Regional 1/2 Price Books Post - A Guide/Rant Forum
high_c
1,384 Posts
This is sad. This business owns me. I hit them up so frequently, the workers must pity me. But, from time to time they do actually produce. So come on TX and beyond, Let's get a best and worst vote.Me:Best - The Big Dude off NW Highway by my appartmentWorst - Tie: Irving, Bedford, any location In Austin
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You seem to know yr shit. Love that big 'un up in Dallas.
Hate all the ones here in Austin.
see I agree... it's unbelievable how terrible they are. specially the north locations. utter depression. but, I belive I've heard tales of someone pulling Soul Brothers Inc 45s from one of the more central locations. So apparently it's possible to find heat... even if it is about every other leap year or so.
Fort Worth stores are a little better, but I typically keep them tapped. I hear some of the outer metroplex locations are better.
I've found sick shit at the Kenwood and Northgate locations in Cincinnati...the Tri County location seems to always suck, and the last time I went to the Mason location it was brand new so they didn't have anything.
Also I just got coupons for next week in the mail, but I can't use them! Heartbreaking.
The problem is that there are the top two digger cats here in town that have "spies" in every location to pull the heat aside and give them first dibs. That's why any boogie/modern soul shit will still make it past them. The two guys that have half price books on lock are feeling boogie/modern soul shit.
it's acutally pronounced "Wautawesome" and I just got a blingin mint Root Down there; a copy that has almost NO ringwear.. I'm not shittin you.
my least favorit HPB moment was walking into the store with a fellow strutter, opening the door for dude (cuz i am nice like that) and having him snipe a de la "3 feet high" that was sitting out in the open for under $10 (till this day i am shocked the hippy HPB staff let that one on the floor). From there on out, my gentle southern manners flew out the window when diggin at HPB.
I think dude jdeezy had a big come up at the HPB near Rice Campus a few years back. but i may be making that up.
I have never in my life been to a HPB. Ch*d used to glamorize that place. There are several in Pittsburgh that I'll peep next time I'm out there.
Or maybe
I used to grab great stuff when I was in high school in Houston at the old Nasa Road One location (long gone).
The location on the westside of San Antonio seems pretty well stocked.
There are 15 stores here within a 50 mile radius and I hit each of them at least twice a month. Like any collectible store the more you spend the better they treat you. After spending $17K at the chain in 2003 you best believe I get a call now and again about big collections or big records walking in.
Each store seems to have their own personality based on who the Record Buyer is.
The store in Frisco rarely turns up much but one day last year I walked in to find 40-50 Latin Funk LP's. The key is really to hit them on a regular basis and not let prices of $7.98 - $12.98 scare you off. I know of old school guys that just want spend that much on a record because they yearn for the old days of 50 cent and dollar records. Those days are long gone.
The REAL good old days was when they had a warehouse on Mockingbird where they got new records in every day and once a month or so would have a 10 cent sale. The records I pulled from that store alone would make a damn good instant collection.
That would be the OLD Rice Campus HPB and yes, we all pulled big outta there. One of the few spots that C*ph** did not have completely locked down.
The good side to this though is that if you ever encounter anyone in the parking lot preparing to roll a collection to the buy counter, you can intercept them, guarantee them $20 above what ?? Price offers, and only have to shell out $24.50 in the end.
I love overhearing would-be sellers as they become outraged at the offers they receive. ???Sir, I can offer you $1.25 today.??? ???What?! Are you serious? For all this???? Then the buyer will try to explain the rationale behind the offer which he completely pulls out of his ass. ???Well none of these titles really sell and this is a second edition and I???d end up donating most of this?????? They should hang a sign on the counter stating something like ???Prepare to be low-balled and offended.???
Take that shit to Forever Young!
Co-sign! Luckily my companies office is moving toa new location two blocks away. I forsee myself doing scans at least twice a day. The Berkeley store has gotten pricey (read $10 to $15 jazz records) but it's still worth looking. Quality is always an issue but you can still find fairly fugly looking records that play fine. I wish they'd rotate their stock more often (even though they did a clearance recently). I'm glad they at least don't buy every Barbara Streisand record someone brings in.
i was under the impression they buy EVERYTHING anyone brings in.
Who knows. I'd imagine there'd be a lot of more Neil Diamond records if that were true. Maybe they offer chump change for collections and just throw out what they know won't sell. I imagine they turn away some records.
Anyone think theyve got some awkward pricing on occasion???
I really like the store though, the records are usually in fairly decent quality at the one here.
best score------> i bought 5 books there last week.
only score------> i bought 5 books there last week.
analysis: buy and read books.
gotta say that i truly do not enjoy looking for records by visiting the half price books chain. perhaps those feelings would change if i regularly found things at the branches in the austin or san antonio area, but just not my thing.