Half Price Books

Truly a HUGE selection!! I felt overwhelmed right when I walked in and opted to ask the employee…read morewhere to go instead of wandering around. She was insanely helpful! She clearly knows the store very well and was able to give great directions of not only which aisle I needed, but the exact section. They don't have everything, but it's definitely a great place to stop first!

Love this place. No, they don't have public restrooms, look at the area it's in and think if you…read morewere an employee, would you let everyone that walks in to use the bathroom you'd have to clean. Customer service is good, they are not overly friendly but very helpful when you ask them to help you find something. The place can be confusing as to how it's arranged but to me that's part of the fun. As for pricing, I think they're fair, about the same as the other more popular discount book store.

Nice categories.

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So many books to choose from.

King's Books

4.4(67 reviews)

2.9 mi

For the first time ever, Purple Rose: The Stars Carry Her Name -- Letters from Me to Her is now…read moreavailable in Washington State at King's Books just outside of Seattle. King's Books has an incredible atmosphere and a real appreciation for independent authors, poetry, and the arts. I had the opportunity to speak with the staff while traveling through the Pacific Northwest, and I'm honored to now have my book stocked in their store. Purple Rose is a collection of 33 poetic love letters written to one woman in Raleigh, North Carolina. You can also order books directly from their website and pay upon pickup. JamesVThePoet.com #seattle #lovepoetry #indieauthor #poetry #raleighnc

King's is an absolutely lovely bookstore! I was hoping to pick up a couple of books used, but alas,…read morethey only had them new and one needed to be ordered. The employee was super friendly and even took a minute to look in a to-be-sorted pile just to make sure that they really didn't have what I wanted. The best part of the store? They have shop kitties!!

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Grit City Books

4.8(11 reviews)

2.4 mi

Steve and I were on 6th Ave a few weeks ago and came across Grit City Books purely by accident. We…read moredidn't know of it's existence but it was a very pleasant surprise to come across. The bookstore is sleek, clean and very well organized with a good selection of books. The staff member was very friendly and eager to assist me in getting a special order started for a book I was looking for. The special order came in a few days ago which is going to prompt a return visit and perhaps even additional books to purchase. Looking forward to continuing being a customer at this lovely bookstore!

I ordered some books over the phone with them. First time I've bought through them because I wanna…read morebuy local. I honestly didn't want to leave when I went in. I love the way the store is set up, and the woman at the desk was super nice, we had a short chat. Definitely will be coming back. Thank you guys for nabbing some books for me!

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The children's section

FYE

1.9(16 reviews)

0.4 mi

•$$$

How is this place even still around. I remember when they were just music and dvds, but now it's a…read morevariety of stuff and it's all WAY too expensive. I saw an art the clown statue I was interested in, but not for 100 dollars!

The cashier signed me up for a paid membership without disclosing it. She asked for an email as…read morethough she were setting up a normal point system but didn't say that it would be a paid thing until she got my info. Sure I could have backed out before paying but we all know it's easier to unsub before payment than to tell a cashier to start the purchase over. Don't give them any info unless you want to be on the hook for a paid membership out of nowhere.

Gahhhh!!!! I love the dessert collection

Very impressive Star Wars figure selection at this FYE.

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Do like the DC action figure selection here!

Janku Land

5.0(4 reviews)

2.3 mi

Small and well-curated. Something for everyone, completely unpretentious, and not overwhelming…read more You'll find something, and quite likely not what you were looking for.

Best record store in Tacoma ! Great selection of new and used LPs with a great selection of 7in.read more

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Dightmans Bible Book Center

4.3(14 reviews)

0.5 mi

Excellent service great selection and worth the trip to Tacoma. Got exactly what we wanted same day.read more

I had my own bible that I wanted to get engraved but couldn't find any stores that do engravings…read more This place is amazing, if it's an outside bible they charge $10 to get it engraved. You can pick from a few different fonts, they have gold or rose gold engravings, and you can add a little picture too like a cross or a butterfly. It's really fun and the people that work here have been so sweet every time I've come in. Definitely my favorite shop!

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Barnes & Noble

3.1(91 reviews)

4.7 mi

It's a clean B&N. Nice place to hang out alone or with friends. It wasn't loud in the Starbucks…read morearea. Everything is well-lit. I met my sister here and the conversations in the dining area stayed pretty low in volume. I recommend this place!

New address. New place beside Famous Footwear and Burlington Coat Factory. Still has a Starbucks…read morecafe inside. Smells new and looks very new.

S'mores cookie and oatmilk latte

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Planners all 50% off now : )

Video Lab

4.5(2 reviews)

1.3 mi

I've driven past this shop for years, and as someone with experience in video conversion, I've…read morealways been curious about what sort of systems were set up inside. Their website looks straight out of the 90s. There's a lot of information, but I was floored by the fact that I could only order a conversion by **printing out and mailing in an order form** until I saw the fine print that said "walk-ins welcome". I had an old Betamax tape that I didn't have the equipment to convert, so I finally had a reason to stop by! I expected to find a 40-something in a clean, technologically up-to-date shop who could look at a piece of media and digitize it to a file type of your choosing. But stepping into Video Lab is like stepping back in time - decked out like a library with stacks and stacks of VCRs and cables, it looks like it could be a vintage bootleg server room. There's a life-size cutout of John Wayne and a variety of stickers that make the proprietor's politics apparent. The customer area is just a tiny sliver next to the front door blocked off by a counter, which gives the place the air of a museum exhibit to be observed from afar. I stood at the counter for maybe 20 seconds with no sign of life until a man shuffled out from around a corner. He didn't acknowledge me so I started the conversation. If I remember correctly, Steve's been running this shop since around 1982, and I get the sense that he stopped updating his processes once DVDs became the dominant media format. He plays a tape in real time while it burns to a DVD and watches TV in the background to fill the time. I was disappointed that he only offered to convert to DVD. My tape conversion was ready within 24 hours. Since DVDs have not been the dominant media format for close to a decade, my plan was just to rip the video to my hard drive and toss the disc. However, the disc wouldn't play in my Samsung DVD player, so I brought it back along with some of my equipment with the hope that I could just connect my computer to his Betamax player to import the tape directly. He seemed baffled by the request but invited me to step back into the stacks of players and helped me hook up my computer. Sitting there waiting for my tape to import, I marveled at the setup and thought about how much fun it'd be to help him streamline the operation. As we were chatting, I asked him why he was only offering DVDs instead of more versatile solutions like thumb drives, and he suggested that there wasn't demand for it. This surprised me, but he did have piles of finished orders on the counter so I suppose he's doing fine.

Truly happy with this experience and the product! I did some research on the places where you send…read moreyour VHS tapes to be dubbed. They were more money than I expected to or wanted to pay and there was up to a 6-week turnaround! So I remembered this tiny little place right around 56th and South Tacoma Way. I called and spoke with Steve. My first concern was with the copyright on an obscure exercise video from 1994 that was never made into a DVD. He immediately said copyrights expire after 25 years. I live about 3 or 4 miles away from there, so I popped into my car and drove right over. He quoted $24.95 plus tax, cash. ($27.49) He told me it would be ready the next day! So after phone call from him the following day, I popped back into my car and went back. I am deliriously happy that I will be able to use an exercise format that helped me lose over 50 lb back in the day. (I'm a little creakier and only need to lose about 15, but I know this video works for me.) the only place I have for a VCR has about three square feet of area in which to move. Now I can use my living room! I am viewing it as I write this, and I find it to be of perfect quality. In less than 24 hours! Steve was a pleasure to deal with and I can't find any reason why I would not go back once I find more things to convert! Definite 10 / 10 !

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Mike M.

0

1

0

11 years ago

I WAS a long time customer here, been going for years. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't in here daily or anything, but I have bought, sold, traded many things in this place. Action figures, books, cd's, DVD's....everything. That is until recently. I have never EVER had a problem buying or selling anything here, until yesterday, when this jerk hipster bearded weirdo decided to essentially accuse me of being a thief. 1. Don't tell me absolutely no one has ever come in with a video still wrapped, I'm sure it happens often. 2. Don't tell me nobody has ever come in with a duplicate movie before. I find it extremely hard to believe this has never happened, people accidentally buy a movie they already own here and there, it happens. Another point, DVD's become next to worthless the longer you wait to get rid of them, I think the best idea if you AREN'T planning to keep a movie, is to sell it as quickly as possible to get the best resale value for oneself, don't you? It's also the holidays and people likely need to gather as much money together as they can for any number of things that cost money during this time, I'm one of them. Well, I brought 3 movies in one evening, didn't have any problem even though I could very easily feel a scumbag sense of entitlement from said beardo right from the start, dude...you work in a used book store, get over yourself. Again, zero problems though. I had to come back the next day because I only managed to make it in maybe 10 minutes before they stopped buying for the night and couldn't gather everything at that moment. So, I came back the next day and brought 6 more movies with me, ONE of which was a duplicate from the previous set, said scumbo was again working, and I almost got the feeling right away something was wrong, my feeling is even after no problems the night before, that this guy had likely flagged my account, maybe 5 minutes went by, called me to the back for my "offer" and the jerk guy that this is all about had taken over and essentially flat out accused me of being a thief. Said I need receipts if I ever want to sell anything there again. Who keeps receipts for all of these things?.....Oh wait they don't, you just basically told me I'm now banned from selling things because I'm guessing you didn't like the way I looked, very judgmental, very bigoted, and to be perfectly honest, after coming here for YEARS, having brought in a wrapped/new movie before, and even once having a duplicate movie and NEVER having problems....I don't know what it is. It must have been him judging me based on my looks, cause I don't know what else it could've been, my account was clean, and other than this, never any issues. Obviously I will never be selling anything in here again, because of A$$face McGee here, but regardless of that, I will NEVER EVER EVER EVER buy a single piece of ANYTHING, book, game, cd, record, dvd, whatever, I could care less what it is, again. Thank you Mr. I'm better than you and know who you are and what you're here for, Thank you, you have made a previously loyal customer completely hate your store and business and will do nothing but try to steer people to ANY other store but yours from this day forward. Word to the wise, Open your movies before you go in, or you're a thief in their eyes, don't ever bring in two of the same ANYTHING, or you're a thief in their eyes, and if your movies happen to be newER, probably should scuff them up a bit and make them look older or more used(and in turn lose yourself money for it not being in great shape), OR you're a thief in their eyes. I'm pretty upset with you beardo weirdo, you also picked the perfect time of year to be rude as all hell and look down upon me, Happy Holidays. I sincerely hope you have fun living in your mother's basement for the rest of your life reading Phillip K. Dick novels snarking at everyone you perceive to be less of a human than you. I also hope this company wises up and lets you go, you're rude as can be and worthless as an employee. One thing you DO seem to be good at, is pushing customers away, pissing them off, and making them never want to come back. Congrats bud! Mission accomplished. Could not be more dissatisfied. read more

Chelsea C.

269

19

0

15 years ago

Great place for books since there are numerous books to choose from. This store is VERY organized. They are listed in alphabetical order by the authors name which makes shopping extremely convenient. And the stores name is perfect. Half Price Books, which is exactly what they charge. If the manufactures price was $10.00. it will cost you $5.00 They do have special racks. I bought about 15 books that were priced between one and two dollars each. Again, even on that rack, there were a lot to choose from. The store also had a section in the back with reduced prices that were more then the regular half off. The majority of these books are in very good shape. The store is neat, clean and well organized with friendly employees. You can count on a lot of other shoppers around you searching for their treasures as well. read more

Danielle A.

0

1

0

7 years ago

I'm so disappointed in what happened when I went to the store with my friend and her mom. An employee was basically going through the books we were selling and talking shit about them. I will never come back to half priced books again honestly wish people could care more for people to respect them especially working. If you're going to work with people please have some respect for your job. The young lady didn't seem to have any respect at all Emma was just so rude towards my friends mom selling her books like we didn't have to bring them there we could go else were and now we'll have to because of the disrespect we got from some little girl thinking she is funny when all we wanted to do was sell our books and get on with our day!! read more

H F.

0

4

0

4 years ago

Prices are too high! They claim half-price but when I looked online their prices were double or triple the online price. I buy a lot of books but with these prices you'd be better off buying online. I will shop elsewhere. Also, they pay pennies for boxes of books that I know are valuable. Not worth it, keep your books or get what they are worth somewhere else--You won't get it at Half-priced books. read more

Stanley S.

18

7

0

12 years ago

You can enter Half Price Books to find almost anything you're interested in for a really awesome price. They are well organized, like a library, and have as much resources of one. I also admire the movies section for having a great collection. I would sometimes go to Barnes and Noble to read about certain stuff and am able to find the exact same copy for over 60% off here. Definitely recommend read more

Sally M.

3

51

0

15 years ago

This is one of the bigger Half Price Books in the region, which I dig, so there's tons of selection. Of course, one of the best aspects of coming to a book store is just wandering around and browsing, finding something new, and this place has the environment for that. read more

Erica M.

2

19

0

13 years ago

I'm a voracious reader and ever since the Half Price Books on Capitol Hill closed I have been selling my used books at this location. They have a good selection and the staff are very professional. Parking is abundant. It is right next to the freeway. read more

Dan T.

34

17

0

13 years ago

This is my favorite location. It is easier to find what you are looking for in this location the aisles are wider than the crossroads location. Everything is easy to find, the DVD selection is well organized and fully stocked. read more

Elaina T.

0

8

0

16 years ago

I love this place. I could spend hours here and have sometimes browsing sitting on the floor and reading. If i dont find exactly what i am looking for i find something similar or better. Staff is great and i save money! read more

michael jackson Q.

0

95

1

2 years ago

Pretty interesting place. I agree with the other reviews. The good ones and the bad ones. read more

Half Price Books - media - Updated September 2026

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Tacoma Book Center

4.2

(103 reviews)

Truly a HUGE selection!! I felt overwhelmed right when I walked in and opted to ask the employee…read morewhere to go instead of wandering around. She was insanely helpful! She clearly knows the store very well and was able to give great directions of not only which aisle I needed, but the exact section. They don't have everything, but it's definitely a great place to stop first!

Love this place. No, they don't have public restrooms, look at the area it's in and think if you…read morewere an employee, would you let everyone that walks in to use the bathroom you'd have to clean. Customer service is good, they are not overly friendly but very helpful when you ask them to help you find something. The place can be confusing as to how it's arranged but to me that's part of the fun. As for pricing, I think they're fair, about the same as the other more popular discount book store.

Grit City Books

4.8

(11 reviews)

Steve and I were on 6th Ave a few weeks ago and came across Grit City Books purely by accident. We…read moredidn't know of it's existence but it was a very pleasant surprise to come across. The bookstore is sleek, clean and very well organized with a good selection of books. The staff member was very friendly and eager to assist me in getting a special order started for a book I was looking for. The special order came in a few days ago which is going to prompt a return visit and perhaps even additional books to purchase. Looking forward to continuing being a customer at this lovely bookstore!

I ordered some books over the phone with them. First time I've bought through them because I wanna…read morebuy local. I honestly didn't want to leave when I went in. I love the way the store is set up, and the woman at the desk was super nice, we had a short chat. Definitely will be coming back. Thank you guys for nabbing some books for me!

Page & Pine Bookshop

4.0

(5 reviews)

I like to support independent bookstores, and Page & Pine was a good find. The shop is easy to…read morelocate, with clear signage and plenty of on street parking nearby. Inside, the layout is well organized and easy to browse, with a solid selection. The staff was friendly and helpful without being pushy. I ended up buying 4 books and could have easily picked up more.

just wish it was a bit more cozy and somewhere you can sit and read and maybe some yellow curtians…read more I don't know, just doesn't have that cozy bookshop feel yet. They're quite new tho so we'll see where they'll go.

Gig Harbor Book Company

3.8

(10 reviews)

This is a used book store. A dedicated used book store is a dying breed. Particularly one with so…read moremany great editions of classics. I especially loved the paperbacks outside that are sold on an honor system, which is so great to see - and impressively they were in order by author, which is super rare in paperbacks for sale in that manner. Reminded me of my late grandparents' book collection. It's a small space and a bit stuffy but deserves some attention.

Really rude clerk. I couldn't figure out the price of a book I wanted and asked, and got snapped…read moreat for my trouble: "What did you think it was?" he sneered. Um, yeah, that's why I asked - I did not know; there was more than one price written inside. Left immediately and took my business elsewhere.

Half Price Books Outlet

3.6

(23 reviews)

I really wish this place had a better selection of books. The one in Lakewood is 10 times better…read more Service was a ok.

I didn't know these store still existed until I moved to Washington and found this one. There will…read morealways be a need for places like this because even though everything is going digital, your pricey sub will sometimes drop media that you think you purchased and "own" and will license it to another service. Plus with MTV news archives shutting down and the Cartoon Network website disappearing overnight, it's a nice reminder that when you have a real copy of an item, the only thing that can take it away from you is a house fire. This place is fun to visit because books that may be out of print or things you might have had on your Amazon list that you forgot about might end up here. That's been the case for three of the books I purchased here. They have a large used DVD selection, so you'll find something you want. As are most independent bookstores, this one is quiet, so they will greet you, but they leave you alone to browse and it's heaven to not have to strike up a conversation with a stranger.

The Lakewood Bookstore

5.0

(2 reviews)

Suuuuuper cute place! Tons of books, two stories, even a meeting room! The owner was down to earth,…read morefriendly and very very helpful for any recommendations. They even have a used book section in the back! I highly recon this gem! Definitely one of the best bookstores I've been to!!

Super cute bookstore!!! The owner was very friendly and helpful. They have both new and used books…read moreas well as games and accessories, not to mention blind date with a book! Loved it here and will be back She told us that they just opened!! Also an area upstairs to play games!

Shelf Indulgence

4.5

(2 reviews)

Love romance bookstores! First time stopping here. Cute little shop with an area you can host a…read morebook club night if you want. I didn't think the books were over priced which was great. You could tell they were a community business, they had a community food pantry and had a section for books that featured the PNW. My only issue was that the selection wasn't huge, maybe that's cause we are a week out from Christmas. The mystery book my sister bought was fun and had some great stickers, the ladies behind the register were really friendly.

Such a great book store! I walked in randomly on a Sunday morning and they had a couple authors set…read moreup with tables and info on their books. Lots of good romance, including a good amount of queer options too! The also has a spice legend so you could see how spicy certain books were. There were wrapped mystery books you could purchase which i thought was a cool idea. Staff were super friendly and happy to chat. I will definitely be back next time I need a good romance. Prices were very reasonable too, including a discount section and a free community pantry.

Browsers Bookshop

4.2

(45 reviews)

Browsers Bookshop is one of those rare places that feels timeless the moment you step inside. A…read morewomen-owned bookstore with a rich history dating back to 1935, it has passed through caring hands over the years while somehow retaining its soul--and you can feel that the instant you cross the threshold. The space is charming, small, and intimate, like slipping into another world where time slows down and curiosity takes over. Shelves are thoughtfully arranged and beautifully organized, making it easy to wander, browse, and actually find what you're looking for--whether you arrive with a title in mind or simply want to be guided by instinct. The selection is outstanding: carefully curated, diverse, and clearly chosen with intention rather than volume. And if you can't find what you're looking for, the knowledgeable staff are right there--warm, approachable, and genuinely passionate about books. Browsers isn't just a bookstore; it's an experience. A place that invites you to linger, explore, and leave with something unexpected in your hands--and a little extra inspiration in your heart. A true Olympia gem. My current read is The Dazzling Paget Sisters by Ariane Bankes.

This is an awesome bookstore! So many books, so hard to choose! I wasn't looking for anything in…read moreparticular so I walked around and read staff reviews of all kinds of different books. I chose 2 books based solely on staff reviews. They also have a variety of gifts, snacks, greeting cards, bookmarks and reusable bags. I'm sure I missed other items they offer, it's a well stocked shop! The staff are very helpful and friendly!

No Dearth of Books

4.6

(5 reviews)

It was an unspecified amount of time as far as how long I have had No Dearth of Books in my list of…read moreGig Harbor businesses to try. We simply aren't over there too terribly often. But on our last trip there we were extremely close and so we decided to duck in and take a look around. It's kind of a small place but it's loaded with books and a nice selection. The section that especially attracted us was the cookbooks. The man minding the shop was very nice and congenial. This shop is nicely tucked away in downtown Gig Harbor and is totally worth taking a peek into to satisfy any book shopping needs you may have... in small businesses and independently owned style.

I came here with nothing in particular in mind, so I'd be open to any gems that came my way…read more The shop is small, so it doesn't feel overwhelming to come in and take a good look at most of their stock. Yet it is also quite full, so there is definitely enough there to choose from. Most of the books are on the older side so there aren't a ton of the trendiest new paperbacks here. I greatly prefer un-trendy old paperbacks, so this is great. The shop is owned by a very, very sweet and friendly couple who want to help you find books on your topics of choice. They are great to chat with and they also pointed me to other local businesses I've been trying to find, like boat rental. They informed me that they are friends with the proprietor of Mostly Books down the street. The other shop has all new books, so they've even worked out the proximity issue without having to be competitors. Totally fitting for a close-knit community like Gig Harbor. Next stop here will include both shops!!!

Last Word Books

4.3

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