Half Price Books — Local services in Everett

Once upon a daytime dreary, I had wandered weak and weary, Through the shelves of quaint and curious forgotten lore. While I nodded, foot a-tapping, considering some good gift-wrapping, Suddenly there came a rapping, as of someone dropping a book upon the floor. "Tis a book," I thought, "rapping to the floor.  Tis only this and nothing more"

Presently my soul grew stronger, hesitating then no longer, "Sir," said I, "or Madam, your forgiveness I implore; But the fact is I am grappling With indecision that's so rattling, And in this section you came rapping, With that book upon the floor-" Here I turned the aisle to look upon them for, Books there and nothing more.

Deep into the aisle peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing Doubting, dreaming dreams every mortal had seen before. But the silence was unbroken and the stillness gave no token, And the only word there spoken was the whispered word "Lenore?" Then I wondered what to gift my beloved, sweet sweet Lenore. Merely this and nothing more.

Back into the aisle turning, all my soul within me burning, Soon again I heard a tapping somewhat louder than before. "Surely," said I, "surely that is a worker who's restocking a shop lattice; Let me see then where thereat is and this mystery explore- Let my heart be still a moment and this mystery explore;- Tis a worker and nothing more!"

Walking here I turned the corner, where with much bump and murmur, Up there stepped a tiny raven-haired worker of the store. Not the least obeisance made she; not a minute stopped or stayed she; But with countanance of a leader stopped there in the floor, Perched next to a book of Pallas just across the aisle floor. Perched and stocking, and nothing more.

This ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling, By the grave and stern decorum of the activity she bore, "Though thy job be import, no mistaking, thou" I said, "art sure of taking, Tales ghastly grim and violent making waves throughout this Great store, Tell me what the best book here is in the Half-Price Store!" Quoth the Raven-haired, "Nevermore."

Much I marveled this kindly gal to hear discourse so plainly Her answer with little meaning- little relevancy bore, Still I stood at aisle's end in front of bird and books and store. There upon the carpet standing, I begin myself to linking, Fancy unto fancy thinking what this wonderful bird of store Meant in replying "Nevermore."

This I sat, no longer guessing but in no syllable expressing, To the woman with fiery eyes now held up the book of yore, This and now I sat divining, with my head at ease reclining, On the carpet's simple lining that the top lights gloated o'er, But whose simple carpet lining with the top lights gloating o'er, She shall like, ah, Nevermore!

Then, methought, the air grew denser, while man walked by with books of censors, Writ by Authors whose pen falls echoed on the paper Lore, "Ma'am," I cried, "thy boss had sent thee, And by these deals he had sent thee, Too much- too much money for my girlfriend Lenore, Must, oh must this book be full price for my sweet Lenore!" Quoth the Raven-haired , "Nevermore."

"Profit!" said I, "A thing of evil! Profit here is on the level! Whether Tempter sent, or whether tempest tossed me here ashore, Desperate but now undaunted, on this paper land enchanted- On this place by customer haunted- tell me truly, I implore- Is there- is there a better price?- tell me- tell me, I implore!" Quoth the Raven-haired, "Nevermore."

And the Raven-haired, never leaving, still is stocking, still is stocking, By the pallid books of Pallas in the middle shop floor. My girl's eyes have all the streaming, of a true dream she's been dreaming, And the sunlight o'er us seeming, Throws our hopes upon the floor; And my hopes from that shadow that we'll find a better store Shall be...

Before this past experience this was my favorite book/movie store, it was our go to if we ever wanted to find anything for a good bargain. Today my husband and I went in to sell some movies for some extra cash as we have always done in the past we brought three diaper boxes worth of movies they only offered us $8 (that offer sounded ridiculous to us considering some of the items that were in there) and said that our order was mixed up with someone else’s we didn’t take the cash and left. I wasn’t expecting a whole lot of money back but 8$ is just ridiculous! We got home and went through our movies to make sure none of them were missing (since our order got mixed up) sure enough all of the decent movies we had in the boxes were not in there, and they gave us back a whole bunch of movies that were not ours, we had the new Jungle Book, most of the Marvel Movies, all three of Hobbit movies, a couple of Studio Ghibli movies, just to name a few. My husband went back with all the movies in hand and they told him that all the movies that were not in the boxes were “missing” from their store. I’m pretty sure the dude that helped my husband when he first came in stashed them or they were given to the other customer who’s order got mixed up with ours. All they offered us in return was the original offer of 8$ and to write up an offer of the items that were not returned, it is unacceptable! I am really disappointed in how unprofessional this past experience was. I will not be returning to this store and probably not the chain of this is how they will continue to do business.

And if this review is deleted by the store or company I will continue to...

My hobby is to listen to music in a old fashioned form with records on a turntable, and collecting them. And I have been visiting Seattle area Half Price Bookstores, this one in Everett, also in Lynnwood, Redmond, and Bellevue Crossroad mall. And I used to find some good ones at reasonable price quiet often until last year here and there.

Recently, I have noticed the selections have been really limited and dried up, or really expensive sometimes at a price more than I can find from Ebay. I thought this was due to more people realizing, appreciating, and buying more used records. One day while I was browsing the record bins in one of those stores, I happened to notice that from what I was hearing a conversation between some of the employees, they were also the record collectors. This made me think, hummm, if this guy who is putting the price stickers on the record sleeve wants, he can set the price however way he wants and can have it for himself or herself, friends, even doing their own business by selling it to Ebay from home. I hope this is not the case.

However it is, unless I am really lucky, I do not find any good used reasonably priced record in any of these stores any more like I used to. One thing for sure, I do not find any collectible records any more in any of those stores for some reason. These days I get better luck from my area Goodwill stores. Or I get them from Ebay.

Still these folks at the store are mostly polite and friendly, which makes me visit again and try my luck when...