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Des Moines Book Sales

There’s nothing quite like the adventure of cracking open a book.

That experience is even better when you’re not paying full price for your reading material. Luckily, there are lots of places in Des Moines where you can get great prices on used books.

5 Best Book Sales in Des Moines

Whether you like your books with espresso or just straight up, Des Moines has lots of options to find great reads at even better prices. Here are a half dozen of our favorites.

Plain Talk Books & Coffee

Fair-trade coffee, creative sandwiches, and homemade soup make this East Village independent book store even more inviting. Come for a snack and leave with a new-to-you book to read. There’s also a porch that’s great for people watching, plus live music and author readings.

Beaverdale Books

This book shop hosts regular book clubs, writers’ groups, book signings, and book readings. The store features writers from Iowa, but offers a diverse range of books—and can also place special orders. While this is a new book shop, those who join a book club here get 10 percent off their monthly selection.

Des Moines Central Library

The Des Moines Central Library offers periodic book sales throughout the year. Check the website for dates and times.

Half Priced Books

This shop may be part of a chain, but it’s become a valuable community resource—and a great place to both buy and sell books. Fun fact: Every single shelf in this store was built by employees.

Help a Mind Thrive Keep a Book Alive

This discount store offers a huge selection of used books, records, and DVDs. You’ll find many books priced at just $1. This store is known as a great resource for home-schooling families—or anyone looking for a great deal.

About StorageMart

Books are easy to come by, but hard to part with. If you find yourself running low on storage space—but want to hold onto your books until you have a bigger place, consider self storage as a possible solution. At StorageMart, all of our units can be rented on a month-to-month basis. Need more info? Check out our storage unit guide or rent a unit online today.