Countermedia

This is the only place I've seen with this many reviews and a perfect five stars.

Smutttt.

Vintage porn mags for $1.  Yesss.

I've been waiting my whole life to find this place. It's everything I love crammed into a tiny venue.

Vintage porn (and new porn of every variety), and books covering conspiracy theories, drugs, sex, rock and roll, every imaginable photo subject, anarchy, politics, et al.

My very favorite things here, though, is the fact that the guy who owns the place has left little cards in certain books (at the front) that say "if you fuck up this book, I will hurt you. I'm not afraid to go to jail." Or something like that that. It always seems to be the books that I pick up, too, which means the guy has good taste. The owner is beyond laid back and his dog (who roams freely about the store and on the sidewalk) is cute as hell.

I mean, really, get yourself to this place immediately (just across the street from the behemoth known as Powell's) and give the man some money. I'm pretty sure that everything in there is worth buying. Just leave me my book of old crime scene photos.

In the interest of total disclosure, I should mention that I have, from time to time, worked behind the  cash register at CounterMedia.  I don't work there regularly now (just when they're in dire need), but I was a longtime customer before I ever became an employee.

CounterMedia is an amazing book store.  It has to be, it's literally less than a block from Powell's -- widely considered the best bookstore in the country -- if it weren't truly excellent, there's no way it would stay in business.

The reason the store is so amazing?  It has the absolute best collection of counter-culture literature available.  Books on drugs, tattoos, piercings, conspiracy theories, anime, circus freaks, extreme political commentary, underground comics, and just general weirdness.
It also has what I like to call, an "equal opportunity" smut section.  There are books on all manner of fetish available there, homosexual, heterosexual, voyeuristic, rubber, etc.  I can't imagine that open-minded people would be unable to find something appealing to them there.
Even for non-smut readers, there's plenty to like.

Perhaps best of all, considering the morally questionable nature of the inventory, the store still feels decidedly unthreatening.  Charlie, the friendly owner insists on playing old school jazz in the shop, lending it a quaint, warm feeling.  Customers are made to feel comfortable, despite the fact that they might be buying something which (in certain company) might be considered embarrassing.

If you want proof of just how much amazing literature there is in the store, I worked there every week, just for store credit.  I never ran out of things to buy, and I only bought 1 or two things from the smut section -- one was a book of naked french rugby players which I gave as a gift for my mum, and the other, a book of pot smoking naked girls for my then housemate -- truly, this is a "must-visit" store.

There are a lot of interesting and beautiful books at Countermedia.  

For me the place loses one star for all those notes saying that if you hurt the book the owner is going to take you outside and break your tibia and fibula, though.  I personally feel more relaxed inside businesses where the owner isn't going to kick my ass.

The hubby and I were walking the streets after coming from Powell's when we chanced upon countermedia.  A surprisingly naughty but tasteful(really, it was!) book store that sells vintage erotica/porn, fetish,conspiracy theories, circus freaks, political commentary, comic books..AND a children's section. And I don't mean your'Mary had a little lamb' children's section. It seems these books are for a different kind of child..like one my hubby and I would most likely produce.  

We were in a slight hurry so we weren't able to stay long. I'd love to have been able to check everything out and bought a few books. Very interesting store that you don't want to miss if you're looking for something different.

The books Powells doesn't want you to read.

Vintage fun awaits you inside the doors of Countermedia. To much to buy and not enough time to read it all.

The downstairs has a naughty section that is to cute to be dirty.

Rare hard to find books and friendly staff. They actually had a book I couldn't find at Powells, no sorry make that two, wait a second actually I think I bought about 5 books there I couldn't find at Powells.

Yep, I will be back.

Not safe for genderqueer/trans* folks, apparently?

Man, I really wanted to like this place. They had an awesome selection of books and it seemed really inviting. After politely asking behind the counter if they had anything on gender I was immediately belittled and patronized, out of nowhere, without any provocation. They apparently had no idea what I was talking about and let me know that I was not making sense. "What do you mean gender? You're not making sense? I have no idea how to help you. There's male and female, what else do you want?" After laughing and pointing me to 'tranny porn', as they put it, I silently started walking out. They still felt the need to call after me (again, without provocation) that "there's only two genders as far as I'm concerned." as I left the door.

I'm genderqueer, and don't always follow social norms, which has never really been a problem in Portland. I COMPLETLEY understand that not everyone knows much about gender studies and alternative lifestyles. But all they had to do was say no. Or - I'm sorry, wrong store. It was one of the most triggering and rudest exchanges I've ever had in Portland proper, where I thought an HRC Equality sticker on the window meant I was at least safe to ask a question. My mistake, apparently. I forgot that sometimes in Portland it's LGB with T and Q *sometimes* tacked on the end when convenient. Ugh. Now I know. This exchange ruined my entire day, and I really did like the books they had to offer.

This store is exactly what it says it is, Countermedia.  This is where you'll find the black market side of the alternative publishing world.  The old porn/new porn, books on counter culture, drugs, fantasy/role play type of books are endless in this tiny little book shop.  If that's your thing check it out.  I am a fan because I am a fan of counter culture/anti-establishment and I love little independent stores like this that survive the mega-superstores.

This is a great place to find all the smutty litterature as well as smutty how to, smutty porn old and new, kinky, non kinky and quirky smutty smuttness. There is a cute little dog to keep you company as you peruse this small shop filled with everything you could ever want and also had no idea you wanted. I found everything from a vintage NFS paperback collection with titles such as any snatch will do with a cover photo to match to a hardback book of pussy portraits. left page the womans face - right the woman"s naked flowers. The have an impressive collection of books to say the least. I wish we had something like this in Seattle. I would trade Babe's in Toyland anyday for this store. Yes, I know and really I would.

Love. This. Place. The front room's only so impressive, but for smut nerds the back room is everything that could be asked for.