Argonaut Book Shop — Local services in San Francisco

Call ahead if you are planning to visit. I called in the morning and no one answered, and I gave another try in the afternoon and they were open. The owner's daughter, one of the nicest people you will ever meet, is helping her father looking after the shop and she cannot be in two places at once, so the business hours varies. This shop specialized in books on Western US and Pacific regions. However, they recently aquired a lot of incunabula leaves, antique books, maps and vellum letters ranging from 15th to 19th century. There are museum grade pieces that can usually be found on high end auctions. If you are a collector, you are in luck since this is currently one of the few places you can buy them without bidding at the auctions and paying for the premium. I bought a few magazines and memorabilia of San Francisco from the late 19th century, and still concidering...

What an absolute treasure this bookstore is! The proprietor is a true gentleman and a font of knowledge, everything in his shop is meant to be appreciated and read. Everything has a beautiful story. We felt like we were getting a private tour of the rare books section of a library. We found some lovely books, discovered beautiful prints, and were charmed by antique postcards, but the emotional experience is really made our visit to the...

Eclectic. Charming. Nostalgic. This small bookshop specializes in antiquarian, special, and rare books focused on San Francisco, California, and the Western US. The shop has been passed down through two generations and the current owner prefers to operate by appointment or “by chance” although she said she’s there most days until 6:00pm. You can find $500 books next to $15 books. A neat...