Nice local comic shop with a great selection of new and back issues. Nice and knowledgeable people…read moreworking there

Guess I'll always be a kid at heart. I've seen first hand what growing up will do to a person and…read moretotally crush their Free Spirit and believe me, I don't want any part of that crap LOL. [seriously though]. . enough about me let's talk about awesome Comic Books and some other Really Cool stuff!! Fat Moose is unquestionably the best Comic Book Store in the Freakin Galaxy. And not to put too much pressure on SuperCool Owner Shawn H. but if there's something specific that you're looking for he can definitely dig it out or help you find whatever it is your looking for. For a price of course, LOL!! This priceless 5 Star business has been serving the public since 1982 and Fat Moose has got such a tremendously stocked inventory on all kinds of Comic Books, Horror Magazines, Games, Statues, Action Figures, Related Accessories, and Timeless Vintage Toys everywhere you look. This place most definitely deserves a visit. Trust me, your inner kid will Thank You. Come And Get Your Shopping On!!

This is wishful a great bookstore! It is well stocked - in fact it is far better stocked than most…read moreindie bookstores and I think can rival some of the bigger chain stores! Plus the staff is highly knowledgeable and helpful (a former book store owner and writer, a PHD professor and writing tutor, a children's library and literature expert, and every staff member has a genre they help make picks in and support in store!). The store is bright and welcoming and they offer free coffee, tea, waters, and snacks plus a free kids craft table that's always set up and available. Their kids section is delightful with a great safe space to leave the kiddos to play and read while you shop. The overall vibe at this store is so welcoming and their events are so fun that this is a favorite stop of mine every weekend !

My top-tier chum from the Kingdom of Sussex and I came here for Stop #2 of the 2nd Annual NJ…read moreBookstore Crawl (a 5-star extravaganza in and of itself) last Saturday morning. We hit up all three Sussex bookstores, and this was my chum's very clear favorite of the batch. I was a big fan too, even if ultimately it wasn't geared toward my literary demo. Our carefully planned itinerary suffered some issues with this one because Black Dog apparently moved fairly recently to more spacious accommodations further up 15. My chum frowned in confusion in a parking lot in the downtown Lafayette area for a few minutes before we got our bearings and retraced our steps north. I think that's on our Crawl Itinerary Expert but without context/knowledge of the move (which must have been at least KIND OF subtle since she lives within a few minutes of here and had no idea) an easy mistake to matter. No matter. Very easy to find once we had, you know, the actual address. And for the record, my chum said this was a HUGE upgrade over the prior location. All's well that ends well. I was REALLY hoping that someone took the name Black Dog Books literally, so it was an absolute delight to encounter a dark-tinted, wizened canine on the premises almost as soon as we walked in. Anya the chiweenie was a real trooper and an excellent addition to the festivities. I will say she's clearly an older pooch and didn't seem enormously thrilled by some of the younger human pups frantically taking selfies and whatnot (in my mild defense, I professionally took one tasteful photo and then gave her some space), but she handled it like a champ. I will say this for the record - every indie bookstore should have an accompanying canine chum. Apparently the Lambertville bookstore had a bloodhound, which is next level (massive FOMO but is what it is). But this was a good one. Thank you for your service, Anya. Unlike its literary counterpart in Branchville, Black Dog has much better lighting and much more space. It's no knock on them, but I just like the mild claustrophobia and overall personality that comes from having to get creative with the space you have and the massive amount of books to display. All due respect, this didn't feel as unique to me. I will say that out of the three bookstores we went to up here, Black Dog was the most enthusiastic about the Crawl, which is probably a huge reason my chum had the best experience here. They were giving away raffle prizes, naughtily had free wine(!) available before 11am and someone offering free fairy hair. I took her up on that generous offer but then belatedly realized it meant I had to stay still for more than five minutes. I just wasn't made to be an adult. My other slight issue with this bookstore (and again, this is me and I'm sure plenty of people have zero problem with it) is it just doesn't have the inventory that other places do - they leaned into presentation and more chairs and non-book products. And that's not necessarily a bad thing at all, but for me, it meant there was less overall space and options for the books I might potentially purchase. Also like a lot of bookstores in this day and age, a little too much chick lit for me; just not my thing. Very familiar with being a chick already; hashtag 1984 birth. The proprietors were VERY nice and accommodating. I didn't notice, but my chum said one of the employees was walking around giving customers recommendations based on their interests, which is a nice touch if welcome/slightly solicited. You felt good vibes throughout the store, which is important and should be a pre-requisite for any small business. (Truly love the Crawl for bringing stuff like this to my attention). Shameless judging books by their cover, I ended up purchasing Anthony Doerr's 2021 novel Cloud Cuckoo Land. Haven't gotten a chance to read it yet, but I selected this one because the design on the front was intriguing and it had stickers denoting it as a NY Times Notable Book and a National Book Award Finalist. We'll see if I agree with the powers that be. Pleasantly surprised at the abundant literary options up here in the Kingdom, and a solid stop on our adventures.

Comics in Sparta, New Jersey…read more.. We passed this small business several times because it's on the main road. We decided to take a look... Wow... Located upstairs of a Historical building, Pyramid Comics & Cards is filled with all kinds of merchandise! Dani was very cheerful, helpful, and knowledgeable! My friend was talking about some series that she saw and wondered if it was made into a comic book. Dani found it!!! Preacher! Dani also know the difference between Marvel and DC Comics. She was able to carry a conversation about Spiderman, Hello Kitty, The Joker, and more! If you want to know anything or obtain any comics, Pyramid is the place to be...

Awesome little store with two rooms filled with comics. One room has all the modern releases and…read morethe other has some older stuff.

My top-tier chum from the Kingdom of Sussex and I went to all three of the bookstores in Sussex…read moreparticipating in the NJ Bookstore Crawl last weekend, and Sparta Books was our final stop (which, if you map it out, logistically makes a lot of sense). I wish we'd kept going into Morris County because unfortunately, this was our least favorite stop and left a slightly sour note on the overall proceedings. My chum is actually a semi-regular here and a rewards member, so she knew exactly where to drive us for this one (unlike our slightly ill-fated adventures with Lafayette's Black Dog earlier). Sparta Books has a non-descript exterior essentially in a strip mall, and we were a little disappointed not to see any indication from the storefront that they were participating in the Crawl (and to an extent, I AM reviewing them within the context of that event since they chose to be included and it's how we ended up here last Saturday). That was also true within the store as well, though I think one of the employees did reference the Crawl or ask my chum if we were participating. No signage or interesting promotions, unless you count the book pencil included with our purchases - and maybe you do; mileage may vary, etc. Beyond the limited participatory aspect, I just didn't think this place had much personality and it seemed like they were still sort of moving in based on some of the clutter toward the back of the store. For me at least, it just didn't seem inviting. Similarly, this was the most difficult spot for me to choose a book because most of them just didn't look particularly appealing, coupled with the limited selection. By far out of the three bookstores we visited, this one had the least amount of books and the quality just didn't seem that great. For instance, it wasn't easy to find acclaimed literature, but Travis and Jason Kelce's recent book No Dumb Questions and All of Our Dumbest Answers was prominently displayed. Ultimately I selected Madeline Miller's 2011 novel The Song of Achilles as my purchase (continuing to judge books by their cover) because it was the winner of something called the Orange Prize for Fiction. We'll see how it goes. The biggest issue I had here though went beyond personal literature preferences or lack thereof - it was service, which is not a problem I anticipated nor can I recall experiencing at a bookstore before. That's something I'd associate more with a bar or restaurant than this type of merchant. But when we got in line to pay, there were two women behind the counter. One was handling purchases, though it was a pretty slow process from what I could see. Despite the fact that there were multiple people waiting (I think one other person besides us), the second woman was just chattering away obliviously with a friend, who may have ultimately been a customer but wasn't buying anything in the moment. If you can multi-task/kill two birds with one stone in that regard, go for it. But to just flat-out ignore the fact that you have customers just standing there with literal money on the table is just bad business and didn't leave the best taste in our mouths. It took us close to 10 minutes to pay, which is ridiculous. The whole point of the Crawl is to promote indie bookstores, and by and large that's something I try to do so we as a society aren't just exclusively suckling at the teat of Amazon. But as my chum pointed out after we left, just because it's indie doesn't mean it's good, and since every store by definition is going to be different, some of these places are going to vary in quality. I think of bookstores and coffee shops as businesses that people really tend to grade on a curve, but I just can't justify doing that when at the end of the day, a) there was barely any acknowledgment of the Crawl aka the reason most of your customers are there that day, b) there weren't many books comparatively speaking and c) the customers weren't universally treated with attention and respect. You'd understandably expect any other consuming-facing business to have a solid inventory and good customer service - why should a bookstore be held to a different standard than that?

Great selection of children's books and newly released fiction and nonfiction. Staff is friendly…read moreand helpful. Sunny place to browse and read books in comfortable chairs. Ample parking. Coffee shop next door. Gift wrap available for books and free bags with your purchase.

It was a cold winter day, and my wife -- a true booklover -- wanted to visit this cute little…read morebookstore she had heard about (she was scrolling insta). Located on Main Street in Boonton, this shop is absolutely adorable. It gives off a charming old-school vibe, even though it only opened in 2024. It's owned and operated by a professional librarian Brianna. We chatted for a bit -- she's pregnant, and we recently had a baby, so we instantly found something in common to talk about. The store has hundreds of secondhand books, all in pristine condition, neatly lining the shelves. There are sections for kids, history, series, and many more genres. We picked up a few books for our little one. Got to sow the seeds early, right? Just kidding -- we read her these stories, and we're trying our best. Let's see how it goes! At the back of the shop, there's an adorable reading area that adds to the cozy charm. Note: The bookstore is only open from Friday to Sunday, so plan your visit accordingly

If I could spend every waking hour in used bookstores here, there, and everywhere, I certainly…read morewould! This is a lovely little shop with a very nice owner, it has a great kid selection with very comfortable surroundings and decorations in the back, and a nice selection of books for adults. We will definitely be back!

I could get used to a place like this, which sadly exist only 30+ miles from my home. But on a work…read moretrip, finding a great used bookstore with both vinyl and new books too, and a really friendly and helpful staff, is absolutely perfect and makes finding surprises to bring home to my family so much easier.

Have visited this Bookstore/Record Shop. Yelp rates this as the best bookstore in NJ. Well, that's…read moresad comparing the bookstores in NYC that put MBC to shame. But I went primarily for used vinyl (which I'm a collector). Their used vinyl is relatively expensive and is not competitive with NYC stores. But since I won't take a trek to NYC due the Communist status and they don't arrest criminals. This store definitely has the 'Montclair" ambiance, "extreme arrogance". I loathe the city, 50 x at this store not a "peep" from any employee.

Recently sold a large collection, and couldn't have asked for a better experience. Buyer was a…read morestraight shooter, honorable and fair. Good communicator, his team were all nice people. A fully successful experience! What else would you want when you're bidding farewell to so many dear friends!

The shop looks small on the outside, but is stuffed full of stuff. The employees were nice and…read moreeverything was generally clean. Hubbo had a couple questions and they answered them without attitude. We love that! He actually went back the next day, so that's a glowing review on his end.

We've spent well over $1000 at this place over the last few years. They don't have anything I…read morecouldn't get online, but we love to support local businesses. It's cute in there and the quality of product is great. Today, I was there with my potty-training 3 year old and 6 year old, shopping for a couple of birthday presents. The 3 year old needed to potty. The employees told us that they didn't have a bathroom. I said, "I come here all the time. I know you have a bathroom. I've used it." They unapologetically stated that the owner told them no bathroom use for customers. I was confused. They were matter-of-fact and insistent that this is the policy of the owner. I said, "This is a shop for little kids. You don't let kids use the bathroom?" They insisted no- that it was the policy of the owner. If this is true (I can't image they were lying to me), I just can't support the place. My three year old peed her pants while we were still in there. I spent the last $130 I will ever spend at Toy Division. Now I'll make the drive to Montclair to shop local for kids toys.

Short version: I haven't visited the store yet myself, but their customer service is incredible…read more Long version: I recently received a beautiful gift from Toy Division, and when I fully unboxed up the item later I saw that it was unfortunately damaged to the point that I couldn't have used it. (To be clear - it was not Toy Division's fault at all, definitely an issue with the item manufacturer, and it would not have been visible until you removed the item from its packaging.) I didn't want to bother the gift giver with it so I figured I would check with Toy Division just in case they could help, but honestly I'd already mentally chalked it up to an unfixable bummer and was prepared to move on. To my surprise I got an email response within a few hours, and after a brief and very helpful email exchange with Indira, I had a brand-new replacement item coming my way directly from the manufacturer! I'm so, so happy that I'll be able to use this lovely present, and I'm equally thrilled with the friendliness, speed, and effectiveness of the Toy Division team. Thank you so much Indira for turning a bummer of a situation into a delightful one!