Half Price Books — Local services in San Antonio

I recently visited this Half Price Books location for the first time, expecting a similar level of kindness and professionalism that I’ve experienced at the North Star Mall location. Unfortunately, my experience was quite the opposite.

Upon arrival, I noticed that one of the employees, a young woman with short curly hair, was assisting another customer, but her tone was noticeably rude. I chose to keep to myself and began taking my books out to sell. However, she abruptly told me, in a disrespectful tone, “You don’t need to take those out, you can leave them there.” While I complied with her instructions, the interaction left me feeling unwelcome.

Once she finished assisting the previous customer, I politely asked if she was okay, as her demeanor seemed tense. Instead of a professional response, she snapped at me, saying, “Yeah, I’m just doing my job,” in a sharp and dismissive tone. When I asked again to clarify, she responded even more aggressively, insisting, “Yes.” I was genuinely taken aback by this response, as my intention was simply to show concern and kindness—values I emphasize to my students every day.

Feeling uncomfortable with the interaction, I requested to speak with the manager, who assured me he would address the issue. I also expressed that I would prefer another employee to handle my transaction. However, despite my concerns, no action was taken, and the same employee proceeded to process my order. To avoid further conflict, I simply stood back and waited for her to complete the transaction.

This experience was deeply disappointing, especially at a store I’ve always loved. I had high expectations for a welcoming and respectful environment, but unfortunately, that was not the case here. Moving forward, I will be visiting the North Star Mall location instead, where I know the staff is kind and professional. If you value friendly customer service, I would recommend visiting a...

​Returning to Half Price Books after what felt like an eternity, I was immediately struck by the sheer volume of organized chaos—or rather, a perfectly curated world of stories and melodies. It's a place where you can find anything from a first edition of a literary classic to a vintage vinyl record that you're pretty sure you saw in a dream once. For those looking to declutter their shelves, they offer an excellent buyback service. Just have a valid ID ​Beyond the impressive inventory, the staff is a true standout. They are not only courteous and helpful but also possess an almost mythical ability to navigate and maintain order among thousands upon thousands of books, DVDs, and CDs. Honestly, how they manage to keep everything so neat and organized is a feat of modern engineering and deserves a Nobel Prize in Logistics. ​I left not only with a few interesting treasures but also with a renewed respect for the human spirit's capacity to categorize and alphabetize. This store is a treasure trove, and the people who run it are nothing...

This store is clean and well-organized, quiet and well-stocked. There are all kinds of books for kids, teens and adults organized by genre, including "nostalgia" for historical books and even decorative spine books. I saw sections for self help, teacher curriculum, fitness and humor and more in addition to the standard fiction and non-fiction genres. They have a section for new release books as well. The store also has tons of records, DVDs, CDs, puzzles, games and of course a counter to sell your books. I haven't sold any at this location, but I do know that (when selling items to HPB) they give you the best deal they can based on the availability and demand of your items and the projected sale price. The cashier told me before ringing me up that they do not have plastic bags, which I really appreciated (eco-friendly!). I had a bunch of books and they let me take the shopping cart out to my car to load up. Be sure to compare the prices you see in-store to those online. Occasionally you'll get a better deal on Amazon. I'll definitely...