If you live in Mesa, AZ, or are ever in the city, do yourself a favor and go visit Bookman's Entertainment Exchange located at 1056 S. Country Club Dr.; Mesa, AZ 85210.
Not only is it a wondrous place to happily lose a few hours looking at all the different items for sale (they have everything from musical instruments, video games and consoles, and completely random knick-knacks) but they have thousands upon thousands of books for you to explore! I mean, just look at all the books:
Bookman's is a locally started and owned business with six different locations throughout Arizona and is owned by Bob Oldfather. Their first location, based in Tucson, was opened in 1976! They do offer some new books, but the bulk of their business is from used books. They also buy and sell gently used items to help prevent those items from ending up in a landfill.
Not only do they help with waste, but they are very vocal about ending censorship, have programs in place to help promote a love of reading in children, and support their local communities through a variety of programs.
One of the programs they offer is their 1317 Program which gives anyone aged 13 to 17 a fifteen percent discount on any exchanged item in the store. This includes books, video games, movies, games, and more. Anyone participating in the program also gets a $15 Gift Card on their birthday!
Another great thing about this store is all the cool artwork, and it is literally everywhere! They also custom make all their signs and displays.
The companies core values are another reason I will continue to shop there:
"The promise to always be unique is made to ourselves and to our customers, driving our decisions and actions every day. Whether you call it creativity, innovation, good business or basic wackiness, making Bookman's unique every time is one of the important things that sets us apart.
We believe in respect for individuals and individuality, and we make it our job to interact with and understand others as they are. Bookman's makes purchasing decisions based on honesty and integrity and strive to be fair and truthful at all times. Our inviting spaces and vibe include everything from comfy chairs to interesting conversation because we know that everything we do as a business and as individuals have an impact. Therefore, we are dedicated to being a positive influence on the people we interact with and the communities we serve.”
So, once again, if you are lucky enough to be in Mesa, AZ, please go check out Bookman's! I absolutely love visiting this store. I try to go by at least once a week to see what new items they have gotten in that week. You never know what you are going to find there!
*Written By Kaylene Klingert
Comments