After 25 years, they are MOVING! We love Half Price Books! What better way to spend a date day than flipping through shelves of books that aren't overpriced! This location is great when we are headed toward Ross Park Mall.. except for the giant hill of an entryway that... denoted by the scratches in the pavement... has removed a good number of bumpers! Sooooo... we are excited that they are relocating down the road. Still... shelves upon shelves of meticulously curated categories with sub categories and alphabetized authors.... Maybe we love this because we are both such detail oriented people! My wife and I love to remember our favorite authors and hunt down where they are. We spend far too many minutes sitting on the floors of the sections thumbing through shelves and pages. And there is nothing better when you get to checkout with a stack of books... and the price is half! Thanks for the date days! Thanks for staff that never minds people squatting and enjoying! read more

Half Price Books - Thumbing through shelves to find a new read - Books, Mags, Music & Video Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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Found some stationary, books, a puzzle, and liked wandering around checking out what they have. Good selection!

I've never felt more ripped off in my life. I went in with with over a dozen hardcovers and over 30 CDs and they only offered $10. They gave some bull crap excuse of "they don't really sell well." I SHOULD have taken one of the books I brought in, looked for it on their shelves and checked what they were charging. Any store that isn't offering you at least $1 an item is ripping you off. I took the $10 because I didn't want the trip out to be a waste, but I'm never going back there. read more

I love Half Price Books, it's a great store to browse, and their prices are extremely reasonable. The selection of books changes frequently, so it's always fun to go back and see what is new. I do wish there was a good way to search their inventory, but if you ask they can usually help you find what you are looking for, even if it is at another store. I have sold books to them before, but don't expect a lot of money for your books, they don't pay a lot for them. read more

Honestly, this place used to be really good. But things are starting to feel off inside--odd books are turning up in the wrong sections, the philosophy section has been reduced, and the buyers seem to be less knowledgeable than they used to be in academic fields. It just feels more and more like a boring chain bookstore and less like a place that's passionate about cool books and academic learning. From now on, I think we're going to be going elsewhere. read more

This place is a lot of fun but it's the most expensive "Half-Price" Books I've ever been to...almost nothing is less than $10 and I found several books that are cheaper on Amazon than in the store. What's up with that? That being said, I still always have a good time there. read more

Half Price Books - At least cover the original cheaper price...lol - Books, Mags, Music & Video Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Score is for the staff for putting up with obnoxious customers on a daily basis. Attempting to sell a carload of moldy books and tchotchkes that even Goodwill would balk at accepting and then terrorizing the employees because you're incredulous that they won't pay you hundreds of dollars for your garbage is absurd. read more

Only 1 of 5 employees that we encountered while selling books was pleasant and responsive with us. This place is manned by a sorry bunch, miserable, unwelcoming, I can't say enough about them. Then hosed on buying back. Not worth the gas. "I brought them the original paper of the Declaration of Independence.....they gave me $1.42" (my husband) read more

My friend and i are looking for some positive stability in our life. We also live an hour apart and are always looking for fun ways to get together. We decided to start a little mini book club. We've thought about books we've wanted to read as well as google searches of popular books to read in your 20's. Our first pick is Gone Girl. We're excited to read some of the book, meet for breakfast, coffee or girl dates and discuss it. I looked online at a site that charge $7 for the book + $6 shipping. I also checked Target which had the book for $12. Then i remembered Half Price Books because i looked at cookbooks here before. I stopped here while in north hills running errands. Sure the parking may be difficult (ive seen worse) but the books seriously are half off (paperpacks, doesnt include new releases) Gone Girl was listed at $10 on the back of book( publishers price). At checkout, it came to $5. I also bought The 5 Love Languages for under $8. Also, the 2 bookmarks i purchased were adorable and only 50cents. Two books and 2 bookmarks for $14? DEAL! The staff helped me find my book and also chatted with me at checkout. Im excited to purchase more books for here. read more

Half Price Books - adorable & only fiddy cent - Books, Mags, Music & Video Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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This was my first stop at this half price book location. The store was clean and the employees were very friendly. We came only to browse around and ended up purchasing a few items. My son is recently in to comic books and I was surprised to see that they had a decent selection of $1 and $2 comics. I also found him a fun marvel superhero easy reader. We love our books and it's nice to be able to find some at a discounted price. read more

The staff here are all very nice with the exception of the red headed woman who will talk to you like you're a bug on the bottom of her shoe. She was so unnecessarily rude to my friend and I that I called the next day and asked to speak to a manager. I was asked for my number so the manager could call me back and, unsurprisingly I never heard back from anyone. The selection is really nice. The prices range from "meh" to "good" depending on what you're looking for. I find myself more often than not seeing something I want then while still in the store ordering it from eBay or the Amazon marketplace. They do have some good sales sometimes but I miss the Robinson location. The selection for the things I bought was better and the prices were better, which I always thought was odd... I personally won't sell to them any longer. eBay is a pain but now that there are better options with apps like OfferUp and Let Go there's no need to be given $7 for your huge lot of books and movies, only to later see most of those items priced individually at what you were given for the lot. read more

I moved to Pittsburgh back in October I have been an avid shopper at half Price books since moving here but what just happened was absolutely awful and I do not see myself returning to the store. I understand that they close at eight I try to respect that as much as I can I try to be in and out as quickly as I can however when I am greeted with we close in five minutes and then as I am looking in the final section of my time looking for a very specific book for school and I am met with attitude and "well you need to go to the register because we're closed" is very inappropriate I do not see myself returning. It is very upsetting because I genuinely liked the store up until this moment. If I could give it no stars I would. read more

I wanted to LOVE this place but my reaction every time I go is mostly just 'meh'. If you've got a lot of time to spare for the day, I imagine it could be quite a cool experience to just shuffle through the shelves and look for something of interest. I personally find it a little difficult to find anything with the way they are organized but that may be partially due to my own lack of patience. Even though I am a book lover, I actually prefer their non-book sections. They have a large selection of movies and tv shows there that I've found things to buy in. They've got some other cool memorabilia there like older magazines, posters, comic books, etc. The thing I really need to emphasize though is doooon't bother 'trading in' your books to them. Seriously, you'd probably have better luck with selling them online. I took a ton of books into there and hardly got anything for them, and that seems to be the general consensus with others who have traded in items. Even if they are in good condition, you won't get what they are worth back. You're lucky if you get $5 in return. read more

Half Price Books - Books, Mags, Music & Video Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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As stated in another review or two, the staff at this location is incredibly strange. Don't be surprised if in the middle of ringing you out the person at the register literally stops to take part in a non-vital in-jokey conversation with a co-worker. It is more likely than not to happen. Yes, if you want the top money for anything, you'll do best to sell it yourself on the internet. Most things aren't worth much. Still, this place will give you 75 cents for a batch of stuff, and you'll later see things from that batch for sale for six or eight dollars. If that doesn't seem like something you want to be involved in, probably avoid selling here. Since you're giving the stuff away anyway, perhaps give it to a charity that resells things. read more

How glad was I to find a Half Price Books less than two miles from me? I use to have to drive nearly an hour to get to one. Let's just say I'm here several times a month! Aside from a very convenient location for me, this store is kept up well and it appears that they do a good job of cycling stock. I'm always seeing new things when I stop in. I always take a look at the board game section to see if there is a long lost treasure hiding in there and have lucked out a few times now. When looking for books, I've not always found what I'm looking for but the staff can usually order from another store and have it shipped directly to me for no charge. It is also well worth the few minutes to sign up for their mailing list as I get coupons emailed to me all the time that come in handy. In particular are they escalating coupons that start at 20% off early in the week and grow to 50% by the weekend. You can grab some good stuff at a nice discount with these. If I have one complaint about this location it is the parking lot. You can only access it from on direction in McKnight Rd. and it can get pretty crowded during peak hours and during sales because the parking lot isn't very big. It is a small gripe but I'm sure others have experienced what I'm talking about. read more

We go to Half price regularly for great deals on books especially since my daughter is voracious reader. The staff there is amazing. Yesterday we went for end of the school semester celebration and to get some new books for the Christmas break and I lost track of my daughter for a minute. I was look around and couldn't find her. The staff noticed I was looking around and immediately sprung into action to find her. They had a employee assigned to cover the exit and all the other staff searched the store till we found her in a little alcove I had missed. Seeing that they clearly had a plan in place and executed it professionally was so reassuring. Thanks for always being such great store. read more

Took 37 dvds to them. Most of them were 2 and 3 disc sets. They offered me 13.00 dollars. Do not take anything to them. if you are selling. RIP OFFS!! They will try to rob you blind. This place sucks!!! read more

If you like thrifting and books than this is you're place! They have TONS of books form very low prices, ranging from baby books to adult novels. You definitely don't want to pass this place up, trust me, it's worth a shop! I highly recommend! read more

LOVE THIS PLACE! Shelf after shelf of great books on all topics. They even have records, movies, and cds. The staff was friendly and helpful. Went with two friends and each of us spent about $50 on books that day (we are quite the intellectuals) The only bad thing? that they're not in Jersey so I can't go all the time! Great place. Hands down one of my favorite bookstores. If I'm ever in the area again, I will definitely stop by again and splurge. read more

I've stopped in this place a couple of times when I've been working at the North Hills satellite office. Half Price Books always reminds me of what retailers call "space-fillers"; stores that move in and occupy space after a major retailer has moved out. But ya know, Half Price Books ain't bad. It's true, you'll have to do a little digging sometimes to find what you want or something that piques your interest. But that's part of the fun of this place. You can even sell or trade in books, movies, and CDs via there Buy Guy program. So it may not have the presentation of Barnes & Noble or Borders. It may not have the eclectic mix (or maybe it does in its own way) of your local neighborhood used bookshop. It's still worth a visit. read more

Composite of 5 or more years of 5-8 visits a year. One year it was every week! Don't expect much if anything for your used books. Most of our used stuff is not worth much on a resale. Just accept it. Cards -- unique to the area and colorful. Good place to shop for them. Calendars available as well. Books -- oddly eclectic and sometimes you find a gem. Be prepared to wander and look at virtually everything in your area of interest. Things change so return often. That said, you can often get the same book, used, more cheaply from Amazon. But Half Price is LOCAL .... so shop and buy local. Mystery, fiction... social science and history. Lots of categories to choose from. Record albums and DVD/CD's -- very eclectic and one can find nice items in good to great shape. Staff has been courteous and friendly. One book about the constitution of the united states used to belong to a Supreme Court Judge .... that was interesting. f8 and be there. read more

I have visited this book store in several locations throughout the area; as most reviewers have opined, your experience will be determined by which store you visit. For me, I just love browsing through all of what they have to offer. The selection of subjects are wide and far, but you may find yourself a bit disappointed with the variety within those subjects. However, it should be noted ((because it seems to be undermined) this place is not a library or college book store. That said, I have increased by book collection with MANY impressive titles that I have purchased from this retailer. The most impressive one that comes to mind is Marcel Proust's 'Remembrance of Things Past', translated by C.K. Scott Moncrieff; it is a boxed hard cover 3 volume edition that was only $30.00 dollars! For me, the atmosphere and process was a bit quaint but satisfactory. I enjoy spending a portion of my free time exploring used books that will add value and selection to my collections. This place affords me that opportunity. There are many other options out there but not quite as close as I would like them to be. While there seems to be a growing accumulation of complaints against the staff, I have had no unusual or annoying episodes that are worthy to add as prose. In summary, if you are interested in obtaining a superb collection of books with a touch of speed, and you are not afforded the conveniences of extensive travel outside of your residence, this place may be just for you. With some luck and disciplined patience, you may also find that 'special' book you have been looking for! read more

Love me a Half Price Books. This particular store is clean and organized and the staff is really friendly and helpful. The record selection here is pretty good. I usually go home with at least one new album and a couple oldies. And of course I enjoy browsing the bookshelves to see what's in stock. New bestsellers are sold at 20% off cover price, so that's rad. Ugh. But the parking lot. Oh the parking lot- Designed to incite road rage and anxiety in even the calmest of drivers. There are times that I've come to shop here and had to leave before going in because there is a loooong line of cars waiting for parking spots. Ain't nobody got time for that. I've sold back books here on several occasions. Doesn't matter if it's one box of books or three, my payout is always between $12 and $15. read more

I admit, I'm biased. I like the Half Price Books in Robinson a little more than this location. You can check all the reason why I love that one over in my review, but for sake of sanity, I'll stick to the differences in the McKnight location that docks my rating a star for it. 1. As others have pointed out, the parking lot is not the best here. You're either jockeying with other cars coming up the entrance when you're leaving, or you're dodging shoppers going in to the store. There's little that can be done about it, if anything, but it's definitely not as cut and dried as the lot at the Robinson location. 2. The layout of the store seems a little more cramped, which is odd, considering that it's not a small area inside. 3. The music section is great here, save for one thing. If you're buying vinyl and are wanting to look through the 45s or the budget dollar albums, good luck. The 45s are just in multiple stacks on top of each other, and the cheap albums are all crammed side to side under the main LPs. I don't mind sitting down on the floor to browse, but the dollar LPs are just harder to see what's for sale when so many of the spines on them aren't in the best condition. Robinson's LP selection is smaller, but all of the records are set up so you can just thumb through them and see them quickly, and their 45s are displayed the same, instead of being stacked atop each other in a haphazard fashion. 4. Some of the employees could perhaps do less talking and more working. Hey, I'm a Pittsburgher, I get it. I love talking and making new friends, too. It happens where ever you go shopping in these parts. However, the last time I was at this location, there was initially only one cashier open and he was going on and on about Andrew Carnegie and other Pittsburgh institutions to the people in front of me, who looked like they were just wanting to pay their money and split. Whoever the cashier was would just stop every five seconds and add something else to his stories. A line started forming behind me and luckily another cashier opened up. Talking's fine, just don't let it impede the flow of customers. Anyway, that's about it. Nothing major, and I plan on continuing shopping at this location when I'm nearby, but it could definitely use a few tweaks here and there o make it just a little better. read more

This store is the only in the HPB family that I've been to, so when I refer to it, I call it "my" Half Price Books. It's a nice shop, always stocked well, and always clean. I love that it doesn't feel like you're getting a "used" book because of how well-maintained their space is. They also sell magazines, journals, calendars, note cards, and other novelties. The last few times I've taken books to be sold, it's been during the middle of the day when no one was in so I zipped through quickly, though I know from experience that it gets busy on the weekends; if you plan to sell something during a peak time, expect to wander around the store for a while. But I assure you, with all of their myriad offerings, you won't mind browsing the different titles they have. Full set of Encyclopedia Britannica? They've got it. Civil War history books? Check. Latest paperback beach read? Yup. Random anime books? Probably, though I've never ventured into that section! My point is, they have it all, from unique to cult status, to mainstream. The employees are very friendly and you can tell they have an appreciation/love for books of all kinds - they'll gladly talk to you for as long as they're able to about a subject. They also are more than willing to help you locate a title of interest. What's stopping me from giving 5 full stars is the status of their parking lot - it needs a little love. I'm also a little confused by the stock - it looks like some of the books are new (maybe purchased on closeout?) so I'm a little unsure about the second-hand-store-that-also-has-new-material thing. Other than that, buy here, save real bookstores! read more

I always find something at Half Price Books, whether for myself or a gift for a loved one. The folks that work here are always very helpful and genuinely concerned about your experience. I've never had a problem finding an employee to help me; typically they are the ones finding me! The only critique that I have is that pulling in/out and parking is a little tricky. I don't mind that the store is a bit disorganized - it makes it feel like every find is a treasure! This is my go to spot for the weird and rare. I found a Star Wars dog collar here for $3.99! I would recommend this store to anyone who is a bargain hunter looking for books, movies, music, or geeky toys. read more

This Half Price Books location is a little less than desirable because, hey, who really *ever* wants to voluntarily go to McKnight Road for anything? The selection is decent - though pales in comparison to the Monroeville location. And, although the sale prices are, of course, excellent, I was a bit disappointed with the mere $8 we got for a whole box full of books. On a bright note, the sales staff is very helpful and friendly. As used bookstores go, I'd say this one is pretty average. read more

Monroeville has a much better book selection, more ample parking, plus, they just simply pay better. I've sold at the McKnight store and gotten pennies on the dollar; meanwhile, at the Monroeville store I always get more money for my items. I've always had a much more mellow, more friendly experience at Monroeville. read more

Don't waste your time bringing anything to sell to Half-Price Books on McKnight Road. I brought in 480 Gem Mint condition CD's and 75 Mint condition DVD's. After a half-hour in which several employees touched, fingerprinted-up all 555 pieces, put them back in boxes out of order, they offered me $30.00 for everything. Not a typo THIRTY DOLLARS TOTAL. Don't waste your time with at the McKnight Road location. I would say, "What a Joke". But the joke was on me. read more

I like the concept of Half Price Books--that is, rehoming perfectly good books. This store is the first one in the franchise I have been to and both times I've stopped by it smells like gel they use to cover up smells in the bathroom. Please fix this as it is a big turn off and actually left me with a sore throat after browsing too long! Books are organized alphabetically by author. Different sections include mystery, fiction, memoirs and literature. I noticed repeat books between literature and fiction, so it's easy to miss something in that respect if you choose not to request help. I like that Half Price Books accepts books that are written in or worn, but of course that affects the amount you receive for them. With this in mind, I received $5 after selling two books. I don't have a problem with this since I really just wanted to get them off my hands. I know I can go here for this purpose again. read more

Rica promised to buy Dad 20 books. We went here on Boxing Day because we didn't want to spend a lot on him. We got all the books from the big clearance section. Most books were $1-$2. Plus, there is a 20% off holiday sale. There are other sections that have newer expensive books, but we didn't look at them. read more

Love the store but every time I go in I get the weirdest vibes from one of the employees: it's as if I've personally offended her by simply walking in. I've gotten eye rolls, glares, and silence when speaking to her behind the register. I've only ever come in the store alone and browsed silently, so I can't imagine what might have sparked this if it's a singular issue. Even though the prices are great and the store is fun to browse through, her attitude makes me want to go elsewhere. read more

Good selection and great prices. Staff is helpful and friendly.

We were looking for books for our wedding centerpieces and heard that Half Price Books sell books by the yard. We couldn't have guessed that the staff would be so nice and helpful! We walled our with a perfect arrangement of books at an incredible cost. On top of it all, they have a great selection and very reasonable prices! read more

Don't sell books here, they give you less than you would even think is possible. It's over crowded and the selection is over priced. The people who work there come off as rude and standofish. Don't waist your time. read more

I was there the other day and the cashier was unfriendly and rude to me. I am someone who gets along with everyone and I also am not a snob, so the fact that I am saying this person was rude means maybe someone needs to talk to her about not being rude to customers IN A JOB THAT REQUIRES CUSTOMER SERVICE. The funny thing is, the reason I was reminded about this experience is--my co-worker just came over to my desk at work and told me a story about how she was at Half Price Books on McKnight the other day and the cashier flipped out on her when she was describing a book she was looking for. She said people started looking at them because the cashier got kinda loud. She described the woman to me and it's the SAME WOMAN who was rude to me. Dark hair, a little overweight, kind of Daria-like voice (from the MTV cartoon). Hmm....maybe someone needs to give that lady a chill pill or some advice on customer service.... read more