BMV Books is one of Toronto's most loved independent bookstore chains. The photo above is outside their location in the Annex.
BMV Books is one of Toronto's most loved independent bookstore chains. The photo above is outside their location in the Annex.
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I like mullets
The James Joyce Irish Pub is right across the street with live music every night at 10pm! A great place to have a drink and start reading a book you bought at BMV Books! Look us up on facebook groups under "James Joyce Toronto" to see our specials and events!!
Hey James Joyce - you suck. No one looking up BMV gives a shit about your bar. Plug somewhere else.
LOL @ Anonymous
And most loathed among other bookstores in the city - both new and used. Thanks for failing to support the publishing industry and slowly putting Book City out of business!
Book City, along with other "good" bookstores was overpriced and not competitive! BMV at least offers most used books at half price. I don't care who is in business and who isn't. Cheaper books means more people read and the more people read the less ignorant they are! Why should I buy 2 books for $70.00 at a new bookstore when I can buy 7 books at $10.00 each at a used bookstore? LONG LIVE THE USED BOOKSTORE FOR KEEPING READING AFFORDABLE :)
Check out this review of BMV...
http://www.blogto.com/bookstores/bmv
Hi i went there for comic books and they are amazingly cheap and awesome with a wide selection but i was wondering if it was good to sell my books there. I want to sell my books to earn some money for my sisters birthday but i want to get a good amount for them because many of them are expensive and never even been opened.
We went into the bookstore today were amazed in the vat of used magazines we recommend this store to anyone who is advid collector. I really loved this store it was excellent and big i'll never forget this store and will go to BMV books everytime i come to toronto.
This is my favourite bookstore, being an English specialist I sometimes have to read close to 30 novels in one semester and at over $15 each I can't afford them. I spent half the price of a new bookstore here and am usually able to find everything I'm looking for.
I recently sold some books there and they say they usually buy books/comics for %20 of the cover price.
A word of warning about the Annex location. If you're taking in books or DVDs to sell, and there's a slight, dark-haired girl behind the counter, be wary. She "pays" less than virtually anyone else. Either she's been told from on high to lower payouts for used books--and thus increase the profit margins when BMV marks them back up--or she's just ridiculously frugal (perhaps to prove her worth?).
By way of example, I had two copies of the same book that I took there to sell on different occasions. Both books were in brand new condition as that's how they'd been purchased. The guy who bought the first one (with some others) told me, when asked, that he was giving me $7 for that particular book, and a fair price. I went back about a month later with another small bundle, and this chick tallies up my pile and her grand total seemed a bit low to me. So I asked her for a breakdown of the buy price for each book, and lo and behold, the book that netted me $7 was only worth $4 in her eyes, and it was in the same condition and, in fact, had never been read since it was a duplicate. I grimaced a bit, but took the money as I needed to unload these books to make room in my apartment, but from now on if I slug a backpack full of books all the way down there and I see her, I'll tip the f**k back out the door.
I still recommend BMV as a place to buy books as their prices are generally fair, but now that I KNOW their profit margins are increasing exponentially on certain used products brought in by customers, I'll be more cautious in the future. And DON'T tell me they're doing it because of the economy. The other two locations are still rather generous.
BMV at Yonge and Eglinton is the best I have come across for buying and selling. I brought in a stack of books last Saturday to sell. I called the store before hand and was told exactly what not to bring in. When I arrived, my books were checked over quickly but carefully and I was given an incredibly generous amount for my used books. The guy who works in the store states that he is fair. In my opinion, he was more than fair, in addition to always being knowledgable and courteous.
I'd agree that the Yonge & Eg store is more generous than either of the other two. The Annex store is now dead last in my eyes, though they still have the largest selection, so it's a trade-off, really.
The Yonge & Eg store also beats the others on Blu-Ray discs, oddly enough. Picked up three recent arrivals there on the weekend that hadn't even been on the market more than about two weeks. Each was $11.99. They're catalogue titles, but they're still more than double that price at the mainstream stores. I had to double check with the guy why these (and a few others) were even lower than many other Blu-Rays on the shelves, and he gave what seemed a reasonable answer, particularly when I noted the "spoiled" UPC codes on the back (small hole punched in them).
I too took books in there on many occasions and will probably continue to do so, as the prices were reasonable on almost every occasion. I've sold stuff to three different guys in there, and only one seemed a little chintzy one day, but obviously I can't say if that's a recurring situation the way it is with the girl at the Annex location, who's DEFINITELY cheaping out on what the store pays in relation to what they re-sell for.
Brian T: A second copy of the same book is worth a little less than the first copy to the same bookstore, unless they're likely to move it quickly. The second copy basically can't be sold until the first copy is gone, so it's just taking up space for howevermany months it takes for the first one to finally sell. So you can't expect that the same book at the same store will always bring the same price -- it just doesn't work that way!
Chris: It DOES work that way when the first copy you gave them has been sold.
You'll note above that I said I sold them the second copy about a MONTH later. In between, I visited the store three times (it's a favourite haunt), and on one of those visits, I saw my book for sale on the shelf (and yes, I knew it was mine -- there were clues, plus it was a damned nice book, and an easy reseller).
I looked again for it, thoroughly, while in the store on a second visit, and it was gone. I was in the neighborhood a few days later and checked again. Still gone. I'm a frequent visitor to BMV Annex, so I DO buy other stuff when I'm in there, but in this case, I did this specifically BECAUSE I had another copy I wanted to unload.
BMV does not keep computerized inventory of every book their buyers purchase. These two identical books were bought by two different people. Theyse people don't check a computer database to see if they've already got a copy so they can adjust the payout downward -- if they did, you'd be waiting all day. No, they buy based on resale potential and condition, and that's pretty much it. If a book has resale value, they WILL buy more than one copy, often unwittingly because there's more than one buyer and they don't have telekinesis. And two identical books a MONTH apart are unlikely to jog a BMV buyer's memory even IF the same person bought the book both times.
I stand by my original comments. The girl who does the buying at BMV is a cheapskate, and that store probably has higher profit margins on many titles as a result. I guess that's good business. Or something.
Once i went to sell books there-the guy said he would not want them even for free-shitty attitude I might say-and he is just a salesman-I am a professional nurse and photographer and language teacher with 2 degrees-I watch what I say and how i say it.
Ha-ha funny. The used books are not worth that much. Most of the time the buyers will just make up a price. Perhaps the girl is not knowledgeable enough to price the book at 7 bucks and does not have experience to know when it can sell. Your book at used bookstore is not worth more than 25% of the cover as they have to sell it at more than half of the cover and they have to make money and they have to account for all the books that stay there a looong time without selling. I once brought a stack of books to sell to BMV downtown many years ago. The owner laughed and said it was the worst batch he has ever seen and that I can take it outside and put it for garbage collector. Made me very uncomfortable, but I have learned that the guy really knows his business. In addition I know now if I have some books that are worth something or if they are garbage books!
Sell your books privately if you don't like the price being offered by the used bookstore. Of course, then you'd really get an idea of how much your books are worth :)
Here's the low down on all three BMV locations:
Bloor/Spadina (Annex)- Has a great collection of books for all subjects: Literature,History,Children's,Language,Fiction, Non-Fiction,Entertainment etc. They are also the only location to have VHS/DVDS,Magazines, CDS, and Records. Comic book lovers, GO THERE!
Yonge/Eglington - Also has a great collection of books, varying all subjects (I was there the other day and got 8 books for $33).They also have movies. As a tip, go there if you are looking for children's books. They have a LARGE collection. They also have comic books.
Edward St - This BMV is the weakest of the three chains.It used to be awesome, but they redid the whole store to make it look like a snobby Indigo. They have a minimal collection of literature compared to the other two, and they shrunk down their VHS/DVD area. The largest area of that store is the Erotica/Porno section. Classy.
So book readers, hope this blog has helped you, and thank you for supporting the BMV chain. Only snobs go to Chapters/Indigo, and Toronto doesn't need snobby people (There's Mississauga for that)
Am I the only person who sees the irony in how Sarah's post, while trying to deride snobbery is, itself, a paragon of it?
"The largest area of that store is the Erotica/Porno section. Classy."
"The largest area of that store is the Erotica/Porno section. Classy."
That's supposed to be a joke. Why don't you lighten up? Maybe you're the snob yourself.
YEA JAMES JOYCE PUB IS BAD CHICKEN... MESS YOU UP!
Yo what up. It seems a little weird to me that you had 2 exact copies of a brand new book. You sold to BMV on two separate occasions. Plus you seem to be very frugal yourself, asking for a breakdown of individual book prices. However, come to think of it, I might adopt the practice from now on. When I sold books there was a young guy with dark hair, and he just sorted through our stuff, handed some back that they wouldn't buy, and for the rest - maybe like ten books, he gave us $20. We were looking to rid ourselves of the books, and it was paper money, so we happily accepted. But in retrospect, perhaps on some things they only paid fifty cents, and I would have been better giving it to charity.
And for the writer, you sound like someone who is either a bit slow on the uptake, or someone who is looking to dump alot of books at Used bookstores.
Come clean!
Do you work at like a U of T bookstore? Do you stuff the books in your undies on the way out, and then pawn them off on BMV for a few lousy dollars?
Only the truth will set you free!
Does this place sell any cheap Ap books? I need them to study for my AP courses in high school this year.
However...that book you are talking about was not always "used" because it DID start off with someone making a full-strength purchase
you have yu yu hakusow
I love this place!
I have bought countless birthday and christmas gifts here for next to nothing (which is great, since I am a student and have no income)- I find treasures on everything from foreign languages to cooking to graphic novels to music history! This store is fantastic and I encourage every single person who passes by to go in and browse- you will be amazed at all the great things you find and how affordable they are!
My wife and I have made a ritual out of browsing at this bookstore whenever we walk by.
"Booja", dude, I simply had two copies of a single book that I no longer needed. I bought one, brand new, myself, and the other was given as a gift, which I held on to for a long time, and which the giver didn't mind me selling because she knew I'd already read it.
You REALLY have to read deep between the lines to make up the kind of BS about me that you did.
Let's see, you suggested I'm: a frustratedwriter; Slow on the uptake (you're an ass); and a UofT library employee? who steals.
What a scuzz you are for making such accusations based on nothing more concrete than a response to a web article. Man, some life you have there.
there's a lady that works at BMV on bloor, not sure if she does anymore, i haven't seen her in awhile. but man oh man, she was beautiful. i pretty much fell in love with her everytime i was there. unfortunately, i haven't seen her there in awhile. i am sad :(
I just called their Bloor location to see if they had a specific book in stock and was met with a very rude greeting. I was informed that they didn't have a searchable database, which is fine, but the attitude of the clerk could have been checked at the door. I'm all for supporting local businesses but I'm happy to take my business elsewhere if customer service takes a back seat.
The fact that there is no database to reference and the lack of knowledge of the books they have made my browsing experience rather difficult. The only thing which keeps me coming back is the low price!
James Joyce is a disgusting bar, which serves nasty beer for way too much.
James Joyce is a disgusting bar, which serves nasty beer for way too much
This morning, Feb 22, I was walking down Bloor Street near Brunswick ave, looking for a place to (many) buy books. I'm a frequent book purchaser. It was just before 10am and a fellow was unlocking the door at BMV. I asked whether the store was open.
"Does it look open?" he replied.
Not believing that someone in a customer facing job could be so incredibly rude and sarcastic, I said "Yes". Then I asked him again, "Is store open?"
"No," he replied and shut the door behind him.
I then proceeded to book city where I spent $458.00 on books. I'll never go near BMV again.
true that James Joyce blows chunks, last time I was there we had a pitcher of house brew that looked cloudy and tasted like recycled piss beer, plus the pool tables are as crooked as they are cheap ass schmuks, dont blog on the bmv's blog, the bmv is alrite
Great story -this is my idea of a good book !
http://surftofind.com/joe
Really, did you need to mention the date of the day you went to the store? Is it necessary? Especially considering it's already posted next to your name? You may be right about some of their staff being rather snarky.
Book City's much too expensive for my taste, though. I spent 60 buck at BMV for books I would've spent more than 500 bucks on elsewhere. I guess I'm one of those few people who can easily tolerate idiots for the sake of getting good books for a good price. It's not like good service is the one buying me books.
i am an avid book collecter, and i am so happy to have finally found a beautiful bookstore full of literature that i can afford. being a student makes budgeting hard, most of my friends have issues with spending insane amounts of money at aritzia or clothing stores and i find i just splurge on books so often that i am nearly broke because of it..especially at places like indigo [barf]..i went to a BMV at yonge and bloor...i mean it wasn't terrible, i did buy books there, but i never knew i lived two seconds away from the one at yonge and eg which i am totally having a love affair with. i could just stay there for hours and hours and they really do have great selection on all types of books and dvds.
i haven't sold anything to them yet, but i should be going tomorrow and i'm hoping it'll be a pleasant experience..these reviews have been quite helpful in confirming that this is in fact a great place to buy books, or maybe even just do a nice trade.
thanks :)
The Yonge and Eglinton location is the best. The staff is helpful and fair when you sell back your used items. Avoid the Spadina location. The staff (for the most part) act way too self important and will really attempt to rip you off for your used items. Plus, uptown Toronto features a more pleasant atmosphere than downtown Toronto.
The Yonge and Eglinton location is the best. The staff is helpful and fair when you sell back your used items. Avoid the Spadina location. The staff (for the most part) act way too self important and will really attempt to rip you off for your used items. Plus, uptown Toronto features a more pleasant atmosphere than downtown Toronto.
A little off topic, but the dude who is always at the buy-back counter at the annex location (tall, dirty blonde?)is gorgeous..and always sports a warm smile. I've yet to slide a note to him and let him know of it! Anyone that gorgeous deserves to know...but there are tons of other reasons why I heart BMV oh so much!
Perhaps I'm impervious to the purported snobbishness at the Annex location. Given its size, it's obviously unbeatable for semi-obscure books. I certainly haven't had any trouble selling my books for reasonable coin.
And screw The James Joyce Irish Pub. Screw you with a big rubber dick. Spamming is a definite way to lose potential customers.
LOL
Hi there,
i love bmv bookstores but im not too sure if i should sell the books i have right now to them. I am a student and I need some cash and i have some books in brand new condition that I want to sell to them. I have about 15 books... how much would bmv be willing to give me as I don't want to just go there and be ripped off .. and from the constant reviews i keep hearing .. the salespeople need to work on their customer service
do anyone know where i can sell a load of books close to steels and bathurst
You seem to make shit up as you go along your story makes zero sense at all why would you go back to a store (even if you go there often) and check up on the book you sold them separation anxiety much??
Thanks to you all for some of the best laughs I've had all day. Especially BelowMe.
Too funny.
I was thrilled with what I got from the BMV on Bloor, when I carted about 6 boxes of books there (cleaning up floor-to-ceiling shelves of a 30-year accumulation). They wouldn't buy about two boxes worth, but gave me $100 for what they did buy. I was hoping I'd get enough to buy lunch for me and my two helpers, so it was a great experience.
Almost time to go back - I've cleared off another shelf...
I would avoid the Edward Street location from now on. The older guy there is usually pretty good about book pricing, but the younger guy will rip you off every chance he gets. Last time I was there he left me waiting for almost ten minutes while he finished his phone call, and then proceeded to rip me off for $1 a book.
If I hadn't been in a bit of a financial bind and needed the money right then and there, I would have told him to shove it.
Think I'll check go to the Yonge and Eg store next time.
he was just unlocking the door to let himself in???? you're clearly an idiot. and i should HOPE he was that rude to you if you couldn't use your eyes and what little brain you have to see that he was just getting there and it was not open.
The problem with BMV, especially at the Annex store, is that the selection is great (the Canadian fiction section, for example), but the staff are rude. The buyer treats the books you bring in, like bales of hay!
Burn it down!
The state should take control everything...then the real customer service will teach you fuckers a lesson.
But really, cant we all just be friends? Make love not war. John Lenon is the best. And borat, and bush. Clintons not bad - we love him for kosovo and dampening cigars inside lewinsky. Leonard cohen proposed by canadians to be nominated for nobel prize in________? really? or cause prince charles listens to him? or just cuz he was buddies with dylan? Dylans an ass n nobody knows it. All the stores in toronto should have pushed customer service at BMV to be UNNNBEATABBLE!!! Just like it should be in all other stores in like - THE WORLD!!!! But humans are protesting against pretending to be robots. And we are all going to suffer because of it. Badly. Long live the fart...
too bad the moon has been auctioned off
Wonder how much they paid for it. I mean...it just sits there doesn't it.
BMV...sounds like those small bikes sumersaulting in the air. Do they buy used furniture or appliances? I have an old fridge I want to unload. It's a bit of a gamble to lug it to the Bloor location without knowing if the store is open, or the fake blond is still working there, or whether they're overstocked on old fridges. But like James Joyce used to say, "no pain, no gain". I think I'll use the dolly...