Rainbow Books & Records

went by today and there is a sign «Out of Business». Looks like they are closed

I’m giving this place 3 stars, due to the smallness of the store. I am thoroughly spoiled from going to an amazing used bookstore in Texas that you could get lost in.
I was a little put off by the dirty magazine/​movie section, but happy at the 50% off sale on certain types of books.
A good place to visit when walking around town, but not a place I would stay in for hours.

This is a little gem that somehow seems «tucked away» even though it’s right there on University. It’s cozy, that is, small with lots ‘o stuff packing the shelves and stacked on the floor.
From cooking, poetry, political and Hawaiiana books, to textbooks and dirty magazines, they do have a rather complete selection. Of course, they’ve also got a decent selection of dvds and yeah, CDs. They have sales every so often, just sign yourself up for their email list next time you’re in there. Usually it’s 20% off the entire inventory, recently they had a massive 50% off most of the books!
A few of the employees are friendly and chatty. And they usually have some interesting tunes playing in the background that I find myself tappin my foot away to, or needing to find out the details of.
It’s a fun place to browse around if you’re bumming it in the area late at night. I wish we had a few more used bookstores what would keep later hours. But for now, Rainbows is that place.
By the way, don’t use visiting Rainbows and expanding your intellectual horizons as an excuse to also get your mochi ice cream on at Bubbie’s.

Whoa! How have I not gone here sooner?! Last night I was a little bored around 9pm and so I thought I’d go kill some time and walk over to Rainbow to check out the selection. For a used bookstore, there’s a pretty swell selection. There were a lot of titles I have been wanting to check out or intending to read. But you just gotta get thru the crazy stacks of books, no real system except being sorted alphabetically… sort of.
The horror, literature, best sellers, and romance were all 50% off so I ended up buying three books and only spending $ 9:50!
That’s what’s up!

We all know the saying: «Don’t judge a book by its cover.»
And that’s exactly what one should do when visiting Rainbow Books. I was surprised to find a national bestseller hardcover copy at this store for half the price (Freakonomics). I was even more ecstatic to learn that I could redeem my bookstore textbook rejects for cash at Rainbow Books!
Located across the street from Puck’s Alley on University Avenue, Rainbow Books is a locally-​owned bookstore that sells and buys everything from books to records to DVDs to those VHS video tapes sitting in your garage collecting dust.
Seriously, stick it to Barnes & Noble and shop at Rainbow Books when searching for books to add to your summer reading list. You’ll end up saving a great deal of money!

I gave this place 5 stars BECAUSE OF WENDY’s great customer service… I went in looking for 3 things… only got 1 today, but Wendy will call if the other items show up… Wendy was so helpful making suggestions and helping me search for what I want… She’s so pleasant and thoughtful… What I do need to get is her work schedule so I’ll know when to go in!!!

I love a good used bookstore, and Rainbow qualifies as one. Books galore! Stacks and piles all over the floor and on the shelves. Probably what my house would look like in a few years if I kept all my books. You really gotta hunt here for stuff, but I always find something interesting: radical histories of Spain, the Tales of the City books, Richard Brautigan and Henry Miller novels, a book on Midnight Movies have been my recent finds. Plus they have a small selection of vinyl, mainly a lot bad 70’s soul and disco, Barry Manilow and other soft rock, but I do find a lot of real basic stuff like Prince and Stevie Wonder, and even found a Montrose record. The only thing is if you wanna look at history books or Japanese literature, you gotta go down the aisle where the notorious Steamroom is. You try and flip through a Che Guevara biography at the same time as some old perv is flipping through a vintage issue of Hustler, covering his chubby with a video case. GROSS. Also, they’re very selective with their buybacks on books, so don’t be disappointed if they don’t buy your old cookbooks, romance novels and complete series of Nancy Drew novels. They’re just a local business trying to move product! But anyway, love Rainbow and I try to go often and hunt for good finds.

Fantastic! Everything a used bookstore should be.
It’s a little dusty, with stacks of books, magazines, DVDs, and CDs in random places. There are several long aisles stacked to the ceiling with books arranged by category. Old, new, in-between…textbooks, fantasy, nonfiction, porn, mystery, children’s…they’ve got some of everything!
And CHEAP, too. I saw a modern Kodansha book on Japanese grammar that’s usally $ 45 for $ 22. If you’re looking for something for cheaper and this place is close, you’d do well to check here, no matter its publication date. If you’re not looking for anything in particular — even better!
This is now my fave postcard and I-​wanna-​read-​something go-​to spot.

I gave this place a one star because of customer service. I can’t stand poor customer service. I went in there with a huge stack of books to sell and the guy working there wouldn’t even acknowledge me. Finally when I got him to get up from his chair and thumb through my books he made it very apparent he was annoyed to be bothered at work. I took in some very new travel books (printed in January 2009 or after) that were in great condition and he offered me a $ 1 a book. Sorry, but without him looking up the price or offering an explanation as to where he came up with that number I was slightly annoyed and left without selling my books to him.
As far as the selection of books goes it’s great. You can spend lots of time in there hunting for books and quite possibly find a great one. Just don’t go into either location (I’ve been to both and got the same thing) thinking that they appreciate you as a customer or value your business. Their attitude of «I can’t believe you have the nerve to bother me at work» attitude is just disgusting.

Great place to find hidden treasures. If you want a book store that is clean and orderly this is not that place for you. It is cramped and overstuffed with books, cd’s, dvd’s, comics, lp’s, I think you get me drift. Huge selection of Hawaiian literature and since it’s close to UH a lot of used textbooks. Also a strangely large section of «adult» themed merchandise also. A really small parking lot so you might need to park somewhere else. They take credit cards which was a huge plus for me. I was a little disappointed they didn’t have more REALLY old books but other than that I really liked it.

I’m going to confess.
Though I don’t do it as much as I should, I don’t support local merchants when I purchase a book. Tsk tsk.
Now that I’ve got that off my chest, let’s get down to bidness.
This place is awesome for off-​the-​beaten-​track books on all topics. They also have a pretty good selection of used CDs (if you are into 90s retro stuff). Also, if you are into «all things adult» you can find some of those sorts of books and magazine here too.
It’s cramped and filled with charm.
Don’t half step. If you go at lunch time the parking lot is going to be CRAZY!

If you’re not into piles of loosely organized books and «pardon me» narrow aisles, this place probably isn’t for you. I’m a big fan, however — allow serendipity (and some dedicated searching) to guide you. I needed something to read on the way home from HI and found a decent/​cheap paperback easily. I’m glad I went, but it’s not something worth making the trip for if you’re just visiting Honolulu.

Great prices on books. Lots of CDs & DVDs too.
As previous posters indicated, you’ll hafta step over/​around books spilling into the aisles & around unpacked boxes of books. If you’re claustrophobic or an anthropophobe – this is not a place you wanna be. You’d panic just standing outside, checkin out the door, which subtlety suggests clutter by the signs that don’t permit you to peer through the window clearly.
The literature section is a limited to 2 bookcases & the cookbook section is filled with cookbooks from the 70s & 80s. But, if you’re in the mood for ‘steam’, they have a pretty good selection near the business & sociology cases – LOL!

This tiny closet of a space is perfect for a university district. Its located near in the same building as Bubbie’s (famous Hawai’i ice cream parlor) near some bars and cute restaurants on the other side of the freeway from UH Manoa. They’re crammed with used books and secondhand CDs and vinyl. Is «secondhand vinyl» redundant?
This place has an outdated selection, but you can find some really interesting books for pretty cheap. Organization isn’t great. Actually its pretty shitty, but I think part of the allure of bargain hunting is the hunting part.
I got a good on juicing (like fruit juicing, not roid juicing) for $ 5.
The sections are nicely categorized and partitioned. AND there’s a «STEAMROOM» section with DVDs and vintage magazines. Giggady giggady. I picked up some 80’s porno. I hope its not marked. Just don’t hold a black light over it.
I didn’t really check out the music. Not good to get started. Plus I was buzzing. And when I buzz, I buy things without restraint or shame. Hence the porno …
Parking is limited.

Limited selections on cds and records, mostly used stuff. Unorganized and felt like I was in an old pack rat’s apartment. (ahaha) Very cramped and smelled like moth balls.