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| - Even before I read the other reviews, one of my first thoughts upon visiting both The Book Exchange and Dencan Books next-door was that they are opposites in every way. Book Exchange is a small organized place to find a good quality book, while Dencan's (reviewed separately, also 3-stars) is a big mess with all kinds of bargains waiting to be unearthed if you're not too picky about condition.
The few times that I have been in the area, I have visited The Book Exchange first. It is very small, and has a very limited selection in each area. But it is meticulously clean and organized, no piles of books sitting on the floor to trip you up. The guy behind the counter will say hello, but otherwise leave you alone unless you ask him something. The largest section I have browsed is literature, which covers 2 shelving units. Although the space is limited, there are usually only 1 or 2 books per author, which allows for a broad spectrum. There are smaller sections of sci-fi and mystery also. In non-fiction, there is one unit covering all of the sciences, maybe 1 shelf or less for each discipline. Much the same for history, although there is a separate section just for Canadiana. All the books are in very good condition, and priced as such, $5-$10 in my areas of interest. Definitely not the place to look for an old worn $2 paperback.
Overall, it fares well for quality but not quantity. If you do find what you're looking for, the price will be reasonable. However, the downside is that I have mostly have not found what I was looking for, so have only ever purchased 2-3 books. But I will still keep looking.
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