Fair’s Fair Books

This place is a total scam if you want to sell any used books! I brought in mint condition best selling books (that I bought and read once only), some are selling at Indigo (some still on the recommended shelf even) and they gave me $ 1.00 for them. They will turn around and sell them for $ 12 – 16 and make a profit margin of between 1200 — 1400%. This is INSANE??? How they get away with this is beyond me, but i will never step foot into this dump again. I will donate my books before making money for some asshole.

Our favourite place to go find books or just browse. Staff are friendly and well oriented. Store is clean and there is very little of that used book smell.

There’s a really wide selection of well-​priced used books here, and I could honestly spend hours upon hours just looking through the shelves (as well as taking in that old-​book smell that I miss). I wasn’t greeted or acknowledged at all in the store until I finally headed to the checkout, but personally I find that I don’t need a lot of catered attention in a book store because it’s the type of place I’d like to be left to my own devices, lest I need some assistance finding anything. As a slow browser, constant attention makes me feel as if I’m being watched for stealing, so I appreciated the quiet and space as I took my time. The staff are definitely friendly enough – I even lost something in the store without realizing and it was found & returned to me by a member of staff within minutes.
Anyways, what’s most important here are the books, and there are plenty of them. They’re all organized quite clearly and effectively so you can find what will interest you with ease. My friend managed to scratch his itch for sci-​fi and fantasy, whilst I took my time around the classics and foreign languages section and even had some good memories looking over all the old 90’s kids’ books in the children’s section. If you’re planning to come and just browse to your heart’s content, do make plenty of time in your day to have a leisurely look (there’s also a well-​maintained washroom at the back for you hardcore shelf wanderers). You just might walk out with more than you thought!

This is may the most business-​like used bookstore in Calgary, friendly people too. They are getting too picky about what they take in trade, and you still have to pay cash instead of just your trade credit. They do not give you as much credit as they used to.

Nice place for used books and Christmas gifts! Not nice to see them giving tickets to less fortunate people using the services next door. That’s not very fair.

My favourite bookstore in Calgary for sure. It used to be Shelf LIfe books but I think Fair’s Fair takes it after my last experience there.
I picked up a couple of collectible photography books that I hope will appreciate over time. The guys were pretty nice about knocking off a few bucks. They also have a huge selection of titles and nice tables and chairs to use if you just want to sit and read. … they also leave you alone to browse.

I had about two boxes of books that i wanted to sell and i needed some cash, so i was glad to hear that this bookstore does cash trades (only 3 of their locations do it). They only took about 10 books and I got $ 13 for them. I wish I could have received more for them but I just wanted them gone. The rest of the books, which were in good-​great condition and popular titles weren’t grabbed.

I enjoy my experiences with all the Fair’s Fair locations — the database is an excellent tool to finding books I want, and the customer loyalty program is a great incentive to make me keep coming back. The selection of books is also terrific, and I always find a lot of volumes of interest to me, even though my field of interest is narrow (in particular, military history). I am rating this store a 3 rather than the 4 I gave the others as I agree with another reviewer on the customer experience related to the staff — this is a very minor concern here. I actually like that the staff is non-​intrusive, and the store is nice and quiet and you are able to browse. Another concern though is the ability to reach some of the higher shelves; more stools/​ladders might be convenient for customers. The location itself is actually kind of cool, walking into the basement is an experience in itself, brings back memories of older times. I recall vividly a used book store my parents took me to in the 1970s in Kensington, in a building demolished decades ago, that I am reminded of every time I go in. Shopping in a store like this one seems almost like a rite of passage every urban dweller needs to experience.

Far better than expected and a new hidden gem to me.
I have literally walked or drove by this place a million times and thought «what is in there?», «who goes in there?» and «does it smell funny?». Well today waste day. I need a travel guide for Chicago (thanks for the sale Westjet) and recalled this random book store-​so why not, we went in. Much to my surprise, it’s quite big, very well stocked, EXTREMELY ORGANIZED and the staff were very friendly. I also discovered a huge cookbook section that requires my attention in the near future. Unfortunately, they did not have anything for my Chicago needs but turns out it doesn’t smell at all. I highly suggest this store anyone needing a book (it’s what they do well:).
April challenge ²¹⁄₃₀

I’m a huge fan of Fair’s Fair from a few perspectives…
I love the concept of reuse and recycle…
I love the fact you can bring back books for cash or store credit.
I love the selection of books. This store is absolutely HUGE! Whats also cool, is they are picky about what books they take in. They have to be in good shape, and books that they are confident they can sell. So, as a customer, i dont have to wade through crap to find a hidden gem. They are all gems.
So… Why 3 stars?
A few of the staff at this location should not be in the customer service business.
I frequent all Fairs Fair locations, and this is unique to this location.
Will I be back? Definately — I love the store. However, In difference situations, i have witnessed staff members being short with both staff members and customers. It has been more than once. I think they need to do some staff changes there, if everyone cant get along.
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Books are a huge part of my life, and Fair’s Fair has become the number one contributor to my habit. I’ve been to every location, but — due to the immense size and selection — tend to frequent the Inglewood location quite often.
Stopping into the Fair’s Fair is one of my most preferred day-​off activities. A trip through historic Inglewood for lunch at the Hose and Hound, a wander through the DaDe gallery and a visit to Fair’s Fair is the perfect weekday or weekend activity to wind down while doing something creative and valuable.
Fair’s Fair has an excellent selection of used books for reasonable prices, including a few surprisingly rare or hard-​to-​find copies that any avid book lover would covet for their collection. For the most part, the staff are friendly and knowledgeable, and always willing to check the inter-​store catalogue to help you find the book you’re looking for.
If you’re in search of a good read, stop by Fair’s Fair for pre-​loved books and save a few dollars — and a few trees.

Though there are a handful of locations of Fair’s Fair for Booklovers’ stores all throughout Calgary, this one located at the ‘beginning of Inglewood’ is by far the largest. There is every book & magazine imaginable (or, so it seems). I noticed there are even a few imported from England, and I marvelled that they even have the 1947 issues of the New Yorker. I would say this is more than your typical ‘consignment bookstore’, since they offer gift certificates and even have a rewards program where you can get free books for every allotted number of visits (I think it’s 6, but you’d like to double-​check with the clerk).
People looking for discontinued books: this is the store for you ;)

Located right at the entrance to Inglewood from downtown, this warehouse sized Fair’s Fair location is one of the most extensive in the city. It is larger than both the Heritage location and the one on 17^th Ave, and the selection here is admirable. This was the location where I dropped off childhood favorites like the entire Goosebumps series, along with several dozen other books, and received a store credit of $ 16. Probably not quite up to their name, but then I guess fair is fair when you are giving away Goosebumps. The parking lot is miniscule and hard to navigate so be careful.