Caliban Book Shop

Category:	Book Store
Address:	410 S Craig St, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
Phone:	+1 412-681-9111
Site:	calibanbooks.com
Rating:	4.6
Working:	10AM–5:30PM 10AM–5:30PM 10AM–5:30PM 10AM–8PM 10AM–5:30PM 10AM–5:30PM 12–5:30PM

Location

Photos 100

Reviews 23

Phillip Μ

A great selection of books, especially rare ones and a good location. But wipe that smile off your face before you go in, the staff doesnt like to help you find anything and I felt like I was disturbing their own reading. A little assistance finding something, even if they could have pointed in the general direction would have saved me a lot of time. 7 July 2015 response to owner: I did ask a direct question about a specific book to the person sitting at the front desk. No sir, I was not helped. The book I was looking for was Xenophons Anabasis, a book well within your genre. I believe there is a warehouse that houses more of your books, possibly with a catalog of what you might have, I dont know for sure. My initial question was brushed aside and I looked as best I could on the shelves that might contain the book. I didnt feel like pestering the attendant to help me further so I did not get a chance to ask a follow up question, I just left.

Greg Hartman

Awesome customer experience. I ordered a first edition of Charlottes Web for my daughter. Good price for the quality. Anyway, at no fault of Caliban the shipping was totally screwed up. But Seth at Caliban worked with me to help find the package and track it to its eventual delivery to my house, in plenty of time for Christmas. Great service.....and they have even offered to reimburse me for the shipping cost, even though it wasnt their fault. I was a little nervous about ordering the book from a business Id never worked with before, but Seth and the folks at Caliban proved once again that the best companies to do business with are small businesses! Ill be sure and start with Caliban next time Im looking for a rare or special book. Thanks, Seth!

Brad C

I was not very impressed with the selection, the experience, or the staff. If you expect any titles or authors that are well-known, its not likely youll find many. The guy working there hardly knew anything about books and had to resort to google when questioned, like I wouldnt have been able to do that myself. The prices are all much higher than what they should be compared to other retailers. The atmosphere was also a bit uncomfortable, but its still an interesting and well put-together shop. It could certainly use a lot of work though.

Delena Obermaier

Guy who worked there was SUPER rude to me. Like unnecessarily rude. Made it seem like I was wasting his time by asking a question. When he decided he was "done" talking to me, he opened the door as if to tell me to leave. I was in the shop for about three minutes. He just had to go out of his was to be this rude. Definitely never going back...and I love used bookstores.

Zach Alcorn

Simply wonderful - I could spend hours in Caliban. So many great old books, its the kind of place where you never intend to spend money, but cant help walking out with a bunch of new finds. If youre nearby, you owe it to yourself to stop inside.

Carol Kelleher

I was disappointed mainly because I thought it would be more than what it was. If you love to browse old books, you will love this place. I found it small and dark. It just did not make me want to linger at all.

Ben Williams

Best customer service ive seen in a long time, book store and the warehouse guys. my books shipped day after purchase and was perfectly described. Awesome prices. keep on readin in tha free world baby

Rose Chiango

Everything a bookstore needs. Perfect ratio of organization to chaos, enough to feel like youre digging around but not as if you couldnt find a subject you wanted. Good amount of quality books!

A Private User

This is definitely a great place to get lost in. With a basement filled with paperback books and a first floor filled with old bibliophilic treasures, one could wander for hours.

James Doyle

Great selection of books on English history and Seth always provides help and excellent service. I purchase books on their website and have them shipped to Arizona.

Aditi Bhattacharya

Amazing little place with something for everyone! Books are really cheap and they house an incredible stock! I love to go there again and again.

Lianna Dang

Had a great time perusing the aisles. A few boxes of books on sale were placed outside the entrance, for very low prices.

Sarah Majors

This place is amazing! There are so many books. It is particularly interesting if you collect old books.

Joshua Juda

Great shop and nice selection of books and price points. Also have a selection of vinyl records too!

Mark Silvis

Great used book store. Just dont expect any shocking deals, they know how to value books.

Cynthia Wei

Cute book joint with lots of antique options