Imagine Books & Records

This is the best place to be on a Friday and Saturday night! They always have things going on! Junkies the band was my favorite, it’s a book store but you can mosh in it! How cool!

Great place from what I saw! I only went through the $ 1.00 selection of records, but there were 4 long crates of records. The guy at the counter was super helpful, but the music was sorta loud when I was checking out. It was in the afternoon on a Sunday though so I don’t blame him. I’m definitely going to be spending a lot of time here.

Great local independent book store!!! I feel like the prices are a little high sometimes, but they host great shows. The people who run the place are super nice, the kind of folks that want to help everyone.
I’ve seen some great bands and artist at this Bookstore/​Venue. I hope to see many more!

Brilliant record store with a large selection of records to choose from! The customer service was amazing! I’m so thankful I found this place. I never leave reviews but this place was definitely worth mentioning. I was looking for a Louis Armstrong record on eBay and decided to try Imagine first. I found it the second I walked in the store. Must have been meant for me. I plan to go back soon to purchase more records and check out their book collection. If you’re looking to purchase vinyls or books at a great price I would highly recommend this place.

When I walked in I instantly felt such a chill vibe from the owner. I was searching just for a new book and he helped me find some hidden jems.

I absolutely love it here! Don, Irma, & their sons are great beings. The selection of vinyl and books are amazing, & they let us use a bit of their space once a month to crochet and listen to music. The atmosphere is great and Don is very knowledgeable of the books and music he carries. This place is a gem.

This is exactly the kind of small business that I like to support. Don runs a cool, quirky little place filled with interesting used books and tons of vinyl records, many by local artists. There’s live music every weekend, and Don is happy to let you know what’s happening.
It’s a small store, so you may be disappointed if you come here looking for something in particular. But if you’re open to serendipity, you may just walk away with the treasure of a lifetime.
Imagine Books & Records may well be the coolest place in this corner of town. Come check it out!

Fumbling through my Kindle from time to time I sometimes find myself missing opening pages to books. Leafing through chapters as though I was on some quest. So much so the books on my library become more than chapters or memories but friends. All hail the bookstores like Half-​Priced Books and Barnes & Nobles that still sell things we can hold and flip through. But with spaces like Imagine Bookstore it makes me realize why reading is more than a lost art, it’s life!
On a stretch of road on Culebra Road next to a Bingo spot you will find this store. On a whim I decided to go check this place out for myself.
It is a small store, housing vinyl and books of all sorts. When you go inside you can smell the complimentary coffee they serve up, presumably whenever they feel like the moment is right. It has a laid back, nerdy and unpretentious vibe to it. I spotted some dude with a beard and Bermuda shorts rummaging unmercifully through the shelves for comic books. At first all the items seem like they are categorized randomly without any order. But upon further inspection I found out this was not the case.
All the groups are organized together according to their subject matter. For example there were books on UFOs, Existentialism, Sartre, Miller, Shakespeare, Angelou, Cobain, The Stones, Planet of the Apes, Kahlo, historical reads; you name it. I can tell by the way they are clustered together that the owner knows his patrons and probably is an avid reader as well. The books are not badly priced either. It is more or less comparable to Half-​Priced Books prices.
However, I like how the books are arranged in a cut to the chase manner. Sometimes at HPB I find myself thumbing needlessly through their inventory, but here it is very manner of fact.
In addition they have a pretty decent vinyl collection. I saw copies of KISS, Stevie Nicks, John Mayall, Steely Dan and a Quiet Riot in immaculate shape. They have a wide variety of stuff like jazz, folk, country, rock, experimental, blues; etc. My only qualm was that some of the records were a smidge over priced. I have seen some of the same stuff for less at HPB. But then again this is a small business and I feel l more than ever we should be supporting stores like this who really care about their customers.
But beyond all of this the major selling point is the owner and the vibe of the store. He was absolutely friendly and personable. The vibe of the store is ulta~chill. It most definitely reflects the owner. It’s like he sets a tone that is very welcoming, quirky and above all charming. I totally like this place!
I haven’t been to many places recently where when you are checking out your purchases, Van Halen’s first album is blaring on a record player, while setting up for a poetry reading later that evening. Not many…

If I could give Imagine ten stars… Imagine has fast become my number one destination for used vinyl records in San Antonio. The selection runs the gamut; from classic rock to experimental electronic, this selection is unparalleled. And if I were to fail to mention the quality of the vinyl, well let’s just say that that would be a great injustice for everybody. As a vinyl connoisseur and true audiophile, I rarely find bad wax here, if ever. I do occasionally purchase a book or two from Imagine, but I must say it’s the wax platters that do it for me when I shop at Imagine. Big thanks to Don for creating such a special and unique experience in San Antonio!

What does it for me is the customer service. I wandered in here after attending a CPR class next door. I was instantly greeted and made to feel welcome. Don, the owner is very nice and it’s obvious he is a very genuine person. As I wandered around, I was left to browse while other new customers got the same greetings as they came in. While the staff knows their stuff they don’t bug you or try to get you to buy things. This is a great relaxed environment where you can hang and peruse while listening to some great vinyl. The selection is a bit limited but it’s a small store. They have the majority of the classics and some newer releases but this would be a great place to discover hidden treasures. The prices are very reasonable.
The vinyl selection is decent as well for a small store… again… you will probably find a few hidden gems in this selection.