Market Fresh Books

DO NOT SELL your books here if you are looking for a good offer. I took 11 books in good condition and got a scant $ 3.5 back. I would have done better donating them. If they sell by weight ($ 5.99 a pound??), I don’t get why they offer such a shitty value when buying. Anyway, good luck.

This review is only about selling your textbooks to them, since I haven’t purchased anything from them
I brought in 35 or so textbooks a week and a half ago, and after a very long wait (over an hour) was told that they would only offer me $ 105 for the whole lot. To give you an idea of what kind of low ball offer this is… I took just 9 of the books — the ones of broader interest — to Myopic Books in Wicker Park and was given $ 40 just for them. I just listed the rest on Amazon Marketplace, where I priced them below the minimum used sale price regardless of condition, and the total came to $ 1018. The low price on one textbook alone (low price was «acceptable condition» while mine is «like new»), was $ 95. Even after paying to have them all shipped to the Amazon Fulfillment Center, and paying all the fulfillment fees, I’ll clear at least $ 700. If I had foolishly taken their deal, these folks could have just done the same with my books. Given it only took me an hour and a half to list, pack, and ship the books, they must think their time is extremely valuable!
So, seller beware! They have a huge banner in front of their shop saying that they pay top dollar for your textbooks. This is patently false. They either need to remove that banner, or start giving fair offers. Right now, it seems to me they are no better than the predators who lurk around college campuses during finals. I expected better, since they actually have ties to the community.

I always get so excited to go inside and unfortunately often leave without finding anything remarkable, since I am a non-​fiction/​philosophy fan. However, their fiction selection is vast, and you can find pretty much any book here. And have I mentioned the books are very affordable? Worth a visit.

Awesome selection, location and knowledge of books! I highly recommend going there to stock up! You can’t beat books by the pound!

It’s…all right. Aisles are a little too cramped, but that’s a reality of surface area vs volume, and I get that. Titles are in decent shape for a used book store, though I wish they used less… adhesive stickers (I’m really OCD about stickers on my books, and getting a book with one I can’t get off drives me up a wall).
But. What really bugs me about this place? The shelving. Guys, Le Carre belongs under «L», NOT «C». Neal Stephenson’s a sci-​fi author, and belongs in the relevant section. Pileggi’s Wiseguy is true crime, not a mystery. There’s so much bad shelving in this place, and it really should be better, even for a used bookstore.

I love coming into Market Fresh Books and browsing their selection of $ 1 books — they have a great one and I often rediscover an old favorite or pick up something new.
However, their regular priced books are really, really expensive for secondhand books (I paid more than $ 6 for a pretty abused paperback the other day), and they are not generous when it comes to buying (I’ve been offered literally $ 2 – 3 for a stack of five books here).

This can be hit & miss depending on what you are looking for & if what you want is going to be in hardback or paperback. They price by the pound ($ 5) so a couple of hardbacks can add up fast — really fast! Art books are out of the questions due to weight. Some sections are better organized than others and the cds (the last time I was there) we’re not organized at all. Worth stopping in to see what you might find but be ready for sticker shock.

This place was so cool! Great deals, and I found two hard-​to-​find books that I’ve been looking forever for.

I have $ 6 left on account at Market Fresh. After spending it, I doubt that I will be frequenting much anymore. I’ve been a regular buyer and seller with this store for several years now. They’ve never paid all that well for books, but it was enough on trade that I would from time to time take advantage of the opportunity to unload a few books I wasn’t going to read again, and pick up a book or three in return. I’ve generally had running credit to spend for the past few years now.
Suddenly, Market Fresh seems to have dramatically reduced what they pay for books. I’ve gotten to a point where I have a decent idea of what they will give me for a bag of books. As I said, it’s never been a lot. Past sales of a full grocery bag would usually net me about $ 7 to $ 10 on trade (½ that for cash). But today they offered me $ 2 for a full paper grocery bag of books. These books weren’t trash. There might have been some duds that they would have to discount, but there were definitely some winners in there too. In fact, I’d say it was one of the better bags I’ve offered them. $ 2 was the TRADE value they gave me. If I wanted cash, it was only $ 1.
There are several used bookstores in town. There is really no reason I need to go to this one in particular. After today’s insult, I don’t think I will be anymore.

This store is good if you have time to kill and want to browse. It’s roughly set up into sections by genre and type with a small selection of DVDs and games in the back. I’ve found some great old books hidden here (such as a Hawaiian cookbook from the 1940s) but it definitely might feel overwhelming here at first. The inventory changes quite often so if you see something that you want you might want to buy it!
They charge for books by the pound so keep that in mind as you shop. I find that particular for paperbacks is a good value here! The staff is also really nice

Interesting selection of books crammed into a small space. I usually find something I like there, but when I went a couple of years ago, it seemed like you could get more for «a pound» than now. I hope their scales aren’t fixed, it’s hard to tell from the other side of the counter. All in all, a unique little place to explore.

Like most used book stores, this one is kind of hit or miss in terms of finding something good and in good condition. When they first opened, the books were just piled everywhere without any thought given to organization, but since then they’ve gotten everything sorted by category, and some of the shelves are even alphabetized by author.
It’s a nice place to browse, but if you’re looking for a specific book you’re probably better off going across the street to Barnes and Noble. They don’t have any kind of record of their inventory, and the staff aren’t very helpful in terms of finding something specific (the most they do is point you toward the category you’re looking for). They do usually have several copies of best-​sellers a couple months after they come out. They also have a very large selection of CDs, usually for $ 1 each.
The whole pay-​by-​the-​pound thing sounds like a really neat concept until you realize that books are pretty heavy, so you’re generally not getting as good a deal as you would on, say, eBay. The one exception to this are children’s books, which are usually very expensive at bookstores, but don’t weigh a lot, so they’re cheap here.

I love used book stores for all the reasons everybody else does. This place has good selections and prices. … Maybe that’s why selling is such a hassle?
SELLING here is not a joy. They don’t post hours for when buyers are in the story. Often you have to drop off your books and come back later – which is not convenient, whether you drive, bike, or take the el. There’s also not an easy way to get in touch with the store/​buyers while you’re waiting on your books to be prices.
Dear Market Fresh, Please teach ALL of your employees to buy books, or at least post your buying hours. Small business should offer increased relationships and communication, not shoddy ones.

I have now experienced Market Fresh Books as both a buyer and a seller, so I have a more complete idea of how this place works:
Buyer: I always really enjoy coming and poking around to see what’s there. Yes, it’s a bit cluttered and musty. But what does one really expect from used books? If you’re willing to wait a couple weeks, new books usually show up there pretty fast. If you have to read a book when it first comes out, this isn’t the place for you. For me, I’m fine with waiting a little to get it at a much lower price. The downside — if you’re buying a hardcover or a really thick paperback, I’ve thought to myself a few times «hm, for like an extra dollar I probably could have gotten it new and then wouldn’t have to deal with someone else’s germs.» I’m not a germophobe, but if it’s only an extra dollar to buy it new after the book is weighed, why not just buy it new? I’ve heard that the per pound price has gone up even more, so at some point the prices might actually go up above new book prices.
Seller: I read a bunch of reviews before selling, and some were extremely negative. So, before I went to sell I looked up all my books on Amazon and listed some to sell, and did some as trade-​ins. When I was done, I had two boxes of books that I really just didn’t think had any value. What did I get? They offered me $ 4 cash or $ 8 in store credit. I took the cash. So, the bottom line is if you want decent money for your books, this is not the place for you. If you have books you can’t sell anywhere else and you’d be happy with something better than zero, then by all means take them here.
Overall, I’m a little disappointed by this place, but I wish them the best of luck with their business. I can’t imagine trying to make the numbers on a used book store work out.

Used books priced by the pound: a legendary idea!
This is a much better and more interesting place to frequent than the Barnes & Nobles down the street!
The selection is varied, though you’ll find some gems. Mostly older textbooks or the types of books that’d be required reading in school (possibly the run-​off from Northwestern Univ. students selling at the semester’s end?)
Street parking (metered until 9:00 p.m.) on Sherman Ave
[Out-​of-​towners with time to venture further into Chicago:
— For a larger selection of used books, try Myopic Books. Three floors bursting at the seams with books galore!
— For an independent bookstore stocked to the brim with hip, crisp, new books hot off the presses, try City Lit Books.]

There are not many things I enjoy buying by the pound.
I don’t do vegetables.
I don’t do fruit.
Whole foods bulk department gives me hives.
I don’t mind the scoop your own litter deal that petco offers but am trying to avoid places that remind me of my single status are not good for my mental health.
So, when I walked into Market Fresh Books I was understandably a little skeptical. Books by the pound? I mean, I love reading and buy many more books than I’ll ever be able to read but what kind of wizardy places sell books by the pound? Is this an Ann Coulter disposal site? What is this!!!
well, it turns out the MFB is wizardy (in the best way possible) and isn’t an Ann Coulter disposal site, so you come on in!
So what kind of selection does a by the lb bookstore offer? Erm… surprisingly good! I managed to snag some classics I’d been lusting after AND saw a pretty good selection of newish books (hello Chuck Palahniuk) that I actually would pay a lot more for. Also, there is a pretty legit selection of textbooks so there’s that.
On top of that, the store is organized by section and all the sections are alphabetized. I came in knowing what I was looking for and found out within minutes if the store carried those books. Unfortunately, Market Fresh didn’t have the exact books I was looking for but I was only a few minutes out and in that time I found a few books that I had forgotten I wanted to buy.
With the exception of specifically marked books, any of the books fall under the 5.99 a pound category. Very reasonable.
If you’re headed over to the nearby BN searching for a book or are looking to pick up a few interesting books you’ll probably never get around to reading (hello Atlas Shrugged) than Market Fresh Books is the place for you.
I’m pretty positive you’ll find something you like.
I’m also little sad it’s not longer an Uncle Dan’s but I have since recovered.

I put this review under the other listing for Market Fresh Books, but I’m placing my posting from ¹⁰⁄₂₀₁₃ here as well. I will be filing a complaint with the Better Business Bureau, since they have not responded:
Beware of this establishment if you are coming here to sell your books. I dropped off a large box of books (30) that were primarily textbooks and very new books with no marks. They proceeded, in a very delayed fashion, to offer me next to nothing for the books with absolutely no explanation. I asked for an explanation and was again greeted with a long wait time. When I came in to pick them up, I was told they had been processed even though I specifically said that I did not want to sell my books to them. Yes, that’s right, they took my books without my consent.
Now, I understand they are a small business in a tough market, but they need to treat their customers with dignity and care. This issue has yet to be resolved and so out of respect for small businesses everywhere, I will update my review when/​if it does get resolved.

I sure as heck keep forgetting to write about this place. And since I’ve been here numerous times already, in however long it’s been (2 – 3 years?) since it opened. Sheesh, what’s with me?
Every so often, I’ve found decent items here that are either on sale, or (more often the latter for me) on clearance, such as loose CDs. However, I have to say the pricing by whatever price they set per pound for that category has frustrated me, since I realized the price I would’ve had to pay would’ve cost a little more than I was willing to pay for that book. Just in case for any Unilocal users and visitors who don’t know, you can actually weigh your books before making a purchase btw. No employees here have ever batted an eye, when I’ve asked before a possible book purchase to determine the cost of purchasing one or more books via its weight.
OTOH though (was true the last time I was at this store on a Saturday night a few months back, and dunno if it’s still the case now), I was a little surprised they stayed open till 11pm, so points for doing that. IIRC, they normally close at 10pm on other nights. I just wish more often, this store did sales of their various categories where pricing is based on weight, since I’d be more encouraged to make book purchases here if they did that.

Market Fresh Books operates under a really cute idea where instead of basing the price of their books on condition, or popularity, or title, they’re priced on one thing: Weight. Just like if you were to buy goods at a fresh produce market.
I think calling the place ‘Paperback Deli’ is a little cutre and far more catchy than ‘Market Fresh Books’, but whatever. It’s not my store and I guess, technically, my store name would be a lie since they also have hardcover books, and dvds, and some music, etc, but you could say that market ‘fresh’ would is just as much of a lie since the books are all used.
I came here just looking to explore. I’m not really hip to the times as far as books and titles are concerned. Same thing goes for current news events, and lately pop culture. Totally did not know that Kim Kardashian was even pregnant until a week after she apparently had her baby and I *just* found out today who Edward Snowden was — I, mean, I felt like I’d heard that name flying around Facebook, but I definitely thought people were talking about a character from Game of Thrones.
I know. I know. I need to get with the program, and I swear there was a time where I was pretty up-​to-​date on most popular current affairs/​trends, but then I moved from a place that got a newspaper delivered everyday and realized that I could no longer afford cable, and that just don’t have the patience for television and radio with commercials, so I kind of inadvertently cut myself off. I know there’s still the magic of the internet, but I’m VERY easily distracted by cute animal videos so it’s rare that even when I do make it to a news site, that I’m not drawn into a cascade of sidebar «news» features that involve a cat dressed as a shark riding a Roomba.
So anyway, this shop was a really fun treat for someone like me who is as obviously easily distracted as I am and doesn’t walk into a book store with any kind of idea of what sort of book she wants.
There’s very, VERY roughly ‘organized’ shelves of books throughout the store, but overall, it’s pretty difficult to find any too specific. I had fun choosing my books in a kind of spin the bottle manner where I just spin around, and whatever way I’m facing when I stop moving, I just go forward and explore and I can usually find something interesting no matter where I’ve landed. I realize that most people don’t prefer to browse for books like that, but I feel like there’s plenty of people would also appreciate the thrill of the hunt, and that’s exactly what you’ll get here.
The shelves are pretty messy, they give a f*ck about alphabetical order, and the categories sometimes don’t really seem to fit the book, so if you’re anal about order, this will definitely not be the place for you. But you can get some really great deals on lightweight books, but you’ll definitely get bent over on the thick, ones. …and You can file that last bit under ‘Erotica’, of which they have a pretty decent selection here.

This place needs your support! All used bookstores need your support!
This place is a godsend– if you come from a place that DOES NOT have stores like this– buying books is REALLY expensive, especially if your kid reads 1 a day! We paid $ 19 for 7 books, normally I have to pay that for just ONE HARDCOVER at B&N???
I am sure working there is no picnic (ie: WHERE ARE THE PRICES? — «they are by the pound», BY THE POUND? NEVER HEARD OF THAT? «yeah” — oh grueling customers!!!)
but from what i saw– — - you just sit, weigh books and collect the cash– how hard is that? ;/​
1. If you are selling, just bring back what you bought and you will be happy– this is not a gold mine for sellers.
2. PAPERBACKS ARE THE WAY TO GO! (lots of em, and they weigh less)
3. VINYL (‘nuf said)
4. Late hours and easy to find.
5. LOTS of kiddie books
6. Books in good condition.