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1/4 Price Books
Category: Shopping Books, Mags, Music and Video Bookstores Bookstores [Edit]
3820 S Shepherd DrHouston, TX 77098
Neighborhoods: Museum District, Upper Kirby
(713) 520-5009
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 12 pm - 7 pm
- Price Range:
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$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
14 reviews for 1/4 Price Books
14 reviews in English
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Review from Martha D.
So let's set things a little straight on what exactly this bookstore is all about. This is NOT where you go to buy new mass printings, this is where scholarly, first editions and out of print books come to be loved, appreciated and understood. If you don't understand this book trade, then you won't find yourself enjoying this bookstore for what it is. Put on the perspective that this is more like buying from an antique store, not your local Barnes & Noble.
We finally made a trip in here after driving past so many times on our way to Star Pizza, Freebirds or Amy's. Luckily we were actually here when they were open, horay! It is a little dangerous for us, lovers of leather bound printings of classic books. There are too many things here that I want, but sadly can't afford right now. *sigh* Why do I have to be an adult and pay my bills?
We left with two books. I picked an anthropology text on the Mayans, written by respected authorities on the subject (I'm so tired of getting books only to find that they just got their research from the other books I own), as a prep for our summer trip to the Yucatan. One of my favorite past times is arguing with tour guides when they are perpetuating misconceptions or old information that is no longer accepted scholarly. The hubby got himself a book on the scientific aspects of music, very nerdy and up his alley. The Mayan book is a first addition and out of print, the owner made me a protector for the dust jacket to preserve the condition. My husbands book is also out of print, believe me music books of this type are hard to find! Amazon has much later editions from $110. Worked out to be exactly 1/4 the price of Amazon and a better edition.
I primarily enjoyed the treatment you get when you go to stores like this. the owner knows his stuff. I get so irritated with other stores when you ask them a question and they just aren't educated at all on what they are trying to sell. They take personal checks and give hand written receipts. I love a place with character.Listed in: MY ROTDs.
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Review from Southernpilot S.
Houston, TX
Updated - 8/25/2011
I always get a great deal here. Was just in there yesterday, and Larry honored the store credit from a few weeks ago. I'm very pleased with this store.
SP1 Previous Review:
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8/12/2011
Larry offers straight talk and good book deals. Keep up the good work!
Southernpilot
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Review from Cory O.
Houston, TX
6/9/2008
Ahh, Cory, Cory, Cory. When will you learn to check Yelp before going on a hunt for a specific items? If only I had read Liz's review, I could've saved myself a trip from 1/4 Price Books. Don't get me wrong, the place is great, but it didn't have what I needed and had I read her review, I would've known that.
Considering how similar the name is to Half Price Books, I expected the selection to be similar. Not even close. This is a cozy (read: tiny) little shop that is quirky and fun. The cramped quarters are filled with all sorts of fun books and are organized in a way that pretty much requires you to wander around aimlessly. Which is not a bad thing. You'll find all sorts of interesting topics in these aisles that could provide hours of entertainment. Really though, most of the novels I looked at weren't that much cheaper than Half Price, though supporting the local businesses is always a plus.
The true gems of this place lie in the older, rare books. Unlike how commercialized the rare books collection is at all the Half Price Books, this place really does it right. I saw some old school Bibles with the embellished leather covers that were just gorgeous. There were beautifully bound copies of classic novels on another table. And all of these were in pristine condition. If you like to collect antique books, this is a great place to start looking. The owner seemed very friendly and nice and if I weren't on a mission to find school books at the last minute, I would've loved to stay and chat for a bit. I think that just means that I'll have to make another trip back and really give this store a more thorough once over. -
Review from Tawny T.
1/15/2010
I went here with my SO, who adores this place. He's big into esoteric math and philosophy books, and apparently he's had really good luck with finding those here. I have different taste (history, sociology, political science, memoirs, etc.), so I was a little skeptical.
Basically, this place is every used bookstore you've been to, with some interesting twists for people that either a) are into decorating with books or b) appreciate really esoteric books in the genres my SO does. I couldn't find anything I was particularly interested in, and the store seemed to be organized as a maze. It took me forever to find the sections I wanted, and when I did they were filled with pretty generic stuff.
History had the usual presidential biography glut, and the typical 3-4 copies of The New Russians (a great book that apparently EVERYONE read, if the number of them in the wild is any indication.) Sociology was sparse and filled with dated books from the 70s and 80s. I don't think I ever found Poli Sci. (All of this is pretty forgivable for a used bookstore because they tend to carry lots of fiction and generic interest stuff, but that's basically why I find used book shopping to be *so* annoying. It's also why I fell in love with Kaboom Books!)
Anyway, the positives of 1/4 are that they have a section of coffeetable books for the aspiring eclectic decorator and good philosophy/religion/math sections. Some of the former would make pretty awesome selections for keeping guests occupied while you cook or whatever, but that's not really my thing as of yet (450 square foot apartment FTW!) If you're into the latter, you might find some interesting reads here.
Essentially, 1/4 Price is much like all used bookstores: a little stale, difficult to navigate, and filled with the same books you see most places. -
Review from Paul A.
Houston, TX
8/4/2008
I killed an hour here this weekend, and I was amazed at the variety of 1st editions available - and the prices of same! The owner was very helpful, and really knows his stuff. I, on the other hand, know nothing about 1st editions....so maybe he DOESN'T know his stuff, and just bamboozled me into buying a $1K copy of Dr Seuss's "original" Spooky Pants manuscript!
Maybe I should have suspected something when I noticed the good Dr's name was spelled "Sewce".....
But seriously... I only bought a paperback, costing $2.99, and a couple of kids books for my yard apes. Check this place out, but don't expect a poodle lover ambiance, with coffee, soft music, and easy chairs - this is a hard core used book store. -
Review from Dormouse C.
Houston, TX
1/19/2011
Some people seem to have a lot of luck finding beautiful vintage books here, so this may be a good stop for people with that specific interest.
For the rest of us, this is a fairly boring little bookstore with mainly overpriced books.
I've been to delightful, eclectic, dusty little bookstores with eccentric owners, and I was hoping this one would be that kind of store, but it's really just a bit grimy and disorganized and nothing special. -
Review from Erika V.
9/14/2010
Popped into this bookstore last week to kill some time and ended up in there for 2 hours....
The man that ran the place was very knowledgeable and friendly.... He kindly took down a list a books that I was looking to add to my home library....
He also had to coolest selection of old books that I have ever seen! If I ever win the lottery, this place might just be one of my first stops :) -
Review from Catherine M.
League City, TX
3/26/2009
This is one of my favorite used bookstores in Houston. He may or may not have the books you are looking for, but after analyzing your request the genius bookseller can recommend other books you may be interested in. It is true that he is talky, but also quite intelligent and easily takes body language hints that you wish to browse alone.
He has a wonderful kids selection of very old and cool books as well as some well chosen newer juvenile books. I still never take my young children in here as it is quite crowded with rare and expensive books--and I can't shop properly whilst nagging and supervising=)
I'm not sure I have ever bought a 1/4 price book here....but I always leave richer for the experience.Listed in: Houston's Used Bookstores
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Review from Haroun K.
1/17/2011 1 Check-in Here
I'm wondering if Houston just is deprived of good bookstores. It seems like everyone likes 1/4 Price Books, but I can't understand why. Yes, the owner was nice. But, the books were not 1/4 priced. Instead, they were all overpriced. Quite a bit overpriced, and uniformly so. The selection was not very impressive, either. No one should be paying $3.98 for any random old Penguin Classic. There needs to be a more nuanced pricing system, I think. But, maybe I'm too much of an outsider to judge.
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Review from Therese T.
Houston, TX
3/18/2008
Much better, much more personal than 1/2 Price Books. And from the other end, they are very fair about selling book prices (if you sell) and pay right away. One thing to note, though, is they sell more "literature" than novelty books. More academic, or at least classics, poems, even rare editions! And no CD's i.e. non-book items like what 1/2 Price books would have. Still, well worth going to. Independent bookstores--selling used books nonetheless--are a dying breed. I am so grateful to have this bookstore in my neighborhood.
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Review from Liz S.
Houston, TX
9/1/2007
This is a different kind of used books store than Half Price Books. The books are more carefully curated, perhaps - when I was last there, there were many first and second editions (fairly priced). The owner is knowledgeable (but talky) and tends to feature books that coincide with his personal interests. I've found some weird choices here (some paranormal studies sort of stuff) that I'd never seen before, and paid about $5 to go home with three excitingly strange paperbacks. It's a good Saturday afternoon poking-around sort of store, as well as a good place to find something for your quirky bibliophile friend.
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Review from Jack H.
12/29/2008 3 Check-ins Here
Chain bookstores can be too often focused on the bottom-line, and larger used bookstores can seldom be bothered to do more than point you in the right direction. But Quarter Price Books is that rare specimen run by a knowledgeable owner who selectively houses some of the finest works in the history of letters. In an essay recounting memories of time spent working in a bookshop, George Orwell lamented the lack of truly bookish people, his store plagued by customer quickies on a specific errand or those with only a vague idea of what they were looking for. Touted as the "Headquarters for Thinkers," however, Quarter Price Books is a place well-suited to intellectual investigation. As classical music softly plays in the background, and with a children's area filled with books and toys to keep your little ones occupied, one can easily get lost in reverie among the stacks. Visit the "Wonder Wall" for some fine leather-bound editions or comb the shelves for those old hardcover Modern Library editions giving off that "sweet smell of decaying paper." The owner's tastes favor classic works of fiction, non-fiction, science, history, philosophy, art and design, and the like - if you're looking for the latest trade paper edition of the biography of Britney Spears, you won't find it here. Get the man behind the register going, and you may well find yourself walking out with an armload of recommendations to compliment the book you intended to buy in the first place. I think this is precisely the reason why Orwell thought "[t]he combines can never squeeze the small independent bookseller out of existence as they have squeezed the grocer and the milkman" - the big stores simply can't fully staff themselves with the truly bookish. And one can only hope Orwell's sentiment remains as true today as it was when he wrote it. To lose the ability to while away an hour or two of a Saturday in peace and quiet among the great thinkers would be grievous indeed.
Listed in: Best Used Book Stores
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Review from Jaire Q.
3/8/2009
I decided to stop procrastinating and went out for a book I had been trying to buy for about two weeks. After my experience with the 1/2 price books on Westheimer I decided to actually Yelp the place before going. I liked what I read and my car's navigation gracefully lead me to my destination. The place is right off of Shepherd and 59, very easy to get to. Now, the bookstore gave me the feeling of walking into someone's basement (not a bad thing). It feels as if the person who owns that place really enjoys books. I saw a lot of rare and out of print books. I definitely understand why people would go to this place, you may find a gem under all those old books. The person at the counter wasn't rude, but he wasn't too friendly either. I actually had the feeling he didn't want to be bothered away from his laptop. The limited conversation with the person behind the counter gave me the feeling they specialize in older historical books. Searching through the isles, however, I noticed they have a good amount of newer (as in recently written) books too. But the older books definitely own that place. I didn't find the book I needed there, but I am glad I found out about this place. I will be visiting them again when in need of reading material. Quarter price books is A-ok for me. I do agree with a reviewer who said the prices are not (quarter price) low, I found some books to be a little more expensive than I expected. But, I do recommend you visit the place and judge for yourself.
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Review from James G.
Lafayette Hill, PA
1/5/2009
Very interesting store with a very knowledgeable owner. However, I would recommend that you do some research on prices before purchasing the rare books in the store. All three of the books we purchased were valued at at least $30 dollars by the owner but I was able to find copies in similar condition going for less than $5 on multiple websites (eBay, Amazon).
