Many many books on all kinds of topics. They have a 1$ book shelf near the entrance & then a small box of free books (many of which are in different languages). They have. A section of modern library books near the checkout counter which are priced very reasonably and are 3$ -6$ or so. The rest of the books (depending on topic) range from 4$ to about 25$ or so. They have books on every topic you can imagine! Store just seems to keep going! I recommend planning to spend 1.5-2hrs here! read more

Decent selection, great staff members. One time, I stopped into the store searching for books for a class I was taking. The staff members were really helpful in telling me if books were available and where to find them. Although they didn't have many of the books I wanted (very popular children's books), the employees were really helpful. I've also stopped in here just to see if I can find a book or two that tickles my fancy. They don't seem to be able to hold on to more popular books but that certainly isn't their fault! Either way, it's a cute, lovely shop with friendly employees. Definitely drop by here to experience a staple of downtown Northampton. read more

Loved this place! Not very big place but the selection of books is fantastic for adventurous readers!

Grossly over-rated, the Raven glides by on its air of effete 'alternative left-brain brilliance,' dispatching its minions to fetch about seven genuinely interesting books from estates, library sales, and in-store purchasing. The rest of the place looks like Texas Bookman tunneled its way to central Massachusetts. I think this is more a place to be seen handling books rather than buying them to add to any serious collection. Which is a shame, as there are numerous rare and truly interesting books behind the register, though any one of the staffers will inform you "those are not for sale" in a tone that suggests you never should have looked back there the first place (really, how dare you!?) Wildly popular with Northampton's wannabe clever-boots and intellectual poseurs, every thousandth complete cycle of the Pleiades brings a book worth buying which some clerk missed for the back shelf and priced ridiculously low. So, the occasional stop is warranted, but low expectations for good books at bargain prices are best. Still, if you need a gift for someone who won't mind a remainder-stripe of thick black marker on the page edges, it's not a bad place for it. The books are reasonably priced for what they are, though discriminating tastes, serious readers, and collectors are bound to be disappointed most of the time. A great place to peruse middle-grade books and remainders, but don't sell here. Prices paid for books are somewhere between the paltry and the down-right predatory. Instead, try Grey Matter Books in Hadley, or maybe Splendor Solis on Market Street. read more

Well, my 200th Yelp review (and made on my birthday, as well). And given that I've been using "Ravenswing" as an online nom de plume for decades, it's fitting to give it to Raven. While the numbers are retreating from the town's heyday (and will retreat one more in a couple months with the demise of the Old Book Store), Northampton has a lot of bookstores. A couple are expensive, upscale "shoppes." A couple are old-time broom closets stuffed with inexpensive bargains. A couple focus on selling current releases, however much Happy Valley-eclectic. Raven's somewhere in the middle. Tucked in next to Thorne's Market in the center of the downtown, brightly lit and clean, with wider corridors than most used bookstores in my experience, it has a large selection, fair prices, $1 racks, a number of seats for those who just want to skim and soak up the atmosphere, and even the smaller sections aren't desultory tokens. You might not come away with the bargains possible at OBS or Gabriel, and you won't find as many collectibles as Tim's, and the selection isn't as relentlessly progressive as Broadside's, and there's no espresso bar as in Booklink, but it's the best of several worlds. I not only highly recommend it, I bought the T-shirt. read more

Just what I love to see in a college town - an eclectic and eccentric used book store with over-flowing shelves, hand-lettered signs, quirky categories ... the only missing elements (at least on this visit) were a purring cat and maybe a hint of weed in the air. But what fun browsing the shelves! A bibliophile's dream-house, we could've spent hours exploring its warrens and poring over its stacks. We did leave with a couple of titles (at prices that are hard to resist), though I'm still thinking wistfully of a couple of those big artsy coffee-table picture books I left behind ... read more

Raven Used Books - Over-flowing shelves full of books - Used Bookstore Near Me - Northampton, Massachusetts

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Love this used book store! Books from floor to ceiling and of all varieties. They have the books very well organized and the prices are good! I picked up a fun mystery novel and a vintage postcard of Greenfield. You can find any kind of book you could want here! read more

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This is, in some ways, a great little bookstore, though nowhere near as good as the branch they used to have in Amherst. But NEVER sell to them--they will give you pennies on the dollar for your books, even if they are brand new. Grey Matter books, in comparison, is very very fair--they won't cheat you. read more

First-time visit: By the time I'd scanned Philosophy, Medieval Studies, I had selected books to fill two Raven canvas bags. Extraordinary testament to the robust intellectual life of Northampton MA. Envious that Storrs CT has nothing to compare. read more

Awesome bookshop! One of the best used bookstores I've been to in awhile. Well organized with lots of used books in great shape and interesting displays. The staff are very helpful and friendly. Highly recommend. read more

I think you know a bookstore is going to be good when the books not only line the shelves, but the floors, and really any available nook and cranny. If I didn't have a suitcase to pack home, I probably could have easily bought a dozen new title books I've wanted to read. Raven Used Books is located just down the hill on Old South Street, and when you walk in, it feels like you're entering this literary twilight zone. Its sensory overload at the sheer amount of books living in one place. Man, if these shelves could talk. I also wouldn't be surprised if this place was slightly haunted (think of all the past owners of these books!), but hey, that's beside the point. I love haunted things. Considering the sheer amount of their inventory, it's astonishing how much is packed in. The store is organized as best as it could be, and one narrow hallway leads into another, and then another. The floor is also super creaky and full of character. Scattered amongst the already inexpensive books includes $1 bargains. If there's a specific title you're looking for, you can almost certainly find it here. Sadly, Raven is not really a place to sit in read (only a few stools lay scattered throughout), but rather, a place to grab a book and go hang at one of the many nearby local coffee shops. I'll definitely be stopping back here on my future stops to Northampton, and of course leaving a little extra room in my suitcase! read more

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Great selection and reasonable prices! It's a really cute shop and I am so happy that I found it.

I mean, what can I really say about this place that hasn't already been said. It really is a quality used book store that I can spend hours in! Around every corner, you can browse something new and i love that about this store! Cozy and packed full, there is something for everyone! The staff are wonderful and helpful in finding things that might be hiding in the stock of books! This place is a must see every time my friend and I are in Northampton. Make sure you stop in! read more

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Great used bookstore in Noho! I could have spent 4 hours browsing in here. I found some treasures for sure. It may take some digging but it's very worthwhile. They have a very nice foreign language book section too. I'll definitely be back! read more

A Northampton staple. Lots of books. The prices are a bit high for used books, but I was able to find a few deals. Not much in the way of revisionist history or conspiracy. That's what I'm looking for. Something really eclectic. I'm not into the mainstream stuff read more

Great used bookshop. Had a really large art history section, mostly artist biographies, a women's studies section (obviously) and one of the largest linguistics sections I've ever seen in a bookstore. There's chairs all around and lots of books to peruse a good book. read more

Raven Used Books - Filled with little reading books. - Used Bookstore Near Me - Northampton, Massachusetts

The Raven has occupied an important place in Northampton's bohemian-intellectual terrain for as long as I can remember, benefiting from a customer base largely stemming from the Five Colleges, especially Smith. It offers a staggering array of material, but the stock is nevertheless impeccably edited. You'll never have to rifle through oodles of duds to get, say, the best translation of that Plato text, or the classic edition of that Yves Klein monograph, because the Raven doesn't even bother to stock anything but the definitive version of the text you seek. The humanities are particularly well-represented, with a rich array of literature on art, history, religion, and philosophy arranged between The Raven's densely-packed shelves. Books sold here go for between 25 and 50 percent of their original value and are almost always in nearly-new condition. The best times of year to visit The Raven are the last weeks of September and February. By this time, all overly ambitious Smith students have dropped unnecessary courses from their schedules for the semester and the attendant texts, lightly used for only a couple of weeks, usually end up here. Basically, this is your opportunity to find near-mint copies of books from the syllabi of one of the best small liberal arts colleges in the country. read more

I love everything about books: I love the way they smell, I love the way they look, I love how they are like little presents that make you happy every time you open them. The older, the better, in my opinion. Raven Bookstore is small but had a great selection of new and older books. The salesguy was great, he helped me search for a book I'd been looking for, and seemed truly disappointed that they didn't have it. They had cool looking bookbags for sale with their logo on them. If I lived in Northampton, I would probably spend a lot of my winter days in this cozy bookstore. read more

I'm used to tiny Harvard Square Raven, so Noho Raven feels MASSIVE. The ethos is the same - smart books, and a great selection of academic texts - though I think because the store is about 500% larger than its sister on JFK Street, some of the sharpness I'm used to is missing (for example, Raven in Harvard Square has the very best selection of art books I've ever seen; I got the sense that Noho Raven doesn't specialize in art books; Harvard Square Raven also has far more remainders, and fewer used books, than Noho Raven) -- the academic books seemed a bit older than the Harvard Sq collection. But what's here is all very good, and it's nice to be in a bigger space with chairs (Raven on JFK St has one chair and it's always sad when someone is sitting there and you have to thumb through your book while standing...!), and a delightfully large fiction section. And just a moment here where I will be a bit sappy - but wow, it was so nice to go to Pioneer Valley where bookstores abound, so nice to spend a weekend bookstore hopping. Long live indie bookstores! read more

A lovely, large used bookstore. This is my new favourite bookstore. I love used books and used bookstores and this one is great. It is all on one floor (which is great for those of us who are in wheelchairs) but the selection is large and varied. The prices, from my estimation, tend to be around half of whatever the original retail price was unless other there are other factors involved (i.e. an older book that has seen its better days long ago will be even cheaper). Most of the books are non-fiction and of an academic bent which of course I personally love - but if you're in the market for romance novels and that sort of material, you might not be able to find much to your liking here (thank goodness... too many used bookstores have rows and rows of that stuff!). There are shelves devoted to religious topics (new age movements/wicca, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, etc.), science, all sorts of historical periods, etc. Definitely a wonderful place to go to if you're in the market for that sort of material. I highly recommend it for both the student who needs further sources and reading material and simple lay-readers like myself. The main entrance is not accessible by wheelchair, but there is a door next to the front-door that leads to a hallway. If you go straight ahead, there is a salon, but if you go left, you can easily get into the bookstore. read more

I've always loved the Raven, and my return trip recently after a long time away made me remember why. It's slightly warren-ish, with a really decent selection of used books that befits the college-town locale. There aren't amenities like reading spots, and the prices are quite variable -- I found a couple of real bargains in nearly-new hardcover, and some that seemed like retail price for in-print books. But it's a really nice, small, browser's bookstore and conveniently located between main street and Herrell's. Hard to ask for more for a casual used bookstore visit. read more

This is one of my favorite used bookstores in the world. Visit is a highlight of my trips to NHT, I always head down (or up) Old South Street. Never know what you'll find. Whatever my changing area of interest over the years -- gender & women's studies, religious studies & history, European history, French history, history of French, linguistics, political science, and now back to gender & women's studies again -- they almost always have a section for it. (Could use more robust subsections for trans/NB/queer studies under gender and for Wicca/pagan studies under religion, tbph. Clearly not the owners' areas of interest. But there's Haymarket Books for that, I guess.) And always a surprise or three. Reviewer who said grab stool & plop down purse next to you and just go row by row said it perfectly. And remember, if you have a used book you haven't read before, it's new. read more

My favorite bookstore in the area. They've got a lot of remainders (new books, but discounted by the publisher) and a great rolling inventory of used. Sold books there too (by appointment) and I was happy with what they gave me. read more

I have a kindle but there is nothing like holding an actual book. I have been to a lot of used book stores and I really liked this one. They have a great collection that is really easy to navigate and a very friendly staff. I wanted to buy a bumper sticker and the cashier threw it in for free. The only reason they aren't getting five stars is that the prices are a little high for used books...but I still bought two. :) read more

Store is fine. Cashier dude with the piercing was super snotty and rude. I've worked service/retail my whole life, no excuse to be mean to your customers making conversation. read more

I visit this store whenever I travel north to Vermont from New York and am continuously surprised by their selection, prices, and authentic helpfulness. As far as used bookstores go I would rank it up with Strands in NYC (incredible claim I know, but I think the quality of books here is very high - probably because of their location and audience). Their prices in my experience are on par if not better than Amazon (and the money stays local), and the staff are generous with their time and attention. I would be delighted in continuing to visit whenever I can to see what they have next in stock and take a browse on their bookshelves. read more

A little bit crowded, but the books are so interesting. I found some books I'm sure I wouldn't even find on the Internet. Since it's so close to Smith College, there's a large feminist section as well. But they have books of pretty much every type. read more

A nice used bookstore where it's hard - for me anyway - to walk away without buying something. I found a bounty of Taschen guidebooks at half price and went kind of nuts on my latest visit. The emphasis is on scholarly fiction and serious non-fiction. No junk. No cookbooks or text books. They have a very nice classical fiction section - many trade paperbacks - and the history section isn't bad but I've seen better. Service could be a bit friendlier and the place could use a bit of organizing with too much stock piled up on the floor. Still, this is one of those unique New England institutions that enhance the quality of the community and is now a fixture in downtown Northampton. read more

This book store has a good fiction collection and nice downtown location. However, the staff cannot shut up...its constsnt bla, bla, bla...and this is very annoying. Also, to sell back books you need an appointment, even for a few booms, just like when you get your car repaired. Its one silly place. read more

I came in hoping to sell a couple bags of books to the store. I didn't realize you had to have an appointment, so I made one for one of the first available days, which was two weeks later. They gave me a sheet with guidelines on what books they do and don't take, and so I weeded a few out before I came back (they don't take textbooks, hardcover fiction, or romance, among other things, and specialize in books from academic presses). When I returned for my appointment, they were unfriendly. I appreciated the efficiency -- the man going flipping through the books did so at what seemed like lightning speed -- but it did put me off a bit. They took most of the books, and the ones they didn't take did not surprise me for the most part. They offered us $29 in cash, which I was happy to accept. I believe they also do store credit. If you're looking to get some books off your hands or a bit of money, I would recommend Raven. read more

Was visiting Northampton recently and just happened to walk by this place. Being a book lover I popped in to check it out. Picked up a nice selection of craft books for a great price. I'd visit again if I find myself in the area. read more

Huge selection of used books for sale, make sure to stop by if you're in the area! Large selection that contains a huge variety of books to choose from! Prices are very reasonable and the staff is reasonable too! read more

I always stop by here when in town. I grab the rolling stool, a cart and plop my purse down next to me and go row by row in the fiction, science, art and history sections and pick up usually about 10 to 15 books. The staff is helpful, albeit a bit cranky at times. Nonetheless, classical music plays and they don't mind me dragging about their step stool to assist my 4'11'' little self pick out my new treasures. read more

This is a great Bookshop. They have everything and the prices are really pretty decent. They also have a wide variety of books with some obscure gems hidden among the stacks. Take some time and enjoy looking through the collections, i'm sure youll find something as I hve never left empty handed. The prices are really great too, and the staff are very friendly!!! read more

I went here during their Presidents Day Weekend sale and they had so many $1 books with a great selection! The staff was helpful and pleasant to interact with, and it seemed like each section had a good selection within it. I particularly viewed the theatre section- mostly classics but a good amount of options within that. Ended up buying 3 of the $1 books- a spy thriller, Brecht biography, and kitten choose your own adventure book. read more

A very nice used and new bookstore that has a lot of character and helpful employees. I have been here twice now and have found books that I needed without much trouble. The prices for used copies are a little higher than at other bookstores but I noticed that their quality/condition is usually much better anyway. This isn't a "half price" bookstore, it's a store where you will pay a fair price for a used copy in great condition. The fiction, philosophy, and classics (Latin and Greek in translation) sections are well-stocked. Raven Books and The Old Bookstore are the best stores in Northampton, as far as I can tell. Note that if you're looking for academic/cultural theory works that they are scattered in a few places. Make sure to dig and examine. read more

You shouldn't visit Northampton without stopping into Raven. The atmosphere is wonderful and the selection of new and used books is great for such a small spot. read more

I love this place. It has a little bit of everything. Any time I'm in Northampton, I stop in here. Highly recommend!

So great!! One of my favorite places in Northampton! I always stop in multiple times when I'm in the city. It's such a great atmosphere - reminds me of Portlandia a little bit. Books aren't easy to find, so it takes some scavenging, but that's the fun of book stores! If you're looking for a certain book, the employees will try to look it up for you. So cute - perfect used book shop! read more

I like the bookstore itself but I once went to the store when this one employee was working at the cash register. He did not say hello and literally threw the books down in front of me. He then mechanically told me the price. I was traumatized at the treatment and haven't returned since. read more