Oxfam glasgow

I did a PhD at Glasgow Uni and I also happen to be an inveterate book collector - so I've spent a bit of money in this particular Oxfam bookshop over the years. That said, on periodic visits to the shop now, I've not been able to find anything worth buying, the prices of the books I'm interested in being so inordinately expensive that far superior copies can be found more cheaply in proper secondhand bookshops. This, however, isn't the reason I'm giving this shop such a low score - everyone going into an Oxfam bookshop knows the prices will at best be on the bullish end of the spectrum. No, my issue with this shop is it is the only place where, upon querying a price in a book, or not finding a price in a book, the book has been whisked away into the back of the shop to be neurotically checked online as to its value and has come back at a grotesquely inflated price. Here are the two occasions this has happened to me. 1). A copy of 'Five Short Plays' by Joan Ure was in the drama section but the price was not immediately legible - either £1.99 or £4.99, but certainly not in double figures. The book was taken away and I was left standing for about ten minutes and when the book came back it was suddenly £39.99!!! And today I went in and found a small Muriel Spark pamphlet with a group of 'Penguin 60s'. These small books for offered at '3 for £1.99' but I only wanted the Spark item. So I asked a very friendly shop worker who priced the book at 50p, which I was very happy with. At the till however, the book was snatched away and sent into the back of the shop to be 'checked', and came back priced at £10.99!!! I think this is a very unfair and even unethical trick to pull on people. Traditional secondhand bookshops are run by honourable and knowledgeable people who stand by the price they put on a book, even if they make a mistake. Case in point: I was once in Caledonia Books and found a lovely signed copy of Sorley MacLean's poems, but they hadn't noticed that it was signed by the poet. Their mistake was only realised at the till, and still they stood by their original price. Oxfam bookshops have effectively forced good old antiquarian bookshops out of business and they go about their own business in such a hamfisted and rankly amateurish way. If a visitor to a shop has a bit of knowledge then it is their perk to be able to find books which are at a bargain price. And just because Abebooks says that someone is ASKING £12 for a book does not mean that it is SELLING for that price. Once the Oxfam pricing robots realise this fundamental error then their shops might be worth my custom. But as it stands, I've been a victim of their greedy pricing tricks too many times - and this has nothing (as they so often say in their defense) to do with getting 'the highest price for the book'. A shop that sells its stock reasonably and fairly will have a much greater turnover and much more chance of repeat customers).

Always worth popping your head in to see what's new. A wide and eclectic range of books stocked. If you're​ a tourist, then there is also a good Glasgow/Scottish selection. I dare anybody not to leave without purchasing at least one item!

Find some real gems of books here and help a great charity

Nice little bookstore. And you know the books you buy are second hand (environmentally friendly!) and they're going to a good cause.

Great place to volunteer. The Scottish selection is a strength. Probably at least as good a selection as Waterstones in other respects and cheaper, but not exactly cheap for second hand. More about supporting charidee than the local student population in terms of their pricing structure. If supporting charidee per se isn't your thing there are other better local second hand bookshops.

Have really gone downhill in the last year. And have recently decided to double all their prices across the board! Haha they were already overpriced! Since the pandemic Oxfam have decided to gouge people for every penny they can get apparently.

Lots of donated books, dvds plus some new books.

love this shop, always find something good there!

The girl at the door is unprofessional, and frankly rude. Guy on the till fine. Decent selection of books clearly categorised, but expensive.

This is a wonderful bookstore. Extremely well organized with a wide selection of books. The staff/volunteers are extremely welcoming and knowledgeable.