Secondhand and Antiquarian Bookshops in the UK and Republic of Ireland
new shop Foster's Little Book Shop, Barnsley
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Foster_s Little Book Shop/BARNSLEY/48 The Arcade
Foster's Little Book Shop
48 The Arcade BARNSLEY S70 2QN
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Open: Monday - Friday 9.30 - 5.00, Saturday 9.30 - 3.00
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New and second-hand books, all below RRP, many £2.99 and some £1. Adult and children's popular fiction and non-fiction, independent publishers, foreign, some vintage and antique books. Open also on Fridays from April 2023.
This small but rather nice shop, with a varied stock, opened last year in the characterful Victorian Arcade in the centre of Barnsley. Initially, it consisted only of the ground floor of the premises, but brisk trade soon necessitated the opening up of the first floor too, which is given over entirely to second-hand stock. Another 1,000 second-hand books are arriving in the shop next week. Most of the upstairs stock is fiction (rather a lot of which is mass-market), with reasonable prices. The non-fiction selection is relatively small, but quite diverse. The proprietors are very pleasant and evangelical in their enthusiasm for books. The presence of this shop in a town that has been hit hard in recent years by the loss of the coal industry and by the cost-of-living crisis is very much to be welcomed. However, not everything about this shop left me brimming with enthusiasm. Prices for anything deemed old or collectable are high, in some cases very high. Upstairs is a bookcase containing stock more or less equivalent to that found in the "old and interesting" section of an Oxfam bookshop, and most of these not very distinguished books carry a hefty mark-up. On the ground floor (which is largely new books) is a case of vintage offerings - mostly fiction - of fairly high quality, but at heavily inflated ABE-style prices. Such a shame! Although there is quite a lot to like about this shop, its small size, coupled with the ambitious pricing of the better-quality offerings, means that I cannot honestly say it is WAD, at least not a lengthy one. Booker T 14.04.24
Kelham Island Books _ Music/SHEFFIELD/(was Books on the Park)284 ShalesmoorKelham Island
Kelham Island Books & Music
(was Books on the Park) 284 Shalesmoor Kelham Island SHEFFIELD S3 8UL
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tel:
0114 273 7772 e-mail
Open: Wednesday - Friday 12.00 - 6.30, Saturday 10.00 - 5.30, Sunday 11.00 - 4.30
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40-45,000 secondhand books, 5000 vinyl and CDs, art. An eclectic mix of quality second-hand and remaindered/bargain new books. We also sell vinyl records and CDs (mostly s/h) and an assortment of prints, posters, greetings cards and gifts, many created by local independent artists.
A well organised shop with an interesting stock that is well worth a visit. Some of the prices are a bit on the optimistic side, reflecting the fact that a lot of the stock is geared up for book fairs, but there is a good variety as well as interesting vinyl. Nicholas Pendower 18.09.12
Decent solid shop with a good range of titles. Jake Kirkwood 22.03.13
Reasonably sized with good stock and prices. Great selection of Yorkshire and history books and plenty of choice for vinyl record collectors too. Steve Brissle 17.09.13
Excellent opening hours. I've visited twice, on a Sunday and on a Bank Holiday. Can't fault that. Decent stock. The front room has loads of Folio Society books at fair prices and a well stock history section. Other specialist sections are available. Just an ok to middling fiction section. Some music in the back room with optimistic prices for the CD's I briefly inspected. Friendly guy running it. Well worth visiting and supporting. Ian 04.05.17
A good sized bookshop in the heart of Sheffield. Wide range of subjects covered. Good selection of modern first editions at reasonable prices. Selection of remaindered fashion and photography books. Archive61 04.02.23
A good sized bookshop in the heart of Sheffield. Wide range of subjects covered. Good selection of modern first editions at reasonable prices. Selection of remaindered fashion and photography books. Archive61 05.02.23
Sheffield's largest second-hand bookshop and one of the best in the north of England. WWAD! Especially strong for non-fiction: it is difficult to think of a subject category in which the stock is not, at the very least, quite good, and for many it is very good indeed. An excellent range in history, music, art, transport (especially railways) and sport. Local history (Yorkshire and Derbyshire) is a particular strength, with a good selection of books on mining and steelmaking. The fiction stock is also good, with modern and classic literature well represented. Plenty of first editions, and a wide choice of poetry and drama. Prices in all categories are reasonable, including the antiquarian and vintage section, which has some high-quality stock. The ETGOW proprietors moved their shop here from Ecclesall Road in the west of the city in 2018, renaming it in the process. It also sells vinyl, CDs, posters and now also vintage clothing, although it is first and foremost a bookshop. Some remaindered stock and also a few new books on local history or by local authors. Only a short walk from the Shalesmoor tram stop, on the other side of a very busy roundabout. The Kelham Island/Neepsend area, one of the crucibles of Sheffield's industrial development, is gradually being transformed, although some parts remain rather bleak. Anyone interested in the city's industrial history should check out the nearby Kelham Island Museum on Alma Street (free to visit; open Tuesday to Sunday). Booker T 14.04.24
Mike_s Famous Bookstall/BARNSLEY/Unit 45-46, 1st Floor, The Glass Works
Mike's Famous Bookstall
Unit 45-46, 1st Floor, The Glass Works BARNSLEY S70 1GW
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Open: Monday - Saturday 8.30- 4,00
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Large stall in indoor market in the town centre, selling new and second-hand books. Mostly paperback fiction.
Mike's used to be a chain of market bookstalls, founded in 1983, and with ten outlets at its peak. But the economic woes that have afflicted the former coalfield towns in Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire have gradually taken their toll, and now, with the recent closure of its stall at Mexborough market, only two are left: here at Barnsley and at Rotherham. As the friendly proprietors told me: "Some locations work and some don't." At any rate, the stall here seems to be thriving, with a multitude of avid customers on a busy Saturday morning. The council has invested heavily in regenerating Barnsley's indoor markets, which are drawing in shoppers from outside the town. This is a traditional market-style bookstall, with a strong focus on popular fiction, sold cheaply: romance, glitzy sagas, crime novels, thrillers etc. Also a good selection of children's books. Some of the books - almost all of which are paperbacks - are new, some remaindered, some second-hand. The stock extends well beyond the confines of the stall, to the perimeter of the market. What is there here for TBG readers? The fiction here is resolutely lowbrow, so probably not a lot, unless some of the small non-fiction stock (largely remainders) on subjects such as railways, true crime and military history is of interest. Also a selection of books (mostly new) on the local area. Booker T 15.04.24
Mike_s Famous Bookstall/ROTHERHAM/77-80 Centenary Market Hall, Howard Street
Mike's Famous Bookstall
77-80 Centenary Market Hall, Howard Street ROTHERHAM S65 1EL
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tel:
01709 366721 e-mail web
Open: Monday - Saturday 8.30 - 5.00
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Large stall in indoor market in the town centre, selling new and second-hand books. Mostly paperback fiction.
Apparently very similar to the bookstall at Barnsley (see above), although I have not visited the Rotherham one. The market here is undergoing redevelopment, but the stall remains open. Booker T 15.04.24
Next Chapter Books/SHEFFIELD/7 Rustlings Road
Next Chapter Books
7 Rustlings Road SHEFFIELD S11 7AA
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tel:
0114 3270341 e-mail
Open: Wednesday - Saturday 10.30 - 5.30.
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A compact range of good-quality books with an emphasis on art, photography and design, philosophy, poetry, film, travel and topography, history and fiction, including Modern First Editions.
Small and a bit book fairy for my taste, more of interest to the collector than the reader. Jake Kirkwood 22.03.13
Just across the Ecclesall Road from "Books On The Park" at the start of Rustlings Rd. A smaller shop which has very good stock. Bought 2 excellent books - you can haggle a bit with the owner. Chris K 01.04.14
Interesting little shop which sells a mixture of second hand and new books from small independent publishers. Strong on art and design Archive61 07.02.23
Oxfam Bookshop/SHEFFIELD/276 Glossop Road
Oxfam Bookshop
276 Glossop Road SHEFFIELD S10 2HS
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tel:
0114 2494918 e-mail web
Open: Monday - Friday 9.00 - 5.00, Saturday 9.30 - 5.00
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Misleading address as Glossop Rd becomes West Street in the middle of what everyone calls West Street, i.e. ask for directions to the latter. Small shop with some collectibles and fiction at front, with academic, sci fi and non-fiction plus CDs, vinyl and DVDs at rear. Stock reflects local university student donations. Rare and Racy a stones throw away. S+S 08.04.13
NWAD. Try the Fulwood Road Oxfam shop - the books are better and they even sell s/h electrical stuff. Chris K 01.04.14
Small compact well organised shop with helpful staff. Prices at the cheaper end of the Oxfam range. Steve Newman 06.10.21
A small and rather lacklustre Oxfam bookshop on the western edge of the city centre. The stock is not particularly good in any subject, but the prices are generally at the lower end of the Oxfam scale. The front section of the shop is suffering the encroachment of the usual Oxfam fair-trade tat. In addition, part of the already small space is given over to CDs and, less justifiably, supposedly collectable bric-a-brac. Biographies and books on cookery, gardening, music, true crime and travel can be found here, but the selection in each is modest in size and (at best) mediocre in quality. All other subjects are in the back room, up two steps, but the stock there too is generally below average. There is, however, quite a lot of modern crime fiction and larger than expected selections for religion and sport. A large sign in the window proclaims: "Wanted - children's books"; the current meagre selection is the paltriest I have ever seen at an Oxfam bookshop. Booker T 14.04.24
Oxfam Bookshop/SHEFFIELD/Sheffield University Union
Oxfam Bookshop
Sheffield University Union Unit 3 Graves Hall SHEFFIELD S10 2TG
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tel:
0114 276 1922
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Oxfam Shop/SHEFFIELD/281/283 Fulwood RoadBroomhill
Oxfam Shop
281/283 Fulwood Road Broomhill SHEFFIELD S10 3BD
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tel:
0114 266 4307 e-mail
Open: Monday - Saturday 9.30 - 5.30, Sunday 12.00 - 4.00
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Probably the city's largest Oxfam so book dept relative in size. Always has collectibles well displayed; strong on history, English Literature subjects, fiction but carries something of everything including music books. Combine with visits to Help the Aged bookshop and the Record Collector at other end of Broomhill high street then have coffee at Remo's. S+S 06.04.13
A large selection of books at this general Oxfam shop (the city's biggest), far superior to the more central Oxfam Bookshop on Glossop Road. Prices here tend to be a shade higher, especially for non-fiction, but the short journey from the city centre out to Broomhill could well be worth it as the quality of stock is quite impressive. Very strong for history, travel and books on the Sheffield area. Also a large choice of children's books. The fiction selection is not quite as extensive as the non-fiction stock, but is fairly solid in terms of quality. The "collectable" section is mostly modern and surprisingly good. Booker T 14.04.24
Porter Bookshop/SHEFFIELD/227 Sharrow Vale Road
The Porter Bookshop
227 Sharrow Vale Road SHEFFIELD S11 8ZE
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tel:
0114 266 7762
Open: Tuesday - Saturday 10.00 - 5.00, ring before travelling
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A good quality stock leaning towards the academic and including the humanities, literature and philosophy.
The epitome of a good secondhand shop with tottering piles of newly purchased stock at every turn and many "deeply stocked" subject areas such as history, art books, cinema, psychology and literature. The manager plays good music, and Sheffield's best fish'n'chip shop, Two Steps, is close by. S+S 18.07.11
While not a large shop, it's well worth the trip out to Sharrow Vale Road, where parking is quite convenient. The stock is of very good quality and there are some unusual titles. Nicholas Pendower 01.11.12
Brilliant shop for the fiction reader. Stock is extensive, fairly priced and contains recent and interesting titles. The SF is particularly good. Jake Kirkwood 22.03.13
Best bookshop in Sheffield! Chants 15.06.13
By far the best little book shop in Sheffield. Crammed full of books and charm. Chanty 02.01.14
Can't agree with any of the comments. Found this a dull outfit. (It's within walking distance of 2 other s/h bookshops.) Perhaps the dirty floor put me off; that and the tall, wobbly stacks of books. Shallow Vale Road does have some other interesting shops - one selling great railway posters caught the eye. Chris K 01.04.14
A great little bookshop tucked away in a side street. Packed to the rafters with stock. Well worth asking if you are looking for something in particular as the knowledgeable owner will more than likely dig it out from piles of books which are inaccessible to the public! Archive61 04.02.23
Tilleys Vintage Magazine Shop/SHEFFIELD/281 Shoreham Street
Tilleys Vintage Magazine Shop
281 Shoreham Street SHEFFIELD S1 4SS
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tel:
0114 2752442 e-mail web
Open: Tuesday - Saturday 10.00 - 4.30
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Vintage magazines, comics, annuals, programs, prints, cigarette cards, postcards and ephemera.
Heard locally that this hasn't opened in years. Didn't visit to check but best to change status to ring before travelling. Stive 06.02.23
