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Books & Bookshelves
Categories: Shopping Home & Garden Furniture Stores Shopping Books, Mags, Music and Video Bookstores Furniture Stores, Bookstores [Edit]
99 Sanchez St(between Duboce Ave & 14th St)
San Francisco, CA 94114
Neighborhood: Castro
(415) 621-3761
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 11 am - 7 pm
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
37 reviews for Books & Bookshelves
Review Highlights
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"...poetry books that will look great on your new bookshelf." In 7 reviews -
"great quality wood furniture." In 10 reviews -
"I bought them both for a very reasonable cost." In 3 reviews
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37 reviews in English
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Review from Fred v.
San Francisco, CA
5/18/2012
This is a fantastic local merchant that focuses on wooden furniture, particularly shelving. This is the real thing, not particleboard, beautifully made. I've bought both custom made items, as well as off the floor, and the prices are fantastic, barely more than the disposable IKEA junk (but you have to finish it yourself -- tho I've been using CD shelves unfinished for years, and they look great that way too).
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Review from Marc A.
11/11/2010 1 Check-in Here
Timing is everything they say and the same day that I told myself I needed a new entrance table for my place, the broken down MUNI trains disaster had me walking by B&B. Thus, perfect timing.
If you need some unfinished book shelves or an entry way table this is the place. Bonus star for the selection of free books and records. -
Review from c c.
San Francisco, CA
10/12/2011 1 Check-in Here
Thanks to YELP . I love this store. Got a large CD cabinet and a folding table from them. I had them finish them and the result was great -
beautiful. The price and quality were very reasonable.
I really appreciated David's information and flexibility while I went back and forth on deciding what I needed. He also makes specialty items to order, which is great especially if space is an issue. Another plus for me is that it is a small local business that provides good quality and good price. I also appreciate the advice. I highly recommend this store. -
Review from Gun-Ik P.
1/27/2011
I've never seen a shop like this before. Inside, it smells like freshly cut wood, and the bookshelves that are backed into the walls still feel soft from being sanded down.
The shelves themselves aren't too expensive, but they're definitely going to cost more than stuff you can find at IKEA or Walmart. But if you're looking at these reviews, you probably don't care much for big retail furniture stores, right? The sizes of the bookshelves range from large to small, and they also carry wooden stools and benches. They also have a huge supply of wood finish so that you can make an afternoon project out of your new bookshelf. Why not grab a smell bookshelf and teach your kid how to apply wood finish, and if you have no idea yourself, why not learn together?
The place is called "Books and Bookshelves," and though they have many great bookshelves, they don't have many great "books," per se. They do, however, carry a large supply of independently printed poetry and more 'name brand' poetry. They also have a huge $2.99 wall of books, but most of them are titles and authors I've never heard of (and I do consider myself somewhat well-read). They also have a few vintage poetry books that will look great on your new bookshelf. -
Review from S F.
San Francisco, CA
9/13/2008
This place is usually out of my price range, but I still can't resist going in. It is quiet and and filled with beautiful furniture, and I love to run my hands over all of the hand made items.
We scored one of our greatest finds EVAHH here. A beautiful, handmade, large wood and metal kitchen cart. You know how expensive these things can run. It was marked down to 99 freakin' dollars from 400. Can you believe it?!
When I got it home, it had a tiny ding in it, but I think that was from wheeling it down the street.Listed in: Books Galore!
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Review from Nish N.
8/15/2006
Guess what they sell here? It's a cute little store run by a nice guy named David Highsmith. You pretty much get unfiNished wood pieces - shelves, trunks, cabinets, tables - and then you can pick a stain. Or he can custome makes something for you as well.
It's a nice alternative to the United Nations of IKEA. -
Review from Oralea H.
Seattle, WA
8/7/2010
Wonderful neighborhood business. Please, please, PLEASE don't go to IKEA when you need a bookshelf. You can get a great price on a quality piece of furniture here that will last many, many years to come. Not to mention you'll always have the pleasant memory of the lovely local shop with excellent customer service where you bought it and likely personalized it by selecting among the possible finishes. Don't miss this shop. It's hard to find bookshelves that are not made out of some crappy wood-like product or that don't cost several hundred dollars... If I ever leave this city, I will miss this shop immensely. And since I don't plan on living here forever, I'm on my way back there today to add to our collection...
Reading other's reviews... I just want to note that I used to sell furniture and if something comes in late, that is not uncommon. I know once we order something we find it hard to understand why it wouldn't come in precisely when promised. But really, there are SO MANY factors affecting production and delivery, including crazy weather that we seem to be getting a lot of all over the country lately! Shop owners can only estimate to the best of their ability. I don't work for the shop, I swear (I wish!). Just have great sympathy for small business owners, and furniture shops in particular! -
Review from Maxx C.
Washington, DC
2/13/2008
I'm just reviewing the bookstore part, not the bookshelves.
There's a really nice poetry section which clearly reflects the owner's priorities as it takes up about half the book space.
The rest of the books are kind of crammed into some narrow aisles, but at least they're logically organized. There aren't too many of them and they don't seem to turn over all that frequently, possibly because some of them are hard to reach. Pricing is fair but not great. -
Review from David R.
8/7/2008
It was the books that drew me in, although as a used bookstore it's subpar. That's not their strength--the furniture is.
This store gave me one of the great shopping "finds" of my entire life. They sell old medieval-style chests with iron (or probably faux-iron) fixtures. I fell in love with these immediately, and the prices seemed completely affordable (two sizes, roughly 12 and 16 inches for $49 and $59). However, there were three things working against this purchase:
1. Nine months previously, I had declared a moratorium on buying new decor or furnishing items for my apartment.
2. I was flying home at the end of the week--carry-on luggage only.
3. I was on foot/bus all that day and had tickets to the Giants game that evening.
So actually, I left the store (caving to #3) and came back another day to buy one of the chests (throwing #1 and #2 out the window). It might not mean much to anybody else, but in my mind that's a huge compliment. That chest sits proudly in my living room today. If this store were in Chicago, I would have spent about a thousand dollars on their bookshelves by now. They do very handsome work and are reasonably priced, especially for the location. -
Review from Rob B.
San Francisco, CA
8/2/2007
SHOP LOCALLY!!
I like it! Buy off the floor (or shelf) or they will custom-make shelves to your specs. I've had them build shelves that I placed in the walls when I was remodeling and the result was very cool and economical.
I also bought the perfect CD 'bookcase' that tucks neatly behind a door and holds tons. I stained it to match my Edwardian paneling, and it looks like it's built in.
Solid wood shelves are MUCH better than IKEA. You never see them sitting curbside, sagging, with plastic veneers peeling off, like IKEA's ideas.Listed in: Born to Shop
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Review from Diane B.
8/2/2009
This place is all about the preservation the art of craftsmanship. In my quest to find the perfect bookshelf/dresser thingy for my bathroom, I am kicking myself for having looked first at so many prefab places (both high- and low-end) when this gem was right in my own backyard (or more accurately, my running route).
I always assumed custom-made furniture would be too pricey for me, which may not be unreasonable because the final product is, in fact, perfect. Where I went wrong was assuming perfection had a high price tag. These guys listen and build *exactly* what you want, and have it home delivered. So I got exactly what I wanted, supported a small business to boot.
The only reason I didn't dole out 5 stars is because these guys lack a bit of sales finesse (note: if sales and craftsmanship are mutually exclusive then I'll add the 5th star back). There was no sales probing to really uncover or explore what might "work" for me -- it was all about me telling them what I had to know I wanted. For the indecisive, this could pose a problem. But: I am thrilled with my final product! -
Review from Lesley P.
Oakland, CA
Updated - 10/13/2009
David, the owner, called to follow up with my boyfriend about our purchase.
Upon finding that we weren't entirely satisfied, he really did a lot to try to address our concerns and come up with solutions. Much appreciated.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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9/28/2009
I'd give this 2 1/2 stars if I could, but seeing as it's a small local business (and NOT Ikea) I'll… Read more »
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Review from Rachel R.
San Francisco, CA
4/1/2010
I wish I could give them MORE than 5 stars. To start with, I am a grad student and voracious reader, so I need quite a few bookshelves. A few years back a friend of mine did a little work in this place and introduced me to it and I've gotten all my shelves here ever since then. They make solid lovely real wood furniture, sell it for reasonable prices and its stuff you can keep forever. Even for a student on a budget it makes sense. I've got three of them now, I get another every few years as my collection expands.
But let me explain how David went way above and beyond the bookshelf business call of duty yesterday. The molding on the walls in my study/dining room prevented me from using my biggest bookshelf, it was too tall and the molding juts out about 3inches at about a height of 5ft5. So I gave a call asking if there was any way I could trade in a 2 or 3yr old bookshelf for a discounted wider but less tall new one.
I knew this was an odd request but figured what they hey it can't hurt to ask. David said sure, bring in the one you can't use and I'll knock down the price on a new one that fits. Then when the new one didn't fit in the trunk of our car, he offered to deliver it for far less than the usual delivery cost since he was closing up anyway, and we could help unload the thing. Never in my life has anyone gone so far out of their way to be helpful.
Thanks a million, B&B! I will never get a bookshelf from anyone else! -
Review from Maurice D.
San Francisco, CA
7/26/2011
Love this store, super helpful, very knowledgeable, no cheesy upsell, no rush, good after sale advice. My kind of store.
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Review from Mat K.
San Francisco, CA
5/25/2008
Smells like high school shop class.
And the owner even has all of his fingers (i think).
Books and poetry and bookshelves and an (overly?) helpful shopkeep.
Shame I'm too poor at the moment to afford anything beyond scrapped or garage sale shelving. -
Review from Trevor M.
Austin, TX
9/20/2007
The book selection here is quite fine. I didn't have a lot of time to spend perusing Mr. Highsmith's shelves, but in that little time, I found Robert Kelly's "Kill The Messenger Who Brings Bad News" (Black Sparrow Press) and Michael Ives' "The External Combustion Engine" (Futurepoem Books). I bought them both for a very reasonable cost. In fact, Mr. Highsmith even hooked me up a bit, price-wise. I will definitely go back to this place, and I'm sure spend more money on very great books of poetry. The book selection at this place is small, but very good. Used and new.
And if I were looking for some furniture, this would be the place for me. -
Review from Matthew S.
San Francisco, CA
9/29/2009
Just picked up a very solid desk from this place today and I love it! I was going to go to Ikea to get some p.o.s. desk for the meantime, but walked by Books and Bookshelves and just snagged it right there for $210, tax included. It fits in my tiny room quite well at 44 inches across. Perfect for a writer with a small room :) The desk is unfinished, but that doesn't bother me. I like the look of it.
David, who I believe is the owner, runs the place and runs a great literary reading series and is a terrific poet himself (he gave me one of his books at a reading I went to when I asked him if the rumors were true, that he was in fact a poet).
Support this place before going to Ikea for stuff that will fall apart within a year.
And OH - they have some pretty sweet used books, too! -
Review from Jaime F.
San Francisco, CA
10/11/2009
We recently ordered a custom table from Books and Bookshelves. Dave, the owner, basically saved us fifteen hundred dollars by creating our favorite Crate and Barrel table for half the price. While he originally told me he could have the table ready in three weeks, it took five. I was disappointed by this (hence four out of five stars), but now we have the table and all is well. If you order something from Books and Bookshelves, make sure that you check in with Dave- you're unlikely to get a call from him otherwise.
By the way- it feels really cool to have bought our first dining room table from a local business. Sorry Crate and Barrel! -
Review from Patrick S.
San Francisco, CA
7/12/2011
What a pleasure it is to have good quality bookshelves in our home! It wasn't cheap, but it was a great investment. The delivery guys were very professional, too.
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Review from Michael R.
San Francisco, CA
3/15/2009
These bookshelves are solid wood and will stand the test of time. I have some unfinished shelves from over ten years ago and am planning to buy more this week. They do custom, but there is a very large selection in the store that you can take with you on the spot.
And maybe because I'm now a middle-aged professional, I think these shelves are very reasonably priced.
You can find cheaper elsewhere, but they'll be particle board which will fall apart during your first move. And you can find more beautiful shelves elsewhere, but they will be 3-4 times as expensive.
Seriously, this place is worth it!
Mike -
Review from Mariangela S.
San Francisco, CA
10/16/2007
We needed a dog bowl shelf and the kind folks at Books & Bookshelves recommended a special foot stool with a lip around the edge which was the perfect solution. Well made, ready in a reasonable timeframe, and definitely in our budget! Great service and hey you can even get a free book from their library!
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Review from Drew C.
San Francisco, CA
5/13/2008
Not since Small Press Traffic closed its book store in the early nineties has there been another store with such an amazing selection of small press poetry books, zines, etc. Tucked at the back of the store the writing is definately worth checking out especially if you are in search of that small press book or chapbook you can't find anywhere else. And while you are there you can find some new shelves to hold all those new books. We got a great deal on new CD holder a couple of years ago. They even finished it for us and delivered. Very happy with all the service and the commitment to the writing community.
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Review from Michael H.
San Francisco, CA
8/17/2005
This quirky neighborhood store sells books and places to store them. They feature primarily unfinished pine and hardwood furniture, including a most impressive selection of shelves, cd racks, tables, dressers, etc. If you don't see what you want, they'll be happy to make something custom for you. The back room is filled with used books so that you can fill your shelves up while you're there (I've shopped here for furniture only).
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Review from Jenni O.
San Francisco, CA
3/10/2006
I love this place!
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Review from Sam Z.
San Francisco, CA
8/9/2010
Found this place by accident. Hate IKEA. Had no trouble finding parking on a Sunday afternoon. Bought something off the floor, on sale, very solid at a very reasonable price. Impressive selection of local lit mags and eclectic poetry books. As a friend said, they use their own bookshelves to display the books. In other words, they eat their own dog food. Hard to come up with a better recommendation than just that.
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Review from Dana H.
San Francisco, CA
6/21/2009
I had a great experience here. I stopped by a week before I made my purchase and Mr. Highsmith showed me around. He was nice and patient and dealt with my questions. A week later I came back and bought a beautiful chest/trunk. Its perfect. He didn't pressure me to pay for delivery which was good because I was able to carry it home with my friend quite easily.
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Review from helen g.
Daly City, CA
7/24/2010
I didn't want to buy from Ikea, and thought it would be great to buy local. We recently bought an unfinished bookcase from here. I assumed even though it was unfinished (meaning no final finish on it) it would be sanded so there are no existing splinters. The whole thing had splinters up and down the face frame. Big splinters stuck out on the face frame, the edges were crazy sharp. It took me a few hours (time I didn't want to spend) to sand the whole thing down, which I was not happy about.
I wasn't looking for fine woodworking, but for the price I paid, I was hoping to get something that didn't have visible gaps, splinters and wood putty. This was a gift to someone and the recipient saw the big splinters sticking out! If this is truly an unfinished piece of furniture, it would have been nice if we were told we needed to sand this. Otherwise, this store needs to look for a new carpenter. I didn't like picking out all the splinters from my hand when moving this bookcase. -
Review from Julia B.
San Francisco, CA
6/21/2011
We ordered a custom piece of furniture that we drew on paper - a cross between a bookshelf and a dresser; two shelves on top and two drawers beneath. It was made perfectly and stained beautifully, EXACTLY what we wanted. Thank you VERY much B&B! We will certainly return again - very high quality, sturdy, and reasonable prices for custom construction.
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Review from Sara M.
San Francisco, CA
11/3/2007 1 Check-in Here
This store has an amazing selection of used poetry in the backroom-maybe the best used poetry selection of any bookstore in town. They also make simple sturdy pine bookcases in any size you want, a great deal! They also do custom finishing even for furniture that people buy from their competitors.
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Review from Katie T.
Saint Louis, MO
2/4/2009
If you want high quality, customized (size, finishing, style) or pre-built furniture this store a great resource. Also, the owner is very helpful in-store and dealt with a barrage of questions from my visiting family when I took them there. The workmanship and quality really is stunning.
Minus 1 star - Although the time from order to delivery was appropriate, II was never given updates - or an estimated date - on when it would be completed. The delivery was thrown in which was a nice touch (although I do only live a few blocks away and spent a lot of $..). Prices to have these finished is pretty steep, as well - for simple pieces you are better of trying this yourself. -
Review from Rebecca S.
San Francisco, CA
5/8/2011
Does anyone know who actually makes the furniture?
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Review from Peggy M.
San Francisco, CA
1/16/2011
I prefer to shop locally whenever possible and it's possible with this store. I bought a kitchen cart as well as a glass-front shelf unit from here when I first moved back to SF. Both have been in constant use for over 5 years now and are still perfect. I'm getting ready to purchase another kitchen cart as mine is full and I need more counter & storage space.
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Review from Chad W.
San Francisco, CA
1/19/2011
great quality wood furniture. i've been buying record shelves from this place for 10 years. always top quality. you get what you pay for. sure you can spend less elsewhere but come on, plunk down a few bucks for a quality piece of furniture that will last forever instead of a cheap piece of junk from ikea. plus, they can build custom sized pieces that cost the same (proportional to size & # of shelves) as the ones on the floor. do it.
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Review from coffeecake j.
San Francisco, CA
11/7/2007
i want to hug my new book shelf.
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Review from Dee R.
San Francisco, CA
8/7/2007
dont even listen to Karen C. David is a great salesman and definitely makes you feel welcome. As for the store itself, its a fun little place with great shelving, tables, etc.
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Review from Joe W.
San Francisco, CA
4/13/2009
Great little natural wood furniture shop right in the heart of the Duboce triangle. Friendly with good prices.You can choose from a variety of furnishings and stains in the store or order custom items from their catalog. Most of the shelves, tables and such are unfinished so you can stain or paint them to suit your decor. Also if you are looking for some off the beaten track books you can find them there. JMW
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Review from karen C.
San Francisco, CA
2/9/2007
hmmmmm, i had high hopes for this place.... i went there to try and avoid a visit to ikea. i had such poor customer service that i left feeling like they didn't want to sell me anything. i was trying to explain what i wanted them to build and the guy (owner?) looked at me like i was insane....and frankly made me feel like a dim woman (which i'm not:)) hey it was only a bookshelf. maybe we were just on different wave lengths, but man it wouldn't kill you to smile at your customers. the one star is for the furniture which looked pretty good. i ended up going to stumasa, which was wonderful.
