Patten Books

I love this bookstore. I go there whenever I’m in that general area for whatever reason when I’m at home in my St. Louis house.
The bookstore itself is not really very large, but the are able to get an incredibly large inventory of books into their space. They have all different types of subjects and an incredibly large section for science fiction and fantasy which is a large part of their sales because the sci fi fans get a lot of their books here, or so I’ve been told. They have all the same subjects that you would find in one of those big box stores that are corporate owned and operated, and each other the subjects has a variety of books from hard to find to recently new editions. Sometimes, you can find a hardback edition right next to the paperback edition.
There are two sections for fiction: one is the more contemporary section and the other is «old fiction,» which has books that could be considered classics and ancient literature from the Greeks and Romans.
The atmosphere is quiet and easy going. You will never, ever feel rushed or feel like you are being forced to buy something like in those big box, corporate owned stores, and that is a huge reason that I like this bookstore so much. No… I don’t like it… I LOVE IT.
I just wish that they had a bookstore kitty, but that’s not possible because of allergies.

First time visiting Patten Books yesterday, and WOW — what a gem, right at the end of one of the most nondescript strip malls you’ll ever see! I have always been a Book House fan until they moved to Maplewood and retired the cat (great location in Maplewood, but it lacks the charm of the old Rock Hill Book House), but Patten Books is something really, really special. We picked the store for our expedition based on high reviews on Unilocal,and we couldn’t have been happier.
First, you walk in and find genuine wooden library shelves, a nice «bookish» smell (NOT like musty wet paper, which is so common in many used bookstores — even the good ones), and really nice, wholesome, normal people running the place. (I hate to say it, but there is a fair proportion of Really Strange Characters working in vintage book stores!)
So on to the selection: Patten’s doesn’t carry Everything In The World, but there is a good selection of just about every genre you can think of, including rare editions and signed books. Not a lot of duplicates unless the book is a common seller or a classic, and even then, the duplicates cater more toward customers who might prefer different edition types (paper, hardcover, vintage, reissue, etc.). As another reviewer mentioned, they seem to be pretty selective about what they purchase for the store, and that is a good thing for customers!
The prices are phenomenal. I wanted old «Best American Short Stories» collections and while they didn’t have any in stock, I found some terrific anthologies, including one published in 1896 and still in very good condition (for $ 8, I might add). Very, very pleased with my selections and with the smart, kind assistance from the proprietor. (It’s obvious that she reads!) Pretty much everything is under $ 10 unless it’s rare or had a staggering retail price when new. I’d venture to say that the prices at Patten’s are the best in town. I love this place. I would like to live there… I’d never run out of things to read!

At first glance when you step inside Patten Books you might thinks it specializes only in antique/​hardcover/​oversize used books. However, its paperback genres sections are spectacular. Horror/​SF/​mystery are crammed with good and obscure titles, and most are in quite excellent condition, even for 30-​year-​old paperbacks. Often in used bookstores old paperbacks are dismal, with cracked spines, worn/​torn covers, etc. Not at Patten! Their horror section is — or was, after I was done with it! — one of the best I’ve ever seen, not filled up with solely King/​Koontz/​Rice as so many shops are. I must have bought 30 books, many that I’d been searching for for years. The owner was friendly and overall I had a terrific experience shopping for used books in his store!

My first time here. Lots of book choices. The proprietor showed me around so I could get the lay of the land, and I was off.
I buy used paperbacks and found 22 for my reading pleasure. I always travel with my «books read» list, so I don’t buy a book I’ve already read.
Didn’t browse too much. Talked with the proprietor a bit more — enough to find that he’d look at my old «antique» books to see if he had any interest in them. And to find that I’d get about $.80/​book for my trade-​ins.
Nice, calm, quiet place.
I spent $ 86, which included tax.

Patten Books is my favorite used bookstore in St. Louis, primarily because they have a nice variety of GOOD used books for a great price. (Many of the other used bookstores in the area are either lacking in variety or quality or charge too much.)
One of the things I enjoy about Patten Books is that the owners, Ken and Nancy, are really nice people who have a love for what they’re doing. They keep the store neat and tidy, and while they’re picky about what they’ll take for trade-​in, they’ll nicely explain their reasons why. They carry both hardbacks and paperbacks in most genres, which I appreciate. Patten also has a nice selection of signed books and rare titles.
Probably my only complaint about Patten Books is the parking lot. The store is situated off the very busy Manchester Road in a shopping center where there just aren’t a lot of places to park. Their former location (which was just up the road) was superior in that regard. But fortunately, they’re worth the trouble. My wife and I often walk out with bags of books. $ 50 might get you three or four books at another store; at Patten, it will get you a lot more.
Patten is often the first stop on our «Manchester Road Book Buying Road Trip,» and it comes highly recommended.