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I never leave McKay's empty handed. If you are looking for books, video games, DVDs, CDs- media in general- McKay is a place you need to check out. It's a large store and can become pretty crowded on weekends. However, it is pretty well organized. My best advice is to go on a weekday.
I have not sold at McKay, but have heard they give very generous amounts in cash or store credit. This is well documented in other reviews.
I saw a John Grisham book here for 5 cents. That was kinda cool.
The store was packed to the gunnels this afternoon. The drop-off area in particular was kind of a madhouse. Once I fought my way to the back of the store, it was a bit quieter.
I plan on going back mid-week when it might be less crazy to browse the DVD selection.
Oh and the woodworking section, because it looks like they've got some decent how-to carpentry books in stock. And you never know when you might want to (or need to) work some wood.
Pretty much the best used book store I've ever seen. Also, their used textbook selection is quite robust--although I doubt it would be good for finding the text your prof is using. (For size purposes--I believe it occupies 2/3rds of an old Circuit City and they look to have about a dozen employees stocking and processing books)
I wish their business and marketing section was a bit bigger, but it was pretty decent. Their philosophy and Christian books sections were both pretty sizable. Also, do expect a used bookstore feel.
Also, the commenter above that said they had the same prices as blockbuster may be half right. I saw a table full of DVDs which were in the $2 range including mainstream hits from A-list celebs.
Easily in my top 3 or 4 places to shop for books in town. Rating: 4.45
Sure, there are the shops downtown that sell used books, but they're so pretentious you'd better bring your Vanderbilt ID card or flash your Jaguar keys, or don't expect speech or even eye contact. Then there are the strip malls that have lots of romance novels and almost nothing else.
Then, there's McKay. I passed by this place a thousand times, but when I finally went in, it's an awesome place. Bigger than the mall garbage places, and have lots of popular titles.
If there's no other place in Nashville that has the book you're searching for, get to McKay will probably have it.
Finally, the ads they have with the baby chick wearing underwear is pretty funny.
Holy Hannah of Booksellers! This place is ridiculous. It's huge. The music selection is huge. There are oodles of books. The fact that they have carts so people can load up speaks to the volume of books they sell.
I agree with the other reviewer that this is NOT the place to come for hard-to-find first editions and really rare books. Pulp fiction? They have tons. And the pricing IS all over the place. It is annoying that older books sell for the same price as newer ones, but then I just buy the newer one most of the time. And who knows why some paperbacks are $5 and some are $0.25, even by the same author in a series.
It gets really crowded. It's kind of chaotic. This is not a nice, quiet bookstore in which you can get lost amongst the shelves and enjoy the smell of old books.
BUT, you can walk out of here with some amazing books at incredible prices. I bought my husband a ton of paperbacks b/c I figured, hey, for $0.25 if he doesn't read them, no worries!
This is definitely worth the trip to check it out and see what's here. This is absolutely the place to come to find relatively recent novels at great prices.
Not just a good store, always a great experience.
When I moved here, I was sad to lose my favorite used media chain, Half-Priced Books. This place has an identical premise and while HPB had a ton of moderate sized locations all over town, McKays has one huge location, so there isn't much to be let down about.
I never sold at my old used chain, but I sold at McKays for the first time the other day and the trade credit offer was more than I expected! For what I brought in, the cash offer wasn't horrible either, but I love getting a chunk of store change to spend on DVDs.
If you're looking for books, DVDs, video games or music, McKays likely has it. If they don't, you'll probably find other things you want at a great bargain. You have to approach a shopping trip here like you'd approach thrifting: if you have something specific in mind, you may or may not find it and if you do find it, it may take some searching to find. However, if you come in with an open mind and a few bucks, chances are, you'll leave happy and will have given a new home to something that would have otherwise wound up in a landfill.
This is the best, best, best, best place in Nashville! We have been 5+ times in the past two months to sell back our books and such (hubby has a huge dvd/video game/game guide collection). We easily get $100+ to spend in the store.
It is in a sketchy area, but that doesn't bother me. Also love the free boxes. We went when they opened a few weekends ago and someone had placed two HUGE bags of books that I enjoy in there. I am still working on reading them all.
Something to keep in mind- if you are selling back a tonnn of stuff (they have a bin system) you will not be able to do it in one day. I suggest to bring someone with you and break it down into groups. I think the system is 3 bins of books, 1-2 small bins of dvd/cd/media.
Check it out!
I love McKay. I could browse the books forever. I usually go to the one in Chattanooga, but this one is even bettah! Huge selection!
My favorite part of Mckay's is the Bargain/Scratched CDs section. All the discs there are $2 or less. If you take the time to dig through, you might be able to find some really cool stuff. I've gotten all kinds of CDs from a not especially scratched copy of Ace of Base to weird local bands from who-knows-where that are fun to listen to.
Best Used Book Store in Nashville. Now don't get mad at me librarians. I know you're going to go there looking for a copy of Bridge To Terabithia, but let me tell you - McKays is not for you. There's no card catalog. There's no computer organizing system. There are shelves divided by general categories and then in an sections. That's it.
This is a fabulous place for people who like to find cool stuff. Don't come with a list, come with a smile.
Ah McKay books...it's like the Walmart of books. It's huge, pretty cheap and has just about everything (and that includes some interesting clientele). But this a GOOD thing!! Well, maybe except for some of the crazies.
Take for instance....the 10 hardcover Stephen King books I just got from there. Total price? 15.50. Thats right, about a buck and a half each for these huge Stephen King hardcover books. Awesome.
Yeah, it sucks they don't have a search system....so if you want to give yourself an hour or so to peruse the store, you'd be wise to do so. But just browsing the shelves will make you pick up books you've never heard before. This is a pretty top notch place. Recommended!
I could browse in this place for hours, it's the Wal-Mart of used book stores. They literally have everything: books, cds, dvds, records... It's just insane. There's always plenty of parking and best of all there is plenty of room to walk around inside, so people aren't sitting on top of one another looking for a certain paperback.
I would have had dibs on some great Beatles records had an old man not been hoarding the section, picking off the great ones for himself. The records ARE worth a sloth like browse through, you just never know what you may find. I have seen textbooks here, so I think it may be worth a trip for college kids to come and see for themselves.
If you don't find anything inside that you're willing to part with your money for, they have bins outside of old texbooks and paperbacks outside the store. Everything in there is free, which is great, but who needs a user's manual to a 1993 Mac these days? Not many. Reguardless the place is worth a trip.
McKay is an insanely large entertainment mega store. When I say they have everything, I'm serious, they have everything. Books, DVD's, CD's, and I even think they have video games, this place rocks!
As a student, I frequently come here to see if they have any books that are required reading for my classes. Sometimes they do, sometimes they don't, but the prices are so good that it is worth a look. Their music selection is also pretty good, but they don't have a lot of hard to find CD's that are out of print. If you are looking for that, I would go to Grimey's. The videogame selection is not too bad, but the prices are just the same for their used games as they are at Blockbuster or Game Stop. I really like this place, check it out, chances are you could find something worthwhile...And even if it is not worthwhile, it's probably so cheap you won't care!
I've had to stop buying CDs, DVDs, and records, because my collection is just a bit out of control... But I still buy books, and that's why I visit McKay's (located in an old mattress store). It is not the best place to go if you have one particular book in mind, because they rely on the public to sell their books to them... And usually people only sell ones that they didn't care for, or didn't read. But that said, I actually found 2 of the 3 books I was looking for on a recent visit. I would say it's a better place to just go and spend an afternoon and browse.
I found their selections to be VERY organized for the amount of products they sell. I have no problems at all finding things. I still like Borders better, just because I like buying the books on the 3 for 2 special and then never reading them. It just feels like a good deal.
I love browsing as McKay because I'm always guaranteed to find something interesting. Their prices are so cheap that it's the kind of place I can still pick up something I totally don't need and not feel too guilty about it. When I have to buy a specific book, I always check here before buying it new at full price, and many times I have found what I wanted.
In particular, they have a lot of classics, so it's easy to find anything that is regularly on a high school or college reading list. You might be able to pick up a hardback for about half the price you'd pay for a regular paperback, so it's worth taking the time to look. They also have a great anthology section and if you have a thing for art or photography books, they have a nice selection. I always look here for gifts, because it's easy to find books that look like brand new.
If you're still watching VHS tapes, they have a huge section of $2 tapes and they also have box sets of VHS and DVD TV shows for a significant discount over buying new. The video games seem highly priced though, and many aren't any cheaper than buying new, which I don't really understand.
I wish McKay made it a little more comfortable to browse. If you want to compare books and sit and read a little, you basically have to sit on the floor, but they are going for that cheap, warehouse vibe.
I check out McKay about once a week or so, just to see if they have anything new and interesting. I was excited for it to open because I had been to their Knoxville store a few years ago.
I should also mention that McKay does trade on items you bring in, and also buys items for cash, so if you have old books, DVDs, video games, CDs, or records around, you can take them and make some money from them.
I was working in Chattanooga when I came across the outpost of McKay's there...I definitely lamented the fact that there wasn't one in Nashville (would it kill Half Price Books to open here?). Last fall, my hopes were answered with the opening of McKay's in an old (and huge) space right down the street from me.
A ton of used books, CDs, games (for all kinds of platforms), DVDs...a lot of stuff to look through. That being said, there are lots and lots (and lots) of categories for books. That's one of my small quibbles since you may find yourself scratching your head over where to look for a particular author. At least there are lots of signs posted telling you were the different sections are. Save yourself some time and read the signs to avoid wandering around searching for the poetry section. The CDs could also be laid out in a little better way to be easily browsed through (I find the current lay out a little cumbersome to search for and flip through discs).
I think those are minor criticisms for the huge selection this place has to offer, and I can't say I understand the animosity in some of the other reviews posted here. People are trading in books all the time so there's new stuff coming in. It may be more of a go in and browse place than a search and find kind of shopping experience, but I don't think there's anything wrong with that. There's a bargain section in all of the departments so you can get some books for as cheap as a dollar! And some CDs for even cheaper! Oh, and there are free bins of books outside. Now, the bins may look like vultures have attacked them (shreds of paper, books ripped in two) but there's more than just marginalia in the bins. I found a decent copy of Peter Taylor's A Summons to Memphis just yesterday. Thanks, McKay's!
Mckay's is the best used book/media store I have EVER been too and it is hard for me to understand why anyone wouldn't like this place. First of all, it is one of the biggest stores of its kind, at least that I've seen. The building is the size of warehouse and its inventory is staggering. The first thing you see when you walk in a counter where you can sell them items, which is great since a lot of places make you walk past all their merchandise first hefting your bags of goods. If they accept your items (which they almost always do, unless they're in bad shape or they already have too many duplicates) you can either get a store credit or receive cash.
I can't come here unless I have a lot of free time because it is incredibly easy to spend HOURS browsing their merchandise. The bulk of their store is made up of books in all varieties and topics in both fiction and non-fiction. The rows and rows of books are broken up into sections by general subject matter. Each cubby is then divided alphabetically by author or sometimes title for non-fiction. I will admit it can be kind of chaotic if you're searching for something in particular. It's very easy for the books to get out of order and with such a vast inventory, it can take awhile for the staff to get things put back into place. My best suggestion if you're looking for a particular title, author, or topic is to ask one of the employees who can look it up in their computer system. (A used bookstore this size with this amount of product with a digital database?! YAY!) Otherwise I just like to wander around the aisles, picking up books that interest me.
Their selection is pretty varied, you can even find textbooks here, but there is a weirdly disproportionate amount of used bibles, 'life guides' and other religious reading hoo hah here. I guess that's what comes of living in the bible belt. They do process a lot of merchandise, so their stock gets replenished very frequently.
The rest of the store is comprised of all the rest of their used media. You can find video games from most every system here (they even sell used game systems if you need one), and they even have some newer titles. There are used computer programs and games of all varieties as well as books on tape and CD.
Their used music selection is fairly extensive and divided up by genre and author. While they mostly carry single CDs, they do have some decently priced boxed sets and a limited selection of vinyl. And if that's not enough for you, they also carry movies on VHS and DVD.
Their pricing is pretty awesome, if you're selling to them, they offer the best prices in town. I can usually walk out of there with a handful of books for under $10. You can even find newer hardbacks here for fractions of their original pricing. Same goes with the rest of their media.
People treat this place like a library, and with its size and high narrow bookshelves, it is easy to find yourself speaking in hushed tones. It can be hard to maneuver around people in the tight aisles of books, and if there's too many people here I get claustrophobic. It's located a short drive out of town, just past the Charlotte Pike/White Bridge Road intersection and is very convenient to I-40. Their hours are pretty good, I prefer to go on a week night when there's less people.
I seem to have had very different experiences with this store than the other two reviewers. If you're looking for a specific book or a nice first edition of something, don't come here. I find it's a fun bargain hunting sort of place, where you happen to find some cool things to read during your search. They have some really cheap books in the nonfiction section, and it's a good place to get some standard classics of certain kinds to go in your collection. I almost always find something to get in the sociology areas and gardening, myself.
However, the pricing is off the wall! They seem to price every edition of a title the same amount. So a battered and bruised copy and a brand new hardback will have the same price. That price won't be what the cheaper edition is worth, either. How can you justify selling a beat-up mass market paperback for $10, just because the other editions of that are new? Some of the rarer titles also command a hefty fee, for what reason I don't know. I guess some robot is in charge of this that doesn't look at the actual books.
Then again, I have found some real deals there for $.75!
They also play some really bad music over the loudspeakers sometimes, but what place doesn't these days?
I don't really shop the music or video areas, so I can't speak to those. But I like going to McKay's when I have $20 and a couple hours with nothing to do. I generally come out with a bunch of books, and feel pretty good about it most of the time. Plus, you can just head right across the street to K&S world market when you're done.
The biggest selection of books I have ever seen. If you think this place is not organized, how do you feel about Bookman on 21st? I was looking for a basic bread making book, and found a huge selection in the "cooking" aisle. There were all kinds of books from grilling, baking, wines, cheese, etc, and they were all organized by category, which I found pretty impressive given the size of the store.
There were plenty of employees buzzing around like worker bees who easily answered questions regarding authors, topics and prices.
The knock I have on them that keeps them from getting a 4th star is that the prices are higher than I expected from such a mega-giant. I saw one book that was 5 or 6 years old that had an original sales price of $6.95, but was being sold for $8. Wha?! And the PS3 games were only about $5 less than buying them new. One of the bargain locations might be the "very scratched" CD selection. If you have a CD de-scratcher you might be in luck.
Used Bookstores are only as good as the already-read collections of those who are selling to them. McKay Books makes good on a community of people with decent taste, and much to their advantage have a really huge selection. This is important since there are so many used book joints around town, even those of us who like to frequent several of them when book-shopping could easily pass 4 up and visit 4 others without coming close to seeing all the competition.
McKay has no atmosphere whatsoever, it's not that sort of place, it sort of reminds me of the furniture store on Punch Drunk Love, only filled with scatterbrained selections of barely organized books, music, and movies (but mostly books). If you have time to dig for a gold nugget, it's worth a shot.
Great place to browse. Discovered some real treats (pop-up book about country music = $14, vintage hardback book of Christmas cocktail recipes = 25 cents). I was a little afraid when I pulled into the parking lot and saw that this place was in a big-box store, but the wooden shelves make it seem more like a fun forgotten archive than a Wal-Mart. Has music (including vinyl) too, but I didn't even make it to that section.
Anyone can fill an airplane hanger with the discards of society. Where are the authors literate folks want to read ? Not here !
Neighborhood: Green Hills
Category: Bookstores
Neighborhood: Hillsboro/West End
Category: Bookstores
Nashville, TN
Category: Bookstores
Nashville, TN
Category: Bookstores
Neighborhood: Green Hills
Category: Bookstores
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