Secondhand and Antiquarian Bookshops in the UK 2018
Key
Open at advertised times
Phone before travelling
Appointment necessary
Whilst every effort has been made to ensure these details are correct, we recommend that you contact each individual bookshop before travelling any distance. Add your bookshop here
69A Intandane
75 Renshaw Street
LIVERPOOL Merseyside L1 2SJ map
tel: 0151 7088873 e-mail web
Add a comment Read commentsHide commentsWhat a fabulous place. Antiques, curios, vintage clothes and thousands of books, all on two cluttered floors. This place is a carry over from the Liverpool of the 1960s and the book holdings reflect what was still easily available in those times. I was told they have a warehouse of unsorted books so I left them my list and wait to see what eventuates. Even so, I picked up eight scarce volumes so came away contented. - Chris Harte 28.08.12.
Extraordinary antiques/ageing hippy place that took me back to my 60s student days! Worth a look for some decent s/h stock at reasonable prices. - Norman Davies 10.11.12.
Indeed, a relic of the past. But the stock must barely have changed since those glory days and, except for quite a good range of fiction, is apparently a bedraggled residue of house clearances. - James Mackay 19.04.14.
Bluecoat Books & Arts
Gostins Building
32 Hanover Street
LIVERPOOL Merseyside L1 4LN map
tel: 0151 709 5449 web
Remaindered books and promotional titles.
Add a comment Read commentsHide commentsBright bookshop, centrally located and combined with an arts shop. Nothing much in the field of older books, but nice general stock and good reading material. - jduester 30.09.10.
NOT secondhand books, it is the same as the Chester shop, nothing but new books at discounted prices. - The Wanderer 15.03.11.
Superb little shop. Entirely stocked with quality remaindered books at very affordable prices. - Bookworm 30.11.12.
This may not be a secondhand bookshop - it does not profess to be - but nevertheless, it has many interesting titles and should not be dismissed as 'only remainders' etc. The stock has obviously been selected with care - not the equivalent to The Works et al. - j2.Owch 02.01.14.
Pricing is simple - half the publisher's price, or one-third if its in US dollars. That tells us that the stock, if not remaindered, is certainly new books which are for whatever reason, going cheap. But the stock is sufficient to make it worth going first here, before Waterstone's, if you are seeking any fairly recent edition. - James Mackay 19.04.14.
Henry Bohn Books
12 London Rd
LIVERPOOL Merseyside L3 5NF map
tel: 0151 709 4501 or 0151 639 2401 web
Open: Monday - Saturday 11.00 - 6.00.
Add a comment Read commentsHide commentsIn the process of reopening the shop at the side of Lime Street Station. Unfortunately they were just putting the stock out, but I couldn't get in! - Robert Brown 02.04.09.
Huge improvement on old Lime Street, shop-stock is better and easy to navigate. It has the ambience of Cecil Court. Not much for the collector but always find something. Reasonable prices. - Loyola 24.04.10.
Good atmosphere, vast selection, well worth visiting. - jduester 30.09.10.
Wonderful, great selection, first floor is open and also packed floor to ceiling, prices are really fair. - The Wanderer 16.03.11.
Superb place. Slightly shambolic, reminder of an old fashioned floor to ceiling bookshop. Condition varies, but some excellent bargains to be found. Dont miss the first floor. Also splendid classical CD s/h collections. - Norman Davies 30.07.11.
Like the other reviewers I found this a fascinating place to search. You don't find many shops like this nowadays nor do you find customers being given a quiz question to answer while browsing the quality holdings. Very much a place to visit with car parking very easy. (My question was : 'When were shoelaces first used? Answer : 1790. I was nowhere near being correct). - Chris Harte 28.08.12.
Finally made it inside! Large, interesting stock, generally really sensibly priced. Friendly staff. Came away with a bag of books, so regard this visit as a success. Will be back. (Trade) - Robert Brown 29.09.12.
Thoroughly good, from the premises, solid as befits a former jeweller's shop, to the stock, very extensive and a bit towards the academic, at reasonable prices. - James Mackay 19.04.14.
A packed shop full of surprises and bargains of which I got a few. - Richard Ransome 29.05.15.
A fascinating place with books on shelves and on the floor. Very close to Lime Street station. - Steve 19.01.17.
Kernaghan Books
The Bluecoat
School Lane
LIVERPOOL Merseyside L1 3BX map
tel: 0151 703 9077 e-mail web
Open: Tuesday - Saturday 10.30 - 5.00
Large general stock of collectible, fine and unusual books with particular interest in Irish, Private Press, Natural history, local history and travel.
Add a comment Read commentsHide commentsUpstairs in the Wayfarers Arcade and it is like walking into a treasure trove. Very knowledgable assistant who knew exactly where to take me for my wants. Spent far too much but am loving my newly purchased books. Excellent quality stock. - Chris Harte 14.04.09.
Welcoming staff, clean good stock, and a easily visitable "back room" make this a top notch shop. All on one floor, and well lit. Well worth a visit. - Robert Brown (Bookdealer) 29.06.09.
Another excellent shop in Southport (see Broadhursts). A little pricey but extensive quality selection and bookseller make this a worthwhile detour. Note is is upstairs in the Wayfarers Arcade off Lord Street. - Norman Davies 12.07.12.
Visited yesterday and was disappointed to find the shop closed, with a sign on the window stating that it is moving to Liverpool. - Stuart T 22.10.12.
Top quality bookshop in an excellent setting. Very pleasant, friendly staff and while they had little of what I collect , there were other books to buy. - CB 06.04.13.
First class location and premises, quality stock at reasonable prices, helpful and friendly owners. - Howard Walters 08.10.13.
Some of the earlier comments have been superseded, the shop has moved from Southport to Liverpool. Forget the Wayfarer's Arcade, it is now in the Bluecoat School, a haven in the overbearing Liverpool One shopping centre. A wide-ranging serious stock, sensibly priced. - James Mackay 19.04.14.
Visited them in their delightful new premises within the old Bluecoat School. The standard of holdings has, if anything, increased from their previous existence in Southport. As always, helpful, chatty and very fair pricing. Best bookshop on Merseyside by a long way. - Chris Harte 17.06.14.
A great shop with very helpful owners, I came away with some gems. - Richard Ransome 29.05.15.
Oxfam Original
35-37 Bold Street
LIVERPOOL Merseyside L1 4DN map
tel: 0151 709 6739 web
Add a comment Read commentsHide commentsThis being Liverpool it is pleasantly chaotic compared with Oxfam's usual tedious corporate branding - they seem to have given up actually organising the books and just shove them on to shelves marked "new arrivals". There is a high percentage of decent books with large sections on academic topics and history. - George Marshall 15.12.09.
Definitely the most disorganised Oxfam book shop I have ever seen, books just stuffed on "new stock" or "new arrivals" shelves with no attempt at putting into categories. No time to sort them out but they still found time to overprice them I notice. Nice to see what they consider the priorities. - The Wanderer 15.03.11.
Still little organised, but a big stock worth scanning through. - James Mackay 19.04.14.
Reid of Liverpool
105 Mount Pleasant
LIVERPOOL Merseyside L3 5TB map
tel: 0151 709 2312
Open: Monday - Saturday 10.30 - 5.30.
Very large general stock that leans towards the unusual.
Add a comment Read commentsHide commentsStill worth visiting. Lots of paperbacks, but a nice clean tidy shop, with some very interesting stock at the back. - Robert Brown 02.04.09.
Fairly priced general stock. Not much of interest to collectors but great if you just want to find a good read at the right price. - Loyola 24.04.10.
Absolutely delightful and tidy bookshop, moderate prices. Great selection of books on espionage - jduester 30.09.10.
Friendly shop. Mr Reid always give you a good deal, a few quid off when you buy a handful of books. - Funklein 25.08.12.
First appearances did not hold out much hope for me until I started my second tour of the shelves. Then I started to find quite a number of interesting titles. Look carefully when visiting and you could be surprised. - Chris Harte 28.08.12.
Agree with all the above comments. Have visited twice in the last six months and will be back. Unusual if I don't find something to buy. - Robert Brown 29.09.12.
Agree above. Excellent shop for a lengthy browse and a chat, I usually find something worthwhile. Note of caution, may only be open after noon Saturdays. - Norman Davies 10.11.12.
Richards Collectables and Books
Carlisle Building
69-71 Victoria Street
LIVERPOOL Merseyside L1 6ED map
tel: 78079 14842 e-mail
Open: Monday & Wednesday - Saturday 10.00 - 6.00.
Rare, secondhand and vintage Books, out of print and first editions. A unique space filled with books, art from local artists, antiques and collectables.
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