Second Story Books

Meh experience. Books never fail to excite me, especially stand-alone bookstores with their unique personalities and life is like a box of chocolate, you never know what you're going to get, variety of books. First thing off here was the energy. I walked in late evening like an hour before they close and the fluorescent lights felt jarring. Next was the paranoid sales rep. She immediately instructed me to put my bags in the bag check section they had going on, which was a literal weight off my back, and left me eager to enjoy my book adventure freely. However, the way she communicated was unnecessary and unwelcoming, almost suspicious. I looked around for a couple of minutes and just gazed around the front. There were limited editions of quite expensive texts. I'm sure this would be exciting for some but it wasn't what I was looking for. I retrieved my bags from bag check and had ordered an Uber. I asked them for their exact address and although I did appreciate the two male employees that were helpful and normal, the female continued to give attitude, it was strange. Won't be going back.

Well organized and the staff was helpful. Decent Spanish selection. Very interesting collectable copies

We never miss a stop at Second Story Books! Well organized with plenty of used books to peruse. We were pleased by the selection we found, especially given the good condition of the books we bought. Booklovers, don't miss out!

Excellent used book store. They also will take books for store credit.

I like this store overall and make a point of visiting at least once during my annual trips to the District. For a relatively small space, they pack in a good inventory in history, philosophy, nonfiction, poetry and art. Fiction has been surprisingly less strong, but then again, I'm in the area only one week a year (in terms of stock turnover). In any case, I have been pleasantly surprised by multiple finds here over the years. Prices are higher for basic paperbacks but this is also one of the most high-rent areas of the city. My interactions with the staff have been generally courteous, if not minimal and slightly distant (on their part). I don't often ask questions because I've worked in the book business for years and know what I'm looking for. In the past, I'd overheard staff occasionally mutter under their breath about customers, but I hope that behavior has been curbed. You will be well served to stop in. Take note of their stringent bag policy and be prepared to check it at the front counter. They are not responsible for loss, etc., so try to skip bringing a bag altogether.

Used bookstores are the best bookstores. One of my favorite spots in DC, I can spend hours in here. They have lots of cool vintage maps/posters and art prints too!

I was in search for a used bookstore and was happy to find this one within walking distance. While the store itself was clean and organized and well staffed, I was disappointed in their inventory’s lack of classic fiction in the paperback section. The fiction section had mostly modern works and very few true classics. Less than I’ve ever seen in a used bookstore. At the front of the store there is a fairly large and beautiful collectors section with hard cover classics, and maybe this is why there are not many in the paperback section. But their young adult section was also very very small and could use some additions. I almost walked out without getting anything but settled on a paperback copy of Hemingway’s “A Farewell to Arms.”

I saw Second Story Books on Google maps while I was in the area, and I thought I’d pay them a visit. I’m glad I did. The shelves were stocked full of fascinating titles, with some used books dating back to the 1700s. There were books of art, botany, sci-fi, fiction, nonfiction, history, politics, economics, and everything in between. While this was a book store, what I found most interesting were the old art prints and maps they had in store. As a social studies nerd, these truly piqued my interest, and spending time looking at them was a great addition to my afternoon. I would definitely recommend playing this little shop a visit!

Very cool selection!! Had so many cool books in every style- collections from the 1700s to modern day books. I got 2 books on the history of plants and am so excited to read them!! Staff were very kind and books were reasonably priced. Will return!

This bookstore is simple and unique ,it has an old school library feel.It seems small it you can get lost looking for a book ,labels and organization is pretty clear and easy to find specific titles.Staff is great and always welcoming and helpful while giving you space to browse.You can not beat the location , find a great book and grab coffee on P St. and sit at DuPont Circle or P street beach to read your book.I also love a good date idea activity after eating .If you're a DuPont person this store is just the icing on the cake.

A great and huge used bookstore in the busy neighborhood of Dupont Circle. When I would go to the Dupont farmers market weekly, I would stop by because I'm always surprised by how quickly the books on their shelves are moving and changing. A strong mix of old, rare finds and newer, hardback books for less than $15, I love Second Story. Sometimes it's a hit, but often times I don't find something, but the experience of browsing is often enjoyable. They also let you donate books for store credit, which is great.

Overall a nice store. Clean, well lit, big... good selection of books. They have readers and collectible antique books. It's pretty nice. I picked up 3 books. The only reason they are getting 3 Stars and not 5 is because of service. The lack of interest and customer service by the cashier was astounding. I walked up to the cashier and put my books on the counter. There was a bit of a delay before the cashier began to process my order... I may have interrupted an incredibly important text or Snap or whatever. He never made eye contact, never greeted me, and didn't bother to actually tell me the total. He just looked at the credit card terminal and waited for me to put in my card. The only words he spoke was the question "Do you need a bag?" When I said yes that seemed surprising... though I had no bag or backpack or anything on me, so not sure why it was surprising. He never asked me about if I "found everything" or if I "had any questions". He never said "thank you for your business" or "come again" or "have a nice day". I don't need retail service people to be overbearing or effusive... but I like to be friendly and polite and civil and hope retail staff can be the same. It makes life a little more pleasant. A simple "hello" at the start and "have a nice day" at the conclusion of the transaction would've turned this from a 3 star to a 5 star review.

Update time! After a second visit to this used bookstore, I can say without a doubt that I'm not a fan. But, I'm going to give Second Story Books & Antiques some well-deserved props for keeping the door open for over 40 years. That's a longtime, people! How this bookstore manages to stay open in the age of Amazon and COVID-19 is mind-boggling. To my surprise and disappointment, I saw only a handful of books written by African American authors. Also, selection of children's books is still nonexistent. After spending a good thirty minutes browsing the shelves, it was a nay for me! As far as customer service goes, the staff was standoffish. During both visits, I didn't get one "Hello" or "May I help you?" Anyhoo, the interior is cramped and outdated. Walls are cluttered with overpriced portraits and framed posters. There are tons of dusty looking CDs hidden in the back of the store. Special mention: If you're into collecting books, Second Story Books has an impressive collection of rare gems. I actually saw a book that was $5,000! And just when I thought the prices couldn't get any more ridiculous...I spotted a book under lock and key for a whopping $45,000! Wowza! Pro tip: Not up to spending a small fortune on a book? Check out their ever-present sidewalk sale. Snag a paperback or hardcover for a mere $4!

Glad to see that this Dupont Ciircle jem is still in business. What it lacks in overall inventory it more than makes up for in it's curated selecrion and the condition of it's stock. There is something here for everyone, and their organization system makes it easy to find the book you are looking for. If you are ino collecting and first editions, this place is for you. The $4 racks outside are always worth a look as well!

In search of some fiction books, I went to Second Story with friends. I'm not sure what their selection is like for other genres, but in fiction, it seemed plentiful. My friends were able to find familiar authors and books to recommend me (and vice versa), and I left paying about the same I would've paid on eBay, which is where I typically buy used books. Knowing that Second Story has comparable prices, I'll be a regular! Support your local businesses, folks! P.S. They had a 20% off sale going which sweetened the deal, and they also had some books that were extra discounted for sale outside.

Great store but the employee who rang us up was so rude. Didn't say a word to us (even when spoken to) and had a nasty look on their face the whole time while ringing us up. Overall good experience despite that.

SERVICE! Service service! I got a massage a few doors down and decided to explore the area. I'm here for work for a month. So i ran into a nice book store w/ sidewalk options! Really nice cause i can't fit anything else in my luggage and a $4 book selection is nice and i will be able to leave it for someone to enjoy since i don't have room. However, when i went to checkout the awful cashier made me want to leave and not purchase anything. I say my book down and said how are you- NOTHING. I asked if it was tap to pay - NOTHING. "Do you need a bag" were the only words. WHO HIRED THIS PERSON? Maybe they're depressed or something cause that was so awful and uncomfortable. There were a ton of ppl hanging back behind the counter and none of them engaged with anyone in the store at the time. I WOULDNT RECOMMEND THIS STORE. Customer service is very important to me and this place doesn't offer it.

Definitely worth a visit. Part of our recent visit to DC included hunting down as many independent bookstores as possible and this was definitely our favorite. Well worth the hunt.

A great place to walk around and check out the books. I did not see many people buying books, most were just browsing. They have books on sale outside which are reasonably priced.

I frequent rare bookstores A LOT and I feel as though I get the same treatment at these specialty stores whenever I ask to see books that tend to be higher in price. "May I see the Portrait of a Lady in the bookcase?" "All of these books are at least over $100.00" "That's usually the point of having them locked...." "Do you have any Wilde?" "Wild? The book about the woman walking across the country? No. That's too new to be in our shop we only sell rare books" "I'm referring to Wilde the poet." "Oh." To give a few examples of the types of comments I get when I ask simple questions. I received the same treatment here when asking to see the books in the case. I understand I'm a young woman and its rare to see anyone my age interested in collecting books, but don't judge a book by its cover. All the puns intended. Aside from the customer service, I loved their selection of books both high and low end. Left with a first edition of "Death of a Salesman" and am loving the new addition to my collection!

Huge range of books from $4 to tens of thousands of dollars for some collectibles. The sidewalk sale could be better organized, but it's not too bad. Inside, the variety of books is astonishing. They have plenty of collectible books that are in locked cabinets. They also sell other things like posters and antique pieces. Time seems to work differently here - I lost an hour just perusing the shelves in what seemed like 5min. Such a nice place to stop by in Dupont Circle!

I'm always on the hunt for good bookstores and this one passed the vibe check! What a great selection of books, I found so much great classic poetry books. Definitely check this place out if you're a bookworm in need of a fresh selection

Second Story Books is the best used bookstore in the Washington area. That's not quite the distinction that it used to be, as so many wonderful bookstores have gone out of business, but I'm grateful that Second Story continues to thrive. The selection is very good and the prices are reasonable.

Good selection of books for great prices! I got two books for $14. The inside is nice and cozy

I love a good independent bookstore and the location (Dupont Circle) is excellent, but I've never been impressed with the book selection here. All the books seem ancient so it's NOT the place to find a large, modern selection of travel books or business books. The one good side of this place is that they often have discounted books outside their store front.

A museum and a book store in one. This needs to be the list of sites to visit in DC!! They have something for every age, interest, and pocket book.

A decent second-hand bookstore. I've noticed a dearth of buy-and-sell bookshops during my brief stay in DC, so props to second story for filling that niche. Selection is largeish and of mid-tier quality, layout is a little confusing in that charming, slapdash way some bookstores can have. You certainly can't come in expecting to find what you want, but you could spend a good while here finding a lot of things you didn't know you wanted. The collection doesn't seem strongly curated and the standards for book condition are not the highest, but certainly not the lowest I've seen either. You can get some nice looking volumes here.

I have a friend who started collecting old Tarzan books. I contacted Second Story Dupont and ended up being helped by Willem, who was extremely patient and kind! I was able to get 2 Tarzan books shipped very quickly. Willem was super helpful and a delight to talk to! It was a great experience!

Some of the reviews for this used bookstore are downright hilarious! My recommendation would be to ignore them: This place is perfect - clean and curated with quality books in a wide variety of topics for a wide variety of budgets with interesting collector's items sprinkled throughout the room. A great place to browse while waiting for your reservation at Zatinya across the street! It was cleaner with better lighting than some of my favorite used book stores, but don't hold that against them! There wasn't even piles of books on the floors - oh, the horror! I thought it was well-curated within the niches that I checked out, and I appreciated that it was organized enough if you did some exploring first to see how it was arranged. Keep in mind - it's not a library. Some of the nonsense about the size of the store not being to a reviewer's liking are just absurd. Nor do I believe clerks at used bookstores are there to help you find books - you're supposed to browse and hunt on your own, THAT is the purpose. Everyone knows that clerks at used book stores are there to read! My thoughts are that if you are looking for a used copy of a specific book, use the internet and have it shipped direct to your door and forego the whole used bookstore experience. I would visit this place on every visit to Washington D.C. Interesting maps, too!

Excellent bookstore with both new and used and very old. Wonderfully curated collection with an additional $4 rack out front and "half off new" tables inside. Collections of editions from the mid 19th century to present which the true bibliophile will relish. There's something for everyone here.

This place is one of the reasons I love living in DC! Pro's Love the feel of the place. The disarray is part of its charm in my opinion. You can find books at around half the retail price (it's second hand of course). They have a large non-fiction section, divided according to topic, and a much smaller fiction section. However, I do find great fiction titles. The price is inside the front cover of the book (took me a while to figure that out). Although not in the same league, this place beats Politics and Prose and Kramer's in my opinion. Yes, this statement might be considered blasphemy in DC. Con's The service is a hit-or-miss. I agree with the previous reviewers that some of the staff are unfriendly and can even make you uncomfortable.

I had wanted to check this place out for awhile and am glad I finally did. They have a decent selection of used books from across the spectrum and seem to have a large number of really expensive antique type books that are hundreds of dollars. If you're a book collector that's probably your thing but for the rest of us, they have a decent selection of regular used books and CDs. Keep in mind they're a bookstore in the city, if you want a huge warehouse you have to trek to their Rockville location from what I understand. Pricing confused me at first but open the book and the price is listed on the first page. The winner here is the sidewalk sale, all books are $4 and there are even bins of 50 cent paperbacks. I'll come back here for sure.

My heart goes out to SSB. They have a fantastic collection of literature and even a swathe of foreign-language titles. They also boast some interesting collectors pieces, which helps contribute to the nice little aura of my favorite bookstore in D.C.

I have been in this place for two weeks straight and it never gets old. If there is an exit or a map I could borrow to find my way out...perhaps a riddle I can solve? Please just turn the lights on and off by the front door and I'll just start walking that direction. Thanks .

This is my favorite used book store in the DC area. You never know what you will find when you go there and browse the shelves. One caveat--because the books are used, be sure to flip thru them and check for underlining, if that upsets you. Their side walk carts are always fun to browse through. Some days I don't buy anything, other days, my tote bag is straining at the bottom when I go there. Prices are also reasonable. The sidewalk sale books are an especially good value. Convenient to the Dupont Circle metro and G2, D2, D6, and 42 buses among others.

I haven't written a review in six years for this unique bookstore. They have cleaned it up and reorganized things -- but it still has its charm. DVDs and CDs now take up more room in the back, but there are still chairs and works of art scattered throughout. Bookstores need to have nooks and crannies and Second Stories still has more than enough. The outdoor book flea market (sale books on portable shelves) provides a magnetic field that draws the unsuspecting towards the store from Dupont Circle and the farmer's market. Let's keep supporting our local businesses! They are SO worth it.

I ordered a book bundle for my boyfriend's graduation present. The store got back to me within 24 hours to take details on my order, and it shipped so fast! We got 8 books for $50, including two absolutely stunning Dostoevsky books with gold engraved covers. I had asked for a pretty specific book type (fiction taking place in Eastern Europe and Russia) and they selected the perfect books, with historical fiction, horror, and even a contemporary piece from 2016. I couldn't have asked for better service. Further, in the Before Times, their bookstore is the ONLY bookstore I've ever been to to have a public health/medical section that was not made up of self help books and used medical school texts. Instead it has legitimate public health books on topics like the opioid epidemic, the vitamin industry, sex trafficking, the evolution of the tobacco industry, and more. I used to sit in front of those shelves till my tailbone hurt. Please for the love of god and all that is holy buy their books and help keep Second Story in DC.

Sizable but not enormous selection of used, rare books. Came across many first- or collector's editions that I had never seen before. Heads up: all sales are final, which I didn't know until I had made my purchase. Aside from that one star demerit, I would recommend. Solid collection of cheap CDs in the back as well.

This is a small shop but has many deferent kinds of books. Most of them are cheaper than original prices. It's just like a treasure hunting to shop here. It reminds me of one of my favorite book stores in Paris.

Part used bookstore with bargains ($3 racks). Part museum with amazing antiques ($45,000 first editions). This is a place you could visit over and over. The bookseller was both welcoming and knowledgeable. The location is perfect - two blocks from the DuPont Circle metro.

Great selection of used books but their prices are often high - with some items incredibly overpriced. Some staff are nice and try to be helpful. Others have major attitude. It's a hit or miss experience. They could really use some customer service training.

A nice cozy book store with used and antique books. Located at the center of Dupont Circle, close to subway station. Books are carefully sectioned off. and shelved by theme as well as alphabetical order, so very easy to find what you want if you have specific targets. Price is quite reasonable; I spent 22 dollars on one collectible book and two other used books. Friendly and helpful staff.

Lovely little bookstore! Has a very nicely curated collection of antique, hard-to-find and second-hand books at pretty great prices! The collection seems rather carefully picked, with a high density of interesting books and a heavy emphasis on non-fiction, a nice change from your mainstream bookstore. Wish I could have spent much, much more time here than I did, but in a matter of a mere half hour, picked up some gems in the philosophy section, a Nat Geo title that would have otherwise been too expensive, a graphic novel I'd long been searching for and some rad cookbooks. If you're looking to find historical/early-edition texts by great authors in the humanities or social sciences, foraging for that elusive out-of-copy CD or hungering for some offbeat food for thought, check this place out! There's also a bunch of books at throwaway prices just outside the store, but alas I had no time. Someday..

I came in looking for children's books but the selection was pretty minimal. They had some cool vintage art up front and expensive antique books which were fun to look at but the staff was rude. Overall, this place was fun to browse but I wouldn't recommend it.

Cute concept. Very informative. It's also really nice to see all of the historic books and their value. It's nice to just hang out here and browse the collection. The staff is very nice and they'll take some of the display books out of the case for you to browse. My family loved it. It was something for all three of us. If you have a moment, stop in and look at some of the history! I took away a star because they have nowhere to sit and truly browse the books and no coffee shop or anything. That addition would be awesome!

We o lying get to DC once a year or so, but we must make a visit to this shop. A wonderful place to browse and buy. We always find something worth carrying back home.

Some of my favorite places on Earth are used bookstores. Second Story Books did not disappoint. The store offers an impressive collection/selection of books at reasonable prices. I spent a couple of hours browsing and left with a bag full of books. If you're a map lover (as I am), you will want to check out their collection of vintage maps at the front of the store.

I love a used bookstore! They've gotten kind of difficult to find these days, so I'll always make time for one when I see it. We stopped in to SSB on a Sunday afternoon and had a very pleasant time browsing the selection. It was fairly well organized and clean, and I was impressed by the variety of their stock. There were all genres of books, art prints, rare books behind lock and key, DVDs, VHS tapes and CDs. I found an out of print art book about Francis Bacon, packed with full color illustrations of many pieces I've never seen ... for $25! It's on Amazon for $128 new, $50 used. I also found a book about the art of John Waters, "Change of Life", for $20! It's on Amazon for $78, used. There were quite a few other deals that tempted me, but I'm on a budget these days so I resisted. The guys at the counter were a bit nerdy, but friendly enough. I will make this a Must Stop the next time I'm in town!

I had been to this DC location of Second Story Books a few years before and discovered that in addition to a great selection of books, in the back they have a whole wall of used CDs. I was determined to get back to Second Story. When I did, I found the place had changed very little, although the selection of hip-hop CDs seemed to be much more sparse than I had previous remembered. But that has to expected, this is a used bookstore after all, not a record shop. I still found some gems and left happy. You could spend hours inside Second Story books so definitely set aside some time for exploration because you never know what you might find here.

If you are looking for out of the ordinary books and signed collections this is your go to place. This is Not a place for mystery novels or romance novels. Although I did get a paperback for 50c to read on the plane ride home and leave in the waiting area when I arrive home. I had to stand for waiting for a few minutes before one of the two people decided to let me buy my book. There's a good selection of CDs and some DVDs in the back. They buy books but reserve the right to refuse. It's not my kind of bookstore but for the right person it's got a huge selection.

Second Story Books has a sign outside imploring patrons to "love us on Yelp." So here's my two cents... The brick-and-mortar bookseller is a dying business model, and many people like me lament that independent bookstores have been closing at an alarming rate. For stores like this to survive, it will be only because of the relationships built with loyal patrons. With that being said, I did not appreciate the total disinterest and bad attitude from the sales clerk when I asked if he had a certain book. He acted like I was being a total inconvenience to him despite there being no other customers for him to help, and he showed zero interest in helping me find what I was looking for. No offer to look with me. No offer to look on their computer inventory. No advice. No concern. Nothing. Later when I informed him that my book was not in stock (after searching myself), I got a mumbled "okay" and no eye contact. I really want to support local independent businesses, but my business should be appreciated more. There is no excuse for making a customer feel unwelcome or unwanted. Are you seriously expecting people to "love us on Yelp" when you have such a bad attitude?

I was excited to visit this place especially because they are so big. I stopped at Starbucks first, and grabbed a warm cup of coffee this one cold and rainy night. I had planned on looking through stacks of books and leaving with a few. Unfortunately, in order to enter the store I had to leave my drink behind. The gentleman behind the counter would not allow me to place it on their counter by the door and asked that I place it outside by the door. Bummed, I did. I put it under the shelter, so it wouldn't get rained on or knocked down. I walked through the store and while it is a great size, really could not find anything I would like to have found. They didn't have a very large section on what I was looking for. Primarily gender/women studies and contemporary literature. I walked through the entire store and didn't want to walk out missing something. So I made a second round around the store. The gentleman behind the counter thought I was being suspicious and continued to eye me as I walked in and out of the sections. I would grab a book and read the back cover, and feel someone's stare burning into my cheek. Low and behold, it was the guy behind the counter. Eventually, I became very uncomfortable and missed my warm soy latte that I just paid almost $6.00 for that was now sitting outside alone, getting cold. I also couldn't stand being watched as I made any move - like I was some kind of criminal. I walked out to get my drink, and it had been knocked down. Apparently, someone had a dog and was standing nearby it, and must have knocked it down. It was spilled all over the sidewalk. Thanks, for making me waste my $6.00 drink for absolutely nothing. Thanks very much. Will I be back? Probably not/ Selection was okay. Service wasn't welcoming or warm.

I have been coming here for years... it is the last and greatest holdout in the fading book world of DC. The best part of the experience is the sidewalk sale that rotates out front. You may not find anything you like if you drop by just once, but the selection changes almost every week, so just keep on showing up and you're sure to find a gem. Seeing the books change on the shelves, week to week, month to month, is very pleasing to me. A lot of estate material winds up here, so there will be sudden influxes of titles from someone's collection, like Judaica or constitutional law or the history of science, which is always educational. Coming here, regularly, has been an important part of my attempts to continue my adult education, simply because I am exposed to such an unexpected, unprogrammed churn of information, just by dropping by every other week. It feels good.

Before my friend ended up canceling/re-scheduling getting together on this particular evening, I popped into Second Story Books to look around. Immediately upon walking in, the scent of old books filled my nose. Kind of made me feel like I was in an old library (which is not a bad thing). I prefer this smell over the headache-inducing-new-book-smell that you sometimes get at Borders or Barnes & Noble. The selections were wide and the prices were good. Again, I didn't end up buying anything but I plan on coming back to pick up a book or two on China as soon as I find the time to start readin for leisure again.

I wandered into here after eating in this area and saw a couple really cool first edition books for sale here. To me there is something intoxicating about the smell of these old leather bound books, screw those crappy paper back books that get that weird worn folds on the spine. I had a good time perusing the shelves and found some really cook retro cook books that reminded me of ones that were on my parent's shelves when I was a kid. It's kind of fun to dig through this shop, you may end up finding quite a find at a bargain, My gf, managed to find an out of print book that she had been looking for ages. You never know what your going to come across in here and I much more fun then going to one of those typical big box book store.

I walked into this bookstore on an afternoon before heading to Georgetown just as they were about to close for 3 weeks for remodeling. Since it was a house cleaning sale, everything in the entire store was an extra 50% off. There was a huge array of econ and nonfiction books at amazing prices. They were in great condition, the store was well organized, and it was the sort of place I could spend hours of every day. Granted, it might not be as great without the extra sale, but it was still pretty amazing. They had a lot of classic political cartoon prints, records, CDs and tapes as well. A perfect place to get random reading material and a variety of other things.

A good, classic used book store. I'm currently on a mission to read the top 100 novels (as cited by the MLA) and Second Story is where I pick up most of my books, as this is turning out to be an expensive mission! (I know there's a thing called a library.... but I have a habit about not returning things on time and I may or may not have ended up on the blacklist... oops). Most of the books are half off on the cover price, but definitely not all! Be sure to check before you buy them: my copy of Gone with the Wind set me back $30! When you don't care about what edition it is, be careful to check the price. All in all, this is a good place to check out before you buy new. The staff was very friendly and its also a great place to people watch. If they had a cafe like Kramer's, I may never leave...