Pulpfiction Books

I absolutely love this place. The front of the store is filled with an exceptionally curated selection of new books (seriously. have you seen all of the great nyrb books they keep in stock??). The one thing that continues to pull me back is their discounts on special-​ordered books. If the book of your dreams is still in print then Pulpfiction is hands-​down the best way to get it into your hands.

They don’t pay much for books and you have to spend your credit before you leave the store or you lose it. Rediculous! Will never take books in there again, nor will buy any. There are better book stores downtown anyway like McLeod’s and Paper Hound.

Al K. and I had identical bad experiences with Pulpfiction Books.
After carefully reading their website, I brought a collection of books to their Main Street store, sorted into plastic bins, spine side up for quick scanning, exactly according to their website. I parked in front of their door, just after they opened, and asked the guy if he’d come take a quick look. He refused, insisting that I haul the bins inside, which I did. Then, the very rude guy took about two seconds to look at the books and barked, «You can get these out of here. We don’t take children’s books. Didn’t you read the website?» They weren’t children’s books. They were young adults’ fiction including full sets of fantasy and mystery genre, in perfect condition, read only once. None were mass market paperbacks of the kind their site say are unacceptable. Two were textbooks which they specify on their website as books they «sometimes buy» at the Main Street store. He also refused to help me bring the books in or out, despite their website saying they would help, staffing permitting; they were not busy. I will never buy or try to sell books there again. They rely on people selling them used books, but I won’t be among those helping them stay in business. For the privilege of this unfortunate experience, I drove an hour each way. I dropped the books off at the library instead. Next time I will shop at Chapters or online!

I may be biased because I adore bookstores but damn I love this place! Nicely spaced rows of neatly stacked delights nestle together behind a clean and modern entryway.
The entrance area is filled with crisp, beautiful new books of all kinds — from comics (Captain Marvel!!) to adult colouring books to novels, they’ve got a bit of everything. Venturing deeper there are old, leatherbound gems lined up just before rows and rows of magical treasures of all varieties — you name it, it’s there.
One real highlight of this place is the amazing staff who have seemingly encyclopedic memories for what they have in stock. The desk is almost always buried under a giant heap of books but the folks under that mound are delightful! I had some time to kill before meeting a friend and was looking for a book but could only remember the title and not the author. I assumed the guys behind the counter would google it, or look it up in their system, but as soon as I told them the title the guy screwed up his face before beelining for the right shelf and pulling it off. AMAZING!
In short, this is a great store filled with great books and great staff!

I really liked this store. I was visiting family here and my uncle recommended this book store knowing that I enjoy reading.
I was super stoked to find that it was a used bookstore! Who doesn’t love to check out the description of a well worn in book, cracked spine, handwriting in the columns & dog-​eared pages –all signs of a well-​loved novel.
The store was organized really well! I find this incredibly rare in used books because of the eclectic selections available, but genres are easy to follow and they’re organized well by author.
I will say however that they wouldn’t take USD ()I’m a silly American)_and then changed their mind remembering USD was up. & charged me on par (the USD was 1.25ish to the Canadian dollar), pricey tip for a bookstore. Although I figure, what better cause than a book.

Wonderful selection of used books, and excellently-​curated selection of new books too, with emphasis on local writers and magazines as well as interesting graphic novels and beautiful, funky editions of classics. This is not a snobby place; I always feel comfortable browsing… Nothing like discovering a book you didn’t know you needed! But this is also the place where I go to when I am not browsing and am, instead, on the hunt for something in particular.
If they don’t have what you’re looking for, they’ll order it for you – usually 10% or more cheaper than from Amazon. I’m a regular, and the owner Matt will now point out things he knows will interest me when I come in, in a thoughtful, not pushy way. It’s clear that all the staff truly love books, and most (if it’s not too busy) are up for a conversation about books, if you’re looking for a recommendation or just for someone else to be excited with you that you just found a new translation of Petrarch’s sonnets for only $ 19! Ha.
A place for book lovers. Good poetry section, which is how I often judge a bookstore. Good prices and a great vibe!

Pulpfiction having anything other than a perfect rating is a true travesty in my eyes! The selection is abundant and glorious for a mostly-​used book store and the owner is a stand-​up dude who will order in whatever you need, call you when it’s in, and knock 10% off the cover price for new books. I’m surprised by the negative reviews about rude staff, because I never have had a bad experience. Maybe that’s because I am a «book person» in both spirit and profession, so I understand that a polite acknowledging nod basically sums up a «Hi, welcome to the store! I am here to help with whatever you need but I am in the middle of a really interesting chapter of this new book so just holler when you’re ready». This isn’t Chapters, folks. If you want smiles and bells and whistles then go sell your soul to Indigo.

I think Megan A. nailed it in her Unilocal review, «I don’t know how Pulp Fiction got so popular, except that Vancouver seems to be the land of „I’m so hip I don’t have to be nice to you,“ …».

As a former bookstore employee, I love a good bookstore. And these days, they’re far and few between. Even harder to find an independent! So I’m really happy to see Pulpfiction still in business. Each time I’ve been in, the staff have been friendly and answered questions. On my last visit, I had a nice chat about my book for my book club as he had read it the year before. It’s that personal touch that makes the difference.
The store is laid out in an interesting way that makes you feel like you’re going on a treasure hunt. It’s laid out in proper sections, but you still have to hunt around to find the right section you want. I completely bypassed the front section which had the book I was looking for.
Is it a bargain? No, but that’s not why you’re coming here. Support local businesses and more importantly, support local bookstores!

Love this place! I’m a book addict and every time I need or want a book I go here. Prices are great, staff is great, selection is great and if they don’t have it in they order it cheap and the used books are wonderful! They also love my dog and that’s a bonus ;)

Rude staff

I’m a big fan of Chris and Pulp Fiction. As a used book store, it’s great with its selection. In terms of buying new books, I have stopped relying on the big chains and websites and ordering my books from Chris. The discounts are just as good, and he has the books just as quickly. Terrific gem of a place; having new and used books as he does, reminds me a lot of Powell’s.

Pulp Fiction is such a great little bookstore. I’ve always received fantastic customer service; whenever I’m looking for something specific they always check for me in the used section and if they don’t have it, they offer to order a new copy in for me, which usually takes a few days to a week, but I’m more than happy to wait. Did you know that they offer a discount on all new books? It’s either 20% or 30%, I can never remember, but anything is better than nothing! And I’m always happy to support local businesses instead of going to Chapters.

This is my favourite bookstore in Vancouver. The selection of books on display is always intriguing, with plenty of titles in the window to piqué your interest and add to your «to-​read» list.
Best of all, new books are discounted, much cheaper than any of the large chains off the shelf. Even better, I often find the book I want used, and the condition of used books is excellent, usually just as good as new.
Bottom line: interesting books, and amazing prices.

This is a great book store! Knowledgable staff, incredible selection. If you have gently used books you can bring them and sell them for cash or store credit! Highly recommend this business!

Fantastic, exceptional service! In ordering hard-​to-​find books for me from the internet,
the staff at Pulp Fiction was scrupulously honest, taking time to explain the process
and advising caution about buying more than one book from one source until the
quality had been evaluated. I also like the Staff Picks and the many unusual books
and graphic novels.

A bookie’s heaven!
A few months back, I called in to inquire whether or not they had Persepolis and Maus Vol. I & II (highly recommend these graphic novels) in stock. They didn’t at the time, but they were very good about placing an order in for me, and within 2 days I received a call from Pulp Fiction staffers, saying the books were ready to be picked up at my convenience.
I recently returned only to be even more pleased with the helpful staff and the vast and almost overwhelming book selection of both new and used book and at an affordable price.
Keep on Keepin’ on Pulp Fiction!

YAY INDEPENDENT BOOKSTORES!!!
Pulpfiction is my favourite local bookstore. They stock both new and used, and if they don’t have it they will often order it in for you. They do buy gently used books and will pay more if you take store credit, but will also do cash.
I love that they get to know their regulars, will put books on hold for you, and help you find things in store when you get overwhelmed. One of my friends when her orders come in they even tweet her to tell her they’ve arrive (but with me they just call me). You can tell that the staff like working there and care about books – they will happily talk about books with you, including what you’re buying or what they’re currently shelving. Great people! Great business! Great store!

This book store is «busy» and in some cases a little disorganized, however, you will find piles and piles of books. If you can get over that old book smell than there are some treasures to be found. I went to the cooking section naturally and found a bunch of out of print Company’s Coming Books. Most things have no prices on them which is kind of discouraging. The guy at the store is really friendly. There are a lot of sections and some you may have never thought of. The guy was friendly and gave me space and privacy to browse. I have at least 4 cook books next week to pick up, therefore, will update on pricing next week. Good selection of new and old books. They hold titles that people actually want which is a huge plus.

I love this place and every time wish I had more time to spend browsing. I usually pop in when I have 10min to spare before meeting up with someone for coffee or an appointment. I think to myself «hmmm, i’ll just take a look» yet always end up leaving with at least a few buys.
This time it was a used (barely) copy of Michael Bittman’s How to Cook Everything. FOR $ 16!!! OMG OMG OMG! Most exciting find of the year to date by far! I also picked up a new version of The Golden Spruce and when he couldn’t find a copy of an older book, he said he would be able to get a %30 reduced copy for me by tuesday. Yes please! I also love how they have their «best finds» in the front of the store… those books that you would think are only available in the big box bookstores but are here for about half the price.
Knowledgeable, friendly and just all around super awesome, i just kinda love this place. Why bother with Chapters/​Indigo when the odds of finding what you are looking for at a greatly reduced price (and while supporting local small business) is available!!?
Check it out… you won’t be sorry.