Great selection of new and used books. Used books are generally in great shape and greatly reduced pricing. They have books, magazines, records, CD's, DVD's, and games. This is one of many of their locations. They have a really nice website that is easy to search. If you are selling to them, I recommend not going on the weekend and to go early. They are fairly fast at going through the items you want to sell. They don't take everything and magazines are limited to no older than 6 months unless they are collectible magazines. read more

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Okay, everyone here's the update: Too be fair to greed-at-all-costs take-no-prisoners Corporate Policy over Employee Autonomy and store managers inability to make their own decisions (think: you are just one in 10,000 Drone Bees sent on suicidal mission sanctioned by your all powerful Queen-of-the-Beehive, Queen Bee!) So. for arguments sake let us concede that the outward seeming outrageous price of $7000, is justified? How? Just maybe the Dust Jacket! (Remember book collectors: 90 % of the value of this collectible is directly tied to the relative condition of its paper book jacket!) I mean even the fact that it's a 1st Edition doesn't add much value because scour the net and you will find a half dozen 1st Editions of this rare collectible without the dust cover for $600 or less! So because I absolutely love the Art Deco style painting of Planet Earth from outer space on this 1932 Dust Jacket and I must have it! Eventually! I have been in a proverbial "I will part with it young Jedi, if you are willing to part read more

Of all the bookshops out there, Half Price is one of my absolute favourites - they have such an amazing collection of books, records, and more! And all of it is set at a very cheap price. Where else can a bookworm go to purchase a book for just eight dollars? There are times when I leave without a book I may have been looking for, but I think that's the case with every book store, so I honestly don't mind that much. More often than not I leave with at LEAST one book, so I 100% recommend to anybody looking to expand their library. On top of that, the employees are always incredibly kind and helpful and informative. They go out of their way to assist their customers and I, personally, have never left angry or upset. Half Price Books is above B&N on my list as a go-to bookshop, always. read more

So...I'm changing my rating because the last three times I have gone in here, the people were all very friendly and helpful. I still Think that while the books are cheaper. Many are still over priced. read more

I personally only come here when my husband wants to otherwise I rather pay full price than support this spot. They never speak to us upon entering but they will speak when they are taking your $$$. Their prices used to be decent but if u are a good shopper u can beat their prices. They have a decent variety of merchandise otherwise the staff are rude, selective who they speak to. I only gave them 1 star because of their inventory and some pricing. read more

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Found the selection to be larger than some of the others it was easy to navigate thru out the store clearly marked. All Covid protocol was being followed all staff and customers with face covering. read more

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Since the closings a while back from Borders, I tend to frequent the 1/2 price books, and for a good reason. Usually you can find some hard to find books at incredible prices. Why pay more when you can pay less I always say. I don't bother with pretentious book stores but here, its very laid back and the staff for the most part are awesome and will help you any which way they can. Also, if you have books to sell, bring them here, including school books. Many of the books are prepared per sections and subject which of course makes for ease in finding something you may like. Also, if you go towards the back (next to the bathrooms) that section is all clearance and you will find of course games, old newspapers, and such for dirt cheap. read more

Whether you're selling or buying books, the staff here are helpful and knowledgeable. I love half price.

Extremely loud, unprofessional employees. There is absolutely no reason that the guys at the buy counter need to be having shouted conversations with the guy at the register, halfway across the store. I left without actually looking at much because the noise was so distracting. They were not having work repeated conversations either. I regularly shop at other HPB locations and have never seen the employees behave like this. It created a very unwelcoming atmosphere. Store was also not organized as well as other locations, adding to the overall unpleasant shopping experience. read more

This location has always had a very friendly and helpful staff! Please ignore these silly "Karen" reviews. I haven't had a single issue at any Chicago area location. Just because you feel you deserve special treatment, doesn't mean you do! I have sold items and they do pay on the lower side, but is a business making money. They base offers on stock, availability, etc. and need to make profit. If they don't want your product, they don't want it. No one forces you to take an offer. Each store is different. These are very easy facts and you need to come to terms with them. Thank you HPB for always doing well and your efforts to keep customers safe during a pandemic! read more

This Half Price Books is my favorite. Others may be bigger but the people and great organization here is why I don't visit other locations anymore. The store is located within a large strip center with a huge parking lot. Parking is never a problem, even on weekends or the holiday season. Upon entering, the used book counter where you drop off your old stuff is immediately on the right side. The folks who run the trade-in counter are always friendly, fast, and extremely knowledgeable. Some things you bring in may be worth nothing while others could have a greater value. Your turned in stuff is taken as a whole lot and the offer they give you is for everything. The store is clearly labeled and finding what you need is quite easy. If you need assistance they have plenty of associates stocking fresh titles in for sale and every associate is quite knowledgeable on every part of the store. The children's area is fairly full and also offers some educational toys and activity kits. One area I didn't spend much time in until recently is the music and DVD area. I've purchased a number of CD's and movies and all discs have been flawless. I don't have access to a record player but their library of vinyl is one I'd love to explore as some have never been released on CD. I really enjoy this specific location and have no plans on switching spots. read more

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Great place!! It's very affordable and staff is nice. I would highly recommend it. Their video games are mostly great deals.

Pros: great location and special coupon promotions Cons: very expensive, books are not half priced especially OOP stuff is very expensive ridiculously priced. read more

This is my first time writing a yelp review and I felt the need to do so because of how pleasant and fair this business is. I received $43 for about 25 books and most of them were from 2012 and earlier. I've looked up other places which also buy books and they normally have rules about books being up to date and whatnot. This store allows walk-ins and they accept any and every type of book. Furthermore, I felt as if I got a pretty fair deal for what I brought in. Not only that, all of the staff was very friendly and cordial the whole time I was there. Also, in case you'd like to find a nice selection of books to choose from for any genre, they have a vast amount to choose from which are listed at fair prices as well. I hope this review helps those of you who are curious about doing business with them. My suggestion is to just test and see what they're like for yourself. I'd love to do business with them again, and I encourage others to do so as well. read more

If there's one thing that I'm passionate about it's getting something for a bargain so I thought half price books would be right up my alley. The first section I hit was the clearance. Duh. I was able to find some books that have been on my to read list for awhile along with a copy of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (even though I've read it a million times). Each of them cost me under $2. I was really excited about my finds but was underwhelmed with the rest of the store. Even though the books were used I thought they were just as expensive as new books! You can find a bargain here but only if you search for it! Also, the guy who was working the register smelt like weed. I'm not judging, I'm just saying. read more

Half Price Books - $2 each....score! - Books, Mags, Music & Video Near Me - Countryside, Illinois

I lived for years in the hometown of Half Price Books, so it seems weird to me that there aren't more around here. This is a servicable smaller location (again, I'm used to the giant flagship store!!) with all the standard signage etc. The one staff member I interacted with to ask a question was really nice and helpful. They have a minimal selection of sideline items (cards, journals and stuff) compared to some of the other locations I've been to, even the smaller locations. I also noticed that a lot of the higher-priced "showpieces" were displayed high atop shelves near the buy area; maybe not such a good idea to have them so near the lights, and potential ceiling leakage? Anyway, it's always nice that HPB buys your books for cash (in my experience they're not terribly picky, but you don't get a lot of $ either; you can get more credit instead). Nice place to troll around, bright and clean. Wish there were more locations!! read more

For the most part this place usually has what I'm looking for. They have old & new books as well as a pretty decent amount of blu-rays, dvds and vinyls. Even if they don't have a book I'm looking for, I can usually find something interesting to buy. There is a pretty wide variety of books here. They even have some books that are signed by the author. This is really the only book store left around so I try to go often and support it. read more

I don't get some of the reviews here. "Don't get records here, poor selection, priced badly." - 1 star. Well it's not their fault people don't trade in better records, and pricing is not done on the fly, but based what the system says and condition. "They give you pennies for good condition books!" - 2 Star. I'm sorry something that sells for 20 max used, to which a store tries to sell around HALF priced, is bought for a little due to needing to make a profit. Listen, it's a convenient place to buy cheaper books, games, CDs and whatnot. Sometimes there's gems, sometimes there's nothing. This HPB is like every other one. Staff has always been nice and helpful. Nothing more to ask for from this store! If you have newer things that are in good condition, you can get more then pennies, but remember they have to sell it to make more money than they bought it for. If you want more, cut out the middleman and sell it yourself. Otherwise don't complain about low buying offers. read more

I love browsing through this store. It is very organized and the staff is always very helpful.

Since they have closed down my favorite bargain book place down (that was located in this very plaza) I needed to find a new place to get some good deals on books. Ladies and Gentlemen, i have found a winner! This place has the appearance of a new bookstore. Once inside you will find all kinds of used books, magazines, DVDs, and CDs. This place is very well organized and well kept.. They do buy your old books and the price is based on supply and demand and condition of the book. The books and stuff they can't buy, they will take off your hands anyway and donate them. They staff here is very friendly and helpful too! read more

In Countryside I brought 2 large bags of books there were 2 brand new book never read and a very semi new coffee table book very expensive among others. The young man that works days lowballs. He has done that consistently I think he figures you will agree and not take all these books back to your car. He offered $2.75. This time I took them all back and took them to another half price book place to see if what I suspected was true.. Sure enough I received an offer of almost $10 for the same books. I will not go back to CountrysideI again and neither should you if you want a fair price for your books read more

This is actually a pretty cool place. They have tons of books, some cd and records and other collectables like toys and stuff. The price is pretty good but like others have said you don't know what they are going to have. I recently brought in some stuff to sell, a good sized box of books. Now I wasn't looking for $50 but the $4 offer was a little ridiculous. I took the money, because it was either that or throw the damn things away. Just don't expect to get a lot of money for your stuff. It's based off supply and demand, I must not have had any books anyone was interested in reading. Jerks! I would go back but I probably wouldn't go there to sell anything. read more

My Uncle who reads a book a day got me started on going to this location, and I will never go anywhere else! I have always had a pleasant experience with staff, store, and any questions I may have. I have traded in books (yes is on the low end, but they do have to make a profit somehow) They are always great about ordering my book series to their store even if it's out of state. read more

What a gold mine in Countryside!!! I shouldn't be writing a review on this since people will soon find out about this from all over the city and burbs! You can find so many different things here that appeal to a large number of consumers...Vinyls, DVDs, Books, Maps, Board Games, Vintage Posters, Heck, you can even sell your books back!!! Everything in the store is dirt cheap (or close enough) where even the most modest budget can feel a sense of satisfaction once they leave. I would be impressed if you only came out with a single item from that store. You just want to buy everything!! Very clean and organized. You can find what you need in different sections of the store. Staff is really friendly & helpful and can even offer you some suggestions on what to get. I really like the Vinyl collection they have and all the ones I've seen are still in very good condition. I don't think 70% off at Borders can beat the deals offered at this store!! If you like books, this is simply an amazing place to check out...SO CHECK IT OUT!!!! -Papa Bear read more

This is a review of the vinyl selection at this Half Price Books (HPB) only... Like many of the other area HPBs locations I've reviewed, this HPB has a fairly nice collection of records in terms of genre diversity--one will find a decent selection of classical and jazz and a nice big selection of pop and rock records, along with a iittle bit of country, some blues, and a bit of soundtrack and world, as well. Like the Palatine or Schaumberg HPB, the clearance bin is a great place to find records, and often, the quality if just as good if not better than the stuff available up top. Of course, the big advantage is the prices are clearance--either 1.00 or more often just .50 cents. As with all the other HPB locations, the quality of the records can sometimes vary quite a bit, so it's always best to check condition before buying. Pricing on the records at this location is more like Bloomingdale or Palatine, rather than Naperville or Schaumberg, which means the records are usually priced pretty reasonably. This is not always the case, however, on more "collectable" records, sometimes the price can be higher than the condition warrants, so buyer beware on that aspect of the pricing. Overall, though, this is less of a problem than the Naperville HPB, which stands out from others for being problematic on prices. See my other HPB location reviews for more on shopping for vinyl at HPB locations generally... read more

Don't go here for records. Go to the Orland location. Zero selection, and whoever does the pricing has no clue. Just because the album says The Beatles doesn't mean the pressing or condition is worth the cost. Terrible. read more

Comprehensive book store with DVDs, games and novelties to boot. Regular priced items weren't a super amazing deal, but if you were looking for something specific, you could save a few dollar$ by looking here- but I wouldn't go as far as to call it half-priced. I was in search of Parks and Rec DVDs which my BF found here previously. They didn't have any, but I did find a season of the office that I didn't own- but I was not about to pay $22.99 for it. I felt that was a little steep knowing I just paid less for that for a new copy of of a season of a different show, that was years more recent! Their clearance DVD section is $2 and had some decent choices. It's on the bottom of a CD shelf though, so it's hard to look at and people definitely are OK with blocking your way here. It was pretty hectic around the DVD section overall. If I was looking for a specific item, I would come back, but to be honest, I'd rather just gather ideas here for books and check them out at the library. They buy used books/movies here, though so I may return for that, even though they give you next to nothing for them. read more

I love Half-Price Books! I've been coming to this store religiously for the past few years and I've never had a bad experience there. The selection of books at Half-Price Books is great! They separate their books by genre, which showcases how huge their selection is. They also have wonderful CDs that I normally couldn't find elsewhere. Their DVD selection is also very good, yet their selection of Blu-Rays isn't as vast as some people may want. They also have a nice selection of comics, board games, magazines, and video games. Their selections are organized in alphabetical order by either the title or by the author's last name, depending on what you're looking for. The items at Half-Price Books are mainly used items that people sell to them. However, they do not try to sell low-quality items for the same price as a higher-quality item. If an item is considered lower-quality or not in high-demand, they put it in the clearance section, which means it's priced at $3.00 or below. The "half-price" quality of Half-Price Books is true for the most part. If a book costs $20.00 new, it's probably going to cost $10.00. It's nice because books that are somewhat older (90s and older) that have anachronistic prices (such as $4.00 for a soft-cover Great Gatsby printed in 1995) will stay true to the half-price rule! In general, the staff at Half-Price Books are very nice. There's really only one girl that is cranky every time I go in there, but it doesn't take away from my experience. There is a plethora of employees on the sales floor that are putting items on the shelves, which means that they can help customers look for specific items. Though I prefer to just look for random items on my own, I know some people would like to ask staff questions. In my opinion, Half-Price Books is the only way to purchase books, along with any other entertainment items! read more

Great place to find comic books, records, CDs, action figures, magazines, books, books and books! Their pricing is erratic though, as is their buying. Lots of vinyl is overpriced as are some of the collectible books. Nice staff of hipsters who are very friendly. read more

I learned to read by the family always leaving the tv on when they leave for the day for me. I actually learn quit a bit from this. Music is another one. I like to dance when no one is looking (or the right treat is dangled in front of my nose). That's why I love this place. They have it all. Music, movies, books, collectables, rare items in special glass cases (so I can't break them with my crazy wagging tail), toys and more. All for pretty decent prices. Well, all except the DVD and Blu Ray prices. They are still way to high for use price on those. I mean, Best Buy is just a couple doors down and, for example, my boy wanted a Flash Gordon movie. We just came from Best Buy thinking we could save a few dollars buying used. It was $9.99 at Best buy. We found it on the shelf at HPB, but it was priced $19.99... used. So, we asked why the prices are so off. The man at the check in desk said they price it from list prices. OK, but they obviously know about Best Buy being a major discounter as well as Target and so many others all right outside their doors. Plus, it's used and a dying media format. OK. The other bad thing is the buy back program they have. We buy things from here and other media outlets all the time. We thought we'd try the buy back program by trading in a pile of movies to get a new pile of movies. What an embarrassment! We brought in about 10 DVD's and 2 Blu Rays. They offered us $8 for EVERYTHING! Seriously! The same place that sells used media for more than new, offering only .50 to a 1.00 for each item! WOW! Not cool. So, over all. If you go to buy used CD's, books, magazines and find some unique collectables, you'll be fine, but buyer and seller for DVD/BluRay media beware. You're better off keeping what you've got and make sure you do your homework on something before you buy it. Just because you find a movie you want for under $10, it's almost a guarantee a new store next door will have it for the same price or less, NEW. Until they change the pricing on new and used media, they'll get a 3 star. Otherwise, cool place. Great idea recycling books, magazines and the likes. Great assortment and choices on so many things. Plan on spending at least an hour or two looking around. Hey, they even have cassettes, laserdiscs, 8-tracks and records!!! read more

I hadn't been to a half price books before. I was recommended by a friend to go there. It was amazing! Great selection and well organized. Clean for the most part but there was some dusty parts which is why they aren't getting that 5th star :-). I was looking for a specific book for my daughter. I went the register and was created rather promptly by a man named Lee. He went on to his computer, found the book and immediately took me to where it was located. Then a very pleasant girl Erica rang me out. The staff was so friendly. And this store has everything. I'll be back. read more

I brought in 6 books and walked out with 110 bucks. When the very polite staff member asked if that was ok, well heck I couldn't believe my ears. I was thinking surely he made a mistake and when I was asked to sign the receipt, man I couldn't sign fast enough lol. Incredible. So now today I'm gonna bring in my dvds and some unopened vhs tapes and such and hope for another good catch! Always make sure u research the books ur bringing in unless u already know they are not worth much. I had 5 books in my bin that at the last min I decided to google and they were going for like 200 to 375 each! Good thing I caught that! Great staff, so so polite. At least on my first visit. They got a lot of cool collectibles also. read more

Hey, I used to work at the other bookstore that was in this mall, and Half Price Books signed a lease that got us kicked out, and even I can't deny this is the place to go for books. I sell stuff to them more than I buy from them; spend fifteen minutes gathering up junk you've already read or know you're never going to read, haul it in, and *BOOM* there's your beer money. The half price pricing scheme can be grating, especially when you find a dog eared, worn out copy of a book that was originally, say, $15 and it's still marked at $7.50. That doesn't happen often, though, and the prices are usually fair. Frequently they get in some bizarro stuff, like trashy paperbacks from the '50s, auto repair guides from the '30s, etc., etc., all of which are priced very fairly. Old MAD paperbacks for $2? A book of effective collection letters from 1927 for $4? Excellent! read more

"Half Price Books" es una de mis librerías favoritas. Debo ser cuidadoso cada vez que entro ya que corro el peligro de salir con 20 libros de cualquier tema me parezca interesante. He comprado desde libros de Cocina hasta libros de Origami y Filosofía - ¡baratísimos! La mayoría de los libros cuestan menos de $10 y vale la pena indagar por la grande sección de liquidación - excelentes libros por 1 o 2 dólares. Además, novelas gráficas (cómics), discos, vídeo-juegos, películas, todo muy barato. Aunque rara vez he llevado libros y cosas de valor a vender, no siento que "Half Price Books" tome ventaja de los clientes a quienes les compra. Si, es verdad que no te ofrecen mucho, pero sus precios bajos reflejan el trueque de libros que practican. El personal ha sido muy amigable y atento conmigo cuando necesito ayuda localizando un libro. También les he hablado por teléfono para ver si tienen un libro en particular y me lo han apartado hasta por una semana. Sin mencionar los raros objetos de colección, aquí encontraras excelentes libros de muy buena calidad de todo tema a, como su nombre lo dice, mitad de precio - ¡o hasta más! read more

Ever had a good experience? Definitely don't go to this store - especially with the management. The store is great, not the customer service. Something to be said about "how" to speak with a customer. Definitely not the best experience. Truly disappointing - especially because not a single other HPB is like this one. Zero stars. read more

I love the concept of this store. Everything is essentially the same, cheaper, or at most a few bucks more than the Amazon price. So, if you want to save money but don't have the time to wait for Amazon delivery, check out Half Price Books! They have a pretty decent collection and most items are in fair to very good condition. I also sell my old books and DVDs here. The offers are always different. One time I brought in a ton (20+) of paperback books and got $20. One time I brought in a paper grocery bag's worth of DVDs and got $40. And most recently I brought in a medium size bag's worth of books and DVDs and received $140. So, you really never know. Their offer depends on not only the condition of what you're selling, but the popularity/demand for the item and how many copies of it they have or how easy it is to come across another copy. Regardless, if you have books or movies collecting dust, why not get even $10 for them? Either someone will buy them and get use out of the item or they will be donated by the store to a charity or cause. read more

They are incredibly kind and efficient. I love that my books can be passed along and that a get a few bucks back.

Books for half the price!? Without having to order on Amazon!? Yes!! You can spend hours looking at their collection of books, albums, dvds and even board games. Before I bother buying a new book I try to see if they have it. Sometimes I am disappointed that the book I want is not there. Being a teacher I spend a lot of $$ on my classroom library. This place really lets me save on hard cover books that are usually $16 full price. I can find many for $5-7 hardcover books. The problem is that you never know when the book you really want is going to be there so I go often to check out their selection. A big plus is that it is organized and clean (I been to many dusty used book stores). read more

This place is the real deal. So awesome to walk in and find tons of books and some really geeky lit-loving workers. You can also sell your books here. As a writer and book lover I will always urge people to support their local libraries BUT this place comes in 2nd place for me - mainly because of the low prices! Saved 50% on a book for a gift. Nice! They also have posters and music and other fun things - will have to go back when the lines aren't as crazy. Saturday is a popular day there. :) read more

This is my favorite Half Priced Books, I've been to several other ones but this one is close to my house. I've been going here at least twice a month, for the past couple of years. They have a great selection of everything. AMAZING selection of cheap DVDs. Every now and then, there's great action figures. The vinyl is great! Also, all the books are super cheap and you can find so much stuff that you'll fall in love with. I always walk out of HPB, with at least two purchased items. Never disappointed! I would give this 5 stars, but the staff aren't really that friendly but it's no big deal. read more