Bargain Books

Oh. My. Word. This store is perfection. It’s a book lovers dream. A little background about me: I’ve always loved reading, I just graduated with a degree in English, I own about 500 books, and I’ve spent about five years searching for the perfect bookstore. Then I found bargain books. Like I said, this bookstore is perfect. I still go to other bookstores (because I have no self control), but nothing has ever surpassed this store.
It’s a tiny little store, but it is packed with books. Each shelf has two rows of books, so when you pull a book off of the shelf, there are more books behind it — utterly delightful. I’ve spent many a glorious hours browsing through the literature section.
In spite of the huge selection, everything is surprisingly organized — the books are divided by genre and then organized alphabetically. If nothing else, the owners generally know whether they have the book you are looking for or not. So don’t let the double rows deter you — you can still find specific books if you aren’t in the mood to browse.
The selection is to die for. In addition to the standard paperbacks, they have some great (and rare) editions of books. I just picked up a copy of Oedipus the King with the original Greek on the left page and the English translation on the right, signed by the illustrator. One of only 1500 copies. Such a score!
They also have these great Saturday sales where every book that it outside (there is parking in the back — no need to pay for a meter out front) is only $ 1. I have to admit, some Saturdays the selection is kind of small, but I still always find something. Even if you don’t find anything outside, the books inside are still really affordable.
I cannot say enough positive things about this store. The books are inexpensive, the atmosphere is perfection, the selection is huge, the owners are friendly. It’s truly the best bookstore I have ever been to.

A lot of great books to read and affordable. I even found a book I want that wasn’t available on the web.

I’ve driven by this place so many times, I’m happy I finally came in. I called ahead looking for a Dr. Seuss book and found 2 in great condition. I will definitely be back!

Wow, what a hidden gem! I came here because I was looking for a used book and used bookstores seem to be disappearing. I am so glad I came here because it’s book heaven. The shop is pretty tiny but packed with books from floor to ceiling. They have a lot of collectible books that cost drastically less than they would at another store or online. I love that the store is a family business and that it’s been open since 1958. Truly a treasure, I highly recommend this place!
One last thing, don’t forget to remember the time on your parking meter, time flies in here while you’re browsing!

A gem in a disappearing sea of actual books you can hold, feel and smell. I came here to find a book for a research project my son had for his science class and scored the exact book I needed in under 10 minutes. This is an awesome store with a really nice shopkeeper. He appears rough around the edges but is a pretty nice guy.

If you love to browse and see what you’d find, this is a heaven.
Places like this are dying out because everybody are on-​line ordering. What about the pleasure of just looking around? and being surprised with what’s out there?
Prices are reasonable, the stuffs are pretty current and there are plenty to keep you occupied. I am glad I looked this place up and actually went there.
Note: This bookstore is an area that is always busy during the week because it’s at the heart of Van Nuys bureaucracy (court house, civil registry etc.) so parking is a bit of a bear. The best time to go would be on Saturday where street parking is plentiful. However you still need to feed the parking meter even on Saturdays.
Store is closed on Sunday and Monday.

Loaded with cool books! Scored a first edition VC Andrews for less than $ 2! Will definitely come back to browse the «Oz» collectible books!

Awesome bookstore! Everything you could possibly ever want. And the nicest owners ever. Please support your independent bookstores!

Books pretty much make the world go ’round. No? You don’t agree? Okay, perhaps they make MY world go around. Either way, I am always on the lookout for book stores as they are basically on the endangered species list (especially because I do NOT use e-​readers). Luckily, a few still survive bringing joy to the masses — of which, Bargain Books is one. Let’s see how it ranks…
Bargain Books is rather hidden away as it is not located in the best neighborhood, is on a secluded ‘side street’, and doesn’t have some fancy store-​front or façade. This isn’t a bad thing, per se, as these characteristics can sometimes reveal the best hidden gems. Don’t fret if you forgot your coins for the meters because Bargain Books provides ample parking in the back.
Upon crossing the threshold, be ready for super-​cramped quarters. Bargain Books is NOT for those who get claustrophobic easily. Patrons are immediately welcomed by floor-​to-​ceiling book shelves stuffed with books. Although this pretty much describes heaven on earth; you almost walk right into them when entering the store. If there are other customers inside? Then be ready for an obstacle course in which you have to step over and behind other customers while contorting your body. This certainly decreases the enjoyment level of searching for books.
On a positive note, Bargain Books is quite well-​organized based on subject (architecture, technology, occult, history, literature, etc) while also being subdivided such as ‘German History’ being condensed into books on ‘Hitler’. These are further shelved alphabetically helping the search even more. Bargain Books features both antiquarian books (such as a first-​print leather-​bound history book for $ 26.00) or newer books in rather great shape (ranging from about $ 4-​$ 9). A cool, little feature? Bargain Books has a few shelves in the parking lot which feature $ 1 books and freebies — definitely worth checking out!
One of the major deterrents was the service. During my visit, the store was filled with loud and unruly teenagers and children (book stores are by default more quiet like a library). I am aware that this isn’t the store owner’s fault but he is held accountable for their behavior by not putting a stop to it. Especially then there is barely any square footage in Bargain Books so you can’t walk away from the annoying patrons. The owner himself wasn’t rude but not the kindest either for such a small, neighborhood shop. He was more on the stoic side and seemed slightly confused when we asked him about specific book questions. Bargain Books is definitely not the best shopping environment.
Sadly, Bargain Books didn’t blow my mind or seduce me into wanting to return (although it does have that perfect, musty book smell). There are far better used book stores in the relative close vicinity which excel on the levels that Bargain Books falls short. Bargain Books is not a bad spot to check if in the area or searching for a one-​of-​kind book but otherwise: don’t go out of your way. This is coming from a book lover whose life are books so it means something. Skip!

This is my favorite bookstore.
They have thousands of books to choose from.
The place is organized and easy to navigate through.
The prices are about 50% — 80% less than other stores.
The owner & his wife are really sweet and helpful.

Update — Ever since discovering better/​bigger used book stores in the Valley, this is no longer my fav. Plus, the guy that works here isn’t very friendly and has a cold personality. I still go here but not nearly as much as I used to.

This is a small, but densely stocked bookstore where every nook and cranny is filled with glorious BOOKS. The owner is friendly and knowledgeable about both his own stock as well as books in general. Many subjects are covered with considerable depth, while others are a little spotty and show the limitations of their size.
Given that there aren’t many of these businesses left, and I don’t get the impression that this one will exist in another 10 – 15 years, Angelenos who love books and the ability to discover something you didn’t know you were looking for owe it to themselves to pay this place a regular visit.
There’s metered parking as well as a city parking structure nearby that charges a nominal rate during the day. It’s about one block east of Van Nuys Boulevard, and easy to find. Do check the hours before making a trip as their hours are a bit limited.

I love browsing through rows and rows of books so it was a delight to find this place on my walk home. There was lots to browse through despite the size of the place and it seems like they have some hard to find books too.
If you have any books to sell, bring them by and they might even purchase them from you but no textbooks.
They’ve been around for 56 years so give this place a try!

I would say i have enjoyed my very first visit and i would definitely come back for more books. The owners are really helpful and i am impress how they know where all their books are inspite of how cluttered it looks like. Its a small space with lots of great books you could get for very great price.

As of today, October 10, 2013: They have a broad selection of new and used books. The prices are really a good bargain, hence the name of the store. I spoke with, Bill, the owner of the store and he is friendly and helpful. We came here for children’s books and yes they got tons of them.
They have dollar-​book sales the first weekend (saturdays only think) of every month.
If you pay with credit/​debit card, they will charge you a % fee (i think it is the merchant fee, which may be illegal). pay with cash and you don’t get charged any finance charge, of course.

I absolutely LOVE this place ! I’ve been shopping here for YEARS! He almost ALWAYS has what I’m looking for and it’s conveniently right down the street for me. (: it’s a shame not a lot of people know about this place though. I love it there. The shop owner is usually very nice and helpful.

If you love to read and still love the feel of a book in your hand then you have to check out this amazing book store! You can easily get lost in it’s shelves and leave with a bag full of great books. The shop keepers are a great brother and sister team that can help you find what you are looking for. I definitely recommend Bargin Books for any book enthusiast!

At less than 15′? wide, a shelf down the middle, and maybe 50′ across… this place is the claustrophobic bibliophile’s nightmare. However, they take advantage of every nook and cranny, and there’s just stacks on stacks of books – if you can’t find the book you’re looking for, look right behind it and it might just be there.
For the size of this place, they have an impressive amount in stock, and although it’s small, it makes up for size with personality – they have just enough of everything to keep any fan of any genre satisfied for hours. I could get lost in here for days delving into the shelves, it’s great.
Downsides to this place include: metered parking; it would be nice if they stayed open until 8:00PM or later, 6:00PM is pretty early.

People say «mom and pop stores» all the time as a generalization. This is literally a mom and pop store as the man and his wife have been running it for decades.
It’s on the small side and a little cramped, but the atmosphere is genuine and the married duo can find any book despite their organization being a bit confusing to the first-​time consumer.
Despite its size, there is a great selection in this unexpected location in Van Nuys.

I love the smell of used bookstores! While I generally avoid Van Nuys like the plague, there is one draw and for me that’s Bargain Books.
Every time I visit I leave with a stack of gems. Yes, the quarters are a bit cramped and the books double-​stacked, but that’s part of the charm. I visit used bookstores to explore, talk books and to see what treasures there are to be unearthed.
My favorite section here is the sci-​fi area. There are quite a few unread, first edition paperbacks from the 60s that are such great time capsules to the golden era of sci-​fi. The prices for these old books are reasonable, too.
Please support Bargain Books! It’s depressing to see the relentless digitization of literature.