Back Pages Used Books

I know this place is no longer but still want to share a terrible experience I had there. Some years ago when I was a meek, grungy university student, I brought a bunch of books in to sell. The owner wasn’t in but a staff member took the books and told me to come back later to get paid by owner. The staffer quoted me a price of $ 70. Being a student I didn’t expect to get offered what, at this time, was a King’s ransom to me and would keep me fed with Mr Noodles and with «Moose Dry» (don’t judge it was the 90s ;)) for weeks. When I returned for my money the store owner was downright rude, hostile even. Being a regular customer I always found the owner pleasant; well on this day he pulled a Jekyll and Hyde. He yelled (yes yelled) that the employee had no authority to take books on his behalf and demanded to know exactly which books I had brought in. I went on the defensive and tried to point out the titles I recognized as best I could but the owner said there was no way he was going to give me $ 70. In the end, he offered $ 40 which I reluctantly accepted and then meekly left the store. To this day I am still po’d about that exchange and I wish I had of kicked up a stink. If the employees couldn’t buy books and this guy did then it was the owner’s problem not mine. Looking back on it; I even wonder if the owner knew exactly what brought in and this was just his tactic to get a lower price. I never went back to the store. The owner might have gotten a $ 30 bargain but he lost a customer. Wish Unilocal had been around then to share this crappy experience. I wonder if others had similar experiences.

It’s well-​established on Unilocal that Back Pages is a good place to buy used books. But a good place to sell books? Mmm… nope.
I’ve attempted several times in the past to drop off books at Back Pages for sale or credit, but it’s almost impossible to know when the owner is going to be there. The employees aren’t empowered to make decisions, so they’ll tell you to call the owner to get «an idea» of when he/​she might be in. Whatever.
I’ve given up trying now. If you happen to be driving through my small neighborhood off Quinpool Rd, you might find a box of like-​new books in a box at the end of my driveway. No need to call me and find out my schedule. The end of my driveway is always open.

I’ve always been a bit of a bookworm and, not surprisingly, I’m a huge fan of used bookstores. Not only because of the great deals (aka a cheap way to feed my addiction), but also because there is just something kind of magical about them. Maybe it’s the idea that I never know what I’m going to find when I step into one, like I’m searching for buried treasure.
Back Pages is hands down my favourite used book store in Halifax, and is indeed a buried treasure of it’s own, tucked away on Queen St, just a short distance from the bustle and busyness of Spring Garden. It’s not the biggest of its kind in town, but it has an excellent variety for its size (which, as others has said, is actually larger than it seems at first glance). It also has a very relaxed, peaceful atmosphere, quiet, but not stuffy. The staff are always friendly, knowledgeable, and good for a chat.
I have found a little bit of everything here, from classic authors like Mark Twain, John Steinbeck, Ken Kesey, or Jack Kerouac, to more contemporary finds, like Nick Hornby. They also have sections of genre fiction (horror, mystery, sci-​fi, to name a few), as well as a decent selection of non fiction (from history, to philosophy, to politics). Also, considering the variety of materials offered, the books are all very well organized on the shelves, no searching through random piles of haphazardly catalogued items here! Which makes the experience all the more enjoyable and tranquil.
You really can’t go wrong with this little shop, it’s as unique and special as its wares themselves.

I am very pleased that I stepped into this little used book shop. Being a student of costume, I’m always on the lookout for old catalogs when I go into these stores; it’s pretty rare to find them, since it’s not really something you would think of keeping unless you’re a crazy hoarder.
Anyway, when I entered the store and began browsing, the salesperson (owner?) asked if there was anything in particular I was looking for. I asked, fully expecting nothing in stock, if he had any old catalogs. To my surprise — he did! Down from the special upstairs stock came several volumes, all from: 1980-​something, 1970-​something, 1961, 1950-​something preview, and 1936. I ended up walking out of there with the 1961 and 1936 Eatons catalogs for the very reasonable price of $ 60, to add to my collection of Eatons 1918 and Sears 1953.
I didn’t really walk through much of the shop once I found what I wanted, but I can say that it has a nice inviting layout, and a very friendly shop keeper with, from what I’ve seen, some great finds.

I’m a big fan of Back Pages. However, I’m sorry to say I write today with some less than glorious feedback.
The last three novels I’ve purchased have come unbound early on during my read. The first time was a bummer. The second time was discouraging. But by the third book… well its a big enough deal to Unilocal about.
The books didn’t cost me more than ten dollars a piece, but if something is for sale, I expect to get through until the end. I spent a half hour scotch taping Madame Bovary back together… precious time well wasted.
I’ll make note to give books further inspection prior to purchase from now on. I still love this little shop, but am disappointed with my three consecutive misses. Classics are hard enough as it is, c’ommon!

This is a quaint little book store, but bigger than it appears from outside.
When you first go in, there is this friendly man reading a book behind the counter says a hello and is there anything I can help you find, then goes back to his book.
You can wonder around the corner and there is another section in the back, the sun shining in, there was a lady sitting there reading a book, it was like she was lost in her own world.
I was impressed at how organized this place was, and packed. It reminded me of a book store from a Harry Potter movie, yes I like the Harry Potter movies, but I like the books even better.
We thoroughly enjoyed persuing through the store. They had some great finds and you will not have to worry about pricing, they had paperbacks for $ 1.00.
It is just a great experience to spend some time in here, well worth the trip.

Definitely worth checking out.
I love used book stores! I feel like I am accessing ancient world knowledge that others have forgotten. And yes, I am also a romantic. There are a number of used book stores in Halifax but Back Pages is one of my favorite. They have a pretty good selection and a wide variety of categories to choose from. There seems to be trend nowadays of just buying and selling fictional books. Back Pages does the same, however they still have large selections of nonfiction which is nice. I have noticed entire book stores starting to cater only to fictional books, which I don’t read. So I’m happy I can count on Back Pages to keep my nonfiction reading going.
The staff there are very nice and easy going. Like most bookstores, the staff are relaxed and will answer any questions you have. They aren’t the cranky type of bookstore staff but are a bit more outgoing and friendlier.
The size of the store obviously dictates the amount of books they can sell. And Back Pages has a moderate size. So you will find almost every category you expect, but their are larger bookstores in the area if you don’t find what you are looking for.
This store has been around for a while and its obvious why. They have competitive pricing, friendly staff, and are located right downtown. If I am in the mood to go shopping for books, Back Pages is always on my list.

Back Pages is a fine little used bookshop, with an assortment of literature sure to titillate any reader.
When I went into this store for the first time, I was delighted to find that it is much larger than it appears from the outside. It extends into a back-​room, which has a lovely skylight, providing much appreciated natural light to uplight even the weariest of shoppers.
There are some neat specialty sections, from Eastern Religions to maritime history. I think this little shop is a nice place to pop into if you’re in the market for a new, but not so new, read.