Red Letter Secondhand Books

I went in to this store a month ago and found two interesting books that I wasn’t looking for when I walked in. I think that’s the key to this store; you can’t really go in with a book in mind, you have to wander and see what they have.
I took one star off of my review because of the organization. I love books and bookstores, but I like to be able to navigate through the shelves. At Red Letter, it’s only kind of organized by genre and there are clearly too many books in the store for the space they have because there are piles of books everywhere. Some people may like that atmosphere but I didn’t really care for it as much.
I took a second star off of my review because I thought the prices were a bit high. I prefer to shop at used book stores and because of that, I’ve been to a lot of them. The two books I bought were published before I was born and so because of their publication date and the condition they were in, I thought they were a little overpriced. I understand that they have a reason for their pricing but it didn’t really inspire me to come back.
If you don’t care about a bookstore’s organization or prices, then I recommend this store because they do have a lot of books in stock. It just wasn’t my cup of tea.

If you love used bookstores, you’ll hardly be able to pull yourself away from Red Letter. It’s not a large space, but jam packed with great finds. Sometimes too jam packed, with unsorted boxes filling the aisles, but that’s kinda part of the fun. By far the best used bookstore in the Boulder area.

I love wandering around, bookhunting in Red Letter. They are in the genre of the musty treasure troves that my favorite used bookstores all over the country and the world are. Sometimes the people at the front desk may not seem friendly or welcoming, but don’t let that put you off — they are! Just quiet and perhaps «bookwormish». They’re very kind and helpful.
We make it a regular stop when we’re on the east side of Pearl Street — a wonderful place for true booklovers.

If I were a hoarder, I’d hoard books. And cute coffee mugs. But mainly books.
And if I were a book hoarder, my collection would look a lot like Red Letter’s: used books EVERYWHERE. Slightly disorganized and cramped shelves stuffed with books. Toppling stacks of books on the floor. Books of all kinds and sizes and topics. And the wonderful scent of used books in the air. I swear, there is nothing more marvelous than the smell of bound, printed paper.
The disorganization can be a bit overwhelming if you’re only popping in for a few moments and looking for specific books, though. This isn’t the kind of place where you can see clearly labled topics above each row of books and find the exact one you’re looking for. No. You have to browse. You have to be willing to dig into the shelves, spending hours on the floor pouring over different paperbacks. You have to possess the thirst for adventure and the patience that comes with hard work. And somewhere, you’ll find that treasure of a book.

When in Boulder, Red Letter is a must-​visit for book lovers who love to browse. Classic used bookstore: books piled up everywhere — not just sitting on shelves — and clerks who know their stuff. I was looking for horror/​SF/​mystery paperbacks and found plenty, although the horror section was mostly newer stuff, not the vintage-​y titles I crave. Found some great old crime fiction though. Check out the locked shelves of signed/​rare books too.

I really love this place. It’s like the best episode of Hoarders ever.

In a town — and on a street — with many wonderful used book stores, Red Letter books fits in comfortably. There was a good stock, reasonably organized shelves (half the fun is finding surprises anyway, right?), and fair pricing. I walked out with a paperback I’d been searching for. I would happily return next time I’m in Boulder!

Red Letter is my favorite bookstore in town. Great selection, reasonable prices, friendly and knowledgeable staff. They have a good selection of kid’s books, and i love the huge selection of Buddhist dharma. They also have used sheet music.

Solid fundamentals — comfortable, good stock, seems to get new inventory, etc. You can only find things by browsing, because they’re not online!
Two drawbacks — it’s cramped and could use some weeding and reorganization. Also, many of the nicer books have been around for a while and probably need to be repriced.

Books from floor to ceiling. Somewhat categorized. Helpful employees. If you can’t find it here then it wasn’t published. Cheap prices

Every time I come in here I think the owner must have a Mogwai in the back.

Cool little indie bookstore, packed full of all kinds of books. If you like books, you’ll find something to like here.

As a rule, I automatically like any place that sells books. I don’t discriminate. You like books? I like you! Red Letter Books is no exception. They have a tiny, cozy, cave of a shop and every available space, nook, and cranny is stacked high with books. This means good things as far as your odds of them having what you are looking for, but bad things for your odds of actually finding it. If you are lucky, what you seek will be located on the shelf in its alphabetized space. If not, it will be somewhere in the stacks of overstock on top of the bookshelves, or maybe lying in the stacks of newly arrived books by the front door and behind the cashier’s desk. Of course, if you simply come just to browse, these expansive stacks might be a blessing. Also note that they only accept credit cards over a certain limit. The last time I was there, I believe the minimum was $ 10.

i have been a patron for over 10 years. Knowledgeable staff, authentic/​quirky venue, and an interesting rotating selection make this the best bookstore in Boulder.

This is my first stop on any of my book buying days. This place is absolutely stuffed with books of all varieties. The owner is incredibly knowledgeable and helpful, but also very reserved (e.g. he probably won’t ask if you need any help and might only say 2 words when he rings you up).

Red Letter Secondhand Books was my second home during high school. When you walk in, well, it’s really quite impossible to describe. While it is somewhat hard to find your way around your first couple times, the time you spend wandering is really quite interesting. I ended up buying tons of books I would of otherwise seen. There are just stacks of books all over.
It is best to go into it with some time on your hands. Browse! Don’t go in looking for one specific edition, because you probably won’t find it, but you’ll find tons of old editions, and a large selection.
Watch out! You’ll end up spending more money than you realize. Ha.

Red Letter is amazing. It’s the perfect place to spend a rainy afternoon, or a snowy morning, or a too-​sunny summer day off. I fell in love with the place in high school when my family first lived here, and re-​discovering it, virtually unchanged, when I moved back ten years later made me think there was still hope for Boulder yet.
I’ve never gone to Red Letter looking for a specific book, so I’m not sure how to rate it on that scale. I don’t think it matters, though. This is the sort of store to visit when you have a vague interest or direction to guide you toward a section; you’ll inevitably find (thanks to the sort of magic that no Amazon algorithm can begin to replicated) just the book you needed, and likely a few other life-​changing (or at least curiosity-​piquing) works as well. Try it. You’ll see.

Maybe it’s because I’ve seen so many horror movies in my life, but I felt like I was in one once I stepped in here. Every corner I turned, I expected to find an axe murderer or man with a chainsaw. And yet, I liked it.
Stacks upon stacks, shelves upon shelves, box upon box. The floor is filled with books just laying around, and you might trip over a few. Overwhelming and diverse selection. I think that every single book that has been assigned for reading at CU Boulder can probably be found here. And then some.
And that smell. I love that smell of old books. A mix of death, sex, and rockabilly. If that makes sense (and it does to me).
Pretty good place to go in with something specific in mind, but not necessarily. I was just about to leave empty handed, until I spotted the poetry section. On a whim, I searched for one of my favorite poets, and lo and behold, I found a book of his selected poems. Vintage paperback for $ 4. Like I need another book, but it’s better than meth, isn’t it?
There’s a big mix of prices. Some things are overpriced, some are underpriced, some are just right.
The staff seemed a bit rude, but I think this is a common theme amongst all bookstores. Gotta love it. The man I gave my money to seemed bit «put off» to ring me up. Didn’t even look up at me during the transaction. Oh boy, I hope he actually works there and I didn’t just walk out with my book and my money in the hands of a thief. This is the experience you might get from this store, and it’s totally worth it.
And I didn’t see any horror movie killers, but I did see a man who looked a bit like Jesus. He’s risen, and He shops at Red Letter. ‘Nough said.

The Old Curiosity Shop
Boulder has many book stores, but Red Letter Books is by far my favourite. Crammed with excellent titles, first editions, and dust, this place feels like an old book shop on High Street in London. I can spend hours browsing in this place. A bibliophiles dream.
Located on the east end of Pearl Street, four blocks off the pedestrian mall. You should be able to find on street parking within a few blocks of this store.

My mom loves this place and comes here whenever she can. Now, this may at first not sound that surprising, until you know that my mom is from Chicago.
So, she came in town again, and off we went again to Red Letter.
Personally, I think this place is somewhat over-​priced for a used book store, but eh. When I brought my books here to sell, they did take a few off my hands for an ok price.
The selection however is fairly excellent, which makes up for its shortcomings. I’ve found most things I’ve looked for.
And yes, the atmosphere defines used bookstore, no doubt about it.