Artifacts – Good Books & Bad Art

When we were here, the guy behind the counter was really helpful and nice. It was close to closing time but I did not feel rushed at all. The selections were pretty good and the random items were funny and on trend. The artworks were awesomely bad, so bad that I almost purchased one. Except I was reminded that we still have a lot of artwork inside our house that needs framing. I definitely recommend this place if you’re visiting this town. Well worth it:

This bookstore fucking $ucks! Owner is rude, when I asked for a book, he threw up on me and flipped me the bird. Terrible experience.
Selection
⁰⁄₁₀ not enough John Grisham books.
Atmosphere
¹⁄₁₀ magnets are fine, whole store reeks of piss
Food
⁰⁄₁₀ no food??? Are you sure this place is a restraunt? Not a rester-ain’t???
In conclusion,
ArtiSUCKs books please NEVER GO HERE

The owner isn’t the friendliest guy, and he is the only staff member there. I took a picture of an item and was promptly lectured of how phones aren’t allowed. Honestly, it should have been obvious to me but he could have been nicer about it? He pointed to a sticker that had a phone and a big X over it and said, «how am i supposed to make any business if you’re taking pictures on your cell phone.» If you’ve ever been here, you’ll know that the doors and walls are plastered with stickers. Like, excuse me for not noticing one sticker among the colossal collection.
Not very organized but has a great selection of quirky items. I love going through the stickers.

Love this place. You can spend hours wandering around looking and giggling at all the eclectic books, stickers, and art!

The nice young guy working didn’t give us any trouble about using our debit card. Good selection of used books in a relatively small space. Fun stickers. You can get a Flying Spaghetti Monster for your car here.

A truly phenomenal bookstore. Refreshingly irreverent, colorful, and just the right amount of tacky. Don’t come here if you need typical customer service ass-​kissing. Come here for the real people that work behind the counter, the awesomely bad art, and the best selection of literature in the Northwest.

I appreciate small businesses and realize the hardships they face staying open and afloat in the «big box» store era. It’s important to support them. That being said, I do not appreciate being lectured when paying for purchases with a debit card… which is exactly what happened when I went up to the counter to pay for my two magnets totaling $ 8.00. There was a $ 10.00 minimum on all debit/​credit purchases… fine. I grabbed a $ 3.00 sticker expecting to pay for my goods and be on my way… BUT NO! I had to stand there and suffer a lecture on the importance of paying with cash because «Bank of America» charges .80 cents per transaction. I simply said, «I’m sorry but I never have cash on me»…thinking that would be the end of it… after all, I obliged by the $ 10.00 card minimum and this guy just swiped my card for $ 11.00. I think he forgot that I was the customer and didn’t have to buy anything at all from his store… but I digress. He held me there hostage as he continued on his rant about fees and Bank of America… trying to sympathize I said, «that’s why I bank with a credit union, I don’t have to deal with big bank fees like that»…to this he grew more agitated and told me, «well, it’s not YOU paying the .80 cent fee, it’s ME!»…
I was too shocked to come up with this on the spot but looking back, here’s what I wish I would have said: «Look, I sympathize with you but instead of taking this out on your customer, why don’t you just not allow credit/​debit cards and accept cash only… or, charge the .80 cent fee back to your customer and have no minimum. Also, you can go ahead and take these 3 items back that I just paid for and reverse the $ 11.00 charge back to my card and then you can save yourself the .80 cent fee»…Alas, I just turned and left in a huff.
Again, I appreciate small businesses and think we should support them… but let’s not forget that customers keep your doors open and credit/​debit cards or no, YOU NEED TO TREAT THEM NICELY AND NOT LECTURE THEM AFTER THEY BUY SHIT FROM YOUR STORE!!!

I am smitten. The used books, the edgy selection of new books, art for walls and bumper. How can you not support these guys with a marketing line of Good Books & Bad Art.
Alarmingly Charming.

As it’s important to support all small local business in this day and age of Walmarts and the like, I believe it is especially important to support local book stores. There is nothing quite like spending an hour or so being surrounded by such powerful art. Every time a visit Hood River, I visit this book store and buy at least one book. I usually spend my time in the trade fiction sections. Tons of classics available in great condition. If you are a book-​lover, this is a must-​visit gem.

Good Books & Bad Art — How True
In addition to used books, Artifacts offers bumper stickers, buttons, postcards, and various novelties. The place has a «Grampa’s Attic» sort of vibe and is just the hang out and browse ticket for a rainy day.

Unfortunately I cannot give a good review to this bookstore in Hood River Oregon. Don’t order anything from them over the phone. The order won’t be right, when you receive it, and they won’t acknowledge their mistake and make it right. I had to drive 3 hours one way down from Washington to exchange a tshirt, with no receipt because they sent me the wrong size. The gas alone to exchange it would have purchased me an entire new shirt I’m sure. They should have mailed me the other size, and not charged me postage. They got the order wrong and didn’t own up to that. Not once did they offer to send me the right size, in fact the owner never did call me back, just had his clerk call me and say they had the right size. Very poor.
I also didn’t have time to check out what they have, in the store, (though first impressions were it is unorganized, messy and jumbled, it seemed it would be difficult to find anything in there, not that I had time to look. First there was no one serving in the store when I went in the first time, even when I rang the bell. I had to leave because of the terrible parking situation downtown Hood River (meter ate my money and all meters seemed to be flashing «expired» with a 3 hour minimum). I ran back to the car, left a note on my windshield that their meter ate all my money, be right back, and then ran back to the bookstore, hoping I didn’t get a parking ticket, and exchanged the shirt. The clerk didn’t say sorry for the inconvenience, just handed over the medium it should have been and turned back to his book without a word. Truly the worst customer service I’ve received in a long time. And since I couldn’t park, I didn’t get to check the little downtown stores out at all. Maybe this is a good place, my impression was, not so much. Give it a pass.

This is a cool, unassuming little bookstore with cheap used books, hilarious bumper stickers (bombing for peace is like fucking for virginity), fish bumper badges, pins/​badges, t-​shirts (ARMY: Be all that you’re told to be), hats, postcards and greeting cards. Awesome store, great music playing (Thievery Corp) and they let me bring my dog in with the almost 100 °F heat outside. I need to go back and actually buy some stickers now :)

I was searching for a specific bumper sticker, and although I didn’t find it, I found many others to grace my car’s bumper.
This is an edgy shop that tends to not be intrusive. You’re left to sort through the books, which are alphabetical and easy to look through. I’d recommend for people looking for some revolutionary finds for friends.

Cute used bookstore («good books & bad art») in this great windsurfing town. A lot of trashy paperbacks, but a great gardening section, and a huge selection of bumper stickers, magnets, postcards and other stuff.