BOOKOFF: A Nerd Paradise! | Retail Archaeology
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- Опубликовано: 17 ноя 2024
- In this episode of Retail Archaeology we take a look at BOOKOFF, a store chain from Japan that carries used books, video games, music, and more.
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This store looks so cool! I hope they expand to more states!
As an Arizonian, I have found out about so many awesome stores to visit from your channel. LIKE HOW DID I NOT HEAR ABOUT THIS STORE UNTIL NOW? Your content is much appreciated.
The “special tool” killed me 🤣
Book-Off was my weekend haven back when I lived in Kansai. Each major city has at least 2-3 locations so you can make an entire day of just cruising between them, browsing 100-yen manga and discount Blu-Rays. Although they might want to think about rebranding their electronics branch Hard-Off before coming overseas...
Atleast it matches with uk chain CEX..
Lol! I've seen RUclipsrs living in Japan talk about "Hard-off" 😅. Yeah, definitely will want to rethink that name overseas.
Awesome store and love how everything is in its place and not just trashed like you would see at other chains. Thanks for the video.
Book-on, Book-off, Daniel-san 🙏
The Booker
Great video! I am living in Japan currently, and Bookoff is a great place to find all kinds of stuff!
I’m not sure if yours does this, but the ones in my area (Yokohama) have a case of video games without their cases. Those games are 20% off the used price.
Dang I had no idea Bookoff existed outside of Japan. When I visited Japan last year I stopped in to the Hardoff/Bookoff in Kanazawa and it was so cool. I mostly just went for the fun of it but it's neat to see this one you went to here in the States isn't watered down in the slightest.
This reminds me of a Japanese version of bookmens and I hope one of these comes to Tucson.
Would be nice. I hate everything goes to phx area first. I am happy we finally got a daiso at least.
Good to see something other than Bookmans or Zia!
This is really a cool looking place. Everything looks so neat and organized. Just the fact that they don’t just stick the price stickers right on the label really shows they care.
My sister lives close to one of the two in Hawaii. Some people traveled from the mainland USA just to buy games there. Neat.
Wow, I'm speechless really. That is a great selection of games. I bet there is more retro games at this store than at all the stores in my entire city (in Russia) combined. I'm on vacation in the UK, and this even beats the pants off of CEX. You are lucky to have a great store like that in your area. This chain could even take a massive market share away from GameStop.
I went here twice to buy anime figures and occasionally Anime and Manga. I have yet to buy a retro game from them but plan to look for PS vita games next time I go. Its such a gem of a store for nerds/weebs love the place
I went to book off once in Manhattan, thought it would be cool to just walk around. The place reeked of BO, i guess you get what you attract
Sounds like most Florida gun shows. Mold, must, BO, 🥡 odors. 🤨
I have a friend who lives in New York City, and a stop at the Manhattan Book-off has become a tradition for us anytime I cross the Hudson to visit him. We'll always spend a good hour or so just poking around, and I can always count on walking out with something cool, be it a stack of Famicom games, a stack of CDs, or even just a silly figurine. My best find for sure was a LaserDisc copy of Rush - Exit Stage Left for a whole $4; I'd have to imagine whoever spotted it didn't realize it was a LaserDisc and just marked it on the cheap. Granted, carrying a whole LaserDisc around Manhattan and back to New Jersey for the day was no easy task, but it was worth it either way. So yeah, love Book-off for sure.
The Shovel Knight amiibo with the retro consoles at 4:13 just feels right and looks good.
I wonder if US BookOff's have model kits. At the ones here in Japan I've found killer deals with many older Japanese-made plastic models. I got a Fujimi 1/72 A-6E Intruder for just 1,250 Yen a few years ago. I've seen a lot of 1/72 Fujimi US military jet aircraft going up in price recently (Especially their A-4's!) so you can find some absolute gems for an amazing price if your timing is right.
Oh man, these guys were at Matsuri this year and they had some really niche merch that's difficult to find this side of the pacific. You got me mad hyped to check this out later!
Reminds me of a small bookstore chain called Mr. K's Books.
When I went to Japan, I loved Book off. It's less common, but some also have a 2nd hand clothing section. There were tons of actually nice, even designer clothes for really good prices, especially if you wait for markdowns. Part of that is because of the conversion rate right now, but it was still crazy to see thrifted clothes where the prices wasn't jacked up to sell it at "vintage" prices.
The one in Japan is one of the best stores. Great video. Love how they are coming to the states
I've wanted to visit this store, but this makes me want to visit even more! Thanks for your video.
I've been to American Bookoffs (Manhattan and Gardena, CA), and finally went over to Japan this last summer. Japanese Bookoffs are insanely huge. I went to about 4-5 of them in different locations and barely scratched the surface of their stock.
I still remember when they were selling a 3DS game that’s more expensive used than new. The game at that point in time was still very much current and you can find new copies everywhere.
Caveat emptor! Thrift shops commonly do the very same thing.
Most people are stupid, take advantage of that fact.
I luv Bookoff!!!! its my fav place to find my fav Christmas books and movies!!!!
And yet another awesome store that will likely take forever to reach my state, if it does at all. Videos like this make me wish I still lived in Arizona, though the heat of the valley is unbearable and I really don't need to continue my Pokemon card buying obsession.
Such a tidy and organized store - I wish I had a Bookoff nearby. 6:12 - in the glass case of "more expensive half naked anime girls", there's an Asuka figure I've been hunting for a while, the gold casino outfit Asuka.
I live 5 minutes from this place. It’s awesome!
5:52 and what's even better than that is Kirby with a fake mustache
Yes, we love Kirby! I have quite the collection 😅
My son loves this store, we go to the one in Japan Village, Brooklyn NY
As always great video 👍
I prefer to remove the back of the SFC or Japanese N64 games and either temporary replace it with a North American back or just put it in the system without. It still requires a special tool to remove the screws, but I find it useful to have for cleaning games and possibly verifying authentic games if going for some of those rare, high price games. I recently visited 5 Book Off stores in one day (gotta put that video together) and found a good amount of Famicom and Super Famicom games I was looking for and some I wasn't looking for. Oh, and that was Championship Lode Runner. I recommend the Yellow cart with regular Lode Runner.
Visited a Book Off when I was in Japan in the summer, it was great! Really cool store, had a lot of nice games, tech, toys, audio equipment etc.
I’m happy you posted a new video. I always enjoy whatever you post. This looks like a cool store.
Thanks for sharing. 👍🏻😀
Have a great week .
Will you be posting one video per month now?
Wow, I’ve visited this store at Lakewood Center and Del Amo malls in Southern California and thought it was just a small regional chain, had no idea it was a huge company from Japan! I’d love to see them expand more here.
I do Thrifting and came across the Sega Dreamcast for $15
Wish it was a longer video! Seems like it could be a 30 minute video of coolness!
I go to a store in NY once a month or so. Definitely got to watch your prices. Found a CD I've been looking for it was 29.99, and the bands website was 24.99 new, including shipping.
Went in with some Manga/anime that has been sitting in my ebay store for a while. The offers were darn near insulting. Basically if the cover price was around 10 bucks it was 50 cents to a dollar. Regular books were worse.
Oh man, now I wish I still had the famicon I had growing up!
this store is awesome!!!!
If they ever come to North Florida, I'd be there every weekend lol
HOLY HELL BOOK OFF?? This is so freakin amazing!
I visited the location near Sunshine City in Tokyo so I know how awesome this store is, especially to anime and video game enthusiasts. To see they didn’t gut out much, if at all, from their Japanese selection and categories is a shocking thing to witness.
You’re making me wish I lived near Mesa now XD
As a New Yorker, the NYC and Massapequa locations follow the same format as the Arizona location, in terms of what's sold. The AnimeLab, in Brooklyn, slims down to just the Figures, Manga, TCG, and the other Anime stuff.
I wish they'd open one here in Ottawa, Ont., 'cause it looks great.
I had no idea Off had popped up here. I practically live at HobbyOff and HardOff in Japan.
I always enjoy your videos! I just looked online, and there's a Bookoff in Costa Mesa CA. I'll check it out!
Wow, I had no idea they came to the USA. It's wild seeing a "book*off" here, though not as wild as their sister store would be. 😄 I've been to a few in Nagasaki and Tokyo. Definitely a similar vibe.
Book off? Book you! 😂
Glad to see you back, we thought you retired. 😊
Cool store. What exactly do you do with the pliers to make the games work?
Hope to see more videos from you soon. Hope you’re doing well.
There’s two in the South Bay area of Los Angeles like this. There’s also one in the Little Tokyo neighborhood, but that one is ONLY anime figures and toys. The South Bay ones are awesome, but often veer toward overpriced on certain things. That said, you can find some rare treasures or even a semi-common thing for a couple bucks cheaper.
For another thing about games, PAL-formatted games won't usually work due to conflicting colour standards. Maybe why Book Off usually doesn't carry them.
Retro-gaming had gotten so expensive that I just opted for a MiSTer FPGA box instead, and am finding myself having a ball with it. The Super Gameboy core works like the real thing, too.
i hope they open one in toronto :) looks like an afternoon well spent
You can wash the sticky hands with soap and water, and they become sticky again. I forgot how I learned that, but I remember finding that out as a kid.
I lived in Tokyo and it’s nice to know I don’t have to go to California to find Japanese books.
I went to one in New York, they're a little overpriced on everything and most of their collectibles are not in great condition.
Ooooh, I want one of these in the DC area!
Oh man…I need a store like that here where I am. I’d be in at least once a week
Cool, I don't have one of these stores here in Pittsurgh, PA. But my question is Why can't Gamestop stores step up their stores like this one (Bookoff). Gamestop needs to revamp their stores soooooo much. To mix in international gaming systems as well as books, CDs etc. I believe the foot traffic will improve so much.
Thank you for the video, and letting me know there are that many BookOffs in the states! I'll have to go to one when I can! @8:04 Oh yes, its going strong as ever! It doesn't get the lime light anywhere near as much as Pokemon, but it is still pretty popular! :)
I would love to have a place like that closer to where I live (Manhattan is ~600 miles away), but the population is far too small to support such a niche business.
There are no used video game stores, one small used bookstore, and one store that sells comic books and Anime merchandise. The market just does not exist around here.
Bookoff one of the best stores. And each one is different the one in Torrance is like a good basic one if you want to find some movies and Comics but I feel the one in Lakewood was much better they had a much bigger movie selection.
But there was one more and I forget what town it was in but it was like near Cerritos or a little further Inland than that like towards Orange County and they had a huge anime manga selection.
The best part whenever I sold the movies they actually give me a decent amount of money for it compared to where I used to live we had Half Price Books in Half Price Books will give you Pennies on the dollar for anything you sell book office far far better
I have one close to me. I don't go there often since I don't buy media anymore. I would go more often if they had more toys I collected. Not into Funkos and figures. Which is pretty much what they have at my location.
I live in California and I’ve never heard of Bookoff until now 😅
I’d love to have one of those stores in my area
We already hit Bookmans', Half Price Books, Zia Records, and we used to hit places like Bookvault, looks like we have another one to add to our list.
Can't forget hastings. I know it don't exist anymore but it had similar stuff. I'll have to check this place out next month.
I can definitely see this company expanding due too backlash against digital and people wanting too own physical again
Man I wish we had that kind of thing around here. Near me there’s like one local chain that’s overpriced and a little dirty with maybe a quarter of the selection of games and media. And then another thats like 45 minutes away thats a family owned store and has its own arcade but its only two pretty small rooms.
Hes back! Where ya been !?!?!?
In japan yes in Sandiego be prepared to get ripped off
Has a huge Bookmans vibe
the Book-Off at Del Amo is so overpriced, it overshadows what's otherwise a neat geeky store
I had no idea this store had locations in the US! So cool. Too bad I live in Canada haha
Ah I loved going there earlier this year. So much stuff. >.< I feel better than bookmans.
Need more US Locations, preferably in the Southeast. Closet we have in my part of the woods is 2nd and Charles, which is a few steps down from what's shown in the vid.
Barnes & Noble has been opening new stores in USA
Hope we can get one of those in the West Valley
Every American should learn the Book Off commercial song! lol 本を売るならブックオフ！
I’m surprised that this store has not landed a location in the DFW area… yet.
I don't think I'd leave this store, lol. I wonder if the manga is in English or Japanese? A major issue I've had with manga (besides being difficult to understand the images during fight scenes) is that they're expensive. I guess it's fine if the series has just started and you pay $10-$13 per volume but if you're trying to buy volumes for a series that has been going for awhile, you're going to spend several hundreds of dollars and likely the story still hasn't concluded for that cost. Whereas, I can get a regular book for about $20-ish. I heard manga is cheaper in Japan, so that's why I'd be curious to know if the books in a Book-Off are in Japanese or English.
if you want a cool machine that dispenses toys in a capsule then you need a 'chicken machine' from the UK
I remember those as a kid. I'm on holiday in the UK right now. What stores have them? Is it the grocery stores like Sainsbury or Waitrose, etc?
Didn't realize there were Book-Off stores here....too bad there isn't one even remotely near me :(
Hawaii also has Eco•Town which is the US name for their hardware and home goods store called Hard•Off.
No really. The real name is called Hard•Off in Japan.
My god I wish they had one in my state, we have Daiso here, but now I know bookoff is in the US it feels like we got a bit shafted.
I know where I'm going when I come to visit Arizona. (Edit) I like how stores like this and Zia Records still have physical media.
Oh whatttt, I didn't know there was Bookoff in the US.
I know there's one in san diego though transportation is a bit of an issue so it would be quite a ways to get to it! but hopefully someday. I definitely noticed Japanese imports going for a lot less than their US counterparts. so it's super helpful in saving a bit of money! I do have a few of those arcade 2-in-1s for gameboy but never realized there were Japanese versions! I think galaga/galaxian is one of the ones I don't have yet, but maybe someday.
I went inside retro buying
Spree in 2019 got
So Many gba gb carts
Book off rules, dude
Game Boy games are definitely not region free. I bought my Game Boy in Florida in 1991 and was stuck with Super Mario Land and Tetris because the cartridges I could but once back in Europe were a slightly different shape and couldn’t be played on it. I still spent years just playing Tetris.
That's strange. All of my European, North American, and Japanese Game Boy Games are all the same shape, and they all fit and play fine in my North American Game Boy.
I didn't know there is Hobby Off in the States, I'm impressed. Do they play that annoying corporate music there too or is it just a Hard Off thing in Japan?
I never heard the Hard-Off jingle in this location.
Fun video cool place
Whoa pretty nice, it would cost me a lot with these gachapon lol can you tell me if there are keycaps in the gachapon? It's super rare but I'm looking for these XD
I was just in Japan
sad stores like these never come to orlando
"Goodwill on steroids"
I'd go broke at this store. lol
I’ve also seen videos on Book-off in America and now that you said that there are 11 stores in California, I almost hope there isn’t one near me, because if there is, my wallet is going to suffer Great vid as always!
Why does Arizona get all the best stores like this?
yeah. i'm gonna go broke!