Cheap second-hand books in London?

[Mr Endon]

This thread is rather selfish and is unlikely to get a discussion going, but I'd be glad if you could help me.

The title is pretty self-evident. Looking for places where I can find ridiculously cheap (1 or 2£) books, regardless of condition. Somewhere like a book fair, a flea market or a good ole second-hand bookshop, anywhere really, as long as it's in London.

Thanks in advance :)

[Emil Miller]

This thread is rather selfish and is unlikely to get a discussion going, but I'd be glad if you could help me.

The title is pretty self-evident. Looking for places where I can find ridiculously cheap (1 or 2£) books, regardless of condition. Somewhere like a book fair, a flea market or a good ole second-hand bookshop, anywhere really, as long as it's in London.

Thanks in advance :)

You can try Charing Cross Road in the centre of London. It is the London bibliophiles Mecca. The biggest of the many bookshops lining the thoroughfare is Foyles who have recently started a second-hand section.
Be warned, unless you have a lot of spare time, once inside, you will probably spend hours there. They have a very good floor for foreign language books and they can usually get out of print books.
Dotted along the other side of the road are a lot of second-hand and rare book dealers with some interesting items displayed in their windows.
Coincidentally, I was looking for an out of print book and Foyles were unable to get it but I finally tracked it down to a second-hand bookshop in New Jersey USA. They posted it to me and I am reading it now.

[Mr Endon]

Oh many thanks, Brian, that sounds exactly like what I'm looking for. Charing Cross then. I do love Foyles, but the £s, the £s...
...and didn't know they had a second-hand section. I only know the one in Tottenham Court Road, you don't mean that one, do you?

[Emil Miller]

Oh many thanks, Brian, that sounds exactly like what I'm looking for. Charing Cross then. I do love Foyles, but the £s, the £s...
...and didn't know they had a second-hand section. I only know the one in Tottenham Court Road, you don't mean that one, do you?

Yes that's the one, it is only recently that they have opened a second-hand section athough I haven't seen it; they advertised it in their window display.
I am pretty sure some of the smaller bookshops on the opposite side of the road will have cheaper second-hand books if Foyles proves too expensive. I think there are also a few small shops in alleyways off Charing Crosss Road as well. If you are looking for foreign language books, apart from Foyles there is an excellent shop called Grant & Cutler in Great Marlborough Street just off Regent Street near the Oxford Street end.

[ClaesGefvenberg]

Somewhere like a book fair, a flea market or a good ole second-hand bookshop, anywhere really, as long as it's in London.I haven't been there for ages so it may not be around anymore, but there used to be a good (as in good prices) one near Queensway Tube station.

The ones mentioned by Brian may be a safer bet, though.

/Claes

[Mr Endon]

Brian, I see the street you mean. It really is wonderful, but not too wallet friendly. I mean, it's alright, but I'm looking for that kind of price that makes it almost a sin not to buy the book. I'll look up this Foyles section and Grant & Cutler then.

Claes, thanks for your input. Do you happen to know the name? Or could you at least describe what sort of establishment it is (e.g. bookstore, market)?

[Emil Miller]

Brian, I see the street you mean. It really is wonderful, but not too wallet friendly. I mean, it's alright, but I'm looking for that kind of price that makes it almost a sin not to buy the book. I'll look up this Foyles section and Grant & Cutler then.

Claes, thanks for your input. Do you happen to know the name? Or could you at least describe what sort of establishment it is (e.g. bookstore, market)?

Why don't you Google cheap second hand books in London? You can take it from there.

[Mr Endon]

I've tried that, without any tangible results. A lot of matches, and I've visited a couple, but they're either overpriced or too scantily stocked or not second-hand bookstores at all.

I know a magnificent international (but mostly English) second-hand bookstore in Berlin if anyone cares to know: it's called East of Eden (near Frankfurter Allee if my memory fails me not). One of my best deals was Portnoy's Complaint for 1€, and in a street market I got a Brecht play for 0.50€. This is the sort of thing I'm looking for, but it ain't easy.

[Emil Miller]

I've tried that, without any tangible results. A lot of matches, and I've visited a couple, but they're either overpriced or too scantily stocked or not second-hand bookstores at all.

I know a magnificent international (but mostly English) second-hand bookstore in Berlin if anyone cares to know: it's called East of Eden (near Frankfurter Allee if my memory fails me not). One of my best deals was Portnoy's Complaint for 1€, and in a street market I got a Brecht play for 0.50€. This is the sort of thing I'm looking for, but it ain't easy.

Yes it's all a matter of luck, some years ago I was staying in Toulon in the South of France and there happened to be a street market at which I picked up a copy of Georges Duhamel's 'Le combat contre les ombres' for a few francs. Of course, France is justly famous for its boookstalls, especially along the left bank of the Seine in Paris where I have also purchased some very cheap volumes.

[ClaesGefvenberg]

Do you happen to know the name?I'm afraid not, but it was a low price bookshop right across the street from the tube station, just yards from Bayswater Road. Like I said however, I have no idea whether it is still there or not.
Of course, France is justly famous for its boookstalls, especially along the left bank of the Seine in Paris where I have also purchased some very cheap volumes.Yes! Been there, done that. I spent hours browsing there when we rented a little studio in Paris for four weeks during a summer vacation back in the mid 90's. :thumbs_up


/Claes

[Emil Miller]

Hold the last post! I have just discovered exactly what you are looking for.
There is a second-hand book market held daily under the southern end of Waterloo Bridge. I was intrigued enough to go there today and see what kind of books they have, and discovered that there were about two thousand, or possibly more, books laid out on trestle tables, the majority of which were fiction. I know from your avatar that you are a reader of Beckett and that you also like writers such as Roth etc. I asked one of the salesmen if they stocked those kinds of books and he said yes and they cost about £2 or £3 pounds. I checked out some of the books and they certainly had an eclectic mix of titles. The site is just along from the Royal Festival Hall and the National Film Theatre. You can't miss it. They are open from 9am to 6pm seven days a week

[Fen]

Just find your local charity shop its surprising what you can find there sometimes. I have found Dickens, Caroll, Tolstoy and Bronte in some of my local ones and being in London you'll have better chance of getting some good stuff. If you don't find anything on your first trip just go back every know and then and something will pop up .

[Mr Endon]

Hold the last post! I have just discovered exactly what you are looking for.
There is a second-hand book market held daily under the southern end of Waterloo Bridge. I was intrigued enough to go there today and see what kind of books they have, and discovered that there were about two thousand, or possibly more, books laid out on trestle tables, the majority of which were fiction. I know from your avatar that you are a reader of Beckett and that you also like writers such as Roth etc. I asked one of the salesmen if they stocked those kinds of books and he said yes and they cost about £2 or £3 pounds. I checked out some of the books and they certainly had an eclectic mix of titles. The site is just along from the Royal Festival Hall and the National Film Theatre. You can't miss it. They are open from 9am to 6pm seven days a week

Brilliant! That's exactly what I'm looking for! Thanks, Brian, you're a life saver! I'll try to visit it tomorrow.


Just find your local charity shop its surprising what you can find there sometimes. I have found Dickens, Caroll, Tolstoy and Bronte in some of my local ones and being in London you'll have better chance of getting some good stuff. If you don't find anything on your first trip just go back every know and then and something will pop up .

Fen, I've never thought of that, that seems like a great idea! Will look into it then.