Used book stores in NJ

Submitted by Rusty_Ferberger t3_113djse in newjersey

Any good used book stores in your area? Anywhere in NJ is fine, as long as it has a decent selection of used books. Doesn't even need to be a bookstore....can be a booth in an antique shop or basement in a church. Thanks!

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AliceMaz t1_j8pk8hw wrote

Montclair Book Center

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Rusty_Ferberger OP t1_j8plpzt wrote

I think I went looking for this place and ended up at Watchung Book Sellers. Thanks for giving me the right place.

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AliceMaz t1_j8q7s54 wrote

Watchung Booksellers are also great (for new books)!

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lasermike026 t1_j8rokg4 wrote

The staff there is awesome. Great recommendations. Ask them what they have been reading lately.

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Quintessince t1_j8sc7yg wrote

Found some gems there over the years! A touch more expensive than some other bookstores but haven't encountered such an extensive collection in one place either.

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Beetle_527 t1_j8swwkd wrote

I agree. This is a really good store where you can spend hours.

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bjb13 t1_j8pr6h9 wrote

Old Book Shop Morristown hidden near the BMW dealer behind the Fringe Gentlemen’s Lounge.

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SaluteYourSports t1_j8q01rk wrote

Right between the strip club and the jail. Just where you’d expect to find a used book store!

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Rusty_Ferberger OP t1_j8q0i64 wrote

With a location like that, it's got to be good!

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InboxZero t1_j8rjt85 wrote

It is! They've also got an incredible selection of old maps.

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RememberingTiger1 t1_j8pwpf0 wrote

Old Bookshop of Bordentown. The owner, Doug, is super nice. He’s especially knowledgeable about baseball and historical mysteries!

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drewbles t1_j8q3tfq wrote

Seconded. Place is incredible, and full of NJ history

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CoffeeMug2021 t1_j8pj6mj wrote

The Book Garden in Upper Freehold

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Rusty_Ferberger OP t1_j8pkgdv wrote

Been there a few times. Great place. From the outside, the size is deceiving. Looks medium size from the parking lot but somehow quadruples in size once you go in.

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CoffeeMug2021 t1_j8puil0 wrote

I was also surprised.

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Rusty_Ferberger OP t1_j8pvp0v wrote

I saw a recommendation for this place and decided to stop by after the NJ Renfair. I was initially disappointed but once I got inside I was like, wtf!

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Brilliant_Tourist400 t1_j8qnznq wrote

Came here to say this! It just keeps GOING and GOING and GOING! You can find some great older and hard-to-find stuff, especially.

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scottymcgeester t1_j8rrju1 wrote

That place is amazing. I found a first American print of an Areséne Lupin novel for just a few bucks. I don't think people realize how difficult that is to find!

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BF_2 t1_j8u0sg7 wrote

I've been a customer of theirs before they moved from Allentown, NJ, to New Egypt. It's on Rt 537, between Rt. 539 and the New Egypt Flea Market.

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UncleEckley t1_j8plno4 wrote

Montclair Book Center (obv in Montclair haha). Huge selection.

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Rusty_Ferberger OP t1_j8pnpxk wrote

Tried finding this once and ended up at the Watchung book store. Looking forward to getting it right next time.

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UncleEckley t1_j8pop8c wrote

221 Glendridge Ave - parking is a pain though but there is a meter lot maybe 50 yards before the store on the left. Don’t park in the permit spots, there’s a tow company that I swear patrols 24/7

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Quintessince t1_j8sdk6o wrote

The parking patrol is merciless there. I park a few streets down for free. More or less for peace of mind. It's a beautiful area so I make it a day when I head there. Don't want to think about the meter. Lots of little cafes and odd stores, cute area to walk around.

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UncleEckley t1_j8suzh4 wrote

Oh yeah relentless! I used to live there and parking was one of the main reasons I moved. Even with a permit, it’s a constant battle.

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TimSPC t1_j8pta5y wrote

Princeton Antiques Book Shop in Atlantic City isn't huge, but has enough and is a cool store otherwise. (Plus it's right near Tony's Baltimore Grill.)

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Zaest235 t1_j8ptrlv wrote

As a plus to Princeton if you call before you go in they have more book inventory then what's in the store, and they have most of their books listed on eBay.

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The818 t1_j8pnh2n wrote

Mt Laurel library has big book sales that take up a whole room Second time books on creek rd in rancocas woods ( where creek mercantile and the other little shops are) has good sci fi n history

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jk1rbs t1_j8qj708 wrote

The Chatham Bookseller in Madison is a personal favorite. Squeaky wooden floorboards, good poetry selection, good NJ section, ephemera, everything you need in a used book store.

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LemurCat04 t1_j8pkpth wrote

PBX (Paperback Exchange) in Belmar. Antic Hay Rare and Used Books in Asbury Park.

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Rusty_Ferberger OP t1_j8pm76c wrote

PBX is great. Been there a few times. Looks like Antic is temporarily closed?

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LemurCat04 t1_j8pmh5m wrote

Huh. Thought I saw them open the last time I was by.

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Rusty_Ferberger OP t1_j8pn80m wrote

Google it and see. Maybe I'm looking at the wrong place

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jarrettbrown t1_j8u87op wrote

I just checked to see if I can go to it the next time I was down there. I think they don't have a physical store anymore. It looks like it just directs you to someone's house. The Asbury Book Co-op is very active and opened.

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justasque t1_j8q47ie wrote

Selective Seconds is around the corner from PBX. They mostly do furniture and nice dishes, but upstairs they usually have one small shelf of cookbooks. See also the small but nice Center Square down the street for clothes and housewares.

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VenomousQueen t1_j8pn3cl wrote

Broad Street Books in Branchville.

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Rusty_Ferberger OP t1_j8pptoc wrote

Going to add a store I visited for the first time last weekend - The Book Trader in Clark. Great store and worth a trip.

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LegitimateTax t1_j8pw5nd wrote

BRIER ROSE BOOKS

Teaneck, New Jersey

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willogical85 t1_j8qfjap wrote

Came here to say this! Picked up a first edition of a book written in the 1800s that was an attack on the Catholic church, the book was banned and the author had to go into hiding. I held a piece of history in my hands while the guy behind the counter shrugged and said, "15 bucks?"

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bibliano14 t1_j8q7f74 wrote

This place is great, the owner is very friendly but they only take cash, so stop at an atm first before splurging

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swiftb00ks t1_j8pv6u6 wrote

Not in my area but on vacation I visited hooked on books on books in wildwood and thought they had a really nice selection

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JohnFlip t1_j8pn2rr wrote

Ray and judy book stop in Rockaway boro.

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Rusty_Ferberger OP t1_j8pqhqq wrote

Wow, that one is way up there. Anything else worth visiting in the area that would make a good daytrip?

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jeanmaljean t1_j8pxpu1 wrote

You can definitely go to Rockaway and Morristown in one day — Old Book Shop in Morristown is really great.

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8Deer-JaguarClaw t1_j8q62em wrote

There's a decent used shop in Sparta. Appropriately called "Sparta Books". It's in the same little shopping center as a really fun bowling alley and a couple good restaurants.

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betcher73 t1_j8q3n5n wrote

Rockaway Mall is a pretty big mall with some big chain restaurants if you’re into that.

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sutisuc t1_j8q48kg wrote

Tons of great hiking in and around there if that’s your thing.

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jumpyjumperoo t1_j8qjq59 wrote

St Claire's in Denville used to have a gift barn as a part of their thrift shop that was mostly books. Worth a google if nobody else responds with more info. It's close to Rockaway.

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EFMSPARKY t1_j8r7lhp wrote

It’s still there. It was owned by st. Francis btw

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AliceMaz t1_j8qacch wrote

The Bookateria is also nice in Ocean City. It’s jam packed with beach reads in the front but also has a more serious collection towards the back.

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SnooWords4839 t1_j8pnybb wrote

Mount Laurel has - https://secondtimebooksonline.com/

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CDavis10717 t1_j8rngd6 wrote

Yes! This store is a nicely curated collection of books, and it’s part of the Rancocas Woods Shops and nearby is Ma and Pa’s Mexican!

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fizbin t1_j8s4uwf wrote

Second time books is everything you want in a used bookstore if your primary interest is SF/F. (About a third of the store)

The rest of the store is good too, but its SF collection is amazing and the kind of thing you generally wouldn't expect to find outside of a specialty SFF-focused store in a large city. (though without the new releases you'd see in such a place)

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acoreilly87 t1_j8pwivi wrote

There’s Brier Rose Books on Cedar Lane in Teaneck, where I’ve made a few purchases.

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RememberingTiger1 t1_j8px4iz wrote

Booktrader of Hamilton in Hamilton Twp. Just be careful of the step down right after you come in the back door. I took a nasty tumble and ended up in a boot! Hasn’t stopped me from going back!

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4SK1N5 t1_j8quq9t wrote

If you’re ever in Newark, you should stop by Sihana Cafe. It’s an excellent cafe that also has a pretty good selection of used books for sale.

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aspiringmindss t1_j8tfrcf wrote

Asbury Book Cooperative (ABC) in Asbury Park, NJ

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Princess-She-ra t1_j8pjaun wrote

Have you tried your local library? Not quite the same ambiance as strolling through used bookstores but they do have books year round

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EatYourCheckers t1_j8pjbtd wrote

I was going to suggest Respectrum Books but looks like they closed for online only

Sussex County Library, the Wantage Branch at least, has a book sale like every Saturday or maybe one Saturday a month.

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Vantabrown t1_j8pksu6 wrote

Paperback exchange in belmar, there's one on cookman avenue in Asbury Park also

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WhichSpirit t1_j8q07je wrote

Twice Told Tales in Flemington is great.

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jarrettbrown t1_j8u8n22 wrote

Are they actually opened? Google seems to suggest they're still closed and they facebook says the same.

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WhichSpirit t1_j8ufo3f wrote

I thought they were but now I'm not sure. It's been a while since I was there.

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rancocas1 t1_j8q3y48 wrote

Second time books Creek Road Mount Laurel. Incredible selection high quality used books.

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bibliano14 t1_j8q7jel wrote

Bergen Book Studio is also great, newish to the area, the owner is friendly and offers bookbinding classes as well

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BYNX0 t1_j8qahmx wrote

Barnes and nobles /j

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imartelle t1_j8qev2s wrote

Bookateria in Ocean City is a great little detour if you find yourself there

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[deleted] t1_j8r3jed wrote

The Book Garden in Cream Ridge.

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ArteSuave197 t1_j8rqdr8 wrote

If you’re in northern NJ, there’s a great one in Nyack, NY.

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scottymcgeester t1_j8rrdr3 wrote

Chatham Bookseller in Madison! Tell Richard that Eddie sent you!

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lsp2005 t1_j8rrvca wrote

The Visiting Nurses of Somerset Hills (used to be VNA, now AVN because Atlantic health bought them after 100 years) runs a twice annual rummage sale. It has occurred in Far Hills for 100 years this sale. It will be in April to donate and May for the three day sale. It is also done in September for the October sale. The book barn has three rooms plus the outside area. The entire sale is about two to three football fields in size. You should come shop. If you want to spend 25% more, you can shop on the Thursday from the friends and family. You would need a wristband from a volunteer to be able to do that though.

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jarrettbrown t1_j8tyxy5 wrote

The Asbury Book Co-op is actually pretty good. It's got a really good selection of used books.

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thewetsockdevil t1_j8u752j wrote

I got to Bookmarked in Whiting.

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Rusty_Ferberger OP t1_j8u8w7x wrote

Whiting as in Ocean County Whiting? I grew up around that area and would be a bit surprised to find a used book store there.

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thewetsockdevil t1_j8u9jvf wrote

Yeah, it is in the Whiting Commons with Connolly Dermatology. I live down in Forked River and literally just searched for used book stores in NJ and they came up one day. They have only been there for about a year and a half, I think. Small shop, but a pretty good selection.

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Rusty_Ferberger OP t1_j8ubyc9 wrote

Cool. I grew up down there and Whiting to me always meant senior villages. I'll check it out next time I'm down there.

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thewetsockdevil t1_j8uca6g wrote

Oh it is still almost entirely senior villages. But there are one or two cool businesses there now too. In the same plaza I think they have a motorcycle leather shop, and there are rumors of a Lidl going somewhere in town in the next few years.

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PaulGeorge34 t1_j8purb8 wrote

We have a couple decent used book stores in Montclair.

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Rusty_Ferberger OP t1_j8pxlu9 wrote

Cool.....Maybe next time, drop a few names to support local business when you get a chance.

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facemoosh t1_j8r75pa wrote

Just over the border in Warwick NY is the Eclectic Eye.

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aa043 t1_j8s7fwy wrote

Not in NJ, Strand Book Store 828 Broadway at 12th Street in New York beats all stores in NJ and is worth a visit. Its a paradise for used books where you can spend days and only see a small subset of their collections.

US had more large bookstores before Amazon took away their sales; NJ still has a few large bookstores including several Barnes and Noble locations.

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jarrettbrown t1_j8u8tzq wrote

I'm gonna agree with this. If you do get a chance, go there. They beat the pandemic and are doing well.

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DanSteely96 t1_j8v4a4o wrote

Words Bookstore in Maplewood is great.

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thesmellysloth t1_j8wd01u wrote

Ray and Judy’s in Rockaway on Main Street. Lots of used books as well as comics and some toys/candy/collectibles. Nice owner and staff.

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ThatEcologist t1_j8tjqac wrote

There is a cool one in Montclair.

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