Top dealer in fabulous used books. I was able to move a very interesting collection of San Francisco 'hippie' books- originals from the 1960s back into the world... read more

MacLeod's Books is a used book store that has been around forever (50 years according to an article a couple of years ago). The store is crammed with piles of books and it looks like a disorganized mess. I've always wondered how they have survived, but there are always people in the store whenever I have gone in, so business must be steady. I first started reading Stephen King over 30 years ago, and have been reading his books on and off for the last three decades. I have recently gotten back into regularly reading his books, and I have decided to read the books I had never read before (for example, I recently finished reading 'Salem's Lot and The Shining), as well as re-read the books I have read, some of which I have only read once, 25 to 30 years ago (such as The Green Mile and his collection, Different Seasons). One of the first few Stephen King books I read 30 years ago was The Bachman Books. For those of you who don't know, early on in his career, Stephen King published five novels under the pseudonym Richard Bachman: Rage (1977), The Long walk (1979), Roadwork (1981), The Running Man (1982), and Thinner (1984). After it was discovered that Richard Bachman was Stephen King, the first four novels were published as a collection in 1985 known as "The Bachman Books". Rage is about a high school shooting, and King has asked that it no longer be published. Therefore The Bachman Books has become a collector's item, and King fans are always on the lookout for a copy in a used bookstore. In November 2024, I came very close to getting a copy. There is a local bookstore that sells used and new books, and I went to their website to see what Stephen King books they had in stock. I was surprised to discover that they had a copy of The Bachman Books on sale for $11! I ordered it, but ten minutes later the store called saying that unfortunately they had just sold the book that morning, after having had it in stock for several years. So close. For months, every so often, I would pop into MacLeod's Books when I was passing by, hoping to find that elusive copy of The Bachman Books. Despite never finding it (but one can hope!), MacLeod's has one of the best Stephen King collections. Their stock is always changing from one week to the next, so even if I had just been in the previous week, it was worth stopping in again. Sometimes there wasn't anything I was interested in, and sometimes I would walk out with a book or two. I've purchased several Stephen King books from MacLeod's over the past few months. A couple of weeks ago, I was running errands after work and was debating whether or not to stop in, as I would have to go a few blocks out of my way and I had been in about a week and a half prior. But I thought to myself, "What if this is the day they finally have it, and I decide not to go?" After carefully examining the Stephen King stock to be sure I didn't miss anything, I looked at the small pile of assorted books near the Stephen King section, and under several books I spied a familiar red spine. I HAD FOUND IT! I picked up the book and the store owner came up to me and said, "Hold on, I haven't priced these yet, I am in the process of putting out this new stock." I said, "I really really want this...." And he said, "It's a collector's item." Concerned, I responded, "I know... I'll pay you... $50..." He said, "Hmmm.... well, it IS a collector's item.... I'll sell it to you for... $15." Yes, only $15! I couldn't believe it! The store owner knew how valuable this book was and knew I was willing to pay $50, but he only charged me $15 (as opposed to $5 to $10 that he normally charges for pocket books). I finally have a copy of The Bachman Books! [Yelp collections: Libraries and Bookstores] read more

MacLeod's Books - I found it! - Bookstores Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

After having spoken to manager/owner of the store about what books they might like - I was in the process of downsizing - I carefully culled my books for them, brought them to a very busy intersection downtown Vancouver, where he met me with a trolley and boxes. He quickly went through my boxes of books, taking what he wanted, which was most of them, and paid me then and there. Pretty easy. When I told my son, who now lives in Britain, he said, 'well, they are the best secondhand store in the Vancouver area. I've been there many times.' My husband told me that when he was hunting for books on "The Raj' a few years ago, he was led right to them in the store. So all round, a winner, I'd say. read more

Found some good books. I get the book piles, but please vacuum visible dirt and scraps and tipped over piles of books are getting damaged by people feet. What hurts books, hurts me. read more

Extraordinary selection. Never a dull search for UNEXPECTED finds. Highly recommended.

I'm actively very sad to be leaving a bad review for an independent bookstore but I don't think it's ever appropriate for someone (staff in a store or otherwise) to run up to a stranger, get in their face and raise their voice. I came in and was next to a bookshelf near the door and taking a picture of the whole store. I was yelled at and told I could only take a picture of the store from the door. I was no more than 10 feet from the door, taking a picture similar to others on Yelp, and of the store in general. I understand not taking pictures of individual books in a bookstore, that's bad etiquette, but the whole store? There was no visible signage. I just saw another review that said there's one on the door but it was not visible when we entered. Still surprised and extremely disappointed, I've never been yelled at and physically intimidated for taking a photo of someone's store before, first time for everything I guess. We went down the street to Paper Hound and had a lovely experience with knowledgeable and kind staff. read more

This is a book lovers paradise. When we travel my daughter will always search for a local bookstore. Right when she saw pictures online she knew this was the spot. She could have spent an entire day browsing through the hundreds and hundreds of books. The two young gentlemen that were working were friendly and helpful. The experience alone of walking into and see all books was worth the visit. She did end up buying three very old books that had so much character. She said she would travel to Vancouver for that bookstore alone. read more

I'd love to give this place 5 stars because personally I loved it but it is definitely a little chaotic in here LOL. I had no expectations on what book I wanted but a lot of people that came in did have a book in mind, and even though it looked like nothing was labeled the clerk would know exactly where to direct them and I thought that was insanely cool. I did end up finding a book in the fantasy section that I'm looking forward to reading but wow, to be able to just walk through the aisles and read the summary of all the books would be so fun. Sounds like they take new books every day at the same time so if you're looking for certain books, there's definitely a chance it will cycle through. read more

MacLeod's Books - Bookstores Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

What a mess ! This place is match away from a disaster. I love books, I mean I LOVE to read. I normally read 4-5 books a week. Usually a book store or book section makes pulse quicken and my heart race. My palms get sweaty in anticipation of my next fix. Well this place did none of that for me. It's cluttered and dimly lit. Books are in shelves that go so high up, that there is no way to see what's up there- let alone access them. Then there is the floor below. It has piles after piles of books stacked in front and as far as you can see. It's very disorganized- or appears to be. Sections are randomly placed. Some have old masking tape with faded ink that you can sometimes read. Other times it's illegible or ripped right off. Not sure what prices were - I never saw any? But that was ok- because I never found a single item that appealed to me. This is the first and only time I have experienced this. Staff ? I located one guy chatting away behind a big messy area. I apologized, and inquired about a certain genre. He showed me where they were. Good thing - otherwise no way i would of found it. The first time I have ever left a bookstore without buying a single thing. Not for me. read more

The space is incredible: sky high shelves full of giant tomes bound in leather, a room-sized safe in one of the walls, and glass cases full of old and rare books. The space is also a mess. I went in on a rainy day, and the shag carpeting(!!!) that covers the floor was soaked and smelly. Books are piled on the floor, so I was hesitant to touch anything near the bottom of the stacks which are just asking for mould. The mountains of books shoved into random places around the store are impossible to look through without parts of them collapsing. There are shelves with open glass doors that make it difficult to move around. There's very little signage to tell you which section is for what genre. It was like a hoarder situation inside. Then there's the owner. I asked a staff member about the infamous "NO PHOTOS INSIDE" rule, and apparently, the owner is paranoid about competitors seeing his stock. As if you can't just type out the titles of what you see in the glass cases into your phone. The owner may not even understand how phones work, since he doesn't even have one. That was great for the lone staff member working there who had no way to get a hold of the owner while some buyers were waiting for him to get back to do business with him. read more

Remember playing treasure hunt when you were small? This is a place where you can have the same joy finding a treasure that's hidden in this mountain of old books. This family owned bookstore has a really good source of precious books and I love walking around, looking at several sections and reading those books. Many of them used to belong to private collection or a library, so super rare with beautiful hard cover and illustration inside. One thing I feel it could be better is the way they arrange books in here. There are so many good books but they don't have enough space or people to preserve them in the best condition so some of them wear off quicker. However it also means the price is super reasonable. Love it! One review was giving this place 1 or 2 stars because of a smell from this place. I actually did smell something the first time I was here, but it was not a bad smell, just old stores kind of. To be honest, you cant expect an all old book store to smell lavender fresh as in Barnes & Noble (I think I exaggerate a bit, B&B doesnt smell like lavender, but you get my point). read more

MacLeod's Books - Bookstores Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

10/10 love the style and everyone here's so nice!!!! i asked for book recommendations and they've offered me very cool books!!!

I had just taken a long walk around the perimeter of downtown Vancouver when I stumbled across this place. Needing some reading material, I ventured in without any specific plan as to what I was actually interested in. Which is a good thing, as this place reminded me of my neighbor's house in that everything was strewn about - I'm not sure if there's a Hoarders Canada!, but it there is, MacLeod's would be one of the first places they'd try to counsel and put into remediation. The flip side of this setup is that you can walk in almost any direction and stumble into books you wouldn't find anywhere else (see photo). Actually, if you just wanted to treat this place as some sort of dysfunctional library, I'm sure you'd get away with it, in fact I wouldn't be surprised if long-missing families exist somewhere beneath all the clutter. Regrettably, I didn't find the prices here to be that competitive.. perhaps it has something to do with the combination of location, rarity, and charm, but I don't know if I got the proper bang for the buck. read more

MacLeod's Books - Well, I got the three on the left at MacLeods. "The Pursuit Of Pennants" was purchased back in the States. - Bookstores Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

There's something in here for everyone. If you want to be erudite, there's Shakespeare, Chaucer, Tolstoy, etc. If you're into collecting, they have entire volumes of Encyclopedia Britannica. If you're into childrens stories and literature, they have Dr. Seuss, and Anne of Green Gables. If you're a scientist there's old volumes of the CRC Hanbook of Chemistry and Physics. I even found a beautiful hardcover of a French novel that I read in university. In fact, I'm thinking of going back to buy it since it was one of my most favourite novels. This place is a trove of beautiful books if you want to build a library for reading or just for show. It smells of the old UBC main stacks, if you know what I'm talking about. The sense of smell brings back a lot of memories. Fond memories. read more

MacLeod's Books - Bookstores Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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Love this book store! It's like an antique mall but it's all just books. Loved hunting and digging for books especially in the fairytale section. There's books for everyone and I totally recommend coming here! read more

Great selection and and we loved the "cluttered" look inside--makes you feel like you're exploring a wizard's tower!

And people recommend this place? I haven't been in such a pestilent rathole of a used-book store in 20 years, and the others are long gone. The stock is not bad, but it's crowded and mazelike and with so many books piled up in the way on the floor that the fire marshal, assuming they have them in Canada (which, judging from this, I guess they don't) would have a heart attack. Also, it smells in here. It smells as if a muskrat had urinated on the carpet and then died there. Actually browsing through a book I found on the Canadian history shelves in the back produced an employee coming back there and anxiously inquiring as to whether I was all right. Perhaps she didn't believe anyone would last long enough in the store to get back that far. Perhaps she didn't believe anyone was interested enough in Canadian history to browse a book on it. I don't know. The best used-book store in Vancouver is Albion, which is, like, right around the corner. I was much happier there. read more

I've visited MacLeod's over the years, every time I'm in Vancouver on business. I've probably spent nearly $800 or more over the years... each visit, I've meandered through the store for hours, leaving 5-6 books and, often, a tab of $150.00. I didn't mind, as it was a treat to myself and my curiosity. Which is why I'm so particularly upset by my last visit a few weeks ago. It was my final visit to VC on business-chances are I will not return to the city anytime soon. So, it was a special visit to MacLeod's this time. But it turned sour for me upon checkout. I purchased five books, and after being handed my receipt and seeing a much larger total than I had expected, I questioned the cashier. Upon inspection, it appeared he accidentally rang up a book that was marked $2.50 as $25. I politely pointed it out and asked for it to be corrected. He kindly said no problem, he would issue a refund. The owner wasn't so kind. He stepped in, seemingly annoyed. When I showed him the inside cover with the price, he claimed it was $25. I pointed out no other book had a whole number price written like that... it was clear there was a '.50' cents at the end. He stood firm and told me if I wanted a refund I would have to get back in line, behind the 8 or 9 people behind me, before he would issue it. I had, just prior, asked him about shipping on a very expensive set of typography books... they were around $150. He seemed annoyed when I didn't purchase them and I now wondered, whether the two were related. I had a flight to catch, and had spent all my time, to the very last available minute I could spare, at his bookstore that morning. I could not wait in line for my refund, or I'd miss my flight. Look at the attached photos of the books I bought... you can see one of them is $2.50. That book, sold elsewhere online, sells for anywhere between $1.75 and $4.00. Clearly, it was not worth $25. I feel ripped off and bullied. :( THAT was my last and final trip to a bookstore I once felt was the best in the world. MacLeod's, you should be ashamed for stealing from a loyal customer. read more

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Great bookstore and super helpful staff that found the book I was looking for. You are sure to find a treasure here

Great used book store. We enjoyed walking around the store and discovering each genre of book.

We happened on MacLeod's Books just strolling in the city. Of course, we'd driven past it a million times and seen it on our way to and from other places. But one day, with some time on our hands, we took the plunge and went in. And what a treasure. Old books, new books, rare books, fun books, you name it and they've got it. But the ultimate MacLeod's Books inspiration came while we were planning for our wedding. Between flowers and photography, favours were far off on our radar of wedding planning to-do's. But the day came when we realized we had to give our guests something to take away. There were the usual: candles, mints, chocolates, something with the bride and groom's names engraved or initialed or otherwise to be thrown out, tucked away, or forgotten. But my husband and I both love reading and the thought of giving everyone a book appealed to us immensely. So that's what we did. With multiple weekends and the enormous patience and help of the staff at MacLeod's, we picked a unique book for each and every one of our guests. From opera to physics, poetry to Pooh, our guests all walked away with a keepsake that taught them something about us, told them something about themselves, and a personal message written from us. Like all wedding favours, the books might become forgotten, they might be tucked away, but we will always have the memory of digging through the stacks, the fun of chatting with the staff about our family and friends, and the conversations started at our wedding because "Oh, you like gardening? My book is about flowers." Definitely a great place to check out on a quiet Sunday afternoon. read more

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I love this store! Books all over the whole store. Stacks of them piled all over the place and hell ya, there's a high probability you'd knock one over if you're not careful, but honestly, it's no biggie since you'd probably just end up finding some sweet reads while picking them up. Floor to ceiling book shelves are all over this store and stalked up with some seriously unique books. Also, their staff were really patient with me with all of my questions and book topic requests. I found a few things I was looking for, and a few things I was not but that makes it even more fun! I'd highly recommend this place for anyone who loves books, or anyone in general! read more

MacLeod's Books - Bookstores Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

They gave me a hard time and made me feel small when I tried to unload some trash in their trash heap. I found what I was hunting for.

Leaves are to the Autumn season as books are to MacLeod's: they. are. everywhere. There are skyscrapers of books.. There are Leaning Towers of Pisas of books.. There are jungle paths of books... There are double-stacked shelves of books... There's book overgrowth on the staff desk.... I had no intention of buying crap while on vacation, but I thought, you know what, whatever. I mosy on over to the sci-fi section to browse - I get me 2 old and charming Ray Bradbury books; small and discolored, away we go. read more

MacLeod's is the type of used bookstore that I hope will always be there... but the neighbourhood is changing, shiny new businesses and condos are on the march, so I'm just going to support it while I still can. It's an organized jumble of used books and really old books that I can happily get lost in for an hour or so. They're pretty strong on history and fiction, and have lots of poetry, drama, and art books as well. There are simply books everywhere in the shop - sitting on floor-to-ceiling shelves, and piled high in every aisle and passageway. It's a book shopping treasure hunt. I just want to give at least one book a good home on every visit, just to help out the cause. read more

MacLeod's Books - Piles and piles of books at MacLeod's. - Bookstores Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

MacLeod's is the most jam-packed and gleefully claustrophobia-inducing used bookstore that I've ever been in, anywhere. (And used bookstores are what I usually visit first whenever I'm in a new place.) The prices were not necessarily cheap, but I suppose something has to pay for all the extra floor-bracing required to keep this place from collapsing under the weight of tons of books. Looking for books on the Cheyenne people? There's a shelf for you. British steam-powered frigates? There's probably a whole area for that. Strauss? Be sure not to look in the 'Johann' section when you're looking for 'Richard.' A section on poached eggs? I didn't see one, but wouldn't be surprised if I missed it. Seriously, this place is incredible. They could easily fill up a warehouse 10 times the size of this store, and you would still be crawling on your hands and knees to get at everything that's crammed on the shelves. read more

The owners must not want any business with how poorly they welcome their guests into this disorganized mess of a bookstore. It was probably no more than 10 seconds in from when we walked in and my friend was recording on her phone for her Instagram story when the owners/staff immediately came up to her to inform her that they prohibited any photos/videos being taken inside the store and that there was a sign indicating this on the front door. My friend was nothing but polite and proceeded to delete the video in front of them, apologizing as well. As she was doing this, the owner(?) muttered under his breath, "it says so on the sign.." and rolled his eyes. So petty and unnecessarily rude. The sign itself is so small and easily overlooked. It's fine to ask guests to adhere to rules but do it in a respectful manner, especially if your business relies on foot traffic and word of mouth to stay open. read more

I was here, just yesterday, after looking for a book in two other second hand book stores - to no avail! I went in and immediately saw what I was looking for (Game of Thrones: A Clash of Kings - just in case you wanted to know, for only $6 too and in fantastic condition!). The shop is super cute and has real character; there are books as high as the ceiling and they are everywhere too, but it has such a great charm too it, it reminds me slightly of Olivander's wand shop in Harry Potter - I got a real nostalgia feeling when I went in! There are no airs and graces about the shop, it is purely a great second hand book shop - I imagine if you were to spend some time in here you could root out some old time classics! I will definitely be back, and recommending this place to my friends when they ask :) read more

Favourite bookshop in BC. The amount of hidden treasures and rare titles is what attracts me the most to this shop. I love the people who work there, and the owner of the book shop is a walking encyclopedia!!! He's brilliant!! My favourite purchase to this date was a rare set of tarot cards. read more

Just an awesome bookstore, like a treasure hunt. It is especially strong for history books

This is an absolutely fantastic store to find out of print Native American, in particular Coast Salish titles. I rarely leave without spending several hundred dollars and perhaps more. MUST MUST get back soon! read more

So I have came in here many times after I wrote my review and this is how I feel about MacLeod's now. The owner whom I said was a little rigid to other customers just goes through mood swings. This is his general persona so I have gotten used to it. I've actually seen him laugh and smile now! Every time I have asked him for the most obscure of books he has either show me to them or told me he doesn't have them. I don't think he finds me sketchy anymore either! Some notes: * they close their section in the basement at random times (I should really ask them why). * if you like hardcover books like me, you're in luck! They have buy 3 and get 30% usually. * their architecture section needs to be larger! :D * when you tell the owner the book or the author he will automatically know (it's quite impressive actually), but some of the other employees aren't as knowledgeable but still informative. * if they don't have your book they will send you to Albion up the street. It's my favourite bookstore in Vancouver. I come here often and spend hours looking through the shelves. I'm not even going to tell you how much money has been spent in here. :) read more

MacLeod's Books - Bookstores Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

Vertical stacking Conceal a dust of chaos. Bibliophile's dream (review in haiku) read more

It's a long story. In a nutshell, I grew up playing my grandparents' piano, including their now-vintage sheet music. My favorite was Shirley Temple's "Animal Crackers in My Soup." One day I came over to practice only to find the sheet music gone. My sweet grandfather gave it away to some woman from his church who specifically asked for it. My heart hurts for it to this day. While vacationing in Vancouver, I hit up MacLeod's Books. Honestly, the towers of literature gave me a headache. I didn't feel like navigating the piles. On my way out, my boyfriend and I noticed some sheet music sticking out from some Bob Dylan biographies. Among the small selection, I found a distressed Jackson Browne songbook and a collection of Shirley Temple songs. It was meant to be! Plus, the super-nice man at the counter gave me a deal on what could be worth $100. While a particular title might be hard to find in MacLeod's, perhaps what you are supposed to walk away with finds you. read more

Hear me clear: I'm a bibliophile. I love reading, buying, stacking, sorting, and looking at books. Love 'em. And of course, a city as great as ours deserves real temples to reading and the beauty that is the book. Folks, I wish it is was MacLeod's, but it really isn't. Several sections are very sparse--now I get that philosophy, social science, and food might not be everyone's cup of tea, but if your Canadian military history section is twice as big as your selection of political science texts, there might be slim pickings here for the more general reader. I bet the book of my dreams is somewhere in MacLeod's--buried under piles of other books and behind a bookshelf itself bowing from the weight of, you guessed it, more books. Once in a while I'll find a great book and I'll beam proudly for a moment that my fishing expedition netted a diamond in the rough only to find out that they would like in excess of $30, 40, even 50 for a book so old and stenchy it makes my collection of Beverly Cleary and Judy Blume seem fresh. Then there's the sales staff. I fancy myself a really friendly guy--but the curmudgeons who work here epitomize charmless. The definitive sticks in the mud, my questions often went unanswered or greeted by an indignant eye roll. In the war on good taste, I had sorrily lost. read more

As a bibliophile, I can't believe that I'm giving an independent bookstore such a low rating but I am. As the previous reviewers mentioned there are books everywhere, piled on every available surface. The staff are pretty friendly and somehow manage to know where things are when you ask them. For me, the clutter is just too overwhelming. I love used books, I love independent books stores, but I don't love the feeling that I might be buried alive if I accidentally bump into a pile of books. I think MacLeod's might be violating some fire hazard or ability to exit the building safety bylaw. If you are claustrophobic in anyway don't go and especially don't go downstairs. There is a smallish room off to the side downstairs with a sign that says "staff only" where I think the bad books are sent, if you look in there is a massive floor to ceiling haphazard mountain of books. The store could give away half of their stock and it would still be over-flowing. Sorry MacLeod's, I really wanted to like you but you're just too much. read more

Haiku Review: Give yourself some time. Books are from a slower age, MacLeods does not rush. Enter the basement Exploding with character And piles of good books Above my heart, but Below my mind, there is where words enter, and dwell. read more

I trekked to Vancouver last year for some Wendy Cope poetry books: I called six stores, large ones: UBC Bookstore, Chapters, among others; I call MacLeod's Books. Believe it or not, through the labyrinth of stacked books they effortlessly secured a copy and set it aside for me to pick up. Bookstores of this ilk are disappearing where I live now: I'm so thankful for MacLeod's for staying true to its mission and satisfying the yens of us who want that out-of-print or hard-to-find book in their hands that very day (or week). read more

MacLeod's looks like a pack rat's library, not seen for 40 years. Walking into the store I feel like all that week's deliveries arrived at once. Repeated visits to MacLeod's make you realize the book-crammed shelves, stacks on the floor, and piled boxes are just how this store has evolved. Bookshelves have been added to every nook of the store to display the increasing numbers of books. I've always wondered just how strong the floor here must be to support this massive weight. If you have moved recently, you will understand just how much a box of books weighs. Antique and rare books are the specialty at MacLeod's, and prices are as varied as the store is haphazard. There are more of these rare books available that aren't in the store. Go with something specific or nothing in particular in mind--either way you'll love the quirks of the store. read more

I live on the East Coast of the US, and without a doubt, this place alone made the distance worthwhile. Easily the most magical, musty, maze-like bookstore I've ever visited. A haven for old souls, hardcore bibliophiles, or even simply tourists looking for ways to kill time (I happened to be all three.) Came away with a wonderfully eclectic selection of titles, from Dickens to Haruki Murakami, Bukowski, Chaucer, and (squee!) a hardcover first edition of Percy Shelley's collected poems, with a calligraphic inscription written from a young man to his lover, dated 1822. *Definitely* worth a visit. read more