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Used Books Stores in Toronto

A

Antiloop33rpm

Guest
Im wondering if people out there have suggestions for used book stores in Toronto. Im open to pretty much any used book store that you can list but I am largely looking for bookstores that are:

-Large and cheap (I dont mind spending time looking if there are good deals to be had)
-Stores that carry a good selection of architecture, urbanism, and political studies books
-Perhaps any French or Dutch language stores that might be in the area

Thanks in advance for any help you can offer.
 
Another Man's Poison on McCaul is the best in the city.
 
I believe they've closed, unfortunately. They were overpriced, but had a great selection of new ( and some second hand ) art and design books.
 
Elliot's just north of Wellesley on the west side of Yonge is pretty big and has a bunch of arty stuff on the top floor.
 
* BMV Books ( their Yonge and Eglinton store has a better selection ) for second hand - an brand new art - architecture, art and design.

* Ballenford Books on Architecture ( 600 Markham Street ) brand new books, with a sale section at the back.

* David Mirvish Books ( next door to Ballenford ) has good sales on new books all the time.

* Balfour Books ( 601 College Street ) for architecture, art, design.

* Abelard Books ( 519 Queen West ) for art and design and some architecture.
 
I found of all the used bookstores that I have been to in Toronto, the best one is the one beside the Worlds Biggest Bookstore (Edward Street).

Best place to get used current travel books (i.e. Lonely Planet, Frommers, etc) and current computer books.

However, I think they got something going on there, because a lot of the books look brand new, but they sell them at used prices.

EDIT:The store I am talking about is also BMV. (Franchise I guess? I never been to the Yonge and Eglington location).
Here's a link to the downtown location:
BMV
 
Seekers (Bloor E of Bathurst, below Kilgour's), and there's one on the NW corner of Spadina and Sussex whose name I can't remember.
 
beaconer:

That particular BMV is pretty bad for architecture books - it's like 3 shelves shared with art/photography.

The back-of-house at Ballenford is a far better pick - there are some real deals to be had there!

AoD
 
Thanks for the suggestions. This should help me easily fill a day of wandering through the city.

I do have another question. Has anyone attended the Word on The Street festival? I've never been and Im not really sure what it offers. Is it much more than Chapters in the open air or are there a lot of interesting booths and vendors that make it worthwhile? I wont actually be able to attend but if it was something that seemed worthwhile it would be worth noting for the future.
 
... oh, and Acadia Books ( 232 Queen Street East at Sherbourne ) has a good selection of design, architecture and especially art books too.

And you might want to try the Sunday Antique Market at the St.Lawrence Market North. Bernie, a very good "picker" who spends much of his spare time going to garage sales, brings in new stock every week - he usually arrives at 7:00 a.m. There are at least three other booksellers there every week, and many of the other sellers have books and magazines.
 
Consider this another vote for Balfour's, on College between Clinton and Grace. Great selection, particularly for art and photography, and history, and they are open late most nights.
 
There's a used bookstore on Bathurst just south of Honest Ed's. I've never been in it though, so I don't know if it's any good, I've just stood outside it waiting for the streetcar.
 
my favourites are NDJ Books and Eliot's, both on Yonge. the BMV has great prices, but i find the store so disorganized that most days i'd rather just spend the extra $5 and not deal with the hunt.
 
For a small fee, the nice man at Abelard Books puts transparent plastic covers over the dust jackets of the new and second hand books that I occasionally take to him. He grumbles that my books are of such marginal value that they don't deserve such treatment. As I understand it, he thinks that they would look better - more "natural" - if they were allowed to get torn and dirty and gradually disintegrate, rather than being embalmed in life-preserving plastic. I beg to differ and - when pressed - he agrees not to tell me to never darken his door again. So I return once in a while with a few more covers. I appreciate their fragility, their ( occasionally ) attractive design, and the fact that they are the public face of what lies within, however misleading they sometimes turn out to be.
 
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