Places to Buy and Sell Used Books in Orange County

Looking to buy and sell used books in Orange County? Here's a round-up of used-book stores and what COVID restrictions they have in place. For all places, wear your face mask when visiting. Gloves and/or hand sanitizer are advisable, too:

Book Carnival
Address:  348 S. Tustin Street, Orange, CA 92866
Phone:  714-538-3210 or 1-800-963-9266

Hours:  Tuesday-Saturday 11-4 but curbside only until further notice
Web:  annesbookcarnival.com

Also known as Anne's Book Carnival, after the owner, Anne Saller--she's part of a demographic that's especially vulnerable to COVID. So until further notice, she's offering curbside pick-up only. Masks are required even for curbside pick-up, and she deals in cash only. She's not buying any books, for cash or store credit, until further notice, either. If you'd like to buy a book from her, it's best to phone her about what you're looking for. If she has what you want, you can make an appt. for curbside pick-up.

The Bookman
Address:  320 E. Katella Avenue, Orange, CA 92867
Phone:  1-800-538-0166
Web:  orange.ebookman.com
Hours:  M-F 10-8, Sat. 10-6, Sun. 12-5

If you bring in books while COVID is still raging, you'll have to be content with store credit--nothing's being bought for cash right now. If you've got store credit to cash in, you can shelf-browse, or request a search service, or ask the owners (Paul Bonaventure and David Hess) to help you create a want list. That way they can notify you when a book on your want list becomes available.

Booktown USA

Address:  2090 S. Euclid, No. 108, Anaheim, CA 92802

Phone:  714-534-5038

Web: none (unless you count such sites as Yelp)

Hours:  Mon. 11-6, Tues.-Fri. 10-6:30, Sat. 10-4, closed Sun.

Although this store has been part of a neighborhood mall near Disneyland for decades, it's tiny, cluttered, and retains a low profile--it has no website, for example. The owner normally buys and sells used books, but he's not buying anything right now.

Book Off

Address:  1025 Westminster Mall, #1042, Westminster, CA 92683

Web: www.bookoffusa.com 

Phone:  714-897-1800

Hours:  Monday-Saturday 10-7, Sunday 12-6

Book Off is a chain but its only Orange County location is in the Westminster shopping mall. Different from many competitors, Book Off specializes in Japanese product, new and used. Here’s a place for Japanese manga (graphic novels), anime (animation) and literature, whether in Japanese, or English translation. You’ll also find a vast variety of entertainment media, new and used—DVDs, CDs, LPs, gaming, and collectibles. They're very open to buying your used manga, books, DVDs, CDs, and similar collectibles--just drop your bag or stack of goods with staff, go browse, and staff will notify you via your cell phone when they've got a price quote ready. Masks are required for both customers and staff, staff gets temperature checks often, and there are plastic barriers around the checkout counter.

Half Off Books

Address:  141 W. Wilshire, Suite A, Fullerton, CA 92832

Phone:  714-770-0600

Web: hobrf.com

Hours:  10-7 seven days per week

On a side street in downtown Fullerton, you'll find this place is similar to Book Off except it's a single store, not a chain. Pays cash for books, DVDs, manga, comics, CDs, records, Blu-Ray, and, what they sell, they sell for half-price or less. They ask people to bring in as many as two boxes of things to sell at once, but they don't buy after 2 p.m. So if you get there after 2 p.m. you either have to give up or come back. Neither do they have any buying of used items during their "fire sales" centered around President's Day, Memorial Day, Labor Day, and Black Friday. They've been known to host open-mike poetry readings and the like, although you'll have to check their website to see how COVID affects such activity.

$1 Plus Bookshop

Address:  1526 E. Lincoln Avenue, Orange, CA 92865

Phone:  714-363-3854

Web:  1dollarplusbookshop.com

Hours:  Monday-Friday 10-8, Sat. 10-7, closed Sun.

Hiding in a strip mall behind a Vons at the corner of Lincoln and Tustin sits this store that's packed with about 80,000 used books, most of which sell for $1. There are also some DVDs, CDs, and even VHS tapes. The woman behind the counter is open to buying used books (and perhaps some DVDs and/or CDs) because she has to keep up with her inventory--but she's selective.

Arvida Book Co.

Address: 115 W. Main Street, Tustin, CA 92780

Phone:  714-253-7556

Web:  arvidabookco.com

Hours:  closed Monday, open Tuesday-Sunday 8-5

New and used books in the right kind of place for downtown Tustin, but they're not accepting any used books right now--not for cash, not for store credit, not even as a donation. It can also be very hard to get an answer off their phone sometimes.

And One Record Store

Rasta Cowboy

Address:  155 E. Main Street, Tustin, CA 92780

Phone:  714-319-2222

Hours:  closed Monday, open Tuesday-Sunday 11-6

Just about perfect for downtown Tustin, this little retro-fashioned record store may be interested in your rock-related books. They'll also perhaps buy your used LPs, CDs, and even your cassettes. Rock-related art, by local artists, and record-related accessories (such as LP storage crates) are for sale here, too. No website.