Secondhand floors of an independent bookshopGleebooks Secondhand
49 Glebe Point Rd, Glebe NSW 2037
In Glebe, next door to Sappho, the independent Gleebooks keeps its used stock on the mezzanine and first floor above the new-book shop at number 49: fiction and non-fiction, rarities, titles long gone from publishers' lists, and collectable limited editions. Used stock is bought in as well as donated, with sellers and stock questions both routed through [email protected] rather than the counter downstairs. An Instagram post on 14 August 2026 made a run of miniature volumes, small enough for a shirt sleeve, its secondhand gem of the week, and a wider online inventory is listed on AbeBooks. The chain's other secondhand room, in Blackheath, is up in the Blue Mountains and off this page.
Hours: Mon–Sun 9am–6pmWebsite Comic shop, new and secondhandCockatoo Comics
414 King St, Newtown NSW 2042
In Newtown, about 340 metres up King Street from Goulds, a comic shop opened in 2021 by Siobhan Coombs that mixes small-press and alternative titles, kids' comics, manga and zines with secondhand comics. It buys collections as well, and its About page asks sellers to email a description of the collection before carrying anything in. The Facebook page kept a full calendar in September 2026, moving a DirtBags graphic novel signing to Saturday 26 September because of trackwork and hosting a short in-store residency from cartoonist Arash Chehelnabi.
Hours: Tue–Sun 11am–5pm; closed MonWebsite New, rare and secondhand bookshopBerkelouw Books Paddington
19 Oxford St, Paddington NSW 2021
In Paddington, at number 19 Oxford Street and about 100 metres from Ampersand, the Berkelouw family opened this shop in March 1994, and its three storeys mix new, rare and secondhand books under a cafe and wine bar on the top floor. Concrete Playground's roundup of independent and pre-loved Sydney bookshops, published on 10 April 2026, called it the oldest store still trading in the Berkelouw portfolio. Author talks are booked through Humanitix, with the author of The Wanted and The Unwanted talking to Paul Daley on 24 September 2026 and psychiatrist Kieran Kennedy on 8 October 2026. The chain's walk-up buying for Sydney sellers runs through the Leichhardt car-park days described under that entry.
Hours: Mon–Wed 10am–7pm, Thu–Fri 10am–8pm, Sat 10am–7pm, Sun 10am–6:30pmWebsite Books and vintage clothingGrand Days
220 William St, Woolloomooloo NSW 2011
In Woolloomooloo, on the William Street run down from Kings Cross, a shop that pairs secondhand books with vintage and pre-loved designer clothing, records and collectables. It grew out of Paul Bugden's Kings Cross bookshop on Victoria Street, which moved to William Street as Bugden's Books in 2002 before Tamara and Tom took it over in 2013 and renamed it after Frank Moorhouse's novel Grand Days. Fiction covers classics, contemporary and Australian literature, plays and poetry, and non-fiction runs to art, architecture, history and the sciences. The clothing side keeps its online shop moving, with new listings published as late as 12 September 2026, so expect the rails to turn over faster than the shelves.
Hours: Mon–Fri noon–6pm, Sat 10am–5pm, Sun 11am–3pmWebsite Japanese secondhand bookshopHondarake Full Of Books
Suite 204, 39 Liverpool St, Sydney NSW 2000
A Japanese-language secondhand bookshop on level 2 of the Commerce Building in Liverpool Street, trading since 2004 by its own account; go in through the red doors on the street side and take the glass lift in the courtyard. The shelves hold Japanese novels, practical books and manga, next to Japanese CDs and DVDs and a manga-cafe lounge. Its blog, updated through September 2026, is where the in-store sales appear, such as 10% off non-fiction and merchandise until 17 August 2026, along with a Japanese-language book club in the shop on Saturday 26 September 2026.
Hours: Mon, Thu–Sat 11am–7pm, Sun 11am–6pm; closed Tue–WedWebsite Bookshop with secondhand buying dayBerkelouw Books Leichhardt
70 Norton St, Leichhardt NSW 2040
In Leichhardt, the Norton Street Berkelouw open since 1999 closed on 16 June 2026 and reopened on 10 July in the unit next door within the same building, reopening on one level with a smaller, more curated secondhand section and a revamped rare books cabinet, according to a 14 July 2026 Instagram post. The bigger draw for sellers is the Sydney Buying Day in the car park under the store, where the buyer meets you at your car, usually on alternate Tuesdays between 10am and 1pm, with bookings essential and no list needed beforehand. Of the dates it published, 13 and 27 October 2026 were still ahead at the end of September, and damaged books, encyclopaedias, textbooks, Reader's Digest and National Geographic are refused. The hours given here come from the reopening post; the older store page still says 9am to 6pm daily, so call 02 9560 3200 before a late visit.
Hours: Mon–Sun 9am–5pmWebsite Book exchange and gift shopUrchin Books
238 Marrickville Rd, Marrickville NSW 2204
In Marrickville, on the Marrickville Road shopping strip, a secondhand bookshop that runs on trade-ins: bring in what you have finished and leave with credit towards other books, as its Facebook page put it on 25 September 2026. A post on 17 July 2026 pitched the same deal to parents clearing out books their children had outgrown over the school holidays, and the shelves share the room with cards, soaps, blankets and other gifts. The website is a placeholder and no trading hours are posted, so phone 02 9572 7277 before a special trip.
Antiquarian books and ephemeraMark's Book Barn
215 Homer St, Earlwood NSW 2206
In Earlwood, on Homer Street about 10 km out of the city centre towards the south-west, Mark Burgess has been buying and selling old and rare books, magazines, newspapers and printed ephemera since 2006. Local history, transport, sport, military and Australiana are the specialities, and the new acquisitions run to 1930s Sydney souvenir programs and early motor car sales brochures. Burgess is an ANZAAB and ILAB member who exhibits at rare book fairs, and his site shows material he took to the Melbourne Rare Book Fair 2026. The short Wednesday-to-Saturday week is published identically on the shop site and its ANZAAB listing.
Hours: Wed–Fri 11am–4pm, Sat noon–4pmWebsite Antiquarian bookshopThe Antique Bookshop & Curios
Level 1, 328 Pacific Hwy, Crows Nest NSW 2065
In Crows Nest, upstairs on the Pacific Highway, proprietor Peter Tinslay says his antiquarian shop has been supplying collectors, libraries and readers for over 50 years, and he holds membership of both the Australian and New Zealand dealers' association and the international league. The stock is sold through numbered catalogues, with number 416 current in September 2026 alongside a books-of-the-month list for that month covering Australiana, the Pacific, Queensland, travel, natural history and signed books. Mind the suburb: a Lifeline book room also trades at number 328 on the same highway, but up the line in Lindfield.
Hours: Tue–Sat 10am–5pmWebsite Rare and collectable booksLove Vintage Books
563 Willoughby Rd, Willoughby NSW 2068
In Willoughby on the Lower North Shore, former high school teacher Margaret Dunstan has run this rare and collectable bookshop since 2014, with first editions, signed copies and volumes going back to the 1500s at prices that can climb into the thousands, as Willoughby Living described it on 1 May 2026. Australiana, military, transport and rare children's literature form the core, beside classic literature and local history, and Hugo the bookshop dog does the rounds. Leave the boxes at home: its acquisition policy says it is not a general secondhand buyer, will not assess books over the counter, and replies only to emailed enquiries with spine photos that fit those niches.
Hours: Tue–Sat 10am–4pmWebsite Bookshop with a secondhand sectionBerkelouw Books Hornsby
Shop B30-33, Level 3, Westfield Hornsby, Pacific Hwy, Hornsby NSW 2077
In Hornsby, on level 3 of Westfield by the link bridge, a Berkelouw that opened in November 2013 and, by its store page's account, went through an extensive refit in February 2025. New releases, gifts and a children's department take most of the floor, with quality secondhand books shelved among the genres. Barker College, where Lifeline holds its December fair, is roughly 800 metres away, so a trip on 12 or 13 December 2026 can take in both.
Hours: Mon–Wed 9am–5:30pm, Thu 9am–9pm, Fri 9am–5:30pm, Sat 9am–5pm, Sun 10am–5pmWebsite Books, records and open micDesire Books & Records
3/3 Whistler St, Manly NSW 2095
In Manly, on Whistler Street, a secondhand book and record shop that leans towards classics, modern literature, poetry and philosophy and doubles as a room for writers' workshops, theatre and acting courses. Its open mic, Bonfire @ Desire, began in 2013 and takes place on the last Tuesday of each month from 7:30pm for a gold coin donation, according to the shop's events page. A Facebook post dated 18 June 2026 shows the shop still going, and outside those evenings the doors stay shut on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Hours: Wed–Sun 10am–5pmWebsite Pre-loved bookshopPeach's Pages
Shop 1/141a Oak Rd, Kirrawee NSW 2232
In Kirrawee in the Sutherland Shire, on the Oak Road shops, a pre-loved bookshop that announced on 27 July 2025 it was reopening at this address with a longer lease. Its Facebook page is lively, tagging kids' books and one-dollar books as the school term wound down in late September 2026, and on 26 September 2026 bookseller Petra posted a note offering a mermaid book to a young customer who had left before she found it. No trading hours are published, so check the page before driving down.