Half Price Books — Local services in University City

Well, I must admit that for my very first time visiting this store, the experience was pretty great! The first thing that stood out to me was how kind and nice and friendly the staff were. By the way: Did I happen to mention that the staff were friendly? Perhaps I didn't mention that so let me make it clear: The staff, COLLECTIVELY, were all very friendly! I am pleased to say that I don't believe one of them was having a bad day. If someone was having a bad day, he or she didn't reveal that.

It actually made for a very pleasant experience considering it was my first time there. I found the store to be very well adequately stocked and very neatly decorated! Nothing was out of place. Not a book or a "toy," not a chair or a lanyard, nor any mugs or games. It was very clear to me that the staff worked very hard to keep that store looking as neat as it is. You will see from my pictures how hard they work on the cleanliness of the space.

When one first arrives at Half Price Books, it's clear from the front presentation that it's going to be a great experience! The outdoor furniture and trash cans were all very neat and clean. This is, of course, a small thing. However, you can imagine if the trash can had been overrun or the furniture had stained spots all over it, or if the sidewalk area was littered with debris, that would have been a very different experience. Yes, the staff at Half Price Books near McKnight and Delmar are all working hard! Not only are they friendly but they work hard to keep things tidy as well. It's precisely the reason why I chose to give them five stars.

Furthermore, you will see in my pictures that they pretty much cover the gamut of all forms of literature, music, gaming consoles, lanyards, mugs, toys and MUCH MORE. There are large swaths of fiction and religion and historical pieces; and young adult and teen fiction and magazines. A few of the genres I was not able to fit in this review because I was only allowed to include 50 photos. But if you can think it, THEY PROBABLY HAVE IT.

If there is one thing I will say in terms of criticism, it's that I wish the men's restroom had been slightly cleaner. It's not that it was bad because trust me when I tell you: I have seen bad, bad, bad! Just look at my review for the QuikTrip that's on vandeventer near the Central West End. One evening that restroom was outrageous! I have photos to prove it.

But that's getting off topic... because despite my minor gripe about the men's restroom, I still gave them five stars! Everyone was practicing proper social distancing and every member of the staff wore a mask! I also wish I could say, "Hey Michelle! You were fantastic!" or "David, that was brilliant!" Alas, I cannot because NO ONE was wearing a name tag...LITERALLY...NO ONE. 😕😕😕

So, to all the staff of Half Price Books near McKnight and Delmar: You guys ROCK! Y'all were amazing today. Thank you for making me feel so welcome! Which leads to my closing point: Considering the current climate of our country, it was nice to walk into that store and feel just as important as other people there. This store happens to be a hop, skip, and a jump from Ladue. That is a very wealthy, affluent area and they could have looked at me and judged me and not treated me as fairly. I'm a black male. But that's not at all the treatment I received. Everyone, on the contrary, treated me like I was first-class! Thank you for that. That means...

Although I like the store itself, selling anything there was very disappointing. I tried selling about 25 books from them. All of my books were rather new and popular authors starting with John Green, the divergent series, etc. I’d say they were in 9/10 condition. The one specific lady sorting through my books said that she could give me only $6 for all 20 she could sell in the store. The other 5 she could not sell. Me and my boyfriend proceeded to ask her about how they came to that total. She told us she looks at every book individually, the condition, and whether or not they could sell it. That’s when I asked her “How Much do you think the hunger game series alone is?” She told me, “We don’t really do it like that. I really just looked at all of the books together.”

Sooo basically she couldn’t give me a straight answer and I honestly think she had no idea what she was doing or how to price each individual book. She said they were based on condition, and which books could sell... I had 20 popular books that could’ve easily sold that were in very good condition, but the only offer they could give was $6?! And then she tells me she can’t tell me the price of the series ?! It’s sketchy and they just want your books for very little money. If you’re a reader and you care about your books like me, I suggest just keeping them or selling them a different way. A garage sale could probably make more money than this. I might try another location with a worker who knows what...

My first visit to Half Price Books and I couldn't remove myself from the Art Book section. There were art books on photography, painting, architecture, the Masters and books on artists and artistic styles that I hadn't been aware of. I was in knowledge grabbing heaven. My sister invited me to tag along and I'm glad.

I should have walked around a bit more, to get a feeling for the space, but I am certain it's not my last visit (unless the Universe has other plans for me 🙂).

However, I did notice this store has some of everything, when heading to the check out aisle. There were comic books, vinyl records, board games, puzzles, journals, etc. And if you're looking to sell some books, games, records, etc. there is an area inside the bookstore for that as well.

It wasn't highly busy at the store but masks were required before entry.

At check out, the gentleman that waited on us was very nice and welcomed us to return. He placed in our bag(s) a postcard sized "pamphlet" that contained coupons and a couple bookmarks. It also had listings of other states that have a Half Price Book store. And Sis informed me those coupons can be used at other Half Price Book stores too. Which is a plus for me since I travel a lot.

I had a very pleasurable experience in Half Price Books 📚. Art Books that I'd been thinking of purchasing elsewhere, were found right here AND at a lower price.

So the next time I will walk around and see what other books peak my interests. It's a very nice...