Bookmans Mesa Entertainment Exchange — Local services in Mesa

I've loved coming to this Bookmans location for a good portion of my life, and lately, it's been fun for me to come in on my off-days and sort through their bulk Pokemon and Magic cards, as I've just started building a collection. Most of the team is really sweet, but today felt a little different. I enjoyed a few hours hanging out and flipping through cards, and sorted all of the Pokemon cards by type for the next person to have an easier time looking through them. A mom and her son came in to try to sell his Pokemon collection while I was there and ended up leaving all of the cards behind even after being paid out for what was taken. One staff member was very sweet and allowed me to take a look at what they had decided to buy, and I purchased a couple of the cards from her after she had priced them. I then asked if, since the remainder of their cards were not purchased and were left behind, if they wouldn't mind me taking a look. Since the property was technically no longer her's but Bookmans had passed on them, I felt a little awkward asking knowing the question may not be entirely kosher, but I considered it to be no different than sorting through their other bulk and asked nervously but politely. The original staff member hadnt seemed to have an issue with me taking a peek, especially since I explained I mostly just wanted cards for the art and didn't care much if they were fake. However, after this, another staff member (a woman, a manager?) addressed me very bluntly and told me no. This would have been fine, especially since it was an off-the-cuff request... But the way she scrutinized me, the tone of her voice, and the way she immediately took the aforementioned cards off the table and hid them away somewhere made me feel extremely anxious and awkward. I hadn't made conversation with anyone or been a bother while looking through cards, but the way she had spoken to me made me feel embarrassed. I don't think I'll be coming back here to look through their cards again because of how she addressed me, as if I was a card scalper or an annoyance. I paid for everything I found and left. Apologies to the business and to this manager if I bothered or annoyed you with the request, and thanks to those who made me feel welcome to sit and read and flip through cards in the past for fun on a...

I used to like this place. But apparently the staff, and way they run the place is different now.

I went in on 7/28/2021, and I went to check out their Figures they have in the corner. I spotted a gem, as it was of a character I liked.

The price for it: $200.00 - Now I'm used to some of my figures costing this much, but I decided to look into it. Turns out I can buy it BRAND NEW for only $123(ish).

I asked for a manager, and showed them their price, vs the price it was brand new on my phone, from the very company that produces it. (Note: Their sales tag states As-Is, which means its likely missing parts.)

Her response was: Well the item has been here for less than a month, so there's nothing I can do.

Know what it tells me? I should give my money to the actual company instead of buying from them - AND that if I do EVER decide to patronize their store again, to scrutinize EVERY price tag because this is between a 60%-80% markup on the price of the item if it were BRAND NEW.

Bookmans, you are basically a Goodwill. You sell USED goods. You pay for them sure, but you don't pay FULL brand new price, forcing you to mark up your prices that much. Your model is "We pay you a little for stuff you don't want, then sell it to make a profit"

This, however, is attempting to scalp and scam people, hoping they won't do as I did and look it up. Praying that they're ignorant of the cost.

My suggestion to everyone is avoid this place. But if you absolutely must go here, make sure you scrutinize the price on everything. If you have a phone, look up what it actually costs vs what they're charging because if they're willing to toss roughly $80.00 onto an item, that even with international shipping and handling wouldn't cost even CLOSE to this much, they're likely doing this to most, if not all of their products.

And if that's the case, you may as...

We're ran across this place looking for somewhere else and decided to go in. What a surprise! They have a vast assortment of books that you normally wouldn't find, an awesome collection of old gaming systems and games for the gamers- not to mention gear to old systems one may have lost, musical instruments- side flutes, bass guitars, Drum sets, amplifiers, horns and more! And this was all I saw on a brief excursion back there! Not sure if they're one of a kind, on consignment or just trade-ins but I thought it was pretty cool the store seemed all-inclusive. They even have a comic section with old comic books from the past years! Made me wonder what the heck I did with all those old Archie comics I used to buy every week in my youth!? But it was fascinating to see all of the comic books available and ones that didn't stand out then may catch one's eyes now. Moving on there is a small kid's toy section, and for the adult kid there are doll collectibles. Star Wars figures, Jedi, think I saw Sailor Moon...well you get the point. So to a movie goers or cartoon world ace this may be one of the best stores to browse for favorites! I was so caught up in the store that I actually ran out of time before I had to leave so I didn't get a chance to look at small souvenirs and other crafts and coloring books, etc! I like the store but can't tell you if pricing is reasonable or a bargain. This is truly a store where what you value will determine if the price is adequate. The ambience of the store is quaint mixed with a bit of thrift but put together in a well organized fashion and clean. I would recommend this place to all who have a desire to browse the majestic forces of the comical world, movies, and interested in reading books...