John K. King Used & Rare Books

Wonderful bookstore! If you are visiting the city, you cannot miss this great place! The entire building is packed with books! They also have a parking lot available. We had so much fun exploring the floors and we found a few books to buy! Absolutely recommended!

A Hidden Gem for Book (and history) Lovers ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ John K. King Used & Rare Books is a treasure trove for book enthusiasts. As the second largest used bookstore in the US, there is an incredible selection of rare and antique books, along with a few modern gems sprinkled throughout, it’s the kind of place where you can easily lose track of time. The atmosphere is warm and inviting, perfect for browsing at a leisurely pace. The real standout here is the staff—knowledgeable, friendly, and always happy to help you uncover something special. Whether you’re hunting for a rare first edition, a classic novel, or an unexpected find, this bookstore offers a truly unique experience. If you love books, plan to spend a few hours here—you won’t regret it!

We visited John K King Used and Rare Books on a Saturday afternoon just before they closed and it was a fun experience. They have several floors full of used and rare books. It was very fun exploring all the wide variety they offer and the nostalgia that looking at old books brings. You could easily spend several hours here.

It's hard to put this place into words for a book lover. 4 floors in a former factory absolutely overflowing with books from every category you can imagine. They offer rare books and also a selection of antiques. Make sure to buy one of their t-shirts along with your book purchase. Parking is limited and located between the building and the freeway, with the driveway immediately adjacent to the building.

Truly incredible! A delight for general readers and book collectors alike. I could never spend less than an hour (or two) there. I always find books that I'm thrilled to welcome into my life. They provide a map indicating what topic sections are where on each floor (4 levels, and big). Multiple staff persons around each floor, ready to help if needed. There is a restroom on the second floor. They sell canvas tote bags with a design of the shop on it. A must-see stop in Detroit!

The selection is unbelievable, you could easily spend a whole day there. It used to be a hat factory, and you can see some of that history as you walk around and check out the literally over 1 million books. The staff all wears aprons so you can easily identify them, and they are extremely helpful. It’s worth checking out all four floors, the lighting in some of the alcoves as the sun comes in is beautiful.

Very interesting place. If you know someone who loves books, take them there but allow them time like half a day to get through it all. It’s huge.

Rated #2 bookstore IN THE WORLD!!! This incredible unique treasure in Detroit is a gold mine of learning, history, research, and general curiosity reading. Helpful staff help you locate your interests in the 4 floors of bookshelves. Free books in the foyer! Can't wait to return!

WOW! This place is somewhere I would recommend everyone visit - local and tourist. There's so much stuff you honestly need a few hours even if you're just skimming by the titles. I took home a sewing book I had been looking for and a tote bag. It probably depends on what you get, but the book I got I saved at least $20 from ordering it on amazon. The staff were very knowledgeable and you can tell they care about the store.

While an interesting place to check out, it wasn't my cup of tea. The books are sorted in a chaotic way that gave me so much anxiety. While they offered maps on the ground floor when you walk in, I could see how it would be easy to get lost amongst the cramped aisles. Another thing that added to my anxiety was that it was raining pretty heavily when we stopped by and all the books near the many open windows were getting a good amount of mist and rain. To be fair, I wasn't looking for anything in particular and was just browsing for fun so it may be a good spot if you're looking for a specific book. I did enjoy the many handmade signs on the aisles when they included drawings or jokes.

This is the kookiest bookstore east of the Mississippi. I mean this as a compliment; if man's last visceral connection with the primal is the need to hunt, in a strange way, this gargantuan trove of books is like a fishing expedition: you kind of know what you're going for, you toss your line in the water, and what comes up is usually going to be a surprise unless you're chumming the water. The single best word that I can come up with is overwhelming. And that was only once I made my way to the back of the first floor. Then I turned around, went back to the front and found the stairs to THE SECOND FLOOR. This discovery crushed me. I had perused a whole floor of subject matter, loosely organized, taking of note what to come back to...AND THEN THERE WAS ANOTHER STUPID FLOOR. (I think there are more as well. Fearing this possibility's potential effect of turning me into a snotty, quivering mess, I turned around out of either circumspection or sheer laziness.). The prices are reasonable, the staff wonderful/personable/hospitable, the experience, again, frightening. Must go. Must see. Must be overwhelmed.

GREAT place is you're a book lover, enjoyer, or have any interest in books at all. Gorgeous building with 4 floors and thousands of books available.

John K King was on my list of bookstore- libraries to visit! This was definitely a bucketlister for me in Detroit. I arrived so early I had to wait a few minutes to go in, along with a few other visitors, Lol! Parking is free in the side of bldg. Tip: I would arrive early so parking wont be a issue. This place lives up to the hype and more. If you are looking for real-old authentic books, not from Amazon, this is your place. I literally was stuck at the front of the store going thru the freebies stuff first. There are several floors and area to the book store. The front desk will give you a map, Yessss a map describing the rows, everything is very much organized and clean. I browsed and enjoyed viewing the art work thru out the store. Customer service was amazing, and helpful. I lost track of the time spent here, it was indeed a great morning hanging out in this haven! My heart was indeed full with my new books Tip: A must stop, even if your not a book lover, its just a cool place to visit in Detroit!

As used bookstores go, this is a good one. The store has four large floors packed full of books (and some other paper ephemera) from floor to ceiling. It was more organized than I expected, but still involved somewhat of a treasure hunt to find specific authors or subject matters. I spent a good amount of time in the crafts sections, especially in the textiles which had moved to a newer location on a different floor than shown on the store map. There are boxes full of cross stitch magazines in addition to books. Books on quilting and rug hooking are still found in the Crafts section, and there are quite a few on both topics. The fiction collection is extensive, but I didn't find the couple specific titles that I was looking for. What I loved the most was the peaceful vibe inside, where you can spend hours just looking through the stacks, turning the lights on and off as you go, while the cold wind outside rustles the heavy sheets of plastic that cover the windows in this old industrial building. It's a cool place doing some good preservation work. The prices were reasonable, and the staff were available as needed and appreciative of customers.

Came here on the suggestion of one of my colleagues when I was in Detroit earlier this year. I wasn't quite sure what to expect when my friend and I were stopping by here, but I wasn't exactly expecting a gigantic dusty warehouse absolutely stuffed to the gills with used books. I imagine you could spend hours here and still not see everything they have for sale. It seemed like an absolute treasure trove and I was able to find an obscure children's book for $0.50 that I have plans to use for crafting. An absolute must if you're a book lover, though it may not be the best idea to go during the height of summer as they have no AC and it was HOT when we had gone.

Wow, now this is a place you really need a lot of time to explore, a must for any book lover in Detroit. I came here with my boyfriend and it was a really cute and fun date spot. The prices are great and the employees were kind and helpful!

If you're a book junkie, this is the place in Detroit. It's comparable in size to Powell's in Portland, but it's all used books. The staff is extremely knowledgeable and very helpful. Highly recommend.

Beautiful store with friendly staff who are very helpful. The bathroom is awesome, reminded me of an old elementary school. There is too much to look at. Selection is great but if you're looking for something popular, it might be gone.

Wow John K has everything, there's so many genres that upon walking in I was given a map to know where to look. I was in there for an hour and I barely scratched the surface. There is everything you might be searching for and then some (even some old yearbooks). They also buy used books so if you're looking to get rid of some books, give them a new life at John K. The 4 floors of wall to wall books are an activity for an entire day, getting lost in this authentic book store should be a part of your Detroit Must Visit. There is a gated parking lot off the side, and street parking a little further down the street so easy access to this gem.

If you love books, real books, old books.. You have found heaven on earth in this place. It's so big, you need a map - and you can easily lose your shopping companion within the aisles and nooks and crannies of this magnificent old building. Every genre, every subject can be found here. It's an amazing treasure hunt, and a great place to escape for a few hours. Even when busy, the ambiance is quiet, like a library, so it's a very peaceful place to be. But be warned, on a hot day, it's hot inside, so plan your visit accordingly. The books are donated from all over, so you never know what you'll find. And what's really fun is buying a book and finding little things that were tucked inside by the previous owner. Or an autographed copy. Like I said, a true treasure hunt for bookworms. For instance, I picked up an interesting book about the history of food and dining in Detroit for $10 - and I saw that it was autographed by the author to the previous owner of this book, a lady named Marti Miller. And even cooler, there was a photo of her tucked inside, along with the flyer for the event where she met the author. Finding those items made me feel a connection with Marti, and made this book really feel special. You're not going to find that at Barnes and Noble. Yeah, I love this place. The staff is super friendly and helpful, and there is ample and safe parking available.

When you have a ravenous appetite for books there are increasingly fewer places that can feed that appetite. This is mainly due to the advent of Amazon and the ability to order whatever book that you are looking for. But the ability to spend a day perusing old tones hoping to find hidden treasure is still a noble past time And there are only a handful of places in our country where this can be done appropriately and this is one of them. Now I will say They didn't places it's more like a store house of books rather than a well organized bookstore like say Powell's in Portland Oregon. But that's the only bookstore in this country that I've ever found that measures up to this wonderful place that is one of my favorite places to kill an afternoon! For lovers of bookstores this is a destination!

Such a large place! 4 floors filled with books! You can find vintage copies, different versions/editions of books. I'll bet it's the place to find books you need for class. I mostly just browsed but it was cool that they have such a large selection. I'm not sure how the workers know where everything is but I'd def ask them if I needed something. They do have books for a $1 on the top floor. You can also find books in other languages. Parking is at the back. You'll see an entrance to it on the side of the front of the building. The parking lot is gated so no worries there. Plenty of spots. Amazing place to check out! Def put this on your Detroit bucket list.

This place is bananas! Whatever your interests you'll find a book for you. If you don't, you've given up too early. I've never seen anything as big, and varied as this store (museum?). Does it smell like old books with tight difficult-to-navigate aisles, yes! And I LOVE it!

If you are looking for a book on a topic then they have it. They have 4 floors full of books wall to wall floor to ceiling. They were very helpful with what we were looking for. Key note go to the bathroom before you get there and the parking is kind weird l.

A book lovers dream. What stood out to me the most was not the largest selection of used books in the US--although it did. But what impressed me the most was the staff's service. When I entered the store a staff member asked me if I parked on the bridge. I had. Then he told me that I will get a ticket if I parked there and told me to park in their lot next to the building. Then when I entered the store (the second entrance) another staff member asked me the same question. The staff offered me a map of the store and each staff member I passed as I wondered around the many floors of books asked me if they could help me find a book etc. I visited the Bible, General Christian, and Catholicism sections. The Catholicism section was enormous. I've never found a bigger selection of all kinds of Catholic books anywhere. The Bible section had a great selection of classic and the best bibles and theology books. When I was looking at this section i compared it to the Christian used book section at the Midtown Scholar bookstore in Harrisburg, PA. Midtown Scholar seems to have a larger selection of the sort of books Christian pastors would buy. John K. King books had a good selection of Koine Greek language books. This is a must stop for book lovers. My recommendation is to bring a list of books or authors you want to search for or else you could spend all day just looking for good finds.

Although we were told that if a valuable book was found, they would inform us. However, that is not the case. Debbie is extremely knowledgeable of books. She purchased a books from us and unfortunately, we later discovered one sold on ebay for $2,750.00 in Dec 2023. She paid us $150.00 for the whole lot of books. The service was outstanding but seller beware. Research the books prior to selling to them.

Who doesn't love old books? Floors and floors, with rows and rows. There is something about that smell. Social distancing is practiced, and hand sanitizer all through the store. There is something for everyone in this store. Love to come and blow a few hours in this store getting lost in the pages of old books.

This place has everything. Be ready to spend a whole afternoon here if you're not careful. I spent 90 minutes going through the sports books alone, and that's only a small section on the first floor. From what I saw, most books or publications weren't particularly pricey, no matter how old or rare.

Biggest and best used book store in Detroit. There are four stories with every genre of books you can think. There's free parking in their lot. Upon entering/exiting there is a free book section to take. You can definitely spend hours here going through the rows of books. It also provides some good photo shoot opportunities. The place looks old but don't be afraid to go explore. The staff is nice and helpful. Have fun exploring this gem!

I think I found book heaven! (They probably have a book on that actually.. There's a section dedicated completely to books about books). Surround yourself in that old book smell while exploring 4 floors of wall to wall books, all carefully categorized for your convenience. Upon arrival they will ask to check your backpacks if you bring them and provide you a map. Take the map. There are employees stationed on every floor there to help. If you are a wheelchair user or have mobility issues, they have a freight elevator in the back they allow guests to use, however there are several steps to enter the building itself and the aisles are pretty small. They also have chairs by the registers and will bring you books if you'd like. I appreciate the effort made, but I still can't consider it accessible. Parking in back was a plus. All in all, we can't wait to make our next visit!

One of my favorite places in the world! I make the 3.5 hour drive up to the book store every few months or so and it is totally worth it. I could spend all day there. Anything you could possibly ever imagine they have! Poetry is my favorite thing to read and I go and spend hours digging through the poetry section, I always find something unique. The building itself is a very cool historical building and the sheer volume of books is an exciting sight to see. The staff is always nice and every time I've asked for a book they have been able to locate it for me. Such a neat place to visit!

There's nothing bad to say about this. John King books is an institution. In an era where books and book shops are losing traction to digital media, this place stays packed with hard to find gems. There are floors and floors of wall to wall books. I think I was most impressed with his well organized JK books was. Not as disorganized as some other used bookstores I've been in in the past. I spent hours perusing the five stories of stacks and still didn't feel I scratched the surface. I managed to escape with the minimal amount of damage done to my bank account, which I call a win. I plan on spending plenty more book therapy time in John King next time I'm in town!

John King rocks the book stacks. This place has every book imaginable. Great place to get lost for a day! Remember: it is cold, drafty, dusty. It's like 5 stories high and you yank your own lights on in the book isles. Book areas are marked - but obviously the sheer size of this monstrosity does not allow for reshuffling categories. Still, it hit the ball outta the park. Catacomb after alley of art, fashion, design, poetry, literature, cooking, maps, atlas, sports, cards, fashion, history, travel, science, biology, chemistry, geology, astronomy, acting books. (Few DVDs/films). A blast! Rebel review: 4.5

I visited this bookstore as the kicking off point for my bookstore bucket list. It was both everything I expected and not at all what I expected at the same time. The building is welcoming and everything is clearly labeled. It is very easy to find whatever kind of book you are looking for, which I've found can be difficult in some used book stores. The staff is very welcoming and knowledgeable, and extremely willing to help with whatever it is that you may need. This is a good store to visit if you have lots of time to spend browsing, or if you have a very specific book that you're looking for. The sheer volume of books that occupy this space make it difficult to see everything in a short amount of time, so if you aren't quite sure exactly what you're there to find, make sure you have at least a few hours to burn. All in all, I would give this store a 3.5/5 stars, if only because I didn't get to see the whole thing in the amount of time I had.

Lives up to the hype! Enormous used bookstore with dedicated staff. You could spend days here. I thought it was really cool that you can also buy one of their signature staff aprons!

My favorite used book store anywhere. Just minutes from downtown or Corktown in a former factory the 4 floor used book shop is the perfect place to get lost and stumble across some wonderful book titles. Prices are fair and the books are well organized. I've also bought a lot of old photographs from John King over the years. A must for book lovers. A Detroit institution.

I love reading, and I love books, and this is my happy place. I explore John K. King Books from top to bottom a few times a year. I search out topics that interest me and love to find books pulled from local university libraries and collections. I have found beloved books on Chilean and South American history, Spanish literature, and Michigan history. I'm always enticed by other topics and have been able to explore women in the Chinese Revolution, Palestinian history, and a full range of trashy novels, popular mysteries, and biographies. I've also found delightful ephemera in books I've purchased or for sale, pamphlets on food safety from the early 1900s, technological advances in farming from the 1950s, old National Geographic magazines for art projects, historical maps, and photo books of all sorts. If I were a song-writer, I would write about my adventures at John K. King Books, my love for the building itself, how I feel walking up all the flights of stairs to start my adventures, my meandering around the floors, searching the map for what I've missed, sitting on overturned plastic milk crates to dig through a stack of treasures. If I invite you to John K. King Books, I am in love. Don't take it lightly.

Holy heck this place is nuts. It just goes on and on! It's well organized considering its size, but still definitely for people who like digging in. The children's book section is especially fantastic for fans of ye olde kids literature. Absolutely one of my favorite bookshops in the country.

An old factory building just north of Corktown, in an area that is getting nicer but isn't nice yet. The parking lot is through a narrow entry off the street, bounded by tall fences, and is narrow and jumbled. Inside is 4 old fashioned floors of crowded and dim shelves holding all manner of used books, from collector items to cheap pulp sci and romances. All crammed in. As you enter there is a crowded sales desk, with photocopied maps. There is an old fashioned freight elevator in the back that staff can use if you can't handle the stairs. The staff is helpful, which you need. There are lights between many shelves, which you need quite frequently. Many many books, many many subjects, all crowded in.

I have always heard good things about the place but could never find time to make it down there. My daughter who is 14 is an avid reader and wanted to check it out. She was blown away by the sheer volume of books available for her to read. She was in as many sections as she could be in. We ended purchasing about five books, two for me and three for her.

There is just so much good happening at this bookstore. I personally would love to just have my own room with a chair so that I could sit and read all that this bookstore has to offer! I could read a book and daydream for hours in this place. There is just so many genres and collections it's hard to put into words. I feel at home here. It's like the books are just waiting to be picked up and enjoyed. Plus the inside of the building has a certain charm to it. Maybe it's the rich smell of old books?! I'm not sure, but I love it! If you are a book nerd like myself get in your car and go do some digging! A great adventure awaits!

I love bookstores, and I try to visit local independent bookstores wherever I travel! When my brother and I were visiting Detroit this past weekend, I knew I wanted to visit John K. King Books. It's a FOUR STORY warehouse full of books. Packed. SO MANY BOOKS. When we arrived, it was raining. Which was actually pretty cool, because they prop some of the warehouse windows open. Is there anything more calming than rain + book (or many many many books)? Everyone that worked there was nice. They have LITERALLY any category of books you could imagine. Big parking lot. Only downside? If you're claustrophobic, you won't like it. And there's just the single bathroom and you have to get the key from them to use it. But that's nothing to complain about given the JOY this place creates in book lovers. I've never seen so many books. Old books, new books, first edition books, EVERY GENRE. If you love books, run don't walk to John K. King Books. It's a marvel.

Driving up to the warehouse, I felt all tingle-y where my husband likely felt concerned about the differences in time we were each wanting to spend there. For perspective, I'll show the math behind the Time-In-Book-Store Equations in both of our heads. My husband's Time-In-Book-Store equation: 8 minutes - 2 minutes if there is any game/match/round on TV (being able to retrieve scores on his phone does not influence this number) - 3 minutes if there are no historical artifacts around - 4 minutes if the quantity of books in the store outnumbers baseball cards he collected as a kid - 2 minutes if he is hungry - 4 minutes if he needs a Starbucks - 10 minutes if there is a store nearby that sells North Face fleeces or meat thermometers = _____ My equation: Infinity + 2 days if the book store is in Paris + 30 minutes if I have recently eaten + 4 hours if someone brings me water and a banana + 2 weeks if the store has good lighting = _____ My husband is a downloader of books. He likes the feeling of being able to choose between dozens of books that are already on his iPad. I have an aversion to actually reading books on my technology because I consume almost all other content that way. To separate from that reading style and pick up a book is distancing enough from real life that I am immediately relaxed. Plus, the wonder of selecting your next book in an actual book store is special. It just is. Once inside John K. King Books, we were greeted immediately by both a person and teaming stacks of books. The warehouse windows cracked through all of the book collections occasionally, but mostly we were in a dark maze of mysterious organization and book quality. It was on the first floor that my husband asked cautiously if we needed to go all the way up to the 4th floor. This happened just as I saw that TRAVEL was on the 4th floor. So, up we went to the 4th floor. The building (overall) and stairwells (specifically) smelled like hybrid of a library and an old high school more than a traditional book store. There was something reassuring about it, not like that smell that you can never, NOT EVER get out of things bought from a thrift shop. This is a place that seemed to require more of an exploration than most stores ask. You could ask for help, but that kind of defeats the purpose and the mystery of a shop that has four floors of word weight. The dive for that interesting cover and the reach for that oh-I-meant-to-read-that book on the top shelf, these are all of the exercises that work those discovery muscles that make the finding that much better. Here there are lots of "art" and "historical" non-literary chotskies around, if books are not your thing. Being there is overwhelming only in that if-you-had-ten-years-maybe-you-would-see-it-all way and in the unruly temperature way. In these summer months, it is much warmer on the higher floors; a discovery I am sure flips to cold in the winter months. Bring a personal fan or sweater as appropriate.

was too busy with the amazing array of books to take pictures. this was also on my avid of a reader daughter's check list - so I am so glad we finally got a chance to get out there to view the spectacular display of books. and it's four levels!!! Go there!!

Bloody hell, if there were ever a place where books go to die and be resurrected, this would be the place. John K. King Books is a large bookstore--four floors--of row after row after row of books. There are two types of used bookstores: one is the neat and tidy bookstore with titles selectively chosen and shelved to be found easily; then there is the second kind where you'll find books on top of books, stacked vertically, horizontally, behind glass, on top of random objects, and even in some instances, leaning against animals. John King Books is the latter. Now that's not a bad thing since both have their place and serve readers equally. The life of a book can be very interesting; some books are published with little to no thought of who the audience will be and are often times discarded, only to find life again on the shelves of a bookstore such as this. Walking the four floors of this bookstore you find yourself thinking, "Who the hell would publish this, who would buy it, who would bother to sell it?!" They have more of these types of books than I could ever imagine. Let me talk about the staff for a moment. They're excellent. I've hardly found a staff more eager to help you anywhere, much less a bookstore. Not only do they want to help you, but if they are unable to, they'll ask you to email them periodically to ask about any title for which you are interested. Who does that? Typical business practice lately is to take your information and store it away. John King Books seems to do the opposite and is more than happy to help you in the most non-pushy way. It is a feat of astounding patience that the staff can find anything in the place, and yet they do and can. While there, I actually got to meet John King. He was friendly, he was happy, he was everything you'd like a bookstore owner to be. His presence was reminiscent of a character in a movie about a bookstore that hasn't been made yet. The bookstore has more than just books, they have paintings, typewritters, and other old knick-knacks for interested parties. This bookstore is for anyone wanting to visit a bookstore for books, a bookstore as an old time testament to a reading history of America, a Detroit landmark, or just as a fan of books. Don't go if you are clostrophobic or have a phobia of messy places. Happy reading all!

Our annual post-Thanksgiving trip to John King downtown. Love this place! Have been shopping at the various locations since my days at Wayne State nearly 30 years ago.

Anybody who loves books must come here. 4 floors of used books. It's cramped, and with books up to the rafters. But well organized, and the staff is fantastic. They will help you find anything you are looking for. Even if you are just coming to browse, you could browse for the entire day. They have everything from mass-market paperbacks, to rare and signed first editions (though those are obviously behind the counter) and even periodicals and record from years, decades, and even 100 or more years ago. I don't think I have ever managed to visit without dropping at least $50 on books. This place is a true gem and you need to see it to believe it.

This place is huge! I'd give it a higher rating if not for the horrific parking situation and the high prices. The staff is fabulous, though. Quite a place.

I was so happy to have learned about this bookstore. It's absolutely massive, and it was a joy to get lost among the countless gems on the shelves.

Anyone who has driven through the mixing bowl of roads near downtown in Detroit knows this hulking mecca of used books right next to seemingly all of the expressways. Having passed by it seemingly a hundred times on the outside, I decided to finally stop in on my way back to D.C. from Detroit recently. And inside is every bit as cool. John King books is built in an old factory and while it has all of the necessary bookshelves to hold all of its half a million books, they repurposed the building so that many of the old factory elements (including some of the original signage) are apparent and usable as nooks and crannies for flipping through a book or two to decide if you want to make a purchase. That is if your allergies can handle the dust. But that's true of any used bookstore. It is only the "catalogization" and organization of this store that is somewhat questionable. In the year 2016, they do nothing with computer systems to know exactly where something is within the store or if they have a book. It gives the store character for sure though. Everybody working in the store is helpful as well in trying to locate a title and knowing where in the massive floorplan a particular topic area is located. I used to work at a Borders and could barely keep that store's plan in mind entirely, let alone four giant floors of books so the staff here is amazing for that alone. Prices here are nothing special but they're definitely competitive so given the choice between a normal used book store and this special piece of Detroitacana, I'll choose this place every time.

Until the late 1990s almost every city had a bookstore like John King's: a come-as-you-were maze of endless shelves with unpolished floors and a completist ethic that made you feel you might find anything there. Then they started to disappear: McDonalds in San Francisco, Acres of Books in Long Beach, Holmes in Oakland, stores whose names I forgot in Providence, Brooklyn, San Diego, San Jose, and more. But King Books still thrives. What makes John's store special is its inclusiveness. Sure, I love Powell's, but their used books are carefully chosen for marketability and seem way outnumbered by new titles. King Books is the palace of ephemera with a low barrier to entry. It's filled with outdated nonfiction, forgotten stories, technical books on outdated technologies, bound periodicals, government documents, typewriting textbooks, WPA Guides. This is not the place for people seeking a few clean books for their Marie Kondo-ized living room, but it's heaven for amateur and professional historians, writers, artists and anyone tickled by the promise of serendipity. We run an independent library with a similar spirit in San Francisco, and I wouldn't be exaggerating when I say that we have over 500 books on our shelves bought at King's (for travelers to Detroit, they will ship at media rate). Give yourself some time, buy lots of books, greet the lovely manager Deborah, and then wash your hands and visit some of the great Mideastern restaurants in Detroit. Some years ago I was at King's and bought a discarded book formerly from the Marygrove College Library. Too long to go into here, but reading this book (by Robert C. Binkley) brought me into conversation with others and a whole new field of information studies/history of publishing began to sprout. All from a used book bought at John King's. This store can change your life too. Visit while it's there.

I love John King books. You can spend hours wandering the floors looking through all of the different sections. The employees are incredibly helpful- for as giant as this place is, help is never far away. There is always a friendly face asking if you need help finding something. I would highly recommend you plan to spend at least a few hours here your first time and take a map with you so you can see all the types of books they offer. When I go, I tend to slowly walk through and read the categories on the ends of the shelves to see if a topic interests me. It's a great way to find something new to read. Happy reading!

Such an incredible building with an unbelievable collection. Everything from theology to automotive repair manuals.

Make sure you give yourself adequate time to look around. It is easy to get lost in here for hours. I always walk out with several books and most of them have been excellent reads.

The most friendliest and helpful staff I have ever met. Always met with a pleasant smile on each floor. My mother and I always add this place to our to do list every time we visit Detroit. The book selection is very rare, in good condition and there is an extensive collection on each major category. They are a bit pricey, but you get what you paid for. They remind me of New York lol.

Always a favorite spot to spend a lazy, rainy day. It's old and dimly lit with creaking wood floors and a musty scent that permeates the air, all of which contribute to the charm of what a good used bookstore should be. It's perfect at being what it is. I'll admit that I love the convenience of Amazon and its ilk, but I really hope that places like this are never relegated to memories alone. We owe it to our posterity to keep this and places like it around. If you're a true book lover and ever find yourself in Detroit, you owe it to yourself to set aside a few hours to check out the four warehouse floors of this place.

Everything you're looking for with a very kind and helpful team overseeing the prodigious collection. So funny. I walked in and was immediately greeted by two nice folks and then heard from behind, "would you like a map?" I immediately reflected on my view of the building from outside. "Yes, and thank you for seeing it coming before i could" This place is not only an icon, its perfect. And Deborah is a key part of it. Please say hi to her when you walk in and pass by the front counter. She'll be pleasantly smiling and looking forward to meeting you. And great prices. Check it out if you're in downtown Detroit. Its right next to the downtown. And its awesome.