Fantastic place to pick up children's books. They have so many nearly new books at great prices!

2 stars for selling/3 stars for buying So I came in this afternoon to sell two huge boxes filled with books (mostly great condition ones) that I've gradually collected throughout my life. They offered me $5 for both boxes or $10 store credit. Which is kinda sad. Oh well. But they do have a very large selection of random, miscellaneous books neatly organized all throughout the store. It was fun browsing through it. You'd be surprised at the number of various paths to take throughout this tiny store. Books are decently priced. Classics ranging from $2.95 and best sellers to $12.95, etc. read more

I stopped by Wonder Book to sell 200-250 used books. Their buyer took less than 2 minutes to examine all my books and offered me $8 for them all. Many of these books world sell for more than that alone on amazon.com. I actually sold one last night for $8.50 on Amazon U.S. shipping. I have dealt with other book buyers who have paid me hundreds of dollars for similar collections of used books. The cursory examination and absurd offer in in themselves were bad enough, but the rudeness of the buyer was actually offensive. I have seldom had such a negative exerience dealing with a business. Do not waste your time trying to sell anything to these people. read more

I first discovered Book Alcove when I was in sophmore in high school. I was desperately in love with a guy who worked here, and I would go out of my way (I lived in Kensington at the time), to find ways to come up here. Unfortunately (for me), the guy was gay, so my little sophmore heart was quite broken. But my love affair with the Book Alcove never lessened. Ever watch that movie Labrynth? That's how the Book Alcove is laid out. You start off in the kids section, two turns later you're in Sci-Fi, but when you turn around, you're in the Romance room, which turns into Horror past the little doorway (that you thought would take you to the bathroom), and somehow you end up staring at the most amazing gilded, leather bound, parchment collection of classic fairy tales - in German. The honeycomb of rooms is a treasure trove of gems. I'm never quite sure what I love best about Book Alcove - the fun of wandering through the various rooms, or the great staff. They are all so funnily knowledgeable about random topics and never hesitate to offer their own (great) suggestions of what other books you may like. If I could, I would move in! But since I can't, I'm hoping that my book collection can expand and expand and expand until my house resembles the Book Alcove. read more

I'd completely forgotten about the Book Alcove! Thank you Irena for finding it again for me. The Book Alcove is located on the back side of a small strip mall, you definitely would never stumble across it unless you were looking for it in the first place. The storefront itself is a collection of smaller spaces, almost like wandering through a very old home that has had generations of additions added in random and haphazard ways. That all combines to create a wonderful browsing experience as the aisles twist every which way in a catacomb of old books. I too spend hours just flipping through books and taking in the dusty smell of old books that only a bibliophile could love. When I was a kid I used to pray that I would find a corner of that dusty old store that led to Narnia, it's that kind of place. read more

Interesting used book store - I was looking for a philosphy book by Marcuse titled One Dimensional Man. Their limited system showed that they did carry the book so the lady sent me to the section but the book was not there. She then checked the online stock told me there was one available for $3.99 I asked if she could just order it and I pay her there but she couldnt. She did mention they could have the book ship to the store for free. I went home and search for the title, it was priced for $79.99 used! And the shipping was $3.99. Boy I found a copy on Amazon for $13. read more

I finally went in to Wonder Book today after having driven past it countless times over the past few years. I wasn't not disappointed. I went in to kill some time before a doctor's appointment, and I got so caught up in the labyrinthine shelves that I was almost late! If you're a book lover, you'll be seduced by the seemingly endless shelves full of wonderful, musty books. They have a great selection of antique books, too, which trilled me since my husband and I collect those. They have a HUGE sci-fi section, as well. My husband and I are planning an extended visit sometime soon so we can fully explore what they've got. They have a buy 1 get 1 free special running in September if you bring in a canned food donation, so we'll definitely be taking advantage of that. Can't wait to go back! read more

Went to Wonder Book for the first time to sell some books, since the website says they buy books. When I got there, the buyer barely glanced at the books. He informed me that they pay for books by weight (!!) and offered me an exceedingly small payment. Shock and dismay etc. anyway long story short. The buyer agreed to give a very reasonable store credit, which I used to plug some gaps in my library. If you are just here to browse, you should find some good deals. The staff were perfectly pleasant. read more

Wonder Book has a huge selection of used books. I would say about 90% of the books cost under $5. Most people's gripe with Wonder Books is how much little they buy books back. If you have a box filled with books, do not expect to receive more than $8 or $10 store credit; however, they buy DVDs at a greater rate. The service here is wonderful. You can buy books online. You can have them deliver a book from their Frederick location. You can call and ask if they have an item in stock. They often have coupons of buy one, get one free if you bring in a can food. It's definitely not the best used book store, I have been to, but it is serviceable. Other used book stores in the vicinity are the Friends of the Library and Second Story Books, both of which sell books for less. But like, always check the public library first for a title before spending money here. Then maybe if you love the title, you can get a physical copy for yourself. read more

Books, books and more books! What more could a book lover want? This place is so wonderful, I love and hate coming here. I love the fact that they have so many books to peruse at such great prices, but I hate how many books I end up carting home! read more

Wonder Book - Books, books and more books! - Bookstores Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

I've been here a few times all to sell college text books. I suggest going to other places to sell textbooks first. Then if you have like the few that aren't worth any money bring it it here! They'll only give you a dollar for whatever remaining about of textbooks you have. If you take store credit its 50% MORE! Your basically donating books and getting a very miniscule amount of money but its better then throwing it in the trash right? This place is HUGE many many many rows of bookshelves, if you have some spare time definitely come get a book and relax. It is hard to find its in the back of the shopping center where melting pot, hunan palace, bank of america, are pho nam are. Right next to irock read more

I have been an avid book reader for decades and one of the best things is going to the book store to trade or buy books. My 2nd time going to this store i walk in with a bag of books. 2 people behind the counter takes them a bit to look up thats ok. They look up and ask me what I wanted, I show them my bag of books and they tear into me about how dare I try to sell books an hour before closing! I was so shocked by this attitude I apologized to them for treating me rudely! As this was only my 2nd time there I didnt know their rules but the attitude was the shocking part. I started working close by and was so excited about being close to a bookstore but I would rather go without books before I would ever go to this shop again! Find a friendlier place!! read more

If you're looking to browse, then this is the place for you. There are so many rooms and alcoves that you could get lost in there. They were having buy two, get two free classic books, so I ended up getting 4 paperback books for $7.35! The classic section was amazing. They had so many classics, and plenty of copies of each book. However, when I explored the other genres, it became harder to navigate through the store and find specific books that I was looking for. The prices also weren't as good. Nonetheless, I will definitely be back to browse. read more

Since moving from Dallas to the DC area almost 7 years ago, I have missed a place like Half Price Books in Dallas that will buy books you no longer want and recycle them. Wonder Book is the best store I have found for this. They give you a higher amount with store credit than cash. I have found some good bargains here, such as gently used cub scout manuals and first-edition Thomas Paine writings. read more

As other book-loving reviewers have pointed out, at least at the Gaithersburg location, the "we buy everything" marketing claim means in practice that they buy in bulk, and pay less that 5 cents per pound, or $2 for a 17 gallon plastic tub. The offer doesn't really vary regardless of condition or collectability. Basically they operate on the same ratios as junk mailers or robot callers-- close sales on 3% of what you buy. A little truth in advertising would help.... Donate your collection to the Salvation Army, and deduct a value that actually reflects your collection. For those too indigent too worry about taxes, the store does have the charming ambiance of a homeless camp in a dreary transient neighborhood where most of the people you meet on your way never owned an English-language hardback. read more

Wonderfully fantabulous bookstore. You can find just about everything in here. I leave with armloads, bucketloads, dumpster loads of books and never pay more than $40 or less. I usually make a beeline to the psychology and self help section. Yesterday I found a signed autographed copy of Milton Mayeroff's bestselling book "On Caring." Great read on philosophy and the human condition. I will treat this book like the rare treasure it is. They also sell movies and cd's. All of the books are sectioned into their genre. The staff is warm and personable. They bag your books in a free used tote bag which is fine by me. Love this place! read more

Wonder Book - Signed original copy of "On Caring" by Milton Mayeroff!!!! - Bookstores Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

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I actually liked this store. I went in hoping to find some cool used vinyl records and they didnt disappoint. What was a big bummer was the pricing. Many things weren't just "high" but literally 3x the price of most locations. Things I see for $5 most places were going for $15+. I did manage to find a few things that were appropriately priced, so I left happy. The owner was nice too. read more

Drove a 2-hour roundtrip to/from Lanham to their Maryland warehouse/appraisal location. The appraiser, fingering them with workman's gloves, took less than a minute to look at about ten of my 40 rare books from the 1930s-1950s. Many books were first and second editions and all were from my parents library from the days when they worked at the New York Public Library. Appraiser was disparaging about the books, declined to even make an offer, and said I should have sent him photos by e-mail. I sold 12 similar books on E-Bay a couple of years ago for about $120. I will be selling these books on E-Bay and anticipate making about $250. read more

I was looking for a text book Conceptual Physics by Paul Hewitt for my son. I was looking for an older (5th) edition. On Amazon, they were listed as collectibles and priced at more that $100. Wonder Book sells them for $2.97, plus free shipping (when picked up at one of their stores). You just place your order online at http://www.wonderbk.com/ and pick it up at a store in a couple of days. Great selection, great prices and great service. I am glad I found them. read more

Large, labyrinthine bookstore with piles upon piles of stuff - books, music, movies, vinyl. So much that they have two carts and numerous boxes outside with DVDs, CDs, and books. A great place to visit if you just want to wind around big dusty shelves and dig through books all day. The staff are very nice and friendly - be sure to ask for the key to the bathroom so you can go down another maze to get to that. If you want to donate or sell books: note that they have a sign out front saying that they are really overstocked with materials, so if you don't like the price they give you, take it elsewhere - another, less-stocked store might give a better price. read more

It's hidden way behind stores I have been to all my life, so finding this place so close to home really made my day. There's a huge collection, way more than many used book stores I've been to. They have a lot of BOGO -ish sales which is nice! I had a really hard time browsing the CD collection though. Staff was friendly and seemed fun! read more

Great place to unload books and movies. If they can't sell them they recycle which is good. Stellar selection of books always coming in and the service is typically excellent. read more

*Books and Lps* This place is big - so big, I literally got lost. There are just so many books that they even had a section on books. Yes, that's right, a book section with books about books. That took the cake for me. They were very kind and helped me find what I needed. And if you like lps, you'd enjoy stopping in here too. I didn't look at the prices of many of the lps, but the ones I saw were at a reasonable price. Well worth the trip. read more

Don't buy. Don't sell. I came here to sell a lot of books--about 80 very good (easily sellable) books in excellent condition. I didn't have any boxes, so I brought them all in by hand. After a while, I got them all in, and they ended up filling five boxes. What was the offer I got? $10 cash, OR $18 store credit. Trying to be polite, I said to the manager who wore glasses, "Hmm... that's pretty low." He said, "Okay. We could make it $11 cash, or $20 in-store-credit." Apparently, they have a haggle price? (I'm not an experienced haggler, so I guess that's how it works). Anyway, I turned him down, and loaded 'em all back up into my car. He was very polite, almost fawning (to me). Those books ended up getting me a $125 tax deduction when I donated them to the much more worthy library. As for that manager's politeness, it apparently does not apply to how he treats his employees. As we were loading the boxes, I overheard him "teaching" a new worker the register. He asked the worker, "Okay, now what do we do next?" The worker, a friendly guy, said something like, "Sorry, this is my second time doing this," to the customer, who appeared unbothered. But the glasses-bearing manager interrupted, exclaiming in answer to his own question, "HELLLL-OOO! Customer service!," which only served to startle the sympathetic customer. I don't think the manager was aware of how rude he came off; he seemed proud of his behavior, actually. I felt bad for the employee. Not much of a book selection. I browsed on the internet beforehand. All they really have going for them is cheap classics. But why not go to the public library instead? It's cheaper and (I hope) not managed by petty tyrants! read more

Used books that are a little overpriced. But they tend to have the best selection of books out there. If you can't find it in their stores than you can usually find it on the website and have it shipped to the store. While ordering online usually works out you will occasionally place an order that will either not come in, or the order will not be the books you ordered. My reason for giving it such a low rating is their process of buying books and DVDs. A couple years ago I dropped off a hundred DVDs, plus magazines, textbooks, a couple VHS, and some fiction books. I was given $32 in store credit and told they don't pay for magazines, textbooks, or VHS. And the reason it was so low for the DVDS was because they were not popular DVDs. Today I brought in a box of 20 books. Many of the books are rather popular books - harry potter, twilight series... And several were not popular at all. The employee didn't even look at all the books and offered me $2 for everything. I asked what the reason for such a low offer was and she said it was because they had so many of the popular books that they wouldn't sell. So I went online and looked up each book on their website to see what its selling for. 5 of the books in my box they don't even have. One of the books in my box is being offered on their website for $65.21! Many of the books I had they have less than 3 copies available according to their website. I had purchased most of these books from Wonder Book Store in the past, paying as much as $13 a book. According to their website, if I were to purchase these same books again today I would pay $132.55, before tax. This is the same box of books that I was offered $2 for. read more

The staff was very patient with me and my active, none too quiet son. Great selection, nice music in the background. I will be returning frequently. read more

This was a cool experience...cool store. Every book ever written in history is probably in this place. Why 3 stars? I brought a NUMBER of books to sell. Offer was $5 for nearly 50 books....I thought that was pretty low and didn't accept. Another guy brought in about 2 car loads of books for sale and they offered him about $20 for it all. I'd come back if I were looking for a book that was hard to find but wouldn't sell them here again. They could have at least offered $20 or $30 for all of them. Also not sure who prices items here...I saw a manufacturers catalog, an old 10+ year old one, on the shelf. These are promotional catalogs the manufacturer (a manu. that I buy from a lot) gives away. They had an $8 price tag on it...HUH? read more

The four dollar offer they made to me was highly insulting.I brought in 50 Cds and twenty vinyl records to sell.All are in excellent condition.All are desirable titles and artists.Here are a few examples Pink Floyd -wish you were here(CD),John Coltrane & Hank Mobley-Two Tennors(mint condition original vinyl),Wes Montgomery(California Dreaming original mint Verve vinyl).The teeny bopper girl told me that she could offer me 4 dollars cash or 6 in store credit. I declined this insulting offer ,then was told "there's no market for records or Cds ".I don't know what was more ridiculous,that statement or the pocket change offer.I will never step foot in this store again.One star is too much,more like zero for the uninformed,unqualified and flippantly rude staff. read more

The store is too crowded to bring a stroller in so I had to carry my son. The children's book section looked like a cyclone hit it. Also, the books are way overpriced in my opinion especially the graphic novels. I donated a gallon tub of books and they just pay per bag, not by what's in the bag. So I got $11 store credit for about $500 worth of books. If you go to Second Story Books they will actually look at what you're donating and pay much more. I wish I had known that sooner. If you are looking for books there are other stores in the sera where you can find them much cheaper that's way more organized. read more

Great place to browse and purchase cheaper priced books. They have a buy back service which is pretty lame. I recently brought in a large milk crate full of CDs in great shape and of the variety that people enjoy. The guy who waited on me commented on how great some of these are. At the end, I was offered $8. cash or $10 store credit. And he said that was a high end offer when I commented on it. I took the deal because I needed to get rid of these . Next time I will research other places that offer buy back services or donate to the library. Overall great place to shop but not so great to sell to. read more

Liars and Cheats Brought several boxes of books from a parent's house we were cleaning out. Wonder Book offered a ridiculously low price. So, I said to my wife that we should donate them to the library. The guy overheard me and said they were no longer accepting donations. Stupidly, we believed him and took his offer just to be rid of the books. Turns out Friends of Montgomery County Library (http://www.folmc.org) does take donations and have their own used book stores; the proceeds of which help support the library. When disposing of books donate to friends of the library and take the tax-deduction. When shopping for used books check out one of their two stores first. Better to support the library than a bunch of liars and cheats. read more

I have been coming to this store since before it was taken over by wonder book. The prices have gone up, more then at other used bookstores but I still love the place The store is like a maze of books, sections and sections (its not that hard to find stuff, I kinda know where everything is now) people working there are happy to help locate books the whole place smells like books and I love it there Cons: It is hard to see if books will be in stock. They don't have a way to look up if they have the book. Also because it is a used bookstore they usually don't have a lot of the books you are looking for (their stock depends on what books people are selling). And also many of the books are really outdated. An example of this is with the cooking books. The only ones they have in stock are very old and not very helpful. But these problems apply to many used bookstores. read more

What a gem! This is the best find ever. A hole in the wall, in the back in the corner of a not so busy shopping center. Love it. Can't wait to have hours on end to take my time and enjoy. They've got books, records, DVDs...everything. A little pricey but given the location it's not surprising. Just finding a used bookstore in this area is cause for alarm. read more

Not so easy to find, but love it! Easy to lose track of time - great browsing. Beware, you'll go in thinking how much $$ you'll save, but it's nearly impossible to resist the tempting titles and musty shelves! Love the atmosphere and patient, helpful staff. Will be back. read more

This is what a book store should be! Dear god, I love this place. I found out about it from my boss but had no idea it would be this interesting. If you love books, this is probably a place for you. read more

This review is written from the perspective of someone who wants to sell their books to the book buyer(s) at Book Alcove. In summary: take your stuff elsewhere, where they have less of an attitude. (And no, it's not because they don't pay much for your books.) The first time I went to sell books here, the buyer was busy and just told me he'd get to me when he could. He wouldn't give me a specific time estimate, just "in a while" and "whenever I can". So I left my books and went shopping elsewhere to kill time. When I got back in about 40 minutes, he belligerently asked me if I had left the store, as if I was his employee taking an unauthorized break rather than a customer who was using my time as I saw fit, considering he didn't give me any estimate. The second time I went to sell books, it was a different book buyer. I came into the buying room with one of the three boxes I had to sell. He was obviously also busy with other books, but when he saw I was carrying a box, he looked at me in absolute disgust, literally raised the book that was in his hand over his head and began to slam it down on the table and said "just put them down!" I told him I'd just come back later when he wasn't so busy...which of course I never did and never will. These guys act like they're doing you a favor by putting up with your presence let alone buying the books that keep their business running. You would think they'd have even a LITTLE bit of respect for their customers who they're buying from. I have never seen any business person treat their customers with the disregard and disdain that these guys have shown. So, to the book buyers at Book Alcove: if you hate buying books from customers so much then spare us the attitude, condescending remarks and infantile gestures of anger and either get your books elsewhere or do something else for a living. read more

Wonder books is a good used book store. They may have a huge selection but they don't always have what you want. They are better at finding interesting things. I have been going for many years and there was a time I would have given more stars but there are a few reasons why I gave it 3 stars... 1. Their books are sometimes not treated well all the time and can get damaged more than I would like to see. 2. There are books that are in horrible condition (rips, tears, broken bindings and other such nonsense) and these books are incredibly expensive. 3. I tried to sell a few boxes of books. For a single box I was offered $2 cash or $4 store credit. When the person was looking through the books he definitely made some double takes and seemed to enjoy the books he was holding. Granted I do understand that they run a business and I am not going to get top dollar or anything, $2 seemed quite ludicrous. On the plus side, you can find some good deals if you like exploring. I do like exploring. Good bookstore, just not what it used to be. read more

I love Wonder Book. I write book reviews and I always stumble upon great books here. I visit about twice a month before I have dinner with my mother at one of the local restaurants and have to go in earlier and earlier each time so I'm not late for dinner! Everyone is friendly and fun to talk to. Decent graphic novel section. I wish the YA/New Adult (is there a new adult section?) was a little better organized so I could sort easier but I guess it could be difficult to differentiate between the two however I often find children's books mixed in and, especially considering the popularity of YA right now, I just wish it was a little easier to find something wonderful. There are typically great deals (I got caught up on a $1 rack not too long ago) and there's always something I want there! Recently picked up a Walking Dead compendium for WELL UNDER retail and amazon pricing and for that I am eternally grateful. read more

They advertise having French books on the outside of the store, but a perfunctory look at two boxes of books (including complete hardback French editions of the works of Colette and Zola's Rougon Macquart series in mint condition, other French works in good condition, and half a dozen 2017 paperback or hardback books read only once) produced an offer of only $3 or $5 in store credit. Ridiculous! Second Story Books offered $20 for the Colette and Zola books plus a few others (and even that seemed too low--we're trying eBay). read more

A great book store with a huge selection of paperbacks. However, their trade policy isn't the best. I brought a box with 15 books in it for trade credit, but was only given $2 in credit fr the whole box. The $2 doesn't even cover the lowest price of one book there. I doubt I'll bring books in there again for trade, but will come back to purchase books. The staff is very friendly and engaging, and they make a stop there worth the time. read more