Book Barn — Local services in Denville

Worth visiting again and again!

The book barn is exactly that an old barn filled with lots of used books at great prices.

Finding what you want: The shop is well organized a labeled. There is a lot to choose from, yet I wouldn’t come shopping with a specific book in mind and hope to find it. As with all thrift store shopping it’s better to have general idea of the types of things you want and see what you find. Maybe you will find that specific book look you are looking for and that will feel like a huge win! Everything is pretty well organized and I’ve found the volunteers very helpful. When you first walk in you will see books on cooking, classics, crafts, music, and gardening, etc. (the volunteers are always making improvements so this may change). From there the middle aisle is organized by author and then the 3rd aisle has books on travel, sports, self help, and religion, etc. There is a room for children’s books, fantasy books and teaching (great for teaching your kids at home).

Explore! There is more! The shop has been expanding making room for more books, as well as games, puzzles, CDs, DVDs and Christmas decor. These back rooms may not be heated so come mentally prepared and be glad that the main part of the shop now is! No more flipping through books with your gloves on and trying to stay warm!

Donating: It’s easy to donate bring your books while they are open. The donation spot has its own door. I usually pop my head in a make sure they are ready before unloading multiple boxes of books. If you are coming from a distance with books to donate call ahead. There has been few occasions when the store is closed or not accepting books and you might not know this until you arrive so call before making the trek. While the volunteers take all books donated not all the books get shelved, some books are thrown away. You can walk around and see the type of books they take. So before you unload your crate of childhood books from the 60s that no one has heard of save yourself the hassle. (I’ve never volunteered there I’m just making assumptions from visiting over the last 15 years.)

Bargain Barn: The Bargain Barn and the Book Barn or two different things with their own hours. If you come and they are both open you can enter the Bargain Barn by going past the cashier at the book barn. But you do pay at each place individually. The Bargain Barn has clothes, jewelry, and housewares. Last I checked they do not take donations on Saturdays.

When to visit: It’s worth visiting when both the Book Barn and Bargain Barn are open if you enjoy thrifting. It’s definitely busier on Saturdays and the aisles are tight so it’s hard to pass by people. Go on a week day if you can or come early.

So go check it out the prices are great and the proceeds go to charities! What’s...

This place is a book lover's dream. Imagine walking into a building filled with books, sometimes literally piled on top of one another, waiting for you to discover them. Things you should know before you go: 1) it is 100% volunteer run. The staff are all unpaid.They dedicate their time because they care about their community. They work hard for nothing more than your patience, a smile and hopefully a thank you when you leave. I've never had a bad experience with any of them in the 7 years I've shopped here. Take a minute to say hi. This is a small town and people are generally pretty friendly. 2) all of the materials are donations. Hundreds of books, albums, etc. are donated weekly. Some may be pristine; most will not be. The volunteers work hard to keep things orderly, but it's a big task, in a big building, run by a small staff. Don't expect it to be perfectly organized, alphabetized and stocked with every book you ever wanted. It is an adventure. Books are loosely organized but plan to take time finding your treasures. Rather than each book being priced individually there is a general price list posted. If you want a new book, delivered to your door, this isn't the experience for you. 3) the building is old. That's part of the charm. The aisles are narrow, the floors are uneven. Some sections of the store are overheated; others are chilly. There are delightful alcoves and bins packed with books rather than sterile rows of neatly arranged shelves. This isn't Barnes and Noble. 4) bring cash just in case the card reader isn't working. Like the building, some of the tech is aging. Don't let yourself be disappointed because there might be an issue with something as minor as the method of payment. Nothing here is expensive. You can leave with a stack of books for $20. Just stop at an ATM before coming or get cash back with a purchase somewhere else. The volunteers here do their best to keep everything up and running, but don't blame them if there is an occasional setback. And please bring your own bags - this has been the law in NJ for the past several years. 5) lastly, you can park in the large lot opposite the hospital. You don't need to try to park along the driveway in front of the building. There are usually plenty of spaces and it is free. This is a local charity, supported by the community, staffed by volunteers. Come for the books. Come for the bargains. Stay for the people. Take your time. Enjoy the experience and when you're done go explore Denville's other stores, restaurants, coffee shops or...

This was my first time at the Book Barn. They had a good selection, but I have never run into so many RUDE volunteers in a thrift store EVER.

It started on arrival when a group of friends who made the trip for the 1/2 price Christmas sale were standing beside their vehicles (3 of them). The first volunteer wanted to know why we had parked the way we did. Like every other parking lot that has cement bumpers, we were all parked head on or backed up. She chastised us because that's not how you're supposed to park there. You're supposed to park parallel to them, which covered at least 3 of the bumpers.

Then when we were let in and headed toward the Christmas area way in the back, we were met with a nasty, nasty volunteer who told us we had to back up and wait until 9:00 (opening time). It was literally 8:59 AM. By the time we backed up, their own clock was showing 9:01.

On checkout, a volunteer told me that she didn't want to deal with $0.50 for $1.00 items. So I was charged $2 for 2 items instead of $1 (remember, it was half off Christmas items).

Then I had a craft kit of a Santa Claus, which I had picked up in the Christmas area. She tried to charge me full price because it "should have been" in the craft area. She relented and acted as if she had done me a favor.

I know some of our other friends encountered additional rudeness from the volunteers. There was NO reason for this.

I, for one, will never return to this place. Speaking with my friends, I don't think they will be...