By far the best record store in Des Moines. The selection of both new and used vinyl will always…read moremake every trip worthwhile. The employees always greet you at the door to make certain you are guided in your vinyl shopping experience. I have been coming to Vinyl Cup for almost 4 years and it will always be my first stop when shopping for vinyl. For an added shopping experience follow them on Facebook to see what new and used vinyl has recently been added.

Really expensive and wasn't a great selection. I didn't see anything under $25. Bought a Johnny…read moreCash record for 60 and it was scratched.

Every time I am in the Valley West area shopping I must stick my head in this great store to find a…read moretreasure I can't live without. I love the variety of their selections.

This is a cute little bookstore, with a coffee shop. While we meandered most of the stores, this…read morewas by far the busiest one. The staff was attentive and helpful. While there wasn't a depth of books on any particular topic, it seemed all the topics were covered here. And if you want advice, it seemed the other patrons were all friendly enough to share their favs with you. There are several small niches to sit and read, or people watch and enjoy your beverage. This store had a very welcoming and open vibe.

We happen to be in town for Galaxy con and wanted to see if there were some great records nearby…read more This place had great reviews so we came to check it out. They had a very large selection of 70s and 80s music. I was shocked that they did not have a David Bowie section. They had a great selection of folks from the Des Moines area such as really rare slipknot albums. It's a pretty compact area. I did find Viagra boys which I did not expect I would ever find in a location.

Really nice store, but so nice that it was a little picked over. They had the plastic dividers…read moreshowing me they had stock before. Must have visited at a bad time. I did find a couple things, the counter guy was very nice, and the prices were extremely reasonable. Would definitely make a point of visiting again when in town,

I always enjoy visiting this little shop in the East Village…read more They offer a wide variety of books unlike so many stores that simply carry current bestsellers. While the prices are not discounted, I am willling to pay them because the staff makes great recommendations and the store carried some edgier writing that I can't find everywhere.

I popped in here with my sister for the Iowa Indie Bookshop Tour and this is definitely one of my…read moretop 5 favorite shops. It was a very chill and calming shop in the middle of the East Village. The table in the front had so many books I'd never seen before and it was hard to choose one book to bring home with me, so I had to choose two! It's hard to put into words but I really felt recharged when I was in there. Can't wait to visit again!

This has to be one of the worst "Used" book stores that I've ever walked into. "Half Price Books"…read morehas always been highly thought of by members of my family. I've always been told it's the place to shop for used copies of books at good prices. So I thought I've swing by today and give them a once over. I honestly couldn't be more disappointed by what I saw and what I was told by a staff member. (Here's just one example) They were selling a used Hardback copy of a Warhammer 40K novel (Belisarius Cawl) for over twice the retail price of when it was released. They wanted $55 for a used copy that retailed for $27 when it was released in 2024. (major red flag) I asked an employee if he could show me where they keep their Warhammer 40K paperback novels as I've had a few on my want list for awhile now. He showed me a very small collection (3-4 books) of paperback books. When I asked him why they had so few I was told they kept them in back since a lot of them sold on Ebay for between $50-$100. He then asked me if I wanted him to go look in back and see what they might have. I told him not to bother, if I wanted to pay ebay prices for a "used" copy of a book I wouldn't have come to their store. And truth be told after walking around for a bit longer I quickly realized that this place isn't anything close to a "used book store" where you're going to be able to find a fair price on a used book. This store also places giant barcode stickers directly onto the covers of nearly all their books. If this place wants to charge "Ebay" prices for all of their used books go ahead and close down your storefront and stop trying to fool the general public into thinking they might find something at a good price. They're not. After leaving the store I've concluded this place should change their name IMHO to "ripoff books" as it seems more appropriate given my experience there today.

I love bookstores, particularly used bookstores. Half price books never disappoints. There is a…read morehuge selection. It isn't the most affordable used books you can buy, but it is always fun to come and hunt for treasures. My kids all went home with new (to them) books.

I hung our here yesterday morning with a nice cup of coffee (free refills), roomy table…read moreopportunities, and lots of books over at least a few rooms. I was here to meet my Sister and her husband to go over some estate paperwork related to our late Father. It was a nice and relatively private to do all that. Next time I'm in, I'll make it a point to also grab a bite.

I was hesitant to come back after my last experience, but since I was just getting something to go,…read moreI gave it another shot. The young man working the counter was really friendly. I lingered by the books as I was waiting on my sandwich. I don't know if it was an owner or a manager, but a man came out and started talking to the person at the counter very disrespectfully. He was yelling at him about how they weren't doing the money and payouts right, and they're missing a ton of money everyday. Then he started yelling at him about the orders they had been placing and how he was just doing this and that wrong. He wasn't giving the kid a chance to talk and kept talking loud over him. It seemed very inappropriate to be having this happen in front of a customer and it made me feel really awkward. I got my ham and egg bagel sandwich and the ham was still kind of cold. They have a good selection of books, but I will not be back.

What a wonderful slice of Iowa history located right in the heart of downtown Des Moines. Free…read moreadmission for all was a bonus to our wanting to visit this location and making this even a greater value than expected! It should be noted that the gift shop for the museum is no longer available, but the museum is definitely worth the stop Nearby parking garages and metered street parking make for easy access. The entire facility is easy to navigate for folks with mobility issues. Pleasant staff at the front desk were helpful and pointing us in the right direction. Truly a recommended stop for history geeks! A rival to many a museum for some of the artifacts that are present here. Located within a block of the state capital makes for a nice addition to state capital Tours. Special exhibit consideration given to the geology, Native American presence, migration/immigration, politics, civil rights, film, industry, contributions, military, contributions, etc. to name a few from/by the people of Iowa. Two floors of exhibits can easily be navigated in less than a couple of hours or for those who like to read all of the details I would dedicate a full day. What a pleasant surprise. I would encourage anyone with some spare time while in Des Moines to visit this special place.