I love this place because of the super friendly staff - they always know where everything is and where to go and they have pretty good book suggestions too. The wide variety and prices make this a perfect place for getting a white elephant gift - you know, for those books that made it to Half Price for a reason.. It's so easy to lose track of time here so it's a good thing they're open till 10! read more

I have been to a few Half Price Books around the country. I actually find that Half Price Books clearance and (overstock?) new book deals are better than their usual used books. I went to this store recently and my suspicions were confirmed. I bought Made to Stick, brand new, for $4! What a deal. I still see this book at bookstores in the "Best Of" sections for full price, so I was actually a bit surprised to see this book on clearance. I went to look for What Color is Your Parachute. They had a lot of older editions (2002, 2009) but I didn't see the latest edition. Curiously, even though these are older editions, the store was still charging exactly half price for these (so about $8), while I see them for like $0.75 on bargain stores online. I don't know what HPB's policy is on older editions, but I think they should take into consideration that books have multiple editions and usually the older editions are of less value. I would probably come back for the discount new books section but I might skip on the used section (ironically). read more

Half Price Books Crossroads has a good selection of DVD's relativity new, and books. I feel that their staff is very welcoming. If you go to the Regal nearby when it reopens, you should check out held prices books. read more

The last time my partner and I were shopping there, we got followed by a staff member. We left because she made us uncomfortable but came back later to keep looking for records. She saw us, walked a few feet away and complained audibly to another employee "he's back," and jerked her thumb at my partner. Then she continued to linger around us as frequently as she could. My partner and I are educators working for nonprofits with advanced degrees and she profiled us based on our appearances so hard that we will probably not come back. I wish I knew what we'd done. I went back and found a seriously warped record that could damage a needle. I showed it to a clerk and explained that it could break a record player, she said that she would take it off the shelf. It's still there. read more

Half Price Books - I showed the warp on this record to a store clerk and explained that such a warp could ruin a needle. It's still on the shelf 2 week's later - Books, Mags, Music & Video Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

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Yes, not a great place to sell books! We were garage cleaning, told the 11 and 9 years old they could gather up all the grown up books, novels and bring them to sell it. So, diligently they spent most of their 1st summer vacation day gathering up these books, there were over 100 books - all bought brand new and very gently used by one user. The kids were so disgusted when the lady (she is nice) offered them $11 (TOTAL!!!) for all the 100+ books! That average one dime per book! Today, they learnt a valuable lesson - to quote my 9 years old "they really punish people to read"..... read more

We typically love half price, but this location is the worst. Upon arrival the woman working the counter told us to put our bag of books down and they'd be with us shortly. We stood there for 45 minutes and watched the guy scanning books walk around gossiping with his coworkers while doing about one book/minute. After almost an hour I finally asked if they had a time estimate for our books, and she told us that they had been done for a long time?? She seemed annoyed and said "we don't have an intercom so that's why we give you a time estimate when you get here." We absolutely weren't given a time estimate, and the same woman that checked us in clearly made eye contact multiple times--if she knew our books were done and saw us waiting, why did she not say anything? I work customer service so I totally understand mishaps and miscommunication happens, but this was just careless. If I ever see somebody at work waiting for an order that's done, I call them over so they can get their stuff and be on their way; why this was too complicated of a task for the employees here I don't know. We're going to continue going to the location in Lynwood, even though it's further away--this was simply not worth $13 read more

Safe haven for bookworms and music geeks! Imagine a garage sale and the person was obsessed with books, games, music, and stationary... well this is Half Price Books. I love the eclectic selection and the prices are fair. I brought a garbage bag of books and they gave me $4. I'm not mad, because I was going to donate them to the Goodwill so to me, $4 is better than $0! The best part is they take ALL of your stuff... they will gladly donate or recycle it for you. You can bring books, vinyls, games, stationary... you never know if they might buy it! If not, you'll have fun at this shop. There really is something for everyone here! read more

half price will rip you off when you sell your books. to give an example i bought a five book set at half price for 250 dollars . . . i took those books back to sell at half price. plus a large number of other books by the beats, bukowski, and many other authors that sell well and for the whole bundle they only gave me 57 dollars. oh! before i forget i had a mint shape book that sells for 150 dollars . . . they'll sell it for 75 dollars . . . and what did they give me? several dollars! half price books is a rip off! don't support them! read more

The fascinating branch of Half Price Books. Trivia: The owners of the HPB chain also own Crossroads Mall. With all the cool touches at this mall, like the game playing area and giant chessboard, and the Cultural Festival with tens of top quality local acts that happens each fall, we should thank owners for their involvement in our area! Best Bets: This branch has excellent selections in every department, but I particularly like the magazines, fiction, and kids sections. This branch also has a better selection of current titles than many of the other branches (due to the clientele who sell, I'm sure). Best of all are the manga selections (if that's your poison). This branch carries more bundled manga deals than I've ever seen. How about 12 issues of "One Piece" or "Dragon Ball Z" for just $2 a copy? Yes! Check for bundles! Employees are really friendly here...some of the nicest I've dealt with in the area. The payout when they buy also seems *slightly* more generous. Downside: this store could be 2x bigger for all the inventory they have. It can be crowded and difficult to get through certain sections. Worth a visit if you're an avid reader or otaku, fer shur. read more

I'm sort of torn about this place. The location is really convenient, with a coffee area and lots of tables and chairs just beyond the register in the mall. There are closely packed stacks of books and stuff, just begging for someone to stumble across that special item and take it home. What irks me is how little one gets sometimes for turning in books. I understand the whole concept of books that aren't popular/are damaged/buyer's discretion...but when you hand over a few brand new, still shrink-wrapped items amongst your other worn volumes, you kind of hope for more than a .10 return-per-piece on the whole pile... ...Especially as I know damn well they're going to turn around and sell the items for quite a significant amount more. I should've gone with my guts and just donated the whole pile to the library. I wouldn't have made anything, sure, but I wouldn't have felt like a cheap whore after the transaction, either. read more

Im a sucker for used books. Get me into a used bookstore and i'll leave with at least 2-3 "new-to-me" books in tow... So when I had about 30 min to kill in-between buses, I mozied across the parking lot and started perusing the shelves. This particular half priced is really quite large, subjects are well labeled so your book finding needs are easily met, and ~most~ the staff are friendly and helpful (the one who checked me out seemed a bit flustered/annoyed). Prices are great -- most of what I looked at being between $3-6. The location is handy if you are already at the mall, or like I mentioned, waiting for your bus. As per usual, I happily left with 2 new books. read more

I love that these guys are open later than the mall. I love that I can totally stock up on my Harlequin habit and not have to pay an arm and a leg. I love that you can buy audio books and they don't cost (again) "an arm and a leg"... well, okay, maybe a foot - they aren't cheep! AND -- it's not just books. They carry music and movies too. You can get lot's of educational stuff and hobby stuff and cookbooks. Whoever reads this review needs to seriously check out at least one of these stores. read more

It's been 5 years since reviewing & i still hold strong to my previous review where i mentioned this place is terrible when selling books/videos/etc to it but i've always liked it for finding a good book at half price. Well...most of them are half price. Not everything applies to that rule! If you're thinking of selling, think twice before selling to this store. Even for rare books or signed copies, they pretend like your signed copy isn't worth much when you go to mention it to them but then you see it sitting on their shelf for a pretty hefty price than what they gave you for it. Or that 3.50 dollar price tag they gave you & you see they have marked it for way higher because they realized it's a first print. The only time i see someone selling to a store is if the book is desirable or that people don't know how to sell online. If you know how to use a computer & can handle ebay, it's best to sell to customers directly & not shops to get the most money. Otherwise it's ok to sell to a shop like this if you want to get rid of books that're cluttering your shelves. As for buying books, this is a great place to just shop at. For anything really. Great for music, books, movies with some video games in the corner, some glass cases filled with valuable things, dvd's & as the name implies most things are half price. Sadly not everything is because of special copies of books, the high demand for a certain book or if it's a signed copy. Unless it has a tag on it, it's half off. Great place for teens/children and adults. I've been able to find anything from Manga to Video Games to Cooking books to Fantasy novels. It's a neat shop. Location wise it's great. Located inside the mall but when the mall closes early, they're still open for business since their main doors are facing the outside. It's also next to starbucks for those coffee & book lovers. But the shop has always been on the smaller side. Because of growing demand in Bellevue's population, the store is ALWAYS filled with people. It's small so navigating can be a challenge. And customer service has been up and down for years. But for the majority of the times i've spent in here, it has been good. Overall, love the location, like the selection but sometimes i can't find what i'm looking for. Even if it's a popular or not so popular book. It does all rely on selling your books here so if you do want to help out the store to stay in business, would be a good idea unless you're picky like me. read more

Remember how AWESOME Borders bookstores was before they closed around 6 years ago? That's how I feel when I walk into Half Price Books. I feel like it's a used book version of Borders which, in my opinion, is way cooler since I can get books 1/4 of the price. This particular location feels like it's oozing with books. You literally walk into piles and shelves overflowing with various reading material. That being said, as a previous reviewer said, it can get a bit claustrophobic. If one person is in an aisle, you're pretty much out of luck. You can't really get by and people who are browsing have tunnel vision. You're better off going down a different route and circling back later. Half Price Books sells nick nacks, DVDs, videogames, and any type of book you'd imagine. The staff is pretty knowledgeable on the different sections and can give good recommendations, as I'm sure they owner only hires people who read frequently. Other than used books, there are things like stationery and things teachers would like (example: post-it notes in the shape of an apple that spiral out horizontally) If you're a teacher, you can get a percentage off your purchase.Talk to the people who run the store! read more

Narrow aisles, towering bookshelves, potential treasures around every corner! This is definitely a place for an amateur-bibliophile or voracious reader to spend some time browsing and hunting for some new items for the bookshelf (that said, it's not the place for the antsy, get-it-and-go type!). You do need to spend some time in here to find something wonderful; it is not a place to look for a specific title whether just released or not. They really do pack in the books, but they also do a fairly good job categorizing everything so you can spend an hour in cookbooks if you feel so inclined without having to weed through a bunch of fiction -- it doesn't feel like a library book sale at all! All of the books I've purchased here and those I've found interesting have been gently used, some more than others, but there is a good selection overall and some can even pass for brand new. It's a good spot to look for children's books too (I picked up some Star Wars books for some little ones which were a big hit as a little gift... and much more affordable than buying them new!). There are some new items here too, but not a vast array like you'd find in a big bookstore. read more

I had never heard of this business before coming here, but I was certainly delighted at the sight of so many books crammed into a space meant for much less. Because they also stocked new items like packaged stationery and board games, i didn't realize until later that the books are mostly used. Could have knocked me over with a feather- they certainly appeared to be in great shape, so they must be really picky about what they buy. Speaking for myself, I didn't know it was actually possible to read an entire book without sticking a few pages together with jelly donut filling and dropping it in the bathtub at least once, but apparently there are folks out there who can manage it. Lots of happy browsing to be had, and great deals on books pre-owned bysomeone other than me. read more

this place seems to have more books and titles packed into it. it's a maze of reading materials. it makes me a little claustrophobic but it's all good. i came in the street entrance and after browsing, had to wander around to even find out where to pay. i felt a little bit like i was in a twilight zone episode. well, if you are out this way and have a bit of time to kill..stop in and find some treasure that you can tuck away for that rainy day. read more

I bought a pack of 200 magic cards for 10$, what I found, half were ad cards and the other half were utter garbage cards, the cards weren't just horrible, they were common cards, and weren't even slightly old and uncommon, they were all from within the past 2-3 and were cards most players already had in a box of unused cards. These cards, if I had looked through, I'm not sure I would have even bought for 1$, let alone the 10$ price tag, these definitely weren't cards from an old collection, but horrible cards someone really wanted to get rid of. read more

I didn't miss record stores when they went away, but book stores are another matter. As much as I embrace the digital download - and I read a lot of books that way - there is just something wonderful about the sensory experience of browsing stacks of actual books. This is a decent-sized used book store. There is a small and unsensational selection of collectible books. The children's department is nice, and set off to the side so the kids are fairly well contained. I like the cookbook section, which has a nice assortment of used cookbooks (Baking with Julia, anyone?) and remaindered new books. I can usually find something. Actually, I can usually find quite a bit. The store is a little cluttered but I suspect that's in part because it's in a high-traffic location. One complaint I have is for the checkout, which has never made sense to me - I usually have to circle the station to figure out which register is open, and then try to figure out where the line is. The upside is, there isn't usually much of a wait, and the prices are always good. read more

This place is fantastic. To say I'm an avid reader would be seriously understating it. Sometimes, however, I run out of things to read. All I have to do is meander around this place and at least ten books will jump out at me, screaming at me like a cheap prostitute: "TAKE ME HOME FOR HALF-PRICE OR LESS!" It's not the biggest of the Half-Price Books chain, but it's my first love. :) read more

Do not sell to this location. When you sell to HPB, they separate your books out into two stacks at the end: one they are going to buy from you, the other which you get an option to either donate to them, or to keep and take home. I have sold to the Southcenter location multiple times, and this is their policy. After my experience at the Crossroads location, I've called the Redmond, Seattle and Tacoma stores, and their policy is the same as the Southcenter location, and one of those stores said that all of the stores have the same policy. I've also spoken to a few friends that sell regularly at HPB and they also have said the same thing. I came in with a stack of about 10 books. The girl doing the buying wasn't very friendly (with anyone) from the start. After 30 minutes of looking through my books, the girl says "we'd like to offer you $4." I said, "okay sure, for which ones?" and she points to the first stack of 3 books. I say, "Okay that's cool, I want to keep the other books you are not buying though, I do not want to donate." She looks at me and says that if they cannot keep the donated books, they will NOT buy the rest. I asked if this is company policy throughout all the stores, she said yes - which I know is not true, as I've sold before and spoken with the sellers at other stores. When I questioned her, all of the employees stared at me like I was crazy, like I was the first person to question this. I felt so uncomfortable. Needles to say, I took all of my books and left. As did the two gentlemen behind me that also realized what was going on with their stacks of books. If you're going to just decide to have a different policy than your other stores, then you need to disclose that, and not mislead people by acting like you're buying ALL of the books, instead of just buying 3 or 4 and keeping the rest for free. Make sure if you bring in a reusable bag that you ask for it back, or else they'll try to keep that too. I will never return to this store, and I have already left a message for the corporate office to call me regarding this. read more

I don't even know how to purchase books at retail price due to my loooooong going affair with discount retailers. started with those book catalog orders as a kid (oh the excitement when my parents let me actually buy a book! and to hear your name called when your book came in was so awesome.)-then there was magus and twice sold tales on the ave during the collegiate years. amazon and half price for days following. (there were a couple years in between college and elementary school where all i did was go to the public libraries...and accidently hoard books-to the point where i still think there is a missing book or two under my ibrary card in portland. ) i love half price. it's conveniently located, unassuming, and, to date, has provided me with great deals on vocal scores that would have put me out a good 20-30 bux new per book if bought new. The lines always move fast and the selection of books has always been great. It's my neighborhood go to when i need a quick read (and do not have time to order via amazon). love this joint! especially when i get to use the 15% off additional coupons that they provide inside their calendars. read more

great well organized store! the cashier was so helpful and knowledgeable I asked her name..it is Hannah..she was very friendly and led me to the books I was looking for!! read more

Books, books, books! I'm in book heaven at Half Price Books. Not only can you find plenty of reading material in a laundry list of genres, but they are super cheap! I love that they really do mean half price (or less sometimes!). I've bought a few Agatha Christie novels, and as they were printed back in the 60's, they have a list price of $.75 - $2. Half off that? Heck yeah! Besides cheap books, you can also sell your old books back. Keep in mind that with prices this low, you may not get much for them. But you'll get more than you would if you gave them away! read more

As with almost any used bookstore you can't really "rely" on anything being in stock at any given time. It's a great place to browse though to see what they have to offer. The staff has always been very helpful and knowledgeable. Note on selling books to them: Don't expect much. I would suggest using Half-price books as a step above "donating" your books somewhere. You will probably get next to "garage-sale" prices for them. Fun browsing though, and one of the latest things open in the Crossroads area if you are looking for something fun to do. (If browsing books is your idea of "fun" that is...) read more

I've been going to this Half-Price for almost 2 years now. I am definitely a bargain hunter. When I first started going to this location, the sections for manga and comics were always well organized. They always had a great supply of discounted manga $3.00 and under. For comics, usually $.50 and under. I've bought here alot. I've traded in a few times. My first complaint is their call list. One of the female employees let me know they had stacks of a specific comic series I was looking for in the back, but her manager hadn't put them out, believing they would not sell. I returned to put my name on a list so I could have the employee managing the comic section call me, so I could buy them. That was about 3 months ago, and they never called me about it. When I have asked about it, no one gave me a straight answer, they simply told me that "we put them out when it gets low" and "whoever is in charge of that area will call you." I pretty much gave up at this point, but it greatly bothers me that I feel like the manga/comics sections have gone greatly downhill. First off, the comic section. They used to have 1-2 boxes dedicated to comics $.50 and under. And marked as such on the front of the box. All the other boxes surrounding it are half off. So I used to go here for just the clearance comics. Now they are all over the place, and there's only maybe 10 books clearance, and not in the box they should be in. Many of the books that are half price, are dinged up and not even worth the half price. It's only been the last two months that it's been like this, but it's been frustrating trying to find the clearance books among the rest of them. When I asked about getting it organized, the man helping me was less than enthusiastic and seemed very annoyed I was even mentioning it. There are about half of the workers here who have very hipster attitudes with me. Ever since they moved the manga and graphic novels section to one area, there have been ALOT less clearance books as well. Again, many books that are half price are not in good shape. I saw a book I sold to them for $1 marked up to $9. Because it was OOP. That's pretty ridiculous. I've even seen a knock off Hong Kong anime DVD series for $40. They obviously go by eBay and Amazon collector prices at times. I do like going here, I go to all the Half Price books in the area. I just wish they were a bit more consistent and organized, and a bit more helpful with my concerns about the sections I frequent. I find myself less and less excited to come here now because of it. read more

Overall: OMG - I can spend literally HOURS in here! I've seen Half Price Books so many times on passing, but I thought wow HALF PRICE ONLY? I can get cheaper books online than JUST half price... The only reason I ended up going in was because J wanted to buy me a surprise present, so, I had to entertain myself and wandered in. I was in there for at least an hour! Books, books, books and more books all at exceptional prices - there's a close out/bargain section with decent books from $1.00! They're new and second hand books, along with LP's (yes, LP's), CDs and lots of other stuff. The only bad thing is that it should be bigger - there are some areas that are extremely claustrophobic. There were three of us squeezed in the cookery section, where we had to keep reaching over each other. Returns are easy and simple. If that isn't enough the store staff are exceptionally helpful and friendly! Currently, if you spend more than $30.00 they will give you a free eco-friendly calendar. read more

re: Looking for Books I probably could stay in this store all day. So much to look for and things are always changing in terms of rotation of new stuff. If you're the bargain hunter and looking for good used books, look no further. My wife loves building up her DVD inventory with their selection. This is a really cool place, even if you do NOT like books. read more

I love the way I feel when I buy a new book! It is the best feeling to have an afternoon to peruse the aisles and find the best books with SUCH low prices. Also make sure to check out their stationary, games, records and magazines. I love buying from them and selling to them! This location is a bit crammed but the parking lot is easy and it is nice to grab a coffee at the Starbucks next door! read more

I like to go there and look at thier DVD's and thier discounted books in front. I would'nt sell my videos or books there, your better off selling it on Ebay or Amazon. they use Ebay or Amazon to find out the running price range for used dvd's and books anyways, may as well sell it myself and get the money it's worth, The staff is friendly, it's easy to find what your looking for, that's a big plus. read more

I typically love half price books and tend to shop there a lot with my husband and children. However the last time I went I visited the location in crossroads mall and was treated horrible. I went to the cashier counter and no one was there so I stood there and waited quietly . I was purchasing to comics for my son and the long haired gentleman who was cashiering was very rude to me. Snapped at me and said the person he was helping was first so I needed to not cut in front of him. I was shocked that he snapped at me and just stepped back . There was no one there when I stepped up. After he helped his other customer I was next and I even stated i am sorry there was no one here when I came up so I did not mean to seem like I was cutting. He just shook his head at me and asked for the total of my purchase. He did not even offer a bag for my stuff just handed my my receipt and walked away. read more

Very stingy. Don't even bother trying to sell any books or games here. Big bag of brand new books and games. Worth over $100. Expecting offer of 40-50. Their offer? $5. Seriously, don't bother. read more

Great place and excellent Staff!!!! Wonderful selection ..... Deals, Deals, Deals read more

I love this place. Great for a rainy day to dig through the shelves for that next treasure. Not the greatest prices when they buy back, but it's better than nothing. Keep an eye out for their warehouse sale - now THAT is a fun adventure. read more

This place has great priced books. But it also has a much bigger and better selection of board games on great deals too! Glad we have a nice quality place in Redmond. They also have given me decent prices for books I've sol there as well in the past. read more

The store doesn't process returns from mail order. I went online and bought a book and unfortunately they sent me the wrong book. I now need to go through the hassle of returning the book online. I thought I could just take it back to the store to return it but they don't support the online site. Very poor customer service I always donate all my old books because I think they provide a good service. I will never donate another free thing to the store and will no longer be my first choice for shopping for books. I will go back to the library. read more

"Serious" antiquarianists make light of Half Price Books' huge stock of remainders and best sellers. But the store is enormous, and I've never failed to find something old and of great interest to me. Should be on every book lovers "rounds" whether looking for bargains or rarities. read more

Always love Half Price Books and their selection. I think they underpay you for the books you bring in but I suppose it's a business and not charity, so I get it. Regardless, I love love this place and would shop here for books and stuff before going anywhere else. read more

It's hit and miss at this Half Price Books for me. Sometimes I'll find something and sometimes I won't. It's a very popular branch, so to compare with the Redmond Half Price Books - where I prefer, the stock is limited. The place is also smaller, so it can get crowded during busier days like on the weekends. The clearance area is very small, so I haven't had much luck finding items there whereas at other Half Price locations I've been able to buy tons of books for less than four bucks each. There are two entrances - one within the Crossroads Mall and one outside from the parking lot. The location is nice for me, but I still prefer to drive farther for bigger Half Price Books stores. read more

This place doesn't know the pricing for books especially collectibles I'm a comic book collector and when I saw the killing joke it was the 12 printing and it was worth $40 and I know that's not the pricing of that book it's worth seven dollars and when I told him that pricing is wrong they got mad at me and it's all thanks to a woman with short hair and feet on the side this one's for you read more