Sideshow Rare Books, Art & Curiosities

After Barnes & Noble didn’t have The Stepford Wives for a class assignment, I called several stores with the hopes that I would locate it. Slideshow was the only place that had it! The man who answered the phone was very helpful and was just as friendly in person. I look forward to coming back and browsing around!

Wonderful place! This is a real gem and honestly I can’t believe I haven’t stopped by in the past 3 years I’ve been in Westwood. It’s conveniently located close to Sawtelle, so I’ll be stopping by whenever I’m around there in the future. The staff were incredibly helpful and were able to find a few of the books I was looking for in no time — they didn’t have 2 other books, but took down my contact info and said they would let me know if they stocked them again or were able to hunt down the copies. I really was amazed by how courteous and helpful the staff were and will definitely be stopping by again soon!

what a treasure! a must go for everyone.
if you don’t see something. ask…
but you will find tons. I assure you

This is a gem of a place that I am really glad I stumbled on. At first sight it looks cluttered but once you start looking it is actually very well organized and the staff knows exactly where everything is and is very friendly and helpful. Went in for a quite browse and left with an armful of books for a very low price, which you just can’t beat! If you’re in the area definitely check this place out!

Charming, idiosyncratic, used bookstore with a well chosen selection of books you will want to read. Nice, helpful manager. It seems too good to be true — it’s not a Wes Anderson movie set — it’s real! And, it’s open quite late so you can pop in after a movie at the Nuart which is a block away. So grateful.

Lovely little indie bookstore. I found the perfect gifts and a couple for myself. Great vibe.

This place is a hidden gem! I found both books I was looking for, even though this is a very small space. They seem to have one of everything! also lots of fun art /​random stuff around. This is in my neighborhood, and I’ll definitely be going back!

Whenever it starts to bum me out that I’m still living in L.A., a place this pops up on my radar that makes me feel a bit better about it. Great vibe, incredibly gracious staff, fully independent, and a very warm and inviting atmosphere. There’s nothing precious or «trying-​too-​hard» about it, which is rare in L.A. It’s small but the selection is broad because of the height of the bookcases. When I feel a longing for San Francisco or Portland, places like this help ease the pain.
L.A. needs far more places like this. Establishments like Sideshow are what give a city character. I just discovered it after living in Santa Monica for five years, and this will be my immediate go-​to place for books now.

Sideshow Books is one of the few remaining used book stores on the westside. I found it by accident one evening last year while I was making a food run to a nearby Mexican restaurant. It is a great place to check out all kinds of subjects from cinema, poetry, mystery, sci-​fi, history, political, children’s books, posters, pulp fiction, vinyl records and lots more. It has a great atmosphere when you walk in as it is a small quaint space. The people who work there are very knowledgeable and more than happy to guide you. They have great hours including open until midnight on Friday and Saturday. I keep finding all kind of neat material everytime I visit including a vintage sealed album, a book on Babe Ruth, a book on the history of art prints and lithography, a mystery detective book, and more. I recommend that anyone interested in a good value for books explore this great place.

I love these mom and pop stores. This is what America needs to get back to. To corporate these days. You don’t get the kind of special attention from corporate like you do mom and pop. Mom and pop go out of there way to help you find what you are looking for and not be pushy about it. when you are ready they will go out of there way to help you find what you are looking for. Not push something on you that you don’t want and won’t be happy with. All my friensa will know about this place. great job!!!

Certainly my favorite bookstore on the Westside. The selection is deceptively good for a store that size, and on top of that the service is great.
My experience: I was buying a copy of The Great Gatsby as a gift and didn’t want the Baz Luhrmann movie poster on the cover. The guy working there helped me look in three separate sections, then went to the back in search of a non-​cheesy cover… which he eventually found. Success!

The man tore the place apart helping me find the perfect book. I felt guilty to receive such service. The world would be a better place if we went out of our way to help others the way this man helped me.
Thank you.

If you’ve ever cried over the dwindling number of bookstores, especially independent used bbook stores, this place will make your life better. Huge selection of fiction, non-​fiction, art, film, postcards, and various quircky paraphernalia. Amazing, friendly staff members who will happily offer suggestions, or advise you to finish writing your own novel. The perfect neighborhood bookstore.

This is one of the best bookstores off all-​times. There are really quite a lot of fine bookstores in L.A. now after a drought of some years when Dutton’s, Midnight Special and many used bookstores on the Westside shut down. But Sideshow is an original. Their pulp/​crime section is my favorite and a good part of my pulp library has been purchased there. There are also many other creative sections, if you are looking for lesbian exploitation, black power or books that became films. The fiction lit section is swell. Books are somewhat piled, though organized, in a small, curious space like the bookstores of yore. Put at least a half hour’s worth of coins in your meter for exploring. Almost every book in the store is priced and there are a lot of titles you will find here, which are difficult to find elsewhere. The owner has recommended several books that I’ve loved and even recommends books that he doesn’t have for sale, which I have purchased at other stores.

This bookstore is great. We wandered over after checking out Alias (a used bookstore with empty shelves is a no in my mind) and pleasantly spent 30 – 40 minutes perusing the cramped interior. There’s a focus on film and screenplays, but they have a good range of mysteries, vintage pulp, and other random literary titles. Prices are fair– $ 5-​$ 10 for good quality and hard to find titles. More importantly, this place has that suck-​you-​in browsing potential that bibliophiles crave.

really fantastic used bookstore. excellent collection and well organized. the kind of magical spot where you can come in looking for a book, find it for cheap, and then find 10 other excellent books, also for cheap, that you love.

This age, everything has become digital with bookstores being replaced with American Eagle and Abercrombie and Fitch.
I’m glad sideshow is here to stay and to be open late as well! I’m not certain what the exact hours of operation are but I know they’re open quite late (10:00p).
Although small, they have a great selection of books and the workers are very helpful and kind. It may be difficult to navigate around the store so don’t be bashful and just ask for help! They’re quick to lend a hand and help you get what you want!
They have a good selection of sci-​fi books. Just bought a Philip K. Dick book there just yesterday!

I was wandering through the neighborhood running errands when I happened upon Sideshow. The authenticity of the shop immediately drew me in. These are the kind of shops I want to support, there’s nothing like perusing through rare and eclectic finds that you wouldn’t stumble across on Amazon or the few Barnes and Nobles left. I left that day, happily clutching two issues of Picture Magazine (which I didn’t even know existed prior to stepping inside), an oversized magazine featuring photography from the 70s. My purchase was fairly priced, and the shop staff is friendly, but not pushy at all.

This bookstore exemplifies the reason why some bookstores will be open for a bit and then close. It is always a bad sign when books are not priced. I was flipping through books and magazines that were literally on the floor (NOT IN THE GLASS CASE MIND YOU) and I found an old book/​magazine that I was interested in. It had no price sticker or price written on the first page of the book, so I took it to the front counter and nicely asked how much the book was. The girl working there flipped through it and then started to look it up on the internet. I don’t know where she looked but I am guessing Abe, Alibris, or Bookfinder and told me, «Looks like this is a high ticket item, I am going to have to ask my boss (who isn’t there) how much this is goig to be, can I have your number and we can call you back»
I don’t live anywhere near this bookstore, so I am supposed to wait for her boss to come up with some exorbitant price and call me back and I will drive all the way across town. I don’t think so. I understand that we are supposed to support local mom and pop bookstore and I am totally right there with you on that. But why would I pay internet prices at small bookstore. When books are priced like that, you end up with a dusty bookstore full of overpriced books that will have to close.
Just my two cents. If you find yourself in a used bookstore and things aren’t priced, be prepared to be shook down for cash

Good deal, man. We came to visit and walked away with some thick reads from the dollar bin out front for $ 5.
The inside is literally stacked to the ceiling with books pressed tightly against the plaster above them. I wouldn’t say that it’s cluttered so much as there is a method to the chaos with little, handwritten signs, newspaper clippings, postcards, and so on decorating the shelves.
For some reason I feel like I’m standing in Harvey Pekar’s living room with all the shelves stuffed beyond capacity, odd pieces of art here and there, and jazz music playing in the background. One might expect to see R. Crumb hanging out and sketching while Harvey lounges about and reads.
Book prices can be a bit steep here, but it’s justifiable in the rarity or condition of the print. «Obscure» would be one of the best words to describe the stock here.
There’s an interesting selection of old comics, crime gazettes and novels, and vintage skin and monster mags. There are even really old editions of Mark Twain books in the cabinet close to the back.
The guy there is pretty cool. Someone came in after selecting a couple books from the table out on the sidewalk, asking if they take card. When he said they didn’t, he allowed the kid to take the books anyway, to which the young customer — taken by the show of trust — began swearing he would bring donations and cash when he could.
In fact the bins outside are all marked with signs directing people to leave money for books outside in the mailbox. It’s all on the honor system out there.
This biblio-​treasure hunter approves.