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February 2024 by Lucy R.
I just called to ask if they were hiring and the man (seems like it was the owner based on other reviews) went off on me about how I was wasting his time. He was so mean for no reason!!
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January 2024 by Manny R.
I was at their previous location when they were in the process of moving to their current basement store location on Pearl Street. I was looking at books and the owner told us he was leaving to move stuff to the new store so we left the store. Outside of the store I asked the owner why they were moving and he stated the rent was too high. He then made the comment "if people like you bought something instead of just look I wouldn't have to move". My wife and I looked at each other in amazement at his rudeness and just walked away. First of all you told us you were closing the store to move your old books and then you hassle us because we did not buy anything. We've never encountered such rudeness by a store owner. Ever since then I've avoided this establishment and it seems I'm not the only one who has had this negative experience with the owner.
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January 2024 by Tyler D.
by far one of the coolest shops in the pearl street area. I found my way into this store because it had a hole in the wall vibe. i walked around and explored this little gem to see what i could find. There was so many trinkets, records, old books, comics, magzines. The collection inside this store is the most unique collections of items i've ever seen. I then began to speak with Tom, the owner, he explained hes been in this location for 35 years! and hes been collecting, and making the store grow, he sells books and items from his shop on amazon and ebay, on top of having the books in his store. Tom was explaining how hes read thousands of books over his time, and i began to ask some questions about his favorite books, he has many lol. Tom is by far one of the most knowledge men ive ever met, especially when it comes to knowledge on books, and history facts. This was such a cool shop to explore, and Tom was an awesome host / owner. anyone who has a fascination with old trinkits and books should check out this amazing little shop, and see what goodies or Tibet's of knowledge tom can behold. 10/10 would recommend anyone and everyone coming here
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August 2023 by Tom P.
The guy who was working was a condescending jerk. I took a (unmarked) book up to ask the price. I said that's more than I want to spend and put it down, to which he said, snobbily, "here we put the books back where we found them." He had actually found the book for me and handed it to me, so I didn't know where it went. He berated me a bit more and I just left.
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August 2023 by Google user
In 15 years of buying rare books I have never had a worse experience. Store-owner tried to claim I had broken the spine of a book which had pages falling out when I went to ask the price. The spine had been ‘repaired’ with a disintegrating piece of sellotape. Instead of labelling books with prices, he checks them against the highest current rate online, so you can’t even consider a purchase without consulting him, or in many cases even open the books. He’s extremely rude \\u0026 doesn’t seem to want to sell the books, just make you feel awful for not being able to afford his excessively high prices for items which aren’t in great condition - especially ironic for a place marketing itself on the Beats, infamously not an affluent group. If you want to buy first editions, especially of poetry, there are many other incredible bookstores which will let you browse their books, talk to you like a person, \\u0026 treat you like an adult. Go book-hunting in California instead. You don’t need to put up with this.
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August 2023 by Paola C.
Zero negative starts the guy was losing it when I grabbed a book claiming I was breaking the back of the books when I clearly did not. I'm the biggest book worm out there I know what I'm doing and I grabbed a book that was poorly put on a shelf. I opened it because weelll you want to know what you're reading. Everybody who reads books opens them and likes to touch the pages. Told me to put every book back where I saw it. I had intended to buy the books I had in my hands. So weird I will never go back again!! The place was so weird and it smelled! If you wanna go to a nicer book store go to the Boulder book store! Best bookstore in town!!
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June 2023 by K Camp
It was a nice collection of used books and had some unique titles, but the store worker was very rude whenever anyone came up to him with a question about one of the books/records. It was odd.
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June 2023 by Dianelys Soto-Cruz
Wish I had read the reviews before going. Super rude employee/owner, never going again. Your best bet is the other bookstore further up in pearl st.
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June 2023 by Becca Hannigan
Of all the times I've been in Boulder, I can't believe I hadn't visited this shop until a few days ago. I had a nice conversation with the owner, who's so friendly—sincerely happy to be there. There's a great selection—good fiction and nonfiction finds alike. Definitely check it out if you're a reader, to keep these bookstore gems alive.
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June 2023 by Joseph C.
Many of the used books don't have prices written on them, which I thought was fine. I figured they were either a fixed percent off the price of a new book, or I'd be paying cover price for a new book for a lightly used one - happy to support a local business over an online megacorp. However, when I went to ring up the sale the display didn't show the price. This is when my gut instinct SHOULD have told me a scam was about to happen. I asked for a receipt and was told "We don't issue receipts". That's a red flag. If you shop here, insist on seeing what you're about to be charged. A few paperbacks were charged to my credit card for $20 each! If you're thinking they might have been 1st edition old books or something like that, no. These were books I could have bought on eBay for around 20% of the price. I went back in and was told they don't accept returns of used books. After some negotiation, and offering to refer this to the fraud department of my bank, I got a 50% refund. Never again. Stay away. This business is a scam.
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May 2023 by Patrick B.
I have repeatedly attempted to visit this store during their posted hours (which are unusual already). Not once in five attempts over two years has the shop been opened during times it describes as its business hours. Simply poor customer service to imply a business will be open when it is not.
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April 2023 by Sylvester V.
I had a great experience at the beat bookshop, I walked in and was pleasantly surprised to see every wall lined with books with piles of books in every corner. Excited and slightly overwhelmed, I met the owner and he seems like a pretty cool guy. I found his quirkiness and ability to open up about his love for literature welcome. Whether it is autism or some other aberration, I have pretty high tolerance for people in general. I then prefaced him with a single question. "Out of this plethora of books which one do you recommend to me." He then handed me a book by Henry Miller, and told me quite frankly "That he never met anyone who doesn't like this book" After paying a below market rate for a pristine 1980s paperback, I walked on my merry way. And after finishing the book, I too have to agree with him that it was an excellent choice.
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April 2023 by Luke W.
The worker was very rude and is extremely conceded with terrible customer service. I would not recommend!
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March 2023 by Thomas M.
Listen to every other review. The owner is a pretentious paranoid weirdo who treats customers like garbage. While looking at records he was staring at me the entire time and I watched him speak to another customer disrespectfully for "standing in front of a picture". I've never met someone so irrational that they'd leave out a picture then get mad when someone stands in front of it to ask him a question. Don't recommend for anyone who doesn't want to get berated for existing.
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November 2022 by Jeff S
I told the owner that he has a fine establishment and that he should not change a thing. We have enough Barnes \\u0026 Noble's in this country, we need more places with character!
