Beat Book Shop

Just witnessed some homely old man in a pink shirt and a ponytail that works there yell at some toddlers for playing near that crappy, stinky bookshop. I would never patronize that business seeing how hateful and terrible that employee/​owner was to those children. Disgusting.

Since I travel quite a bit, I try to get a vinyl record from every state I visit. My partner & I went to Denver for a week, and visited Boulder, where we saw this shop in the «downtown» area. The second we walked in, the owner didn’t even bother greeting us. As soon as I even touched the stacks of vinyls, he then made his presence known, and rudely (& loudly) told me to be more gentle with them, even though I was barely touching them with my fingertips.
When I was looking through the stacks, I commented to my partner about how I liked Andrew Lloyd Webber (after finding J.C. Superstar), to which she said she preferred Steven Sondheim. At this point, the owner decided to rudely insert himself between us and into our conversation, hovering directly over my partner’s back (while she was looking through the stacks on the floor) & stating «It’s easier to like A. L. Webber when one isn’t a musician, or have any musical background.» To which I replied that I was actually a trumpet player of almost 9 years, and a drummer for two years. At this, he was silent and walked away from us for a few minutes.
My partner eventually found a record that she liked, and proceeded to pay him for it in cash at the register. At this point, I was carrying a postcard featuring the Colorado mountains on it that I had bought at a gift shop a few blocks down. He looked at the postcard and asked me if I had come in with it. When I replied to him that I had, he looked at me and said, «Are you Sure you came in with it?» and looked at me as if I was lying and stole the postcard, even though I had searched around the entire store (it’s not that big) and saw clearly that that specific postcard was nowhere in his store. Overall, this man was VERY rude to us and had no concept whatsoever of personal space. I would not go back there again, even if I lived in the area.

One of the worst experiences I have ever had in any store. The pretentious ass of an owner seems bound and determined to run off any potential patrons by hovering over them and making them feel incompetent and unwanted. He’s very shifty and paranoid about anyone who dares to enter his store. His merchandise is largely old, used, and mediocre. I do not recommend!

WOW! I have never felt so insulted by a shopkeeper before in my life, and for no reason. My husband and two out-​of-​town guests visited Beat Book Shop and all of us left feeling horribly offended. I picked up a couple of old paperbacks by a local author and asked the price. Shopkeeper told me the they were priced as originally marked ($ 12 or so). I thanked him and returned the books to the shelf where I’d found them. He then began shaming me for putting them back, going off about how they were first editions by a LOCAL author and he’d bought them PERSONALLY from the author and they were NOT used books, yada, yada.
«Well, I just can’t afford them.» I explained. Wrong answer! Then he was off on another tirade about how if I had managed to make it to Boulder, I could afford them. And since I was standing there with shoes and a purse (FYI both gifts) I could afford them. WOW! This guy REALLY knows me and should judge my financial situation…
Then he proceeded to tattle on our guests (they’d since left the store) «Do you know what your friend did? She took a book out of a BOXED SET and had the gall to ask how much it was!» That was about all I could take, I left without a word. Our friends told us they were pretty sure that they «boxed set» was of books that didn’t even belong to the same series and it wasn’t even a full box — not exactly identifiable as a boxed set.

No Food Allowed in the VIntage Section.
This is a cool book store in Boulder. The Owner is very friendly and has cool stories to tell.
They have a great selection of Books and vinyl.

Really like the new location of Beat Book Shop! Stone walls, lots more space, and even more book treasures to find in this Pearl and Broadway bohemian basement.
And if you have the time, sit for a moment and talk with the owner, a walking wealth of memories about writers – those who are still walking around on earth and the disembodied ones as well. Seriously, Thom is a fascinating man to talk to.
When touching the books remember to be gentle with them. Some are collector’s items and no book benefits from improper bending back of the binding.
And please do take the time to check out the Poetry Reading sponsored by the Beat Book Shop every Monday night at the Laughing Goat which is just about 5 blocks east on Pearl St. 8pm.