The Bookworm

I’ve been shopping here since it was a musty, twisty, winding place heading through several rooms located behind neighboring storefronts beyond the main room in the funky little plaza or micro-​mall where the driver’s license place and the best watch repairman in Boulder are. There were even books in the restroom– I loved that room even though I doubt I ever found anything I wanted in there. When they moved Cathy had taken over, her sons were no longer in Exer-​Saucers by her side and the store moved further away from musty and became more predictable; fine with me since I buy a lot more now.
Actually, «buy» is a misnomer since I rarely spend cash there. Sure, they don’t take everything brought in but they know their market, they tend to not take hardcover fiction (and probably other genre) and the condition of books matters a lot more than it does in for many used bookstores. The price is generally ½ list price and ¼ list can be expected as credit. If the book has passed through their system they will take it back for ½ that-​Somehow they seem to have an amazing ability to recognize their writing although it does help to go through your books and make sure they didn’t miss anything. (A recycler picks up books at the end of the day so it’s possible to leave what you don’t want– I sometimes keep what I know they’ll take later.) I’m not sure how they price rare books. I met a hoarder who fretted they wouldn’t give her a fair price but I challenge her to find a better price on her run of the mill «collection».
They’re always busy but have time to be friendly and helpful– I suppose to make coffee as well; the coffee bar isn’t stocked full time but customers can order at the front. There’s a smattering of new materials that require cash but not a ridiculous amount. Seating is fairly minimal but functional-​recently they lost the most comfortable chair to «an accident» but neither Cathy nor I wanted to discuss details. If you’re looking for a specific book they will tell you over the phone if they have it but won’t hold it, at least I think they won’t.
I can’t imagine not having the Bookworm around and utilizing it fully. Although there are others in Boulder County this is the one I think of first. Yes, I hear there are some that take more but I am satisfied with them, considering the selection, the ease of trading there, parking, other businesses in walking distance and the general feeling of shopping there.

Tons of books but don’t expect to get very much store credit at all. Oftentimes no credit at all. The books are not too much of a bargain. It was $ 4 for a Dr Seuss book. I would rather get books from

I have been visiting this used bookstore for years. They always have a great selection and they accept books for trade or store credit!

How have I never been in here before? I’m so glad that I finally stopped in! Good selection, and wonderful staff. Convenient location and easy parking. Didn’t do it this time. but will try consigning some books the next time. I will definitely be back!

This is a fun, welcoming and very useful place. The staff are super helpful, and keep your account going over years. (I had been abroad and went back a couple years later to find I still had a store credit in their records.) I’m so happy that when it moved, it seems to have done equally well (or better) on 28^th St. I would agree with other reviewers that it is much more extensive than it appears at first entrance or glance. Definitely make The Book Worm a stop on your book-​hunting forays in Boulder!

I walked in expecting a little bitty shop, based on its outside appearance. I first saw the café, and was surprised that they’d dedicate so much room to food. As my eyes adjusted to the indoor light I realized that the store went so far back that I couldn’t SEE the far wall. I wandered back, a bit dazed and overwhelmed, and then discovered that it not only went back, but then it turned left, and lo and behold, ANOTHER entrance! The check out counter was by this entrance.
There was a ton of fiction, with lots of duplicates. I don’t think I can randomly browse for something interesting to catch my eye the way I do at some of the local thrift shops. (the prices are a lot higher, too, so it’s unlikely I’ll be grabbing some quick reads here.) Future visits will involve me with a list of titles and subjects to search for.
I did have a specific topic in mind, journals and letters of old West pioneers. It took a while to track down the right section, but I found it and walked out with two promising titles.
They offer store credit for trade ins, but no cash. It doesn’t really matter to me because I’m a book hoarder. Rarely will a book leave my possession now that I have the room to store it!

This great store has been in Boulder for at least 20 years, and with good reason! The staff are very knowledgable and helpful, and have all of their books in a database for easy location. Excellent variety and quantity of books in very good condition.

Wow, I haven’t reviewed this place yet?
I love that we have a second hand book store in Boulder! You gotta have one or more to be a decent city/​town!!! Too bad it’s in such an unattractive location — seriously — Blockbuster and Pizza Hut as neighbors? Oh well, it’s hard to control your location if you’re a used book store…
Pros: they have used books. they have a LOT of used books. The staff knows books. They have a lot of the popular books available.
Cons: depending on what you want, they may have absolutely nothing of value to you — like travel book — barely any. The prices aren’t exactly a steal.
I brought a stack of my old books to sell back to them, got some store credit. Happier to buy there, now that I’m using store credit.

One of the best book stores in Boulder, used or new. Huge selection of books inside, great prices on both books and your trade-​ins. I love how knowledgeable the staff is of their vast selection… If you can’t find something, ask — the staff seems to know all!

I like this place. It’s great that in an age of Amazon and Kindle, we still have a wonderful used book store!

Wow, this place is huge! Lots and lots of the vintage-​y paperbacks I crave — genre fiction from the ‘60s to the ‘80s. Little café in back (or front, depending which entrance you use) too. I found a nice stack of titles I’d been looking for for awhile — mystery, horror (shelved in general fiction), and SF — so I was quite happy with the Bookworm. Altho’ like many used bookstores, you can hear some clerks talking LOUDLY over all the bookshelves. Not a big deal, but can be distracting if you’re trying to have a quiet, relaxing browse. Absolutely, the Bookworm is a must-​visit when in Boulder!

It is a fabulous used book store with great staff and a lovely ambience. I use it as my library. Get books, read books, return books, repeat.

I do love The Bookworm. Don’t be fooled by the small storefront (s), the store is huge on the inside, with wall to wall books — but nothing that you can’t reach without a small stepstool. There’s a large kids section in the back, they also have a small comic book/​graphic novel section near the front.
The organizational layout of the store seems pretty haphazard — if you’re looking for something specific, or a specific section, and can’t find it, it’s best to ask.
They also separate the mass market sized paperbacks from the different sized novels — if you can’t find something in the main stacks, it may be somewhere in the middle. Again, ask.
As an avid scifi reader, their section is one of the best. However, since scifi can often bleed over into horror, mystery, and regular fiction, sometimes what you’re looking for will be filed somewhere else. Again: ask!
The staff seems standoffish, but mostly, they’re really busy. They’re really quite eager to help.
Trading in your own books is also easy — just head up to the register and let them know that you’d like them to take a look. Like most used bookstores, the tradein rate is better for store credit than it is for cash, but if you’re there as often as I am, that’s fine.

This place is large and very well organized. The staff helped me look up an author and I am always pleased with what I get there.

I can’t go anywhere without looking for used bookstores, as my wife could attest to. I collect an old series and only lack a few copies so I’m always on the hunt.
The Bookwork is a good used bookstore, filled to the brim with lots of old stuff as well as some current stuff. It’s the kind of place I could wander for hours if I had the time.
I didn’t find anything I was looking for while here, but definitely could see coming back the next time I come up to Boulder.

Really nice used bookstore in Boulder that has stacks and stacks of books new and old. It is off 28^th in the back of a little strip mall and you could miss it if you didn’t know what you were looking for. Don’t mistake the little storefront as being a small store — it is surprisingly large inside with every category book under the sun. From a to z you will be sure to find something in here. It seems pretty organized and they have a well stocked shelves. Its a nice used book store! If you are looking for older items that are out of print, you may luck out. They have great selection, it just depends on what you are looking for!

I love The Bookworm. I have made it a point to visit used book stores anywhere I can find them, and I frequent the stores in Boulder on a regular basis. The Bookworm is my favorite. Although it looks quite small on the outside, the inside is much larger and crammed with books. They have a huge fiction section which I always spend lots of time in, but they also have a nice selection of almost every genre available. If you are looking for new and popular releases but can’t find them in the general genre sections, be sure to find the shelf located next to the South entrance. Any new release hardcover as well as any high demand releases will likely be located on that shelf. Also, they do have accept your used books, but they will only exchange them for store credit (which adds up fast!) Go. Explore.

Heaven smells like second-​hand bookstores… Well, I think so at least… Next time you want to escape from the daily grind and glitter of the city, pop into this friendly neighbourhood bookstore for a blast from the past.
The isles are crowded with books, books towering above and tucked in below bookcases. You can find just about anything you are looking for, if you wish to mosey around for a few hours wrapped in geeky delight. And you might just make a new friend or two, as you sip their very reasonably priced teas.

I love used bookstores, and the more stock the better. This was pretty impressive. I went to a few of the bookstores both in Denver and Boulder, and this was great.

Do you like books? Do you like used books? Then head on down to the Bookworm where you can get lost in their maze of books. Sometimes I get scared that I might trigger an avalanche and no one will notice, death by Kafka.
These guys have a good selection and good prices. Check’um out.