By Heidi Craig
If you’re going to hit the books you gotta buy ‘em first. But there’s no need to shell out twenty bucks for new copy of Don Quixote when your friendly neighborhood book vendor is selling a gently used copy for a fiver. Here’s a few of Montreal’s best used book shops, where you’ll find great deals on a wide range of books. Got an old copy of The Republic gathering dust on your bookshelf? Any one of the stores listed below will take it off your hands and make you a few dollars richer.
The Word (469 Milton) – Somehow, the Word always seems to have what you’re looking for. A McGill Ghetto landmark, the Word should be your first stop for classics, second-hand textbooks and hard-to-find titles. There’s no storefront sign (it was stolen a few years back and never replaced due to hassles with the language police) but you’ll recognize it from the stacks of 50¢ and $1 book offerings out front.

Encore Books & Records (5670 Sherbrooke W) – The recently expanded Encore in NDG offers an excellent selection of novels, art books, poetry, theatre, biographies, history books and literary criticism, as well as vintage vinyl, t-shirts, and curios.

S.W. Welch Bookseller (225 St Viateur W) – Specializing in used and antiquarian books, the Mile End’s S.W. Welsh has been in the used book biz for over 25 years. Want proof they’re a Montreal institution? They give directions to their shop in terms of distance from bagels: “Located just one block east of the Avenue du Parc, we’re a one minute walk (ten minutes, if you stop for bagels) from what is likely the fastest, most reliable bus route in the city: the number 80 du Parc.”

Cheap Thrills (2044 Metcalfe) – At this second floor downtown shop you’ll find thousands of used books, records and CDs. They also pre-sell concert tickets for shows at Metropolis, Il Motore, Casa del Popolo, Sala Rossa and more.

To save big on books from the comfort of your own home, check out Used Book Circle, an online resource for local used, rare and out-of-print books.