One Dollar Bookstore

Park in the lot behind the strip mall. Come in through the south-​east side, up the covered walkway lined with other shops, toward the little staircase. Enter the One Dollar Bookstore. Ogle. Peruse thousands of books; discover gem upon gem upon long-​forgotten gem.
A recent excursion found me finding:
1. A beautiful softcover edition of Howard Zinn’s «A People’s History of the United States.”*
2. A softcover of «The Dragons of Eden,» by Carl Sagan.
3. A pocket-​edition of «Pygmalion.»
4. An extremely difficult-​to-​find Stephen King collection (for those who care about these sorts of things, it was the 1985 hardcover edition of the first four Bachman books, tellingly titled «The Bachman Books»; more importantly, it features the super-​rare text of Bachman’s first short novel, «Rage,» which has been [understandably] out-​of-​print ever since. And – imagine that this next part is italicized – it only cost a dollar! Five stars for that alone.)
5. Several hardcovers pertaining to the biological sciences that are so full of science that I have no idea what they mean, but my boyfriend liked them so we got them.
The best part?
All of this cost under nine dollars.
To that, I can only quote the legendary Joey Lawrence: «Whoa.»
Trust me, you want to go. And you’re very, very welcome for when you thank me later.
In the meantime, in between time, five stars! Five stars! Five – let me hear it – STARS!
*I am taking grammatical form in my own hands now and declaring it okay to use quotes for all titles – even those that should underlined or italicized or whatever else have you – at least until Unilocal allows formatting. So it is Unilocaled, so it is done.

I would normally want to keep the existence of such a magical place as this to myself, but today I found out that the one dollar bookstore is in danger of closing. I have found so many gems here, from first edition Philip Roth novels to totally campy 1980s fashion and beauty manuals. I don’t know where the stock comes from, but it’s amazing. And everything is really just a dollar! Best of all, juan, who works there, will go out of his way to help you find whatever you’re looking for, and will even help you out to your car when you somehow end up going home with three boxes of books (not that I’d know anything about that).

I absolutely loved this place. Imagine how sad I was when I showed up last week looking for some lovely books and saw that it was closed :(There was no sign saying they moved or if they’d be back so I guess I’m going to have to drive a little further to the one in Burbank.

Wow! I love this bookstore. Before this, my favorite bookstore was an independent in Chicago named Afterwords.
When we moved here we hadn’t found a suitable replacement until now and they are the One Dollar Bookstore, and even our Chicago fave was the usual cost of an independent ($ 4−50/book).
I am in heaven being back in LA with the 99 Cent Only store and now the One Dollar Bookstore and couldn’t be happier.
Thank you!
(Edit — the good places never last… they are now closed!)

Famed writer Virginia Wolf had this to say about used books: «Second hand books are wild books, homeless books; they have come together in vast flocks of variegated feather, and have a charm which the domesticated volumes of the library lack.» Virginia was a very wise woman. A good portion of my personal library is made up of these wild novels, many of which I’ve captured from thrift stores and the like over the years, including this One Dollar Bookstore.
I stopped in here the other day after brunch, and was very impressed with the layout and organization of the store. I believe they are part of the same chain as the One Dollar Bookstore in Burbank, which I frequent often. While the Burbank location has a little more selection, it was easier to find books here per the categorized branches. I restrained myself and only bought four books, including the play «Hurly Burly» by David Rabe and a rare hardback by Dean Koontz called «The Vision.»
The staff that runs the store is very friendly. In regards to parking, I used the lot in the Encino Town Center directly across Ventura Boulevard. Several other noteworthy businesses are nearby as well, including More than Waffles and an Aaron Brothers. I will be returning shortly to expand my literary aviary.

6÷6÷10− Tried to come here last wkend and it is no longer in business =(
I discovered this place since I was eating across the street. This place seriously sells books for $ 1!!! Such a steal! The entrance has books that are not categorized (newly added). Other parts of the store books are categorized by topic (i.e. psychology, romance novels, travel, etc). They have a LARGE selection of books and a section for VHS movies. I spent a good amount of time just browsing. Great place to get second hand children books. A secret in the San Fernando Valley!

Looky Looky I got some really cheap bookies!
Me and the Wifey got high from buying so many $ 1 dollar books.
And they’re not just selling, old unwanted run-​down random titles, which I thought I would only find. They’re selling well known novels in good condition. Cold Mountain, The Kite Runner, All the Pretty Horses, Water for Elephants. etc.
They have plenty of classics, from Shakespeare to Hawthorne.
If you’re into Sci-​Fi, True Crime, Self-​Help, Romance, Travel, History, they have that as well.
The Children’s book section is unbelievable. Paperbacks, coloring books, hardcovers, educational books, oh my! They also have a great selection of Little Golden Books. A favorite of mine when I was younger.
I will never ever feel right going into a used book store and paying more than 2 bucks for a decent title.
I just wish the owner will, one day, expand to Northern California.
For now, the website will have to suffice.

How is this place in business? A bookstore that sell its books for $ 1? Not just paperback but hardcover. Not just random old books, but some best sellers! Yes, everything is disorganized and it doesn’t have the selection of a Barnes and Noble, but when you come in here you feel like a treasure hunter. And when you find that book you want among all the others you truly feel like you’ve found a treasure. $ 1!!!