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Category: Bookstores [Edit]
Neighborhood: Castro"I knew about this store before I ever even stepped foot in it. My sister is a DJ on the side, she used to live right behind Cha Cha Cha's…" read more »
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The essentials about Aardvark:
*A great selection of used and new books
*Helpful staff that knows where among the mismatched shelves you can find the books you want
I walked in and felt immediately at home here. The place just has an unpretentious vibe that led me to think I could easily spend hours browsing their selection and walk out with 15 more books to add to my already full shelves at home.
I'm so happy to have found my new favorite used book store; as a real bibliophile, this is a very strong statement.
This place seems to have a pretty decent collection of used graphic novels sitting right out near the front.
I only seem to come here when I'm on my way to some place like Lucky 13, around the corner, but I like to stop in and browse when I'm in the area.
Perhaps it's gauche to abridge literature but it's certainly A-Oh-American-K to discount the book itself. Yay free market!
Aardvark is worth stopping into every once in a while to see if they have a used copy of a book that's on your ever growing list. Currently, it's my favorite used book store in the city but that's only because they happened to have the book I was looking for today.
Every other time I've visited the word "ramshackle" has popped into my head.
Well price books and a great selection. They had the books I was looking for, so of course I'm a satisfied customer!
There's a guy in there that's not very friendly, but it's more funny than rude and offensive.
Love this place!
My long-standing favorite bookstore in San Francisco. I live in the immediate neighborhood and I'm in there as much as three or four times a week. As a food writer and professional cook, I find a lot of books that grab my interest right away but the overall selection of books in the store is always great (I walked out a day or two ago with a cookbook, a graphic novel, and a book about theology). It's comfortable, a bit tattered about the edges, and they have the all-important resident cat.
A great place to spend some time and some money.
I went in here after visiting a few other used bookstores in the city. I'm a Philosophy and Religion major at SF State, so naturally those are the sections I tend to check out first. They have an impressive selection of used books for these subjects. I picked up a hardcover copy of the Oxford Companion to Philosophy for only $17.50 and a hardcover copy of the Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy for only $26.50. Pretty good because they were both in new condition and came with dust sleeves! Brand new from Amazon, they would have cost me $43.87 and 32.72 respectively.
I noticed they had a few books on/by Carl Jung too, so later I came back and I picked up Memories, Dreams, Reflections and The Undiscovered Self for about $7 each. They too were in new condition, so it was an awesome deal.
As for the selection in other sections... I honestly didn't look into many other sections, but the store is of pretty substantial size for a used book store, so check them out! They're bound to have something for you.
Now for the reason I only gave 3 stars. I find that the thing that makes or breaks a good experience in any type of store is the level of kindness you are engaged in by the staff when you walk in, ask a question, or check out. I have done all three of these at Aardvark Books and have received pretty undesirable responses. Maybe the people who work there are not very socially aware. Whatever it was, it left a lot to be desired.
If you want a sweet selection of used books and couldn't care less about receiving a nice greeting when you walk in, then you'll love this place.
I was wondering around the store looking at th store. Then I notice an orange tabby sleeping. Didn't even get up when i start poking it softly. I start staring at its eyes and it opened still didn't get. I assume one of the owners said the cat never moved from that box all day. I was yeah it didn't react when I touch him. I brought three books from the store cause the owner or worker made feel special when I was examining the cat. I book three books for learning basic Cantonese, algebra , and a Chinese dictionary for my girl. Its all for 20 dollars.
Similar story to Bibliohead: a solid version of a medium-sized used bookstore, without much to distinguish it. I did appreciate the pricing here, which was in the right range for the organization and quality of books. I FINALLY found a reasonably priced ($6) Tropic of Cancer (the Grove Press edition) to match my Tropic of Capricorn.
They have a large fiction section, and a generous history selection. In the back are cheap paperbacks--great for browsing and digging. I could have spent a lot of money in here, except that I was in a rush and had limited luggage space to boot.
The two guys behind the counter were cool. I joined their conversation about state liquor laws...always an interesting topic.
as liz lemon would say - i want to go there!
i only spent 10 minutes in the store today and didn't even make it past the table of stuff in front of the register and the new books section but it all looked great. without enough time to decide on a book (i've only ever bought a book on impulse ONCE - jasper fforde's thursday next series and i bought all 4 books at one go in 5 minutes), i ended up with "cut & assemble PAPER DRAGONS THAT FLY - 8 full color models" for $3.
i'm pleased as punch.
The selections carried by Aardvark truly exemplify the geographic area, from the great LGBT selection, some real back-in-the-day political treatises and histories, as well as a rather large spread of types of materials for such a small space. The staff seem to be friendly, although I only saw their interactions with others.
What really caught my attention, after the books, was the darling tabby cat, the mascot of the store. I didn't catch the kitty's name, however, but have to say I haven't encountered such a docile cat in quite some time. What is it with bookstore cats? If anything, I'm coming back not only to check out the store, but to pet the beautiful cat.
I love used book stores. My bedroom shelves are filled with books, my nightstand has them piling up, I have some in my living room cause I ran out bedroom space, there are books in my cubicle, one on my bed, and usually one in my purse.
Since Aardvark is next to one of my favorite places to eat brunch alone, I will often come in here first to pick out a new book to read while I eat. This past Saturday after attending a BYOBook Club, I came here with a mission. I had about 4 books on my mind to buy and found 1 of them. But I also found about 4 others.
They have a great selection but this more of a "browse" place than an "I have a mission" place. Only because they don't catalog their books so you will never know if they have it in stock until you've spent an hour combing the section and hoping you didn't skip it on accident. I think they're supposed to be alphabetized but I wouldn't place any bets on it.
All the new or recommended books displayed on a shelf so you can be sure that you aren't missing the latest book fad while here. ie- Obama's books, In the Defense of Food books, etc.
And yes, they do have a cat. And I think they buy used books from you. I know at minimum they accept your used books, but not sure you'll be turning a profit for it.
So, when in the mood to peruse for books, I definitely recommend a trip here.
Wow, what a great selection. I find that a lot of used bookstores don't always have what I'm looking for particularly, but I always manage to spend money...They have a great selection of magazines, graphic novels, and cultural studies. They also have half-priced pocket books which makes it really easy to stock up on classics (like $2 a book!) if you're into having a pretentious bookshelf like myself. But at least I read everything I buy....
Thanks Aardvark for being so close and so awesome.
Oh and there's a cute cat. Enough of a reason to come in.
I like this place. I usually shop at Borders, but I was in the need of a puzzle book so I decided to come here. They had lots of neat puzzle and game books and I found a pretty fun book with Kakuro.
They had a nice selection of magazines also. And tons of other genres in books from Architecture, to Jazz, to Fantasy.
The price of the book said $10 on the cover, but I was super surprised when the lady said it was only $5. I was like what? I guess the books are slightly used that's why they're cheaper. But woohoo more money! I'm happy!
Great selection, pretty good prices. Staff is helpful if you ask.
There's a section in the back right hand corner of half-off original cover price paperbacks... amazing.
It's a short walk from the N stop on Church and Deboce, and there are a bunch of places around there to grab a bite after gem hunting in Aardvark. I've made some great finds there, for reasonable prices (I mostly go for paperback fiction, politics, gender studies).
This place is definitely one of the things I miss about the city.
I have mixed feelings about writing a review, as this could lead to other people discovering this treasure of a used book store. It could lead to competition, higher prices, more people in the way when I'm exploring their incredible selection of used books at incredible prices. It could lead to much selfish inconvenience, as I rank this used book store as THE BEST in San Francisco. So, maybe i shot myself in the foot and blog blabbed about Aardvark Books, run by "Owen", the cat manager of the store. But here it is... Aardvark is the best. Ouch. My foot... my leg...
I love coming here, not just to get my NY Times but to search for particular books of interest. A few months ago I found three books on San Francisco to give to my mom back in Alabama. She's never been here so I thought she would enjoy a pictorial history of this place. Got her a great book on the 06 Quake and Fire, one on the Maritime history of the Bay Area and a relatively new pictorial of modern S.F. She LOVED them! Today, I found one of my favorite photographers of San Francisco,Arnold Genthe, who took a lot of photos before, during and after the 06 quake. This book is all photos of Old Chinatown, some of which I've never seen. I would've given five stars if they had a San Francisco ghost/haunted locations book but they only had a generalized California Haunted places. Still, one never knows what treasures lurk on them shelves!!
I love this store. I love all used bookstores and this one is a particularly good one. Lots of great books for cheap. I love the cat. All stores need a resident cat. I duck in here every time I walk by...most of the time I end up with a book and sometimes I just get to pet a cute kitty.
Most of my books are used, and although there are plenty of used book stores I find myself buying books here the most.
The used book isle is very easy to browse alphabetically by author, and they have a section with new used arrivals. Prices are very reasonable, and they seem to have alot of authors that I like. They also have a house cat, and pleasant music.
I like to pick up a book and then have a bite at Chow down the street.
I don't mind a dog-eared paperback for half the cover price. Sell your old books and pick some new ones up. They have a lot of college-required selections, and I haven't left unsatisfied from their fiction section. They have a resident cat named Owen as well. At least say hi to Owen.
Come on people! People who work in bookstores are not supposed to friendly! They are smarter, more well-read, more educated, and all-around better then you! Hel-Lo! I don't want some normie working at my gayborhood book store. Geez.
/end rant/
I love Aardvark. Great new and used selection, and I always leave with a new treasure. Plus, I love the googly-eyed bookstore kitty-cat.
Tried to trade in some books for store credit and was told that they would not accept any books I brought. All of the books were fiction, hard cover and in perfect condition and 2 of them were even from their store.
Selection is ok, price is somewhat high, but fair and the staff is rude. If you're looking to buy a cheap book go for it, if you're looking to trade in books...avoid!
People are always talking about Green Apple, but in my opinion Aardvark is San Francisco's best-kept secret as far as used bookstores go. They have an excellent selection of used books on a variety of topics, and I find lots of rare or out-of-print books here. Their queer section is especially good, and you can usually find a lot of queer "classics" there.
I have to be careful when I go to Aardvark, otherwise I'll spend more than I intended to. But this just attests to their great selection. They're much cheaper than buying new, but pretty average-priced as far as used books go.
There are much better places to *sell* your used books -- the clerks often act really annoyed that you're bothering them, and they don't accept many books, plus they offer pretty low prices for the books they do take.
Their staff are not very friendly, but the bookstore cat does his best to make up for the rude humans.
I'm very tore about this review.
On the one hand, it is a great used bookstore. The prices are nice, the selection is outstanding in several areas of my interest, and it's located right next to Azteca, which is one of the better Mexican places I've been to in SF.
On the other hand, the staff seem to have trouble treating me and other customers as though we're not suffering from some terminal Down's Syndrome and about to fall over and die and get retard all over their precious carpet. And that probably leaves a real bad stain.
I can handle a staff at a bookstore who are pretentious, even slightly quarrelsome, because we've had to deal with that before. It's what happens to English majors who end up in jobs like this rather that writing books of their own. However, I don't believe a staff is obligated to treat me like I've got the IQ of a lemon in a glass of water just because I have to ask if they've got a copy of Robert Mitchum's biography.
If I have any advice, go in to browse, and check out fast with cash. Try to avoid talking to anyone who works there if you dislike being patronized for having entered their existence, no matter how momentarily. That way the experience is a lot faster and you can go read your book in Azteca over a killer burrito.
Hop off at the Church station and across the street is one of the city's best used bookstores (honestly, I pretty much only shop used unless I'm desperate). They have a good circulation going, as I always find new titles when I come in, which is at least once a week.
They are reasonably priced, so much so that I avoid going in when I know I'm broke 'cause I know I'll rationalize buying something ("but it's soooo cheap!") when I really shouldn't. And they never have a shortage of titles I want.
I know some people have complained about the staff but I've found them always pleasant and helpful. The occasional unintrusive "can I help you find anything?" is nice, and when I've asked for help it has been an easy exchange.
No complaints! One of the best in SF.
I have to say I love Aardvark!
Great cooking section, great history sections. The buddhism section is well-stocked and has newer titles you'd want to read. Also, if you love mystical stuff, they have a great "occult" section.
When I'm looking for a literature title, I usually find it, but as with all used bookstores (and indeed used ANYthing stores) it's best browsed often...what you're looking for is bound to turn up! Even a relatively recent Lonely Planet guide to Puerto Rico may fall into your lap.
Have to second the comments on surly staff. I always feel..... guilty .... when I check out for some reason.
But after years of consistent treatment from them ranging from monosyllabic but usually SILENT, I now just accept it as part of the charm.
Damn you, Aardvark. Every time I come up to San Francisco, I drop at least fifteen bucks here. Which translates to about three quality books at Aardvark's amazing prices. I like to justify it by saying that I have to get something to read for the plane, but I really don't need another book on Tudor England, do I?
Apparently I do. Alison Weir's Six Wives, and a biography of Mary Tudor are now MINE, thanks to Aardvark. Their history section absolutely kicks ass. There's a great range for a used bookstore, and the staff are ridiculously helpful. Take advanage of the few seats in the space too if you want to test drive a book. Great spot.
Oh how I love thee, Aardvark.
I love going to Aardvark Books! My bookcase is filled with books I've gotten there. I often order food to go at Chow (a couple of doors down) and Aardvark's is the perfect place to browse while I'm waiting.
It's nice to find a non-chain bookstore so close by. The staff is quite laid back, although friendly. And I've already made friends with the new cat, or rather it's made friends with me. It must know I'm allergic!
I'd give them five stars if they'd make the effort to enforce their 'no cell phones allowed' rule which is discreetly posted outside the store. All too often people use the place as their personal phone booth, wandering around while pretending to look at books, "yeah, I'm at the bookstore"......don't get me started!
I love this place. I love browsing, or just popping in to get my quick fix of chick lit. All my vacations start with their selection of travel books, and their science section is just great. Also, they use to run a calendar sale every year around the end of November, and this is usually a good opportunity to stock up on presents.
A huge tubby cat lived there once, and I had a distinct feeling that he was ruling the place, and the guys behind the counter were just working for him. The cat died, and I miss his presence. My husband says they've got a new cat recently, but I haven't seen it yet.
Absolutely my favorite book store in the city. Great prices & selection for used books. Service is wonderful, they actually noticed that I was buying a new book that they had used for cheaper and went and got me the less expensive copy.
I usually drop by Aardvark once a week. Other yelpers have done a great job describing the store, its offerings, and Ace The Skeletal Cat.
The following purchasing points are my humble contribution:
1. The window display to your left (as you face the store) holds used copies of recently published (in the last few months, sometimes in the last week) fiction. The used price on these is around, oh, 45% off, which is better than either amazon or Green Apple.
2. For some inexplicable reason, Aardvark acquires really great used art books in pristine condition. These are usually displayed in the window display to your right, or on the rack behind the cashier. The reduction on these clocks in at around 40%, I think, which is fair.
3. Scour the used fiction shelves for hardcover copies of books that have recently been released in paperback. The used price on these books are markedly less than the original hc price (of course) AND the pb price. Example, John Banville's Shroud in hc for $7.50, orig hc price $25.00, new pb price $14.95.
Oh, and most of the used books are in good condition.
Shop happy, but above all shop wisely!
UPDATE: I also posted the following in Talk tonight (8/9/07): "Some philosopher must have kicked the bucket, 'cause Aardvark Books had stacks and stacks of contemporary philosophy books for sale at half off the list price. I'm sorry to disappoint the Young Heideggerian Club, but it was all Analytic Philosophy.
A lot of the books were in ethical thought (metaethics and normative ethics), some metaphysics, epistemology, and the analytic philosophy of language. Books by Wiggins, R.M. Hare, Michael Williams, McGinn, Ayer, David Velleman, others. So yeah, shit you claimed you had read come exam time but didn't. Now's your chance.
One of the guys who worked there said they received the stock on Monday and just put it out today.
Maybe I'll run into some of you fellow philosophy nerds there.
This bookstore is really grand. Its most unique and endearing feature is its mustiness. I don't know how many used books there are, or whether it's the books or mildew from a leak somewhere, but the smell in here is exactly what you want from a bookstore.
They have interesting books, and it's easy to find what you want if you're looking for something in particular.
I was looking for a bookstore close by so I yelped it and Aardvark's came up. I called ahead to make sure they had the book I wanted and they did. While I was browsing I realized that this is the kind of place that has 100% passion. People that come here are passionate about books and the shoppers aren't just buying a book to put on the book shelf. They buy books because they have real love and appreciation for the written word. I was curious and asked if they sold any first editions. He said, "maybe probably you would have to browse, we don't have a special section". That's it! all these books will end up being special for someone.
The photography books where fantastic and they had some real collectors. Maybe.....maybe .....even first editions.
I can always find exactly what I'm not looking for here. I love that! There are so many books to browse through here. They've got non fiction and fiction, biographies and autobiographies. You can find books on music, art, astrology, travel...need I go on?
And here's the best part: it's all so affordable. I've walked out with three great books for under twenty dollars.
Aardvark's is a great place to grab a book if you aren't picky about which edition it is...or how old it is...or if someone else read it before you. Personally, I don't care about that stuff.
(It's also a great place to go if you love the smell of books.)
Probably my favorite OVERALL bookstore in the city. I love the combination of new and old there, you can read new magazines and old books. As small as the place seems, there is quite a selection there of very interesting things at great prices.
One sunny Sunday on the way back from ImagineKnit, I walked by Aardvarks and saw one of my absolute Favorite John Singer Sargent books in the window.
This is a book that my art loving uncle has had on his coffee table since I was about 13, and the one that inspired my obsession with Sargent and this one painting in particular:
Ellen Terry as Lady MacBeth:
http://jssgallery.org/...
As you may know, art books are usually off-the-charts expensive (the fine quality of printing is not cheap), but since this was used I got the book for $30.
Sidenote: For about 3 months before I went to Europe last summer, all I could think about was seeing this painting at the Tate Britain. Sadly, it was in storage the day I was there.
But I did see this little beauty:
http://jssgallery.org/...
You too should love Sargent. He was brilliant.
This was my experience at Aardvarks. I will be back. This concludes my 'once-upon-an-artbook' bookstore stories for today.
I love used bookstores. This one is a little on the small side for my liking, but I still spent 25 bux on 4 books. That works out to be some decent deals for good-quality literature paperbacks to add to my collection. I don't buy new, usually rent from the library these days. Aardvarks gets points for location, but they don't have the selection I was hoping they'd have, because it is smaller. I was mostly trolling the cultural studies/women's studies-sexuality/sociology section. I also wish they had room for chairs to sit in while I browsed the books. Aardvarks is my closest non-chain bookstore and they are on the Muni line, so they're my new friends.
I like coming here, sitting on the floor, and reading a self-help book that I won't purchase. Last time, it was a book titled "addiction to perfection." I straightened and realphabetized the shelf afterwards.
Sometimes, to switch things up, I'll grab a book from the philosophy section, make sure that everyone can see what I'm reading and flip each page slowly.
As I think about nothing, I appear to be deep in thought.
Hmm... Makes you think, right?
One of the truly fine SF used book stores that is not Green Apple and not in The Mission. While in the shadow of many other booksellers as regards remainders and sale books (Green Apple and Dog Eared own sale books) the selection of used books is awesome and fairly priced. Also, the best selection of used graphic novels in The City. Without going to Green Apple.
And a really cute ancient cat. I think he used to belong to Dashiel Hammet. Unless you're Green Apple, a used bookstore ain't shit without a cat.
"What chu readin' for?"
"Looks like we got us a reader!"
I admit, this is my late afternoon escape.
There are surprises here. My favorite is the crime/mystery noir section.
Today's no different. I spent grocery money on that new McCullers novel, an edition of WCW I did not have, and a few postcards.
I send postcards, not save them.
I like used books, They smell good and they're pretty and you can read them. And Aardvark is a good place to buy them.
Neighborhood: Mission
Category: Bookstores
Neighborhood: Mission
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