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February 2024 by Gabby H.
first things first, this bookstore is amazing. not dusty, not stale smelling, and is nicely lit. the lady at the front was kind and helpful. she escorted my 11-year-old to the kids/young adults section which was Harry Potter and just a few other selections. not much happening in the kids section, but there are many other sections that kids can enjoy like picture books/coffee table books. so, the books here are not bargain priced, at ALL. these are used books, but they are in excellent-to-unread condition, with prices that reflect their original msrp. all of the 6 books that we purchased (total cost $85 even with a "student discount" ) could have been purchased on eBay (specifically ThriftBooks) for a fraction of that cost. literally pennies on the dollar. a couple of the books weren't priced yet and the prices she wrote in on the spot seemed strategically high...like, tourist trap high. but, as tourists, the experience of browsing through these endless aisles of meticulously arranged old books for an hour was worth the cost? ehhh, not really, lol I'd suggest stepping in to browse, perhaps buy 1 book or maybe two just for the heck of it but don't do what we did and load up on these over-priced previously owned books especially if the books you choose don't already have prices written in the front cover.
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November 2023 by Linda S.
Such a disappointing experience with this store. I used to like bringing my used books here for credit. Even though their books can be quite pricey, there are times when I found what I wanted. Except the bad part? They were constantly losing my information. After the third time, when I knew I had forty dollars of in store credit, I said enough is enough. Because each time they lose your information, you lose your credit. My recommendation would be to forget about using credit as it is clear they have a draconian way of keeping track of your account, but rather, get the cash! It is never as much in cash as it is in credit. Currently I am searching for a different used book store to bring my used books to. I have given enough to this business already! Good-luck!
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June 2023 by Jennifer C.
My husband and I stopped here while vacationing on Longboat Key and we were not disappointed! We spent almost an hour browsing every shelf. It could have been longer but our meter was running out :) We weren't looking for anything specific, but I believe the very friendly staff member would have helped had we asked. I found a few amazing sci-fi paperbacks from the 60s that I read many years ago, and can't wait to dive into again! I hope to return the next time we are in the area.
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June 2023 by Rebekah Hunt
I love looking around here, I don’t think I’ve had the time to actually look through the whole store yet, there is so much to see! I love going every time I’m in downtown Sarasota. One of my favorite places for sure! ?
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February 2023 by Monica D.
Wonderful independent second-hand/antiquarian book store with an impressive collection of books across all genres and disciplines. The staff is super welcoming, and we were allowed to browse, roam, and explore the store at our leisure; and, WOW, is there a lot to explore! While we were doing our thing, two young children stopped in to look for cookbooks. The clerk was kind and helpful, and showed them to a section to browse and then left them to it. People came in and out in a decent stream, asking for this or that, and the clerk amazingly knew where to look, and even seemed to know individual titles in stock. With a bajillion books, it was a marvel to observe. Ambiance is fantastic, with stacks, alcoves and narrow aisles reminiscent of the sort of place you'd find in old London - tall and packed from floor to ceiling with volume after volume. Smells like old books and love. Nice selection of rare books and first editions, loads of paperbacks, hardbacks, obscure trade publications, and even a section of Literary Criticism that one never really sees in a brick and mortar bookstore these days. If you've got a few hours and love books and everything about them, or you're looking for something in particular, give this place a shot. Put your phone down, go inside, have a browse and support our local businesses.
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November 2022 by Sara M.
Character and heart. This bookstore has first edition books that are shelved with love. Great place to meander into and browse. And, if you have your parents or grandparents library, this is the place to leave the books you don't want to throw away and don't have the space to hold onto.
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November 2022 by Chris T.
A. Parker's is an amazing bookstore. I've been a customer since I was in college, and just visiting is like a second education. Their rare books are second to none, and their staff can find anything.
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June 2022 by Ollie Tausch
This is a sort of heaven on earth. A variety of books, from a variety of decades all affordably priced. I could spend hours just looking through the various aisles. A wonderful experience I'd recommend to any book lover.
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May 2022 by Stephanie L.
I wanted to love this bookstore but it fell absolutely short for me. I'm an avid reader and nothing is more relaxing and fun than browsing in a bookstore for an hour or so. The older books that were published years prior were beautiful to look through, however, if you're not in the market for it, I don't think this bookshop will work. The few books I came across that were newer, were priced as if you were purchasing from Amazon. I might as well buy from a new bookstore if I'm going to pay those prices. I'd get a brand new book. Nice concept though.
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April 2022 by Julie C.
I had the best experience at A. Parker's Books. Lore helped me find books in the genre I'm interested and books that I've wanted for quite some time. The customer service went above and beyond. I can't wait to go back again!
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December 2021 by Greg C.
This is an EXCELLENT used bookstore. It's very carefully curated, and organized - and for that, you'll pay a bit more than you might elsewhere. But, I came across several books that I would consider rare because they're not readily available online anywhere. The lady at the front was super helpful, if you needed her to be. She was out there looking for specific books for people, which is not something you see at most used bookstores nowadays. Everything in here was good quality, and the store was very well kept. If you didn't know better, you might think everything on the shelves is actually new! Great location, convenient in they little downtown area to walk and pop in other places for lunch/shopping. I will definitely come back, and ask about the rare books room.
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November 2021 by Stephanie Daige
Book Bazaar used bookstore is SO cool! I could go in there and just browse for hours. They have so many different categories of nonfiction books, including topics on history, geography, music, art, etc. They also have a good fiction section, classics section, some first editions, and antique-looking maps. The sales lady was very nice and helpful.
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October 2021 by Kelsey M.
A store with a lot of selection, confusing organization, and a strange, STRANGE cashier. I didn't know if she owned the place, but she had no idea where the horror was shelved (mostly in the mystery section, FYI), and she kinda bluntly told me she'd "never heard of him" when I asked if she had a certain author. I did find a book by said author, but she wasn't very helpful. And admittedly I was waiting at the register for a few while she wandered around doing other things. Great prices, bizarre staff.
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July 2021 by Peytan Winkelmann
Good prices for good condition used books
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June 2021 by Maggie M.
Nice place. Lots of books, different categories. Employee was nice and offered guidance on where to find what I wanted.
