Sweet Pickle Books

they really do exchange pickles for books! make sure you follow the guidelines (usually on their storefront/you can call/check their website). staff was very informative about the history of the business, pickles and what to do with rejected books (there’s a small book box in Seward park you can leave them in). exchange was super smooth and simple, can’t wait to come back!

First time going here, and I didn't know what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised at the charm after entering. If you're into books you could probably be I'm this store for hours. There is a loose organization to everything, but the books are just kind of random on the shelf so you never know what you might find. Also the best part......the pickles!

Love the charm of this bookstore. Just dropped by to see the inside. Not very organized but I guess that’s part of its charm. To be surprised what you’ll find. Cute merch too!

do we need more bookstores with a little coffee shop inside? we got so many, but the idea of mixing books and pickles!🥒 just discovered: you can bring your books here and exchange it for a sweet pickles jar, that’s great :))

I love the whole concept of this store! Make sure you go on the correct days if you want to donate books. I’ve donated 3 times and each time I take home the spicy pickle jar. It’s amazing! Not only the pickles but the jalapeños, garlic, carrots and onions are all amazing too!

The pickles are great! It's a tight space that is filled with used books. The employee who was there when we went was very friendly and helpful. Definitely check it out!

Adorable little bookshop that sells actual pickles and quirky pickle merch! It's tiny and full of books but is the perfect spot to just browse the shelves and indulge in used books.

such an incredible space with an awesome selection of second-hand publications!! the pickle merch is also sick. a must visit if you’re in the area and just like having a look at unique spaces!

We were killing time and wandered into Sweet Pickle Books. I was immediately in love. I love a weird quirky hole in the wall. The store is deep and narrow with thousands of second hand books stored floor to ceiling. We learned that on Tuesdays and Wednesdays if you bring in at least 5 books to donate you get a jar of pickles. Alas, we were flying with carry-ons so I did not get a jar of pickles, but maybe next time. I did purchase "The Pickle Bookstore" sweatshirt in dark green and love it.

This spot has frequently appeared on my s'more page, and I've viewed numerous TikTok clips about it. SPB, situated on Orchard Street, is a second-hand bookstore offering an array of books covering diverse topics and genres. Besides books, they vend pickles, tote bags, and various branded merchandise. Every Tuesday and Wednesday, they arrange a book/pickle swap. The current minimum requirement is 5 books. Once you bring the required amount of books, you can get a complimentary 2 lb jar of pickles (valued at $12). I traded my books for dill pickles. Do note that the book swap happens only twice weekly, from 11AM-7PM. They're accepting only certain genres, so please check with the business first. 47 Orchard Street

The book curation is good and the pickles are cute! But the prices are strangely set. Much of the time, the (clearly used) books cost $10+ more than what you could get online, and other times, they're about the same. Anyone who thinks their books are actually reasonably priced should either check other used book stores in the city to compare, or check their own privilege. The higher prices seem ridiculous especially given they're based in the *Lower East Side*, and along with its social media reputation, the store seems to attract customers that don't exactly dispel the huge issue of gentrification that, for the last half-century, has afflicted the very neighborhood the store's in. So much for any truly community-based entrepreneurship! Another thing. The person at the counter seemed to mumble some comeback under their breath after they tried to price-up one of my items without my knowing while on checkout and I called it out. They were referring to prices on Amazon, when other sites, with shipping, had it for much cheaper. I buy from independent book stores because they need our support more than ever. But I just feel like, past the Instagrammable glamour, you'll have better options elsewhere for used books and/or pleasant company--sorry.

Lovely pickle themed used bookstore. It's narrow but has a light airy feeling with lots of natural light. They sell jarred pickles and pickle sweatshirts which my friend ended up buying. They also had a lot of VHS, felt like a blast from the past. I think because of the pickle theme, it was harder to find books and the books were in poorer condition than other used bookstores, and not as cheap. I think my little torn book was $10 but listen, I love bookstores and will support them no matter what. We didn't really interact with the staff a whole lot but I'm sure they would be happy to help you find something. We had to stop in while on the lower east side because of the pickle theme but left with books and merch, no pickles!

Cool spot to buy books with lots of pickles. Kinda silly, lots of fun. You have to commit some time to finding the right book but it's a cute store.

I have now donated twice to this adorable bookshop, and each experience was personable and lovely! Please note the times that they accept donations, as of currently: Tuesdays and Wednesdays! The pickles are delicious as reviews have said. There are three different ones to try: dilled, sweet and sour. My favorite by far are the Bread & Butter Pickles (say "Sweet" when you ask for them after donation)! It's a very generous jar of them too! The selection of books they have are quite interesting too! I haven't purchased any books yet, but I'm sure I will eventually! I picked up some cute merch though! I hope this little spot gets more notoriety! What an incredibly cute concept!

This narrow used bookstore that also sells jars of pickles is cute as a button. I love a bookstore, and it's always fun to see what you can find at a used bookstore. Sweet Pickle had a great selection, especially given its size. I also picked up a sweatshirt since their merchandise is just too cute. Love books? Love pickles. Stop by when you're next in the Lower East Side!

Came to donate some books today and what do you know? I got some free pickles! Apparently with a donation of five bucks you get a free jar of pickles so I tried the spicy ones. Definitely decent with a bit of a sour taste, but not overly so. Little bit spicy, but not too crazy... I would've actually preferred spicier! Lots of books to choose from as well!

Sweet Pickle Books is a sweet find in LES! I came here on a raining morning and honestly, it was such a vibe. The store is small but every inch is crammed full of books, merch, and of course-- the infamous pickles. The cashier was nice and quirky. I loved their shirts and the designs on their merch. I also checked out their theatre books/scripts section. They had some cool looking technique books. I had my eye on a few but truly none of their books were priced in this section. I didn't look much further, so i'm not sure if the lack of prices was due to being in the corner of the store/less popular genre or if the entire store was like this-- kind of disappointing. I will say, I didn't leave disappointed. I got a cute shirt, the cashier gave me a free bookmark, and the vibes of the store were immaculate. This is such an eclectic place!

Two of my favorite things - books and pickles! This store was right up my alley. As others have mentioned, the books are a bit pricier, and the space itself is very narrow - a little hard to navigate/browse, especially as more people started to file in. Didn't end up making a purchase, but I enjoyed looking around and wish I bought one of those mugs/crew necks before I left.

The cutest used bookstore on the LES! You can donate four books for a 2 lbs. jar of pickles on Tuesday and Wednesday (usually $12) - either sweet, dill, or spicy! They also have lot of pickle merchandise for sale. Books are sorted by category, with all the fiction alphabetical by author. I could spend hours just browsing titles across the shelves!

Idk man this place kinda blows. There are so many rules with their exchange program and half of them arent even listed on their website and if you do one thing wrong the lady working there will look at you like you're the dumbest person alive which youre not you're actually really smart. Sorry, Harry!

I gave them some books and the gave me a jar of some of the best pickles I've ever had!!! Also fun to browse through the books and find a good read. I shall be back for both

What my version of heaven looks like pickles and great books. The shopkeeper gave us an amazing rundown of the grade, pickles, gradebook, and history of the neighborhood. This is a staple of New York.

Small little shop. Lots of book options ! Of all genres and ages! The pickles taste so yummy and the workers are very sweet! They help with finding books and giving book recommendations. The books are fairly Inexpensive as well. All used copies as well!

Iconic idea for a bookstore. Pickles and books!! A cool stop to visit one time but if you're actually looking to buy books, there are more affordable places with larger selections. Lots of pricey books here and not as much selection, which makes sense given their store is half pickle focused as well.

Grate place we only got pickles but the people were so nice and the place had such a good vibe and they have a free book cart out front

Lovely local used bookstore! Traded a few volumes for a jar of pickles. Looking forward to returning as a donor and/or customer.

The cutest little bookstore with interesting decor and a wide selection of used books. It is very small like one aisle. Yes they do sell pickles

I originally heard of this place on TikTok and my interest was piqued as a pickle lover. Being able to trade books for pickles is genius! I gathered up 8 old books from my campus, enough to trade for 2 jars of pickles, or so I thought. I walked in and asked about the pickle exchange program, to my dismay, you can only exchange books for pickles on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. I had checked the website on my phone beforehand and did not see anything about that on the main page, which you think it would, especially since going viral on TikTok. After being rudely ignored, I checked the website again and you have to go to the about page before seeing anything about this rule. In addition, the only information about the pickle exchange program in the entire store was a handwritten sign on computer paper in the front window. Seeing as I had just carried 8 books in my bag in the city all day in the rain and my back was aching, I begged the cashier to make an exception. She did not even look up from her book to talk to me. You would think a place that runs on donations would have a little better customer service. Aside from my rejection from the pickle exchange, the place itself was small and crowded. Many of the books were falling apart and none of them had prices listed on them. Even as I was looking at the shelves, I think there were only 4 books that I had heard of before. There seemed to be little organization on the shelves. The pickles are ridiculously expensive. I refused to buy them. You will not catch me spending over 9 dollars for a small jar of pickles that don't even look that good. All in all, save yourself the time and buy your used books at Goodwill and get your pickles from the grocery store.

i'm writing this review because i can't stop thinking about the disappointing way i was scammed at this store. here's how it went: i found a very interesting book i hadn't seen before and took it to the front to see how much it cost. in the conversation i had with the staff member, he told me that this book was actually extremely rare with only several copies floating around, and that the specific decorative piece attached to this copy was one of a kind! i'm an old/rare books nerd and this sucked me right in. the book cost ~$130, way more than i had expected, but after listening to the staff, i felt like i was getting a truly unique and special book for a very reasonable price. imagine my surprise as i left the store and looked up the book- just to find out that it's not only on its 5th edition printing, you can get a new copy for half the price. the decorative piece was just... part of the book's design. the copy i got wasn't in great condition either. it was extremely sun-faded and the book jacket had tears. in hindsight i should have marched right back inside and asked for a return and refund, final sale be damned. maybe the store staff didn't intend to lie to me. but they should be damn sure they know what they're talking about before trying to sell a book to someone with false information, especially one that costs that much. i'm a low-income student, and i wanted to treat myself with an impulse purchase :( lessons were learned that day. before this transaction, sweet pickle was one of my favorite bookstores in the city (not necessarily for the book selection but the decor and vibe of the shop). i'm so shocked and disappointed by how i was scammed by the staff that i don't plan to return, and i'll be telling my friends who come here to be very wary. (crossposting this review months later because I'm still salty about this.)

The pickle gimmick is fun and they have great merch. If you're actually looking to buy books, this isn't the place. They charged me $15 for a used, water damaged copy of Camera Lucida, a paperback that costs $9 new online. MSRP is $13.

Fun bookstore and added bonus of pickle products! Saw this on IG and had to check it out when I was in NY.

I absolutely love Sweet Pickle Books. The owner was so chill, and gave us great recs and convo while casually munching on pickles. I got a great selection of books, too. Will absolutely be venturing back often.

Cute little thrift store concept. More of an Instagram businesses than an actual used bookstore. Forget about Rare, Vintage or Collectible. The stock seems to have been almost perfectly reverse curated. There is nothing of value here. You'll do better at your local goodwill but they don't sell pickles.

i had a terrible experience because of rude and condescending treatment from the employee for no reason.

Took a $30 30 minute Uber here. Their website said they closed at 8. We arrived at 7. When we walked in the employee informed us that they close at 7. I brought 5 books to "trade" for a jar of pickles and was told "we are not accepting donations". What's the point? I was ready to buy books and donate books for pickles. This place sucks. Bad look. If you don't want the business then just close. Or better yet this kind of customer service will just cause your demise. So goodbye

kitschy indie little bookstore. niche kind of books. great vibe, pickles and bookstore merch. nicest people. def love to support the small cool business.

I was looking forward to going here since I heard about it, as it is quite the niche concept! I saw a few books I was tempted to buy - they do have a good selection of queer, food and entertainment books - but I am trying to low-key book buying these days. I just like to browse, that's my thing. I did buy the tote and pickles. I love the 70s font of the tote and I'd heard the pickles are good. I did notice some of their pickles are made with palm oil and propylene glycol which aren't the healthiest things to ingest, and you can make pickles without those I am pretty sure. Customer service could have been better and the store is really narrow. People are constantly walking into you, so on a weekend it is not the most relaxed experience. What is nice is they have a free cart outside where the books are just that, free, and that selection was not half bad. I liked that they had a video tape of Crossing Delancey in their window. If you have seen the film, you'd get the significance of that. The Lower East Side is known for its pickle history, and it even has its own pickle day/street fair once a year, so this place is more about keeping those feelings alive I think than being the best bookstore in town. I will go back as I suspect their selection changes a lot, since they offer free pickles for books.

Super cute, kitschy books. Good pickles. Friendly staff, overall space is small though

Sweet Pickle Books, is an Amazing bookstore. Wonderful selection of books. Nicely displayed and organized. Very clean and cozy bookshop. A haven for Booklovers on NYC's LES. And the Owner is Awesome, Now the Extra Special Surprise is that they also sell Pickles !!!! Yes, I know Pickles !!! You definitely will find a Treasure for reading at the Sweet Pickle Books. And don't forget the Pickles. ... Highly Recommend A ++++

charming and unique and lovely. exactly the nice surprise you're looking to stumble upon. good for the soul, enriching. love the pickles, love the books, love the charm of mild chaos.

books were overpriced af and don't post prices for anything. if you're looking for books you're better off at goodwill. i got a tote, small zine, and a jar of pickles. zine said $3.50 on it and ended up being $8, pickles were $12 and tote was $20. they didn't say my total until they had ran my card. pickles are good but trader joe's are better for half the price pretty good selection of books and cute tote bags. cool store atmosphere. card and cash accepted