Dymocks – Melbourne

Dymocks is usually not the cheapest place to buy your books, but the place does have a few advantages. They’ve got one of the best book selections in Melbourne for most genres. They seem to do particularly well at stocking Australian authors. I’ve found the staff to be friendly and helpful. There’s also sometimes signed copies to be found on the shelves, something you’re unlikely to get when shopping online.

How wonderful that Dymocks survives, in it’s basement cave, in an era of kindles and «buy it cheaper on the internet» shopping. When I was a teenager I spent most of my pocket money on books and it was the likes of Dymocks that provided endless hours of browsing and reading entertainment.
Now, I admit it, I own a kindle as it’s much easier for travel but still find myself wanting the occasional «real» book — mostly cookbooks or coffee table books and come to Dymocks knowing they’ll have just about every book under the sun.
I recently visited to make a purchase for a family member who was bored in hospital. Hoping I’d find one or two of the adult «colouring for calmness» style books, I was delighted to see a massive section dedicated to this new wave of hobby. There were no less than 25 different titles, along with colouring pencils and crayons, so it was easy to select a gift. They also had a colouring station for visitors to sit and colour a single sheet. Handy if you fancy chilling out for 20 minutes away from the hustle and bustle of the city!

Ok — for all the American Unilocalers that are reading this… Dymocks = Barnes & Noble. (Without the huge Nook area they all have now!) This is a good thing. A lot of the books stores that I have visited in and around Melbourne (and I have spent much time criss-​crossing the city ferreting them out) seem to aim at niche markets. I can understand this — nooks and kindles are ringing a death knell to solid, in your hand, love the smell of them, actual books. Dymocks is large and has an incredible selection. I never realized that there were so many books put out by Penguin Publishing — but then again I am just a tourist here.

I’m not sure the last time I found myself in a book store. I know the last 2 books I bought were from the airport (probably horrendously overpriced) on my way to buy gum (I’m the girl that will always have fries with that). Before that was online, and for my kindle app.
But, in true me fashion, I had my mind set on reading a book, and I wanted it now.
To save myself the disappointment of getting to the store and them not having it, I called first (the website shows online, not in store, stock) and was offered to have a copy held behind the counter for me, but then the friendly & helpful girl said they have a stand behind the counter anyway.
An easy to find store on Collins, close to Swanston, simply follow the signs into the arcade and down the escalators.
I had a brief look around what seemed to be a well stocked, tidy store, before making my way to the counter to ask for the book. I hadn’t noticed until I got right up to the counter that there was in fact a stand of them behind it :)
Service was quick, easy and friendly. And the book (hardcover) was $ 29.99, which isn’t that bad considering I didn’t have to wait!
Reflecting on the quick wander I had, I kind of miss spending time browsing the shelves of an actual bookstore to find a book you’ve never heard of, but fits your mood perfectly.
Fun Fact — most of the sections have mini sections within them for Australian books. Eg: cooking — Australian, biographies — Australian.
Useless to this review fact — the book I purchased was «not that kind of girl» by Girls’ Lena Dunham — a quarter of the way through and loving it!

Yes. Yes. Before everyone starts telling me, I know one should not buy books for australian stores. Overseas online stores are better value. Yes. Agreed to all that. But can you really resist not visiting a bookstore and picking up one or two titles??? And what if you want to buy that special coffee table book or any book for someone as gift and have only an hour? See, that’s why you need a nice bookstore around.
Now about Dymocks, They have awesome collection of journals, bookish keepsakes, ABC shop stuff. I esp adore the artists series magnets, journals that they source from overseas museums. What can I say? I’m sucker for pretty things.
Also, ABC shop stuff. That for me means more Dr Who memorabilia (Yes, I have a shelf dedicated to The Doctor).
Staff is friendly and nice. There are computers where you can search local catalog. You can ask them to source books from other stores. All the usual perks of brick and mortar store.

If it’s raining in the city and I just want a place where I can relax and be warm, I head to Dymocks on Collins.
This enormous level devoted to literature is always welcoming, that you’ll find yourself happy to waste a few hours sitting on the ground in between bookshelves flicking through pages.
The classics section is really fantastic, they have a great selection of poetry, modern and classic literature from Coleridge to Homer, and there are some beautiful editions with gorgeous illustrations and front covers to have a look at.
Dymocks also has an ABC section up the back with a great selection of DVDies and CDs. There’s a café, and a range of Moleskine notebooks, cards, and a children’s section. Even though there are only a couple of staff member, line up near the counters and they’ll get to you.
I’ve never bee disappointed with the advice or help they’ve given me. Last time when I was trying to track down a biography the sales assistant stuck with me for over 20 minutes helping me find the particular edition.

Melbourne’s Flagship store and the main book store in Melbourne CBD, Dymocks provides something most book stores in Melbourne dont, variety.
There is a lot of books in here and a lot of genres. I was pleasantly surprised to find several Virginia Woolf novels and for only for $ 10! The store is large and packed full of items for you to flick through.
You can’t miss the store, when strolling down Collins Street you will see an entrance way with just an escalator going down into a large open plan store. It’s quite amazing really.
The register is a bit hard to find but just FYI its located awkwardly adjacent to the escalator.