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I was the kid who ran into poles 'cause had my head in a book on the way to school (hey, I did that on purpose). Love to read. Avoid new bookstores 'cause will spend, spend, spend. Haunt the library and occasionally used book stores. And this one is a gem.
Just entering the locale, that familiar rather musty aroma of old books makes me smile. Always greeted with a cheerful hello, start the "hunt" for really anything that catches my eye, both hardcover and paperbacks. The store is super organized; there are really only a few literary categories I'm not interested in and since the sections are clearly marked and organized, makes for very efficient browsing.
Selection is well chosen for their hard covers, and great prices. And, the staff seems to know exactly what they do and don't have in stock. Also enjoy the many shelves of paperbacks, fun fast reading for dirt cheap.
I have found a real gem here for me anyway, one of my favorite contemporary American novelists, whose books to date I had read every one, passed away tragically some years back. I found a first edition of the last book he had written, and I'm keeping it forever.
If you are a reader, you will love this place; the ambiance, the selection, the prices, the service, and of course, your future treasures.
Brand books is an old school shop that is well organized, friendly, and more than likely will have what you are looking for. Sure, it's not as big as Border's, but they've got a pretty decent selection.
I used to spend hours in this store. Looking over new books, trading old ones, and just reading. I love bookstores. I love the way they smell. Is that weird? I dunno, I love looking at books.
Aw man I love this place. Such an expansive AND organized place, I could spend hours upon hours just browsing through the shelves. They seem to offer everything: I was off looking at classic French literature (Les Miserables, Hunchback of Notre Dame) while my friend glanced through language books (instructional booklet on how to hit on someone in ...Dutch?), and another one found a manual for his old '78 Datsun truck. ...everything.
Great prices. And even better, sometimes they have sales up to 50%. Not that you need that discount. People behind the counter are really friendly and will start up a chat while they ring up the bill.
One of the best hidden gems in the city of Glendale, amazing staff with a great selection of records, every time i go to pick up some comics I always stop to pick up some jazz records.I've been shopping here since I was in middle school.I could not recommend this store enough to people.
While searching for great used bookstores in the LA area I came across he Brand Bookshop. So glad I did! This is a large, well-organized store with rock bottom prices on things like fiction and classics. They have an amazing amount of literature, and I was surprised to find fairly well-stocked sections on more niche topics like occult and vampires! I wish they had more in sociology and cultural studies, so for that I dock them a star. But definitely worth a stop - I spent about 90 minutes here and could have stayed longer!
One of the most important qualities for a used bookstore is the size of it's store, and this place is HUGE. It's well organized too; very easy to find what you're looking for. The aisles are wide enough so you can stand there and look at a book and people can walk behind you comfortably. The staff is really friendly and even knew whether they had something or not (of course they looked to double-check). The only reason I don't give it 5 stars is they only had a couple books on my list and I ended up finding most of my list at Iliad in North Hollywood. Granted, this could have just been pure luck.
If you want to sell some books, call ahead to find out when the "book buyer" will be there. If he's not there, you can still do paperback trade, though.
There's a scene in the movie A Night at the Roxbury where Will Farrell's character is completely agog as he makes his way into the titular night club for the very first time.
A knee-jerk dork, he overzealously reacts to a passing parade of club hotties by hastily addressing each beauty one-by-one with his signature head nod and greeting; but it spirals out of control and his repetitious barrage results in a crescendo that lands him somewhere between bobblehead and crackhead: "What's up? What's up? What's up?! What's up??!! What's up..???!!"
That's me whenever I walk into this place of so many titles and so little time: "What's up? What's up? What's up..?" I can almost hear the song "What Is Love?" as I eagerly make my way down the aisles in search of the next great find. You wanna know what love is, Mr. Haddaway? Love is this little hideaway of hidden treasures. (Haddaway? Hideaway? You see what I did there?) Love is a book. And A Night at the Bookshop is me falling in love over and over again as I flirtatiously nod and greet each passing temptress: "What's up, Lolita? What's up Carrie? What's up, Christine? What's up Jane Eyre?" Okay, maybe not Jane Eyre. Not my type.
Anyway, I hope this place keeps on keepin' on like the little engine that could. Choo! Choo! Incidentally, they have a copy of Wally Piper's The Little Engine That Could in here, as well. It's like a buck. Now that's love. "What's uuup??!!"
I struggle as I try to find a way to adequately describe this bookstore. As a purveyor of literature, I must choose my words carefully or suffer the consequences. Simply put, I'll look ignorant.
Now, they're not going to have everything you want. And the newer the title, the less likely it will be in their volumes. But it's quite astonishing the collection they do have.
I'm an avid reader and my tastes run from Vonnegut to Hemingway to Nietzsche to... I try to read a book a week but probably read more like three per month or thereabouts. So I end up spending a decent amount of money even if I buy used online.
Enter Brand Bookshop.
I spent about two hours just walking around, taking it all in. The smell was fantastic. The heat was too high. I was sweating as I ran my finger down the line of the books of varying sizes and shapes. It was heaven. I think I climbed a ladder at least three times. I enjoyed every moment.
As I was perusing the Classics section, an old man walked by and said to the clerk, "Got anything new. I've read all these!" Old man and his old man jokes. I got the impression from the clerk's response that this joke was said at least weekly...if not daily.
The only bookstore I like more is the Harvard Coop Bookstore. But to come in second speaks volumes...pun intended...that's real.
Ok basically if you havent been here, your downright embarrassing. There are books on anything you'd like and the staff knows the location and availability of merely any book your interested in. Gerome is the old guy, part owner, hes very nice and so are the rest of the workers. Their helpful and genuine. You can find most things under 5 dollars, and under 10 dollars for sure. ON TOP OF THE BOOKs they have RECORDS lots of them too, they come in every Wednesday (usually) and are sorted by genre. They are fully guaranteed and play amazingly, and the pricing isnt Amoeba-ish. Anyways an amazing place to be in and look around and an amazing place to buy things from. Not to mention the insane holiday deals that they have for about 2 weeks at a time.... no tax and 20 % off... thats insane, exactly why you should be on their emailing list so they can let you know about all the exciting things going on.
As Good As It Gets..!!! I love this bookshop~ From the outside of the shop, it may look like a small and typical bookstore. The famous saying: "You can't judge a book by its cover" comes to my mind when I think of the store and this can be totally appliable. When you walk inside, you'll see bookcases after bookcases filled with vintage and rare books ranging from 'A'rts to 'Z'oology. You can get validated parking from the rear parking structure, also there are meter parking spaces in front of the store. I consider this shop as one of my favorite places to be in Glendale=My neighborhood..!!!
The owner is a Korean War veteran and had operated the business for over 25 years. His name is Jerome Joseph, such a Friendly and Talkative gentleman. He even gave me a permission to have an engagement photo session in the store. During the interview session at my studio, the couple had told me that they enjoy spending time together at the bookstore, so I came up with this fresh new idea about capturing photographic images of them just having their fun and intimate time in the bookstore. I have posted some images from the photo session.
I love books. I love browsing through books. I love not being rushed. I love friendly people also willing help me find a book if I was looking for something in particular. Really though - I love Brand Books.
It's amazing. Aisles and aisles of books, separated by genre, alphabetized for easy access. It's the widest selection of used books in the area, and by far run by the friendliest people. Every time I've gone there, I've been offered help to find something, and am always greeted so happily when entering or exiting the store whether I'm leaving with my arms full of books, or empty handed.
It is, by far, definitely worth the stop for any book lover. You won't regret it.
Good selections.
Cheap prices.
Great surprise finds.
Cheaper prices during holiday weekends.
Awesome personnel.
If you can't find something cool here, you're not trying very hard.
Huge selection, and a lot of it is really great stuff. Too many used bookstores are badly organized needle in the haystack quasi rummage sales. That's not the case here at all. Their prices are reasonable too.
Love books? Love books for cheap?
Well, this is the place to go! Located next to Portos, a personal favorite of mine, it's one of the best used bookstores ever! It's huge!
I lost myself just browsing around.
Gotta love it!
I wish to never leave this place.
I'm dead serious. I can't get enough used books in my life.
This place rules.
It rules for all kinds of reasons: The organization and layout, the staff, the smell, the sales that happen practically all the time with every holiday (sometimes I give them a pretty smile and I get 30% off!), the selection of books, the occult section (yay!), and the locked up cabinet with all the awesome old and first editions...
Oh man, I am geekin' out. You have to drag me out of here every time.
This PLace Is waaaaaay too cute! It looks so small from the outside and then from the inside its fucking HUGE! Its got shelf upon shelf upon shelf OMG real cheap!
This place is the only place I'll buy myself a book. I only buy new when I have to get a gift.
I'm into political history and this place has a great selection. Kennedy (all of 'em), Lincoln, Hamilton, Franklin, Washington, Truman, you name it--they've got a litany of comprehensive books on them all.
The owner, a particularly gracious, humorous elderly man, is the store's best feature if you ask me. He's sharp as a tack, can usually tell you off the top of his head if they've got that for which you're looking, always sends you off with a free bookmark or two and makes sure you're signed up for their holiday sales which usually involve cutting sales tax. (I like stores that cut my taxes. I like any place on planet Earth that'll cut my taxes.)
Only thing I wish was a little better was their IDIOTS and DUMMIES books section.
I need those.
For lots of stuff.
It's pathetic.
I know.
OK, I've been doling out 5 stars tonight but this place just plain deserves it.
The selection is unbeatable- you will never have to swim through Lee Iacoca bios and self help books from the 80's in order to find a literary treasure here.
Art books are priced very reasonably (Nagel book for $26!!!) Classic literature and modern literature is plentiful and carefully selected.
There's also a bathroom in the back in case you gotta go after hours of browsing. Score!!!
I visited Brand Bookshop for the first time today because my friend Janet always talks about the amazing deals that she finds here.
It's hard to believe, but I LOVE reading and buying books ranged from $7.99-$29 something every time gets PRICEY.
I really liked Brand Bookshop because they have A LOT of books and it's not just random, crappy books that no one wants. They actually have a pretty good selection. Of course the selection isn't as big as Borders or something but for a used book store, the prices are fair and the selection is good. Also, the limited selection forces you to look at books that you may have never looked at :)
I will definitely come back to Brand Bookshop to get more books. The only problem is that I'm really anal about the way my books look and I hate creases and folds... I'm just going to have to get over that.. or pay full price for books.. *sigh*
Dear God,
Thank you for blessing us this day. Us sinners down here on Earth occassionally need a place where we can spend copious amounts of our hard earned cash without getting screwed by other sinners, and the Brand Bookshop is a good place for that.
I can find all manner of used information here, including comics, cookbooks, fantasy novels, more California history than you can shake a stick at, and even erotica (I said I was a sinner, right?).
Please, God, don't let this bookstore go the way of all the others. Damn those Barnes and Noble suits to hell!
OK, God, that's all for now. Have a nice night. I'm going back to reading my underwater basket-weaving book.
If you like books of all, and I mean, ALL subjects, an always friendly staff, selling your own books for cash and purchasing affordable books, then come here. Located in the heart of Glendale, it's a bookworms dream come true. There are books from all subjects and sure to entertain your every need.
The people who work here are always friendly and willing to help. I really like the classical music they play while you relax with a good read in your hand.
On the downside, parking can be very tough to find but circle a couple of times and you're bound to find a spot.
Once you surpass this problem and mosey on over, you'll be amazed of the large book store. I can easily spend an hour or two here and love every minute.
Books are priced well and I usually leave with a couple of good-reads.
Graduating as an English major, I feel that I know what's adequate in a book store. And this is on top of my list of all time favorites bookstores (I've been coming here for at least 10 years). I think we're lucky to have such a great book store in Glendale, really.
Used to love this place.
Went there every Sat with my Grama to pick out a new book. I have a reading problem, I guess you can call it an addiction, it started early, Grama was an enabler.
Went back last year when I moved back to town.
The RUDEST OLD FART runs the place now.
F-Off you old turd!
I will never set foot in your place again!
I would recommend this place to all of my friends
I love used book stores - actually I love all book stores. Today, we were running errands and lucky me, I had a box of used books in the back of my car. Of course I ended up with new (for me) books but I did have less than I came in with. The staff is very friendly.
They seem to have books on almost any topic (I haven't gone through everyone, because it would be so dangerous to the wallet.) But I have a big problem ... it seems like the husband likes books as much as I do. I think we need more bookcases.
Brand is an obsessive compulsive person's wet dream. As an organization freak myself, I couldn't help but get a lady hard-on for the abundance of subsections. For example, An entire corridor is dedicated to non-fiction, but then there are more specific categories: history, pop culture... etc. It goes beyond that, my fellow freaks. Say you're looking in the history subsection. The categories split into wars and geographic locations-- there's even a spot divided into American Presidencies and subsequent scandals.
Moving on, the selection here is pretty incredible. The only weak section is art (I don't mean Art History, I'm talking about retrospective type books including photography), which is definitely a bummer, but they compensate by carrying countless out of print books in their original binding.
The employees are extremely knowledgeable and helpful. It has already been said (but deserves reiterating) that the owner is the sweetest old man of all time. Another plus it that they do trades and buy-backs.
What's not to love? Brand is the best used book store in Los Angeles by far.
My favorite place to while away my leisure time is a bookstore, especially an antiquarian bookstore. I love love love books; I especially love old books and the feel and smell of old paper...only in an antiquarian bookstore do i experience all these and more.
I was kinda hesitant sharing this bookstore on Yelp (admittedly) lest someone buys those 15 books i found but couldn't afford to buy all at once....but then again on second thought, i've fallen so in love w/ Yelp and its idea of sharing, so heck, shame on me if i don't return the favor.. =)
So yes, for Yelpers out there who share my passion for old books, check out this place. and truly, there's nothing more pleasurable than finding a book that's almost a century old for $18 bucks.
PS
The owner - an old man w/ a charming personality - is very knowledgeable and helpful.
This bookstore is great. Almost like a maze, as it was much bigger than I was anticipating, but every section is labeled nicely. Compared to other independent bookstores I've been too (and I've lived in my fair share of states) this ranks way up there (if not the best).
Staff is awesome! I'm not the one to usually ask for help, but it must have been somewhat obvious as the owner (?, older man) helped point out what I was looking for.
He was really really nice. Made the shopping experience that much better.
Would definitely recommend this used bookstore to anyone!
My number one thing about places in LA right now is NO DOUCHEBAGS. I refuse to hang about anywhere with people reading Maxim or smelling like a Calvin Klein cologne counter has exploded on their genitals.
What's lovely about Brand Bookstore (besides the amazing selection, reasonable prices, relative peace and quiet, lots of nooks to hide ones self away in pouring over a tome) is you will never, ever, ever have to deal with some douche standing right next to you, shout-talking to his douche girlfriend (yes, girls can be douches too) on a cell phone looking for the Illustrated Guide to the Da Vinci Code. Thank you and good night.
I would be happy to move a bed into the little alcove off the Mysteries section and live here for the rest of my days.
Well-stocked, well-organized, wonderful staff, free parking, nooks and crannies in which to curl up and read, good music...plus quite close to Porto's.
A bibliophile's paradise!
My favorite used bookstore where I can spend hours browsing or just 10-15 minutes while waiting for your take-out pizza from El Morfi (a few doors to the north). The window is a fun place for a quick browse and I have often found something obscure--they change the windows regularly.
Staff is always helpful. All hardbacks are sold with mylar jacket protectors (most places charge an extra dollar or two for this). Prices are fair and overall book condition is quite good. This is not a specialty used book store and they have a fairly broad selection covering most categories. You are not going to find a copy of "The Sweet Flypaper of Life" in the photography section at this place.
This is mom and pop at it's finest. Actually it's grandpop at it's finest! And dammit, that is even cooler!
So I was looking for an older book today. Something worn around the edges who's pages had been turned in steady fits of intrigue and imagination. Knowing full well that Amazon was definitely NOT the kind of place for that, I called a smarty friend and asked for a recommendation and without hesitation, he suggested Brand.
Once in the store, I knew I had found my new favorite place. I was greeted by an adorably colorful little man who made sure to ask if I needed anything. And not in the boring, oh god, when is my shift over way, but in the oh my gosh, you don't even know the amazing gifts that are just waiting to be discovered and yes, little lady, I will take you by the hand and show you them all if you let me.
And that he did, as I tried to describe my eclectic friend's taste. After about 15 minutes, we both agreed on the perfect book and I would list it here, but said gift getter may read this and well, where's the fun in that. Let's just say for $8.65 I scored a tasty addition to his literary collection and Brand Bookshop scored a customer for life!
Thanks Brand and I look forward to our next reading rendezvous! :)
Great collection of used books. They're open pretty late, until about 9, which is good for a used book store. The proprietor is a very nice man and likes to talk about his travels.
They have an extensive cookbook and food book collection, which is my main area of interest. Other than that they have countless genres, with numerous volumes in each. The parking is easy to find in the Orange Street parking garage, which is right behind the store. Porto's Bakery is just a few steps away, if you want something to munch on while shopping here. Don't miss out on Brand Bookshop!
P.S. They also have an extensive collection of vinyl records, featuring mostly classical and jazz.
Brand Bookshop. Because Borders, Barnes & Noble are SO beneath me.
Alliteration is so hot right now.
I've been coming here since high school (quick math that's 7?8? years?). It's truly a one of a kind bookshop. The owners are great and they have tables that you can sit on as you browse in the side room. Park in the lot behind the store and they validate. Also sign up for their mailing list and they send you postcards that tell you when they have sales. Sometimes they have 20% off sales, which are nice if you want to buy a bunch of stuff. If you find something you want, and are hard up for cash, they'll also hold it for you behind the counter for a week.
Downside is that usually on the weekends the store fills with literary posers from silverlake or some hip-place (you know; torn diesel jeans, worn messenger bags) who scourge the aisles for awesome used copies of Nietzsche or Derrida, that they can stare at in coffee shops.
Aside from that, brand books is great. Go now while it lasts, with the way urban sprawl is going in downtown glendale, i doubt it'll last.
This is such a charming book shop.
The old man is very helpful and sociable. He seemed excited to help me find my Italian/English dictionary and told me to take my time looking around because they would be open until 9PM (it was 10:30 in the morning.) He also asked me if I wanted to see some pictures of his cats, which he had in the drawer behind the register. We shared a brief, pleasant conversation about black and white cats.
Prices are okay for a used book store. My only gripe is the lack of contemporary fiction. Come to think of it, pretty much everything looked at least 15 years old, which can be a good thing, but isn't always. The selection isn't bad, but I think I am spoiled by Powell's in Portland.
Top reasons why I love this place:
1) Great graphics novels/comics section. Alot of current stuff too!
2) Selection/Prices - great compared to other shops
3) The owner - super friendly and can strike up a conversation with anybody.
Visit this place at least once and you'll see what it's all about.
This place is so charming! It's easy to get lost in here among the stacks and stacks of books... the stuff they've got has never ceased to intrigue me.
Whenever I'm here, I find something that I need to read... and its usually something that I never would have ever thought I'd be interested in. Last time I was in here, I walked out with the Dead Sea Scrolls... though I'm usually found reading someone's old, wierd science fiction book, or a steamy, dated romance novel. This store brings out the eccentric in me, to be sure!
This place is amazing! I've been coming here since I was a wee lass and my fondness for it has only grown. The adorable man who owns it is full of helpful information and his (adopted-he's japanese) son, who is occasionally around, is equally nice. You could spend hours here among the used books, I know I have. Do spend some time looking at their display windows before you go in- they've always got a little something for everyone, even if you didn't know what you were looking for. It's also have a small music section which I've pawed through several times- lots of old vinyls as well as random cds you never knew of.
They do validate tickets from the parking sturcture located behind the store and will give you credit for books you bring.
This place is by far the best used book store in the northeast Los Angeles area. Yes, Cliff's and Book Alley are pretty good too but this one beats them hands down, in my opinion.
For one thing, any store that has a choice and well organized section on serious music deserves my most highest praise. I still remember the joy that I felt at finding a copy of Arthur Honegger's 'I am a Composer' - and in excellent shape too!
Of special interest to devotees of serious music is their used CD section. It is not very large but I have found some real gems here (Stokowski conducting Shostakovich's First, Fifth, and Seventh Symphonies; live broadcasts of Charles Munch and the Boston Symphony; et al).
The service here is nothing less than wonderful. You'll be surprised how difficult it can be to find good service at a book store these days. I have been to a few otherwise fine bookstores in Pasadena and am appalled at the level of ignorance of their clerks.
Now that I think of it, I'll probably take a leisurely stroll over to this place this week-end. So long!
(EDIT, 11/11/07) I stopped by with my baby alpaca yesterday. Again, what a marvellous bookstore. All the books are neatly organized, the Judaica and Christianity sections are big and juicy (a whole shelf for Hans Kung alone!), and Mr. Joseph, the proprietor, is simply the nicest gent you could ever hope to deal with in a bookstore. A real gentleman - so rare these days. And what great finds! My alpaca and I left with armfuls of books. Joy!
This is hands down, the best used bookstore in LA county.
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