| rev:text
| - I have so many mixed feelings about Eliot's Books!
Have been here many times and made quite a lot of purchases. However, every time I have to deal with the staff, I come away feeling like sh*t.
From a buyer's perspective, 4 stars: good place to browse, quite good selection (although many times I've gone looking for well known titles that weren't there), decent prices. Certainly the best used bookstore in this part of Toronto (there are two more within walking distance). When you are making a purchase, the staff seem friendly enough...BUT I've discovered that friendliness is limited to interactions that involve only pleasantries!
From a seller's (and overall customer service) perspective, 1 star: I've only ever seen the same two men working here, and their manner is absolutely atrocious! First of all, FYI, they only buy books on Tuesday and Wednesday from 11:30-5:30. If you go any other time, they will be extremely dismissive, and will not even deign to give you advice about what sort of books they would purchase were they to give you the time of day. Once, after I tried to get *any* indication of what they'll actually buy, I was told "If you have Hemingway, I'll take it". Um, thanks for that clarity? In fact, they are extremely picky about what they will accept, so don't get your hopes up. I recently went with about 40 novels, all in excellent condition, ranging from classics (think: Dickens, Shakespeare, LM Montgomery, George Eliot) to more best-seller type paperbacks (e.g. Le Carré, Joshua Ferris, Kathryn Stockett), and he wouldn't accept any. I guess Dickens is not exactly the same as Hemingway, how silly of me! I've also tried to bring in more general science books, non-fiction best-sellers (e.g. about terrorism or the Italian mafia), classic political theory books, children's books, design books, Canadian Lit, anthologies of classic authors. I have NO idea what they would accept. Except Hemingway. I officially give up!
Now, I don't totally blame them for their pickiness because space is limited, but there is something in the mannerisms of both people who work here that make me feel belittled and horrible when it's over. They don't use bad words per se, but they have terrible attitudes. You know when you have an interaction with someone where you keep playing it over in your head for days, and continue to feel awful about it? That is how I feel every time I try to ask them any kind of question.
I sort of get the impression that I wouldn't patronized and spoken to so rudely if I wasn't a young woman. But of course, I can't back this up: it's just a hunch.
SUMMARY: go there to browse for books, but trying to sell them books is a nightmare!
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