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October 2023 by KS Brook
The variety of books is unbelievable. And the owner knows where any topic can be found. A good place to go if you are looking for a specific title and can't find it anywhere else.It is not a place for bargain books.And you can't be allergic to cats
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August 2023 by Wendy R.
I wish we would have read the reviews before we stopped by. This place is a hazard. It might have been a great spot once upon a time, but it's clear that whoever runs this place is overwhelmed. Books are precariously stacked and leaning, there are many litter boxes all around, and the smell. I did look in a few books and they were way overpriced ($6.50 for a used paperback) my party got out of there as fast as we could. The person working there was interesting, a little quirky. I would say use extreme caution if you visit (and wear a mask)
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July 2023 by Ingrid C.
Spent an excellent time searching for longed-for books in three areas...local history, modern fiction and out of print guides to New York and Pennsylvania. I was thrilled with my purchases. Vlad is a knowledgeable and enthusiastic curator of this incredible collection of desirable books and ephemera. I will return again soon and hope to spend even more hours at the Book Barn in Dryden.
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May 2023 by Ruth B.
We just moved to the area and love books; I also have some experience handling old collectible books due to prior work in my parent's antiquing business. I absolutely would not recommend this place regardless of whatever books you think you can find there- you can find them in better conditions and with cheaper costs elsewhere, and probably get better service doing so.When we walked in, the first impression I received was of cat urine and dust. The aisles were incredibly overcrowded with stacks of books toppled over or completely blocking off areas. Nothing was clearly labeled. The rules out front stated that the books were organized by the author's last name, but nothing in that store seemed organized at all. The man that owns it was not there when we first walked in, so we explored it ourselves just to give it the benefit of the doubt (and left some of our belongings outside to respect the rules clearly stated) without any guidance. (I wondered at first if the business was actually open, regardless of what the business hours stated.)There was one area I went through to explore pretty early on, and that's when the owner appeared and screamed at me in derogatory tones that I was in an off limits section and to not take pictures of anything, even though it hadn't been labeled at all as off limits, was one of the only areas that could be moved through freely to begin with considering how many aisles were blocked off from overcrowding, and I hadn't been taking pictures of or even touching any of the books in that section. I'd had my phone out with my phone screen light set to a low level so I could read the titles of books- I did not have my phone's flashlight on because I didn't want the amount of light to cause any damage to the books considering they were being advertised as old collectables.I apologized a number of times for my misunderstanding of being in the wrong area while he continued to yell at me and asked if I bothered to read the rules out front at all. We reiterated what had been on the sign out front as proof that we weren't intentionally being irresponsible or anything, and the sign did NOT say anything about not taking photos to begin with (even though we hadn't been), and when he asked us what we were looking for and we said we were exploring to see if anything stood out to us, he continued to mutter comments about us inappropriately and called us wild people while rolling his eyes. It completely soured the tone of our day and made me immediately want to leave.I continued to halfheartedly look through the store after that, but none of the books seemed in great condition due to the overcrowding, random placement of them, the fact that the store has clearly not been cleaned in a very long while, and the random junk and trash scattered everywhere on top of or between the books and aisles. (There were pill bottles, old plants and dirt that had been knocked over, broken toys, pencil sharpeners, and other old random things that you might see in a junk yard or inside an old garage scattered everywhere amongst the books like they were placed carelessly or forgotten about.) Many of the books had cracked spines or were being bent from having toppled over. That's when I started to notice a recurring theme of Nazi and Confederate books that were written in a "pro" light available for sale, which made me immensely uncomfortable for a number of different reasons. I began to wonder if the man working spoke to us that way because I was a woman, or because we were clearly members of the LGBTQ+ community.We left quickly after that without finding anything, and overall hadn't been there too long, and the owner also seemed weird about how soon we left. He reappeared as we were leaving and basically escorted us to the front door without saying anything while we continued to try and be pleasant and make it seem like we'll be back. (I definitely won't be back.)The only positive thing from this experience were the two cats we saw which were cute, but
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May 2023 by Lauren Fike
I can not say enough good things about the Book Barn! A true gem of an experience from start to finish. Vladimir is exceptionally warm and inviting to his barn filled with one of a kind books. Every nook and corner is carefully placed and organized. Vladimir can help you with anything you are looking for with great knowledge. We will be returning as often as we can!
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May 2023 by Lauren
I can not say enough good things about the Book Barn! A true gem of an experience from start to finish. Vladimir is exceptionally warm and inviting to his barn filled with one of a kind books. Every nook and corner is carefully placed and organized. Vladimir can help you with anything you are looking for with great knowledge. We will be returning as often as we can!
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April 2023 by Thomas G.
Great used bookstore. Wish it had a website to search as I live more than an hour away.
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April 2023 by Harry Schloder
Tons of books. But piles and boxes everywhere. Poor lighting. And the various scents of cats fill the air. Hugely disappointed. Would not recommend.
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March 2023 by Anastasia Bowes
Wow this is an amazing gem! I have been to a lot of used bookstores and I have never gotten as many books as I got at the Book Barn. There is a great selection and Vladimir is so helpful. We look forward to coming back!
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March 2023 by Michael Moynihan
I need to come back when I have enough time to explore this place. Many cool out of print books. I should bring some cat treats(with the owners permission).
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January 2023 by Red M
My God, man...for the love of books!
I was recently visiting Dryden and my great aunt Lillian wanted to find a certain cookbook. She mentioned the book barn but hadn't been in years and goodness me, our breaths were taken away by the sheer number of books and the overwhelming smell of cat urine. The Vonnegut book that I picked up was not nearly as savage as the condition of the shelves and the willy-nilly stacks of tomes. Poor pages neglected! The owner seems quite proud of the mess he's created.
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October 2022 by Jess Gibson
If you are hunting for a truly unparalleled book buying experience, this is the place. Vlad has at least one of everything you could be looking for, and don’t let the stacks deceive you: he really does know where everything is. Navigating the barn is like cave diving, but for books - it’s a bit snug, and it feels like it goes on forever, and there are unexpected treasures at every turn. If you move with care through the stacks, don’t hesitate with questions, and keep your eyes peeled, you’ll come away with once-in-a-lifetime memories, and books!!
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October 2022 by Ashlie
It has been 30 years since I have read this one certain author, and I was very much yearning to re read. I dont believe anyone else could have possibly known who i was speaking of w just the description and first 2 letters of the authors last name. Amazing. I have left 4 books richer w a wonderful case of nostalgia. Thank you oh so much.
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September 2022 by Izzie H
The owner is so smart and has wonderful stories. Any book you want will be available, and you’ll find at least two books you didn’t even know you wanted until you saw them. I seriously can’t emphasize how awesome the owner is - he rescues a bunch of cats and cares about the wildlife in the area, and he’s so fun to talk to. This place is so great!
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August 2022 by Rachael R.
The owner here is rude and creepy as all get out. When we left after seeing the inside and were starting to pull out, he appeared at the entrance. He was confused and a bit angry because we had left so soon after entering. He started walking towards our car as we were pulling out, asking why we had left. We just smiled and said we were fine and he kind of muttered, "You think you know everything," and then walked back inside. Needless to say, we drove like a bat straight out of hell after that. That dude was truly freaky. I would NOT recommend coming here.
