James & Mary Laurie Bookseller

Awesome gem of a book store! You could literally spend open to close browsing at the variety of books here, old to new, religion to fiction, maps and art, they have everything! Got to chat with the owner for awhile, super cool older gentleman and I loved his little dog, buddy, who gets to run around the shop and greet guests.

For what it is, it's a fantastic little bookshop. I stayed mainly in the nonfiction area, and the browsing material was wonderful. All kinds of little gems, like a small but fat embroidery encyclopedia, which had DMC-patterned paper between the covers and the pages. Most of the books were first editions or vintage/collector's items. I walked out with a book from the 60's cataloguing pre-ancient Greek artifacts in black and white photography. It reminds me of something I'd find in my academic grandparents' house. It's a fantastic place to browse or find vintage books. The bookseller I met was curmudgeonly but also friendly, and obviously loved books. Stacks of books and art in the rows between shelves. If you're looking for a cheap used book shop, or somewhere that will have the bestsellers list in stock however, this isn't it.

Coolest place for a bookworm! So many interesting and unique books, vinyls, comics, etc. I could stay there all day.

They only sell hardcover books which has its pros and cons. But this place is a wonderland of older books, incredible editions, and illustrations like you wouldn’t believe.

Very unique place! The owners are very kind and foster a warm and comfortable environment. The amount of books can be overwhelming at first but once you dive in you’ll find so many unexpected treasures!

Selling books at a price as if they were burning them in the back, dude was acting like it too

Pretty great collection if you’re willing to get ripped off. I’m not even kidding when I say that classics which weren’t even special editions were being sold above their market value by 100% at times. I found a copy of Dostoevsky’s short stories “The Double” and “The Gambler” for around $40 if I’m not mistaken (bare in mind that copies of this edition are still being printed and are available for purchase) when the market price was around $10 under. The experience was fine, but I couldn’t bring myself to buy anything out of respect for my wallet. Used bookstores are supposed to offer discounted prices, which James & Mary Laurie Booksellers refuses to do for some odd reason.

Good: The book selection here is phenomenal. I looked around for close to two hours and didn't feel like I even scratched the surface. It is a simple feat to find a first edition or pre-release edition of many books, though often at a healthy markup. These editions make for very unique and thoughtful - albeit a little pricey - gifts. Bad: The store is a little cluttered. This is to be expected for a place with so much stock rotating stock, but it did make navigation a little difficult. There are piles of books in most aisles, but they were never too problematic. The owner was present when I was there, and while he was helpful I found him to be a little rough around the edges and a little suspicious of me as I was inspecting some of the more antique fare. I certainly can't hold that against him, but it did leave a poor taste in my mouth. Other: There is always a $5 book rack just outside the store. The merchandise is varied, but there's bound to be something of interest to most people in there. In addition there are lots of vinyl records and maps in the store. I haven't gotten around to inspecting those, but if that's something you're interested in I have no doubt you will be satisfied with the stock. Overall, this is a must visit for any book-lover or friend of a book lover. The prices felt a little high, but not outrageous, and there were many unique books you will have trouble finding anywhere else.

Massive selection, bought a 100 year old HG Wells book! Good prices too. Nice owners.

A great place to get lost in for a few hours. There is an overwhelming selection roughly categorized by genre. Books ranging in price from $25 - $many thousands.

Scam. They are thieves. I bought a book from them at abebooks.com and they never sent it. No response or reply. Beware!

A fab bookstore, but perhaps a little high-end for my needs. I tend to inhale paperbacks, so a bookstore selling tomes and selling autographed copies is going to be more than I need. Great selection of lots and lots AND LOTS of books. I actually got a little lost exploring the fiction shelves downstairs.

The kind of bookstore that makes me happy to be alive. I stumbled upon this while walking down Nicollet one day. I entered and was thrilled to browse through the overflowing shelves and crowded corners of the ground floor, containing first editions and out-of-print books from a wide variety of genres. I leisurely picked out two or three books and walked toward the cash register. Then I noticed a staircase heading downward. A basement? No way... could there really be more? Yes. Much more. Even more books as well as an outstanding collection of classical LPs. And an incredibly helpful and knowledgeable staff. Like I said. The kind of bookstore that makes me happy to be alive.

I think I might be an antiquarian bookstore groupie, minus the part that involves flashing, copious drug use and a potentially unclean bedfellow and plus the part that requires giggling, butterflies in the stomach and sense of awe that SHE (or he I suppose) is standing/laying in so-and-so's or such-and-such's presence. I love browsing in places where old books live. Of similar bookstores I've visited, this one is near the top of the list for charm and ambience. And for a purveyor of old books, I also noticed it was fairly dust-free and cleanly cheerful. They did have stacks of books in the aisles waiting to be sorted and shelved which in most places would be considered cluttered and disordered but I think that's a bonus for a place like this. And since I could make it down almost every aisle, it was cool. The main room of the store is two stories tall with shelves that go from floor almost to ceiling in most places. I also spotted a chandelier and more nooks and crannies than I could count. In some skeazier bookstores, nooks and crannies make me nervous (I'll never forget the time I found a desiccated mouse skeleton in a bookstore in Chicago) but had no worries that something like that could happen here. The owners have been in this location for a long time and obviously take very good care of it. I did not find the particular book I was looking for but with new items constantly coming in, I'll be coming back for as long as takes!

Imagine stacks upon stacks of records, Persian rugs, prints, paintings, and more antique and rare books than your brain could possibly fathom piled high as far as the eye can see. I've been to a fair number of cluttered bookstores (I say it in the best possible way), but nothing prepared me for this- shelves seem to go on forever, with antique chairs tucked neatly at the end of each row in case you never feel like leaving. Laurie Booksellers is in earnest what every other bookstore hopes to be- full to bursting with rare and precious finds collected over their near fifty-year presence in Minneapolis. Somehow this store manages to be both a hidden gem and a Twin Cities institution. Please come here. If you're good, Jim may even offer to show you the rest of their record collection, and let me tell you, if you thought that their upstairs inventory was extensive, the veritable warehouse of books, records, and furniture housed in the basement will take your breath away.

Died and gone to heaven. This bookstore is amazing. They specialize in hard-to-find and out-of-print books. I have been able to find books here for which I'd been keeping an eye out for a long time. Although, since many of the books are hard to find there are some sections with valuable and expensive books, showing this store as "ultra high end" is incorrect. If that caused you to shy away from this store, don't believe it. There is plenty there that is within budget. The staff is nice and helpful. Teddy the dog is about as friendly a little pup as you could hope for and has been there to greet me both times I've been in the store.

God forbid you want to browse here. The arrogant and rude proprietor will run you off. Come here with a specific book in mind or don't come here at all. I was very disappointed as I love used bookstores.

I love the smell of the books here, the antiquity and character of the books and prints, and the sheer variety, and the gems to be found -- in my half hour browsing there this afternoon, I found a first edition "Shirley" by Charlotte Bronte and a handsome box collection of Thomas Hardy's novels. I wanted to inquire about possibly exchanging some books I have, as I'm moving to Scotland soon and want only to take with me the books I love most. Unfortunately, the man in the shop was rude and seemed unwilling to speak with me, though he greeted other visitors pleasantly enough. An attractive young lady came in to ask if they were currently hiring, and in exchanging pleasantries, he replied with a lecherous "I'm doing better, now". Creepy, and rude. It leaves a sour taste in my mouth that someone with such a love of books (and apparently music, Purcell was blaring to counter the bagpipe players outside on the sidewalk) is such a rude and superficial human being. So sadly disappointed. Five stars for the books, and zero stars for that man who absolutely ruined the joy I felt amongst the books. I don't write with malice, but with sadness. I was hoping for a pleasant literary refuge and found nothing of the sort. My disappointment is profound.

Books on books! This place is great, my best friend and I came across this place while having coffee downtown. We walked in and were greeted by a older gentleman I assume is the owner. He could tell we weren't familiar with the store and told us to have a look around and to check out the basement if we didn't find anything on the main floor. They have so many vintage books I wanted to buy them all but they are spendy. If you're looking for a great place to explore, come get lost here its great.

Expect to pay 30-40% higher prices than the highest online prices, shipping considered. Condition of a few of the books we purchased were poor and yet the prices were still higher. Fun place and may visit again but will definitely bargain as the premium is too high.

This is the best bookstore I've ever encountered -- I almost made the mistake of writing it off when, upon entering, I saw only a few carts of discounted books and a wall of paperbacks, but the further-in you go, the more intriguing this store gets. I spent close to an hour wandering around various incredible sections - There was a extensive Literature section, but I was most impressed with the vast selection of hard to find Art/Architecture/Photography books, an incredible military history section, and an amazing array of unusual cookbooks (strange combination, I know). I had to exercise every bit of self-constraint to limit my take, but went back to grab an additional book when the store owner informed me that there was a SALE!! The best part of my shopping experience, by far, was chatting with the owner - He was more than happy to take a break from pricing new inventory to tell me about some of the items that are tucked-away in cabinets and piles that you otherwise wouldn't notice. Botanical prints, war-era posters, and (my favorite) a beautiful set of black and white Minnesota photography...This store is a gem, and so is it's wonderful inventory!!