really upset my daughter. read more

Visited on a Saturday afternoon, it was about 75°F inside, smelled like mold and was quite dirty. I've been to dozens of used bookstores, and this by far was the dirtiest, most disorganized, and most pedantic store. The owner had signs all over the store such as "I assume you're an adult don't stand on shelves", "I reserve the right to reprice anything", "don't touch", etc. The bathroom was keypad locked, and had a sign posted that it was closed because of covid, despite it being December 2022. One book purchased was a first edition, and the owner accidentally tore the cover off. Accidents happen, but she then made a comment that she was still going to charge full price. We also purchased a pulp book, and upon checking out she said "oh these are really popular right now" and MORE THAN DOUBLED the cost of the book. To her credit she asked if that was okay, but what an embarrassing thing to ask at the register. Books were covered in cobwebs, and I also found several dead insects on books and shelves. Aisles were blocked by milk crates of books in black trash bags. Would not recommend. Two stars because it is a used book store, and the store dog was friendly. read more

Brants is a giant used book store full of everything imaginable. I'm not much of a reader but once I get going I'll burn through everything an author wrote pretty quickly and I ended up with a ton of books to trade, that's where brants came in. I stopped by and she welcomed my hoard of books, some she wanted, some she didn't need, but she informed me that she regularly mails books over seas to the troops! So my hoard of books netted me 7 or do new reads but happily for me the ones not needed will go to a good cause! Now, like I said, I'm not much of a reader so choosing a new author could take me a while, and the immense piles of books everywhere were kinda intimidating but she knew where every author was, she even got me started with an author I've never heard of. However, based upon my collection she definitely got me going in the right direction. She's a really lovely lady and a nice person to talk with if you've got the time, I highly suggest stopping by for a read! read more

Super homey feel with great books and sweet workers, Awesome pricing for collectors books as well as newer released

This place is really fun if you are into somewhat messy book piles all over kinds of places. I am. Love the vibe in here, and I love it that the owner's dogs hang out, wandering between the shelves. Owner is super friendly and chatty. Yes, you can find cheaper used books online, but come on- I can't imagine how extremely little revenue a used book store musters up. Sarasota rent prices aren't cheap either. The pricing system is a bit confusing, but I have been in other used book stores where the setup was the same. Basically, a book is higher priced if it has a good chance of moving off of the shelves. I go here a few times a year to get rid of books that I don't want anymore, and to bring home random stuff that catches my eye. read more

Expect to be here for awhile unless you know exactly what you're looking for buttttttttt the woman that helped me was excellent and clearly had a whole system of organization. I was overwhelmed at first but once you figure it out, you'll find something. They have a really big selection for reasonable prices, and you even get a free book from the free book section for buying books. I thought that was pretty cool. read more

Great find for used books whether looking for a collector's item or just a beach read. One nook and cranny leads to another with a vast selection of non fiction, fiction and everything in between. read more

What an amazing find! A book lover's book story. The kind of store you can get lost in looking at books after books after books. It's extremely well organized even though it might not look like it at first. I could have easily spent hours in here, but my 13-year old daughter wasn't having it. The owner is so nice and knowledgeable, and her dog, Max, is worth the visit alone. Support independent, local bookstores - especially this gem. read more

Brants is the one guaranteed place to find the book that no on else has. I always joke that it's the secret hideout of all mensa people because the clientele in the store are as willing to help (and are always most informed) as the Matriarch of the store, who knowledge wise, I would put up against any fifty librarians. In spite of being "a Disney land for the intelligent", Brants also has neat little intricate things around the store to make one "wow" and "ah" a lot over. Best book store in this region or any other. Love this place!! read more

Best bookstore in the area! Great selection of books. The owner is helpful and kind. I LOVE to read and have been to ALL the book stores in the Sarasota area and this one had the best selection of books. You won't be disappointed read more

This weekend's fraudulent "sale" ended my 30+ year customer relationship with Brant's. I had already been growing disillusioned with the store, with a very high noise to quality ratio among their books but I kept returning time after time, partly out of nostalgia. But, while I can go into any other used bookstore and easily find 20-50 books on my want-list, I'd be lucky to find 2 or 3 at Brant's (despite their advertised 150,000+ books). The lack of any real A/C in the place meant that I'd be hot and miserable while looking to find something, anything, that I was looking for. This weekend's sale was the last straw though. Advertising 25,000+ unsorted books in the warehouse and that "all books most go" was enough to get me to make the two hour drive a mere 3 weeks after my last visit. The advertised sale was a lie. Volunteers in the warehouse went through looking for boxes of "good stuff" that was never going out into the sales area. Twice while looking through boxes of paperbacks I had the boxes taken from me and returned to the warehouse (the very same place from which all books were meant to go). Now, I freely admit that others may find books that they are looking for at Brant's (need 10 copies of a recent best-seller at 1/2 cover price? They've got it) but, as a consumer, this sort of bait and switch is wholly unacceptable. I will never again shop at Brant's and urge everyone else to exercise caution before doing so. read more

I like places with books that overflow the shelves and end up in piles on the floor, like the Strand in NYC, but only if they seem to have some kind of organization. This place had books in boxes and bags all over the place, most of which weren't priced or labeled. It's a really big store, but really poorly organized. Books were really expansive, as well, and many were close to the original sale price (not because they were collectable or antiquarian, just priced high). read more

My sister and I visited Brant's today. The owner knows exactly where to find the book you are looking for. She has so many books you could spend all day there. So many sections to browses. There were lots of books not on shelves. She mentioned she keeps moving to larger stores. We will be back. read more

An incredible selection of books makes up for the higher-than-Amazon prices. When they say they have over 150,000 books they mean it.

You just don't find bookstores like this anymore. Yes, it's overflowing with books everywhere. Spend some time rooting around and who knows what you may find? I found two books I could have found on Amazon through a third-party seller, but I would have had to pay for shipping and then waited for delivery. The joy of finding an old book I hadn't even thought of having until I laid eyes on it is priceless. I recommend this bookstore to anyone who truly enjoys the journeys as well as the destinations in life. read more

I love love love this bookstore!! The owner and her dog are so kind and lovely. There's truly books just pouring out of the walls... it is kind of messy, but it's amazing at the same time. I will definitely be back. So many books, so many copies of each book, over 150,000 books! read more