I've decided to explore the city's used bookstores. It seems we have quite a few, and I wasn't aware of many of them. Nine lives books was one of them. It is located in a strip mall off Fredericksburg, and it won't be found unless ones looking for it, which I was. It is not a very big place, but it does have a lot of knickknacks, including an impressive collection of stickers, bookmarks, and vinyl records, to name a few. It actually is a pretty neat place. The books are used and for the most part they're very reasonably priced. They do not have an inventory of the books, so you do have to look through shelves, if looking for a particular title. And their staff is only one person at the cashier. Which is to say that you can browse to your heart's content, and discover some major reads. They also had quite a few boxes of books that were under one dollar or $.50. This is one of those places that I intend to return to, because of pricing and to support small businesses. I truly recommend visiting this place. It makes for a fun visit. read more

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As someone who loves to buy books and collect them. I found this bookstores and wanted to support them. However, when walking in the store was very bc cramped. As someone who had a little one in a stroller, I was unable to move around the store, kept bumping into things, and was very uncomfortable. They had a large variety of books, but not a lot in each section. They had a lot of stacks of books behind within the store waiting to fill the empty shelves. The employee never talked to me the whole time my friend, child and I were in there. Needless to say, I wouldn't be coming back. read more

Loved the cute stickers and other items in the store! Books were excellently priced. We will definitely come back!

It's cramped because they moved to a smaller location from a larger location. The staff are some of the nicest, friendliest people I've met. You'll find a lot more than books. There's bookmarks, stickers, collectibles, etc. I never regret a trip to this place because if I can't find what I'm looking for, at least I had a pleasant interaction with the employees. read more

Nine Lives Books - Bookstores Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

I stumbled upon this gem by pure chance...I'm so glad I did! It is the greatest little bookstore I've ever been to! The gentleman behind the counter was wonderful, the selection was stellar, and the value can not be beat! I paid under $3 for two books and a bookmark! I do wish I had more time to look around, next time I go in I will! This is my new favorite place! read more

The book selection is great, huge sticker collection. Great comic books to select from with 20% off on sundays. A lot of pens! They have this goth duck collection you really can't miss out on. The staff members are helpful, it's better if you bring cash because their cash register is older and takes a while to pay by card. When you go in check their magazine rack, it's a treasure trove! read more

Nine Lives Books - Bookstores Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

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From the customer service to all the nic nacs, I love this place. Im always greeted coming in here. And there so much littlw stuff to look at I definitely could be here for awhile. So many stickers to choose from and dvds and books for kids and mini toy figures and pins. Great prices too. I recommend this place to everyone and will continue to shop here read more

A charming little bookstore! Nine Lives Books may be small, but it's brimming with books, movies, trinkets, and more. It's pretty quiet when you walk in due to the very library-esque atmosphere, but that won't prevent the friendly shop owners from striking up a conversation with you about items in store or new movies that are currently in theater. The selection for each genre of book and the movie collection are admittedly on the smaller side, and it's likely you'll find something a little more dated rather than something new. That being said, we've found something each time we've been. This last time we left with three Disney VHS tapes and 40+ Magic cards. Priced at 10 cents per common card, it was easy to leave with so many! The lady at the register even gave us a free plastic deck box to keep them in that probably cost just as much, if not more, than the cards themselves! At the register are a ton of enamel pins from video games, books, movies, and more alongside cute figurines and other knickknacks to peruse before making your final purchase. I think it's worth it to stop by Nine Lives if you're in the area. You might find something neat yourself! read more

Nine Lives Books - Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland, and Mulan VHS tapes - Bookstores Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

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Really amazing selection, I'd have loved to have seen more but the owner was so rude I didn't feel welcome. He kept insulting other shoppers and so eventually I just left with what I got. As he was checking me out he was very rough with the books too, slamming them on the counter, practically tossing them. The prices were so good too, I got a lot of books for just .50¢-4$. I wish they'd had little baskets so I could've got more than I could carry :( But as I said, the other posts aren't joking, that guy is so very unwelcoming and rude. I only looked at one section before his unwelcoming attitude made me decide I was just going to leave. I'd like to come back someday but I really hope it's a day he's not there. Kind of mad I didn't get a chance to look at their nicknacks and fantasy section. I wanted to look at the comics and CDs too. He kept talking about how he's made shoppers cry like he was proud of it, I think he even kicked two out because he just seems to straight up dislike young people. He also looked very annoyed I was using a debit card? Homie, it's 2025 you can get a decent card reader for about 60$ as a fantastic investment you can earn back easily. Don't blame it on your 'outdated equipment.' I would LOVE to only use cash, but my paychecks come into a bank account, as they have for many years now. And it is so much safer now to carry a card rather than cash because if someone robs you, you can just immediately call your bank. Cash? Gone. So yeah, get with the program or don't complain about how you receive the money you get from people supporting your business, at least not to their face. The experience made me so disappointed this is my first yelp review, I made an account because I was simply so disappointed with this guy's etiquette. The carelessness with the books was just the top tier worst. And a lot of my books were very cheap, he looked annoyed by that too, sir, YOU priced them In the end, I got 19 books 14 were .50¢, 2 were 2.98$, 2 were 1$, and one was 3.98$. Very nice pricing, different authors will vary in pricing of course though most of these vintage romance novels sell for way more. Hope this helps, and I apologize to the shop owner for the review, I hear she is very nice, but this man you have hired here whether a co-owner or employee, is ruining your image and impacting your business negatively :( Ps. Please be gentle with these vintage books sir. read more

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I love to support small business book stores. The service was great, and there's a lot to look through. They have a few vinyls, DVD's, and some magic / Pokémon cards as well. I bought a used Game of Thrones book that I was comfortable annotating on. My friend and I found these cards that had us laughing our butts off for only $1. Great prices here. read more

Nine Lives Books - Bookstores Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

This place is a quaint, small used bookstore! They also sell stickers, pins, bookmarks, Pokémon cards, and board games. They have a wide selection of cook books, fantasy, Christian, romance, etc. Some of the books are only $1, but randomly some books are $10+. I'm not sure how they price their books! read more

Nine Lives Books - Bookstores Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

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Feel just as a used book store should. They are kind and the store is lovely. If you like books come here. Also, extra points for the old timer feel from using a modem. read more

Great bookstore with lots of books and fun stickers and charms! The service was excellent and we enjoyed visiting. We found the prices to be fair. We will be visiting again! read more

Nine Lives Books - Bookstores Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

My daughters went to this bookstore today. They said they " love the woman who owns it". However, today there was a male ( not sure if he is the owner) working. I'm in shock at the things he was saying to them. He was very rude talking out loud about customers using the word " retards" and griping about opening the door and he can't stand dealing with all the " woke teenagers." Here's a thought Mr. Don't work in a customer service role if you don't have the mental fortitude to deal with the public. read more

This is the place to go if you like hunting for thrifted books, old magazines, and stickers. I have a sticker problem and this shop has SO MANY! It's an incredibly small space that they managed to cram everything into. Prices are reasonable and you can get a great deal here from time to time. We've seen several people working here, always one at a time, but everyone has been so friendly and helpful. They're usually happy to strike up a conversation or make a recommendation. Last time we visited, husband perused and found about 4 old copies of Foreign Affairs that he ended up buying. I bought over a dozen stickers that I'm placing around my house and giving to friends. Whenever we're in this area of San Antonio we try to take a quick peek in here that turns into at least half an hour. They have a pretty clean restroom too, which is great. read more

Amazing little shop and keep your eyes peeled in this shopping center because their sign is just on the door. They have everything and if I weren't hopping on a plane I would have bought more. I was looking for a Texas type of cookbook and ended up getting 3 (1 for me and 2 to keep at my friends house). The best thing about a hand me down cookbook, all the notes from the former owner of that book. Love it. Not just books, but some games, crystals, movies, stickers, just a ton of awesome stuff. Friendly shop owner. Definitely check this place out. read more

I used to come to this place when it was near Culebra and dropped in today for fun. Honestly, the only reason I am making a comment is because the guy behind counter called a 6 year old a "a little bitch" after she was looking at the pins in the cases at the front and was commenting on how pretty the dragons were. To be fair, he didn't say it to her but waited until after she and her dad left, but he said it loud enough for everyone to hear. Respectfully, if you want people to patron a local store, try to be more friendly to the community and not take any opportunity to complain about the people coming in. If you do not want people to touch the items then don't put them in front of your cash register. read more

There are times when we go to a business and the experience was not so great. Did we go at a bad time? The hardest pill to swallow is maybe it was really us(mainly me) all along. Or maybe a place progresses, tidying up the things that will ingratiate itself. Just like the palate can change over time so can one's opinion. Which brings me to my updated review. But please read this as if it were for the first time. Nine Lives Bookstore is a local indie business that operates with the reader in mind. Specifically the one that values holding a physical copy of book as opposed to a tablet. At first glance it looks like shelf upon shelf of items categorized randomly. However upon further inspection everything is brought together by: Poetry. Music. Literary classics. Young Adult. History. They have books on astrology. A sci fi slash horror novel section in the back complete with a Bela Lugosi(I think?) cut out. By far my favorite section is the locked display case which I refer to as "The Fun Books." It includes literature on Free Masonry, Illumanati, Occult, Bermuda Triangle, Bigfoot stuff, leprechauns etc. What I like is that employees never hawk over you. Which is not to say they will never answer a question you have. There are times when staff is searching with a patron like a terrier to find a book. Other times people are rummaging through boxes in order to find a particular title. I find there is a healthy selection of books spanning all genres to please everyone. In addition they have a section for vinyl and comic books. My two critiques are it would benefit from having aisles organized better to create more walking space. And a big one, prices for items can be a smidge steep. The thing that keeps me coming back are the quirky but passionate staff. For example as I was on the way out a counterperson gestured with, "Live Long and Prosper!" Another time I found a magazine with Spinal Tap on the cover. A staff member went on about their discography and I realized he was either insane or loves extending the store's expertise(probably both). What does this anecdote mean? It simply means they really take reading seriously since its patrons do. From the knowledgeable staff to the diversity in the selection there is something for everybody. Sure prices are slightly higher than other stores. But I'd forgo that for great service anyday. Now if I can only re-find that copy of Stephen King's "Carrie", I regret not buying long ago. Maybe I'll ask the Yoda statue in the front to will it to me. read more

Nine Lives Books - Reading books is a "Love Supreme!" - Bookstores Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

This shop has a nice selection of antique books! They have stickers, magnets, book marks, and so many cool fun little trinquets! Definitely a spot you want to check out for affordable thrifted books read more

Nine Lives Books - Bookstores Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

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Suzanne the owner is so friendly and has a genuine kindness for her customers. I was looking for magazines to use for collaging and she had so many for just $1.00 or less. I also bought a handful of art and photography books from her $1.00 shelf by the entrance. Her store has so many little knick knacks like pins, stickers, bookmarks, and other stationery at such affordable prices, too. Enjoyed chatting with her at the register :) read more

I love, LOVE this store! You just never know what you might find here. I have found all sorts of books, pokemon cards for the kiddo and tons of fantasy games and decorations. They have quite a selection of Pokemon, Yugioh and Marvel cards. The customer service has always been friendly and welcoming. The items are gently used, and they have all been in almost new condition. The prices are great, and I can often find suspense novels for $1 or close to it. Today I'm leaving with two suspense novels and two new bookmarks for under $10 total. This store has one of the largest Action/Adventure and Sci-fi sections that I've found in town. You just can't beat the prices or selection at Nine Lives. read more

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I've been coming to Nine Lives since I was about 12 or 13 years old. I'm 26 now and I distinctly remember walking inside (when they were at their 410 location near the backside of building) and seeing cats everywhere! As an animal lover I was AMAZED! You would turn around and there'd be a cat sleeping and one would be perched on top of a shelf, it was awesome. And then to find out that the cats were adoptable?! Plus they had reasonably priced books?! I fell in love! The atmosphere of the store (now, even without the cats) is so relaxing and welcoming. Everyone there is extremely helpful and knowledgeable! If I were able to give a million star review, I would! The cats are gone but the prices, atmosphere and lovely staff have kept me coming back after all these years! Thank you to Nine Lives Book store for staying golden for 14 years! P.S. they've moved recently to their new location, just FYI! read more

Nine Lives Books - Happiness and books - Bookstores Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

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If you've read my reviews of Half Price Books, CD Exchange, and Goodwill, then you know I'm a fan of gently used media: books, music, movies, and video games. Nine Lives Books offers all this and more, even a Yoda statue. I included that last part just to see if you were paying attention, but an effigy of Master Yoda does indeed greet customers. The front of the house is cluttered with hundreds of books presumably awaiting inventory, the sign of an overwhelmed or possibly lazy staff. The narrow aisleways feel claustrophobic but add to the charm; I felt like I was walking through an eccentric hoarder's house, minus the maggot-encrusted pizza boxes and cat colonies. Now that I think about it, the original location a few doors down was home to several cats, hence the "Nine Lives," but they are gone thanks to complaints from customers allergic to pet dander. Despite the cluttered appearance, the books are well organized by genre and author. I spotted several interesting early editions by Clive Barker ("The Hellbound Heart"), William S. Burroughs ("Junkie," "Naked Lunch"), and several obscure novels by authors you would never find at a boring retail store like Barnes & Noble. Alas, I found very few books on my topics of interest (spiritism and spooky stuff), but I can't hold that against the store; they offer only what customers trade in. The music section is brimming with media, including CDs, vinyl records, cassettes, and 8-tracks. I was amused to find several boxes of 8-track cassettes, as I delight in collecting releases by my favorite artists of the era (Bowie, Roxy Music, Iggy Pop, etc.). Unfortunately, my options were limited to Conway Twitty, Merle Haggard, and Waylon Jennings. I could almost smell the chewing tobacco residue from the original owner. The DVDs and Blu-rays struck me as slightly overpriced, but the VHS section was another story. I spent roughly twenty minutes sifting through a shopping cart chock full of VHS goodies (many of them adorned with stickers from long-defunct mom-and-pop video stores) for only ten cents each. None were of particular interest to me, but I found a few amusing titles, including "Enamorate de Jesus," which I considered picking up only because the cover looked so bizarre. The video game selection at Nine Lives is a bit lacking, but I found several uncommon original XBox titles and a few loose SNES and Game Boy carts at competitive prices. As I was rummaging through a box of random junk on the floor, I was surprised to find a reasonably priced, complete-in-box copy of "Quantum of Solace" for the Nintendo DS. I enjoyed the Wii and Xbox 360 versions of this game, so I was curious to see how it translated to a handheld. The stubborn Luddite in me appreciates a store like this, one where outdated physical media lives on in an era of soulless digital downloads and Internet streaming. If you share this sentiment, then I encourage you to visit Nine Lives Books the next time you're in the area. You'll surely find something of interest, even a Yoda statue. read more

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Yes but it went out of business at Frederickburg Rd. They had a great selection and knowledgeable, friendly staff. It was always fun to walk there on my lunch breaks. read more

This is such a cool little store with LOTS of things for a cheap price. We got some stickers and a CD. The cashier lady was very sweet and helpful. Definitely recommend! read more

Best Value in town and the service was great. If you stay long enough to spark up conversation, your most likely going to learn something. Huge selection. From playing cards to thousands of books. RPG, DD, DVD, to CD. read more

It's cute! It's a little crowded, but that's because they have so much cool stuff! From movies and cd's Pokémon cards, anime, books! They got it all! Super cool read more

Nine Lives is the cutest hidden gem for book lovers and any human alike. Not only is there selection full or various fashions and styles, but also for a good cause!! The donations help save cats lives, too! Although their selection is sliiiiiiightly outdated their prices are awfully reasonable causing you to leave with more books than intended. Definitely go with time and a pure mind so you can get lost in this little shop of bound words and stories. Reminder: Support your local bookstores!!! read more

This is a great place to go to if you have kids (as long as you don't have allergies or if you do, you're willing to suffocate for a moment for the sake of the kids' happiness...) They have board games set up on a couple of different tables (chess, checkers). On different days they offer tarot readings, psychic fairs, and live music. Nine Lives even buys your stuff (books, CDs, DVDs) so if you're looking to sell, you could check it out here. Although I have to agree with Sarah on something: it did feel a bit disorganized. You have to watch it down some of the aisles since not only will there be cats wandering around, there'll be baskets full of books (usually marked for clearance) there too. All in all, it's a pretty neat place to go. =^^= read more

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I love the vibe of this small bookstore. The owner is always helpful and kind. Lots of books to choose from and just a cool place overall!

The store itself was great. Exactly what you'd hope for and expect from a used book store. Lots of variety and they have a lot of cute stickers and pins. My issue was the employee working. He was horribly rude, and had no self awareness. While browsing I heard multiple customers speak to him to make purchases or ask questions and he was just horrible! I was so mortified I put the books I was looking at down and just left. He was clearly upset from an incident earlier in the day (he complained loudly about it) and took it out on multiple kind, well meaning patrons! He used a lot of really unsettling language and it made me and I'm sure others feel incredibly uncomfortable. read more

A hospitable owner who took the time to help us look for a book and recommend some of our new favorite series. Highly recommend visiting

This place is great- there are almost too many books in here. You'll find something your looking for or want before leaving. A variety of media - books, mags, comics, DVD (even some VHS), CDs, records. read more

This was a really cool used bookstore. My kids loved it because aside from reasonably priced books, they had tons of stickers and Pokémon and Yu-go-oh cards. The shopkeeper was very friendly and helpful. read more

Very cool old bookstore. Very reasonable prices and friendly staff. They have all sorts of stuff from old sci fi paperbacks to newer stuff. Comics, vinyl records, DVD, vhs and even a few 8 tracks. They have some textbooks and reference and history books. Everything has its own category section. read more

Favorite used bookstore in San Antonio! The reason it is called "Nine Lives" is because the owners are passionate about helping cats in our community. Back in the day, the bookstore used to host cats that were rescued and advertise them for adoption. To this day, the owners still volunteer in the San Antonio community with capture, spay / neuter, and release initiatives. This is a locally owned business. Please come and support!! Side Note: It is not advertised nor asked for but if you are able to and want to help, you can make a monetary donation or cat food donation. Ask the cashier for details read more

I love cats AND books- you'd think this place would be one of my favorites, right? Well, maybe if it were better maintained, it would be. Location has books and cats, yes,but that's where the appeal ends. Store has little to no organization, and while there are some treasures to be found, the dated selection is more on par with a garage sale than the curated collection of reads it should be- especially considering how selective staff is about taking in books. In addition to organization, this shop lacks cleanliness- dust and puffs of cat fur everywhere. Dusty books plus furry critters means you have to keep on top of the Swiffering, Dust Bustering, or whatever your preferred method of attack is. This place doesn't. Slight saving grace is that the location has improved- plaza used to be totally deserted but now some other shops and restaurants have moved to the area, so it's not as much of a hassle to get out here. read more

This place is certainly unique. It's a great used bookstore. They have a great selection, and the prices are decent. It smells like they need to change out their litter box. They seriously have packs of cats roaming the store, and more in cages. It gets a little smelly. I'd avoid the place if you're allergic to cats, b/c they always seem to be attracted to the person who wants the least to do with them! They have a pretty great selection of books, and an impressive selection of records, DVDs, and VHS tapes. They've always got a sale going, so if you're looking for something cheap to read, this is a good place to go. I do really enjoy the fact that they offer free coffee and/or tea to sip while reading. read more

Went in there with at least 100 books from as far back as 1914.Lady looked through them very quickly and not even looking at some. Gave me 20 dollars cash, for at least 50 dollars worth. 5 cents a book they had Pokémon cards worth more then vintage high quality books. Total scam will never go back. read more

Cats and books. Need I say more? Okay, I will. Nine Lives Affordable Books is a maze of a book store where cats lounge on the book carts and in the children's section. If I were a 50-something, single school teacher, I would be here nearly every night. As it is, I will exercise self restraint and visit only every few weeks. Or days. The kitties need my love, after all. This is pretty much the coolest store I have ever been in. Need a bookmark from the '70s? They've got it! How 'bout some records or VHS tapes? Totally. Happen to be a nurse and need some scrubs? Oddly enough, you've found your place. As I wondered around Nine Lives, I got the distinct impression that the owners are pretty flexible about their definition of a book store. Not to say that there aren't plenty of books, because there are. This place is actually pretty big inside, an almost never ending array of aisles that boast everything from women's fiction to westerns. Sure, it's cluttered in places, but definitely has an overarching organization to it. Plus, if you want to know when Talk like a Pirate Day (Sept. 18th) or Banned Books Week (Sept 26th to Oct 3rd) is, you'll find a mirrored column in the back of the store with all that good stuff. Nine Lives: the staff is friendly and quirky, the books are many and the cats are... well, there. This book store has cats, man! What more do you need? read more

Nine Lives Books - Bookstores Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

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