Best Antiquarian Bookshops In San Francisco Near Me

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December is here and we are pleased to offer a selection books that would make lovely gifts. The list includes literary favorites, beautiful Victorian gift books, books about books, and several of the Christmas classics.

4worldlovers: Each month, we select a brand new book that we love so much that we guarantee you'll love it too.

For this month we have chosen "After Sappho" by Selby Wynn Schwartz.

A luminous interweaving of biographical vignettes, limning the lives of a cadre of remarkable women.

4worldlovers: Omnivore Books is the Bay Area's only culinary bookshop, featuring new, antiquarian, and collectible books on food and drink. Browse our online shop and place an order for pickup or delivery. Or come peruse in person. We'd love to see you!

All our author events are free, open to the public, and listed on the Events page.

We ship everywhere in the U.S. and most places around the world.

4worldlovers: For now, we’re still asking folks to wear masks. Bear with us while we make the necessary adjustments.

We will be buying Books and Vinyl on Saturdays from 12-6.

(We do accept book and vinyl donations, anytime that we are open.)

You can also order any book in print and have it shipped directly to your home from the warehouse, by way of Alley Cat’s Bookshop.org

You can support us directly by buying a gift certificate or donating to our Gofundme page!

Make your way to the back of the store and discover our spacious art gallery, where local and international art adorns the high walls. Sometimes you might stumble into an art opening, poetry reading, meeting, or film screening.

4worldlovers: We provide curbside service if you prefer, and we can make local deliveries. Please send all inquiries and orders to chrisbookssf@gmail.com or call us.

4worldlovers: Since 1959 Moe's has been providing customers with fair and accurate valuations of rare and collectible books in a broad and expansive range of subject areas. While specializing in books on the fine arts, photography, and architecture, our rare books staff has a combined 75 years of experience appraising and evaluating scarce and unusual books in virtually every field of interest. Open from noon to 6 pm Wednesday to Saturday on our fourth floor, there is always an available staff member pleased to evaluate any books you might care to bring in. While waiting for your appraisal take a few moments to browse through our extensive inventory of rare and fine books, as well as a superb collection of books in literature, the sciences, illustrated books, fashion, exploration, and just about any other subject area imaginable. Bring us your books and come have a look at ours, you will find it a fascinating and rewarding experience.

Within Moe's Books there is a special Rare & Fine Arts book department, sequestered in its own room on the fourth floor of the bookstore. The origins of this "store within a store" will explain its being designated "More Moe's." The previous location of Moe's, in the 1960s and early 1970s, was two doors down from our current site. As the store grew and prospered, our inventory of expensively produced books and very scarce books and valuable centuries old books increased and created a need to segregate this group of books – to protect the books from damage that results from mishandling and other threats, all lessened by a more watchful husbandry.

Prior to this moment in time, a year or two perhaps, Moe had given over to small but zealous group of employees a large corner of the store to manage on their own. A proto-store-within-a-store, you might say. Headed by Sam Bercholtz, this group was blissfully enthusiastic about the science of the mind, mostly as experience, and all things Asian and mystical, topics enjoying a special vogue at the time. (Sam and his group would later move next door to found a separate book shop they named Shambala Books, which thrived until recently, and which also developed into Shambala Publications, still quite vigorous but now far from its home.) Perhaps the thought of diminishing further the general area of the growing business hatched the plan of an annex. Soon, in a small store front around the corner, More Moe's opened, with an inventory limited to the valuable rare and fine arts book collections, with limited hours of business, and with a staff limited to two, Gene Barone (now general manager of Moe's) and John Wong (the still reigning book wizard of More Moe's).

When Moe's moved into its new, four story building in 1978, More Moe's was returned to the fold, provided with about a third of the area of the fourth floor, walled off with handsome oak and large glass windows. The name More Moe's, however, with its overtones of "annex," had stuck. The staff was increased to four, and the shop within the store would be also now open seven days. and the collection continued to grow and deepen.

4worldlovers: We list our books online at Biblio. We feel that their service is the best available and provides our customers with a better and faster on-line shopping experience than anything we could provide on our own. If for any reason you are dissatisfied with Biblio, please don't hesitate to call or email us and we'll get it sorted out for you.

4worldlovers: Consistent with San Francisco’s updated indoor masking policy, all un-vaccinated customers over age 2 are required to wear masks inside the store.

Wearing a mask is no longer required for fully vaccinated individuals, but is strongly encouraged to help ensure the health and safety of our employees and customers.

Continuing to mask indoors remains the safest choice for an individual and protects those who are medically vulnerable or are not able to get vaccinated, like our youngest children. Please be considerate of one another during this difficult time.

Eating and drinking are not allowed at any time while visiting the bookshop. We kindly ask that you finish meals and snacks before visiting.

We remain in full compliance and support of the current local, state, and federal Health Orders as they pertain to the Covid-19 pandemic.

If you still feel uncomfortable or are not yet able to visit us for in-store shopping, we encourage you to call us during business hours at 415-929-0997 so that we can assist you with curbside pick-up or shipping options.

Thank you for your continued support and we look forward to welcoming you at the bookshop!

Gift Certificates will be honored and can be mailed or made available for pick-up and never expire.

If you would like to purchase books from our shop online, please see our listings on

If you would like to purchase any other items in our shop, please email all inquiries to:

Russian Hill Bookstore, established in 1974, is one of the last independently-owned used and new bookstores in San Francisco. We began as Sunset Bookstore in 1974, a small used bookshop servicing the Sunset District west of 19th Avenue, and have been in continual operation for the past 47 years. Over the years Sunset Bookstore has since closed and merged with Russian Hill Bookstore, which has grown to become also the best note card shop in the city, and a favorite place for toys and games for children of all ages.

Russian Hill Bookstore is located at 2162 Polk Street, between Vallejo and Broadway Streets. We are open from 10:00AM to 8:00PM daily, and closed New Years Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. For additional holiday hours, please contact us at

We are a general used and new bookshop. Our inventory spans over 50 categories, from new fiction to antiquarian history. If we don’t have what you’re looking for, we can usually special order titles within 5 business days.

If you have books you want to sell or trade, from just one copy to an entire library, we are always interested. Please call the shop in advance for buying hours, at 415-929-0997. If you are unable to bring your books to us, we do make house calls.

At our shop, you’ll find the largest selection of note cards anywhere in the city. Whether you’re looking for a blank card or holiday greeting, we’ve got something for everything. We are proud to carry many cards from small, independent artists, local to the San Francisco Bay Area.

Our hand-selected gift items range from scented candles to notebooks and coffee mugs. Whether you’re looking for a housewarming present or going away gift, we’ve got you covered.

We carry an extensive collection of new, used, and vintage children’s books, as well as creative and educational toys, games, puzzles, plush, coloring books, and activity sets.

We stock classics, such as Backgammon and Clue, as well as the latest in strategy, co-operative, adventure, party, family and kid’s games. If we don’t have the title you’re looking for, we are usually able to special order games and expansions.