Keith Fawkes

Shocking experience today when I dared to bargain with the grey haired man wearing glasses asking me how poor are you to dare to bargain for this picture. I bought it for the price he told me and then I took it back because his energy was extremely negative I decided I dont want to keep the picture as it would always remind me how rude he was with me. He said they dont give back money and I said that is fine and he told me to F.. Off and literally pushed me out of the store. Do not go here please as these people are extremely rude and abusive.

Twenty years ago the shop was manned by two lovely elderly ladies and ten years later by a middle-aged guy.
He obviously had tried and managed to put the books in some kind of order as before you had to navigate between columns of paperbacks but withoug ruining the messy atmosphere which in my opinion is the right one in a secondhand bookshop.
The prices were still realistic and the smell of old books much more pleasant than the vanilla flavoured deodorant those you order on the Internet so often reek of.
I have read a couple of negative reviews but only by people who tried to bargain; I would never do that but quite often, when I bought a dozen books, I got them at a bargain without having to ask...
Long live Keith Fawkes's secondhand bookshop!

While it has an interesting selection of goods to look at, I recently purchased an electrical item here that, when I plugged in, took out my switchboard. Nightmare. I wish I’d known they do not certify or check their electrical goods before selling.
Therefore please beware buying electrical items here, they are not checked.
Customer service is interesting at best, I suppose they are nice enough chaps but sort of dismissive of customers. Maybe that’s the vintage charm!

No signage about brakeages must be paid for or how to handle items.
There was a box of crystals with birds on and I thought the bird was attached. I turned over to see the price and a bird came off and broke.
The two older men there were rude and unhelpful about it. I offered to pay for the damage.

They then proceeded to say a stupid price for the tatty second hand item it was.
I paid as it was the easiest and quickest way to not communicate with these guys being so rude when they are selling items not worth the price and not even fully attached items.

It was probably broken to start off as bird came off so easily.

Used to always get bits and bob but I won’t from now.
Best of luck to these guys selling tat.

This place is one of a kind. The staff is amongst the funniest, most knowledgeable and authentic people I have ever met, and browsing its bookshelves has been nothing short of an adventure, every single time. It is clear that the people who wrote the negative reviews should have just gone to Waterstones. They absolutely missed the magic of Keith Fawkes.

"Rare Books" indeed. There must be hundreds of the things because the place, even at the best of times, is undoubtedly cramped, but with all of the boxes of unsorted books cluttering the aisles RARE must apply to all of those that are either out of sight or beyond any chance of retrieval. And as to those on the shelves on display, many, many are only average titles at best, and any semblance of logical order is way off expectation.
For all that though, I had a very enjoyable chat with the person covering the shop at the time of my visit, and wish him well in his endeavours - the only way is up!

Staff member with long grey hair and glasses was rude and unaccommodating. Rushed customers out, blanked me and others, ignored questions. Arrogant and unfriendly atmosphere

Don't understand these negative reviews about customer service. Not our experience at all. Really polite and they carried purchase to the car. Quite embarrassed as we got a bargain. Could have spent hours browsing there. Keep up the good work!!