With all the big bookstores closing their doors, Half Price Books is one of the few holdouts. I shed a few tears when I drive by an old Barnes and Noble so it gives me a bit of happiness to see that this place is still open.
I dropped into this location with my family while we were waiting for our car to get serviced nearby. It's in a run-down strip mall that looks like it is near the point of abandonment but inside this store is a hidden gem.
Unlike B&N, Half Price Books is special in that they buy and sell like-new used books. You can find some real treasures here if you're willing to dig into the shelves and stay awhile. Many of the large cities I've live in have had bookstores like this. This isn't one of the better ones but it is still nice and fills the need.
Some of the prices on older books are just silly (especially since you can buy many of them for just the price of shipping online) but it's nice to be able to hold them in your hands.
I've never sold books here because most of my physical book copies are pre-release review copies which HPB won't resell. That's a shame but not completely unexpected.
Overall I like this store a lot. It has a great layout and plenty of appeal for those looking for something special. The staff aren't the friendliest but they're not terrible either so I can live with that.