John K. King Books

Everything you’re looking for with a very kind and helpful team overseeing the prodigious collection. So funny. I walked in and was immediately greeted by two nice folks and then heard from behind, «would you like a map?» I immediately reflected on my view of the building from outside. «Yes, and thank you for seeing it coming before i could»
This place is not only an icon, its perfect. And Deborah is a key part of it. Please say hi to her when you walk in and pass by the front counter. She’ll be pleasantly smiling and looking forward to meeting you.
And great prices. Check it out if you’re in downtown Detroit. Its right next to the downtown. And its awesome.

This place is amazing! Mr. King was there when I was there. The place is a treasure trove. If you haven’t been there yet, go! Go right now!

When I was a kid my Dad would take me here every time he dragged my suburban ass into the city. It’s always been a magical place for me and even though the photography section has been exiled from the first floor, I still love it. It’s a great bookstore for getting lost without an agenda. Every trip drags and pulls you towards the book you need to find, on that exact day, if you let it.
Even though you think you should be reading a book by some dead white guy, you will end up realizing a film novelization of a movie you barely remember watching, a monograph of an artist you’ve never heard of, or a book of numerology is what the book gods want you to take home.
This is one of the best things in Detroit, and you should come here and get lost as often as possible.

I had really high expectations for John K. King Used and Rare Books, but they weren’t met. Far from it and to be honest I left feeling, surprisingly, very disappointed. They have a lot of books but they’re disorganized, most of them are in poor condition, and considering their condition I feel that they’re embarrassingly overpriced.
The shelves are overflowing, they have books stacked on the floor and in crates, and while some might find this «quaint» in reality it’s highly impractical and it’s damaging the books. The staff is very friendly but unfortunately not very helpful as not even they seem to be able to find much of anything in that mess.
While I actually found a few books that have been on my list for sometime I did not end up purchasing them because they were in poor condition. In that type of environment most books will take on a musty smell, not the cutesy «old book smell» that some people find endearing, but a genuine musty smell. (If you’ve ever tried or succeeded in getting rid of that smell you know how difficult it can be.) Or they were very well used books. To add insult to injury they were overpriced.
I expected to walk away with at least one box of books (which is my norm) but I only bought two. I’m sad to say that this will be my first and last time visiting.

TBH I’m a big fan of activities that don’t involve other people.
I love naps. Shopping online is something I enjoy. Number one fan of creating Netflix queues.
That being said, when I heard about a giant used bookstore in the middle of one of the most crime ridden cities in the country I was tickled pink.
Who would accompany me to a giant warehouse in Detroit during one of the warmest (and most sunny) winters ever known in the history of the Midwest?
Yeah. So, that’s how I discovered John K. King Books.
Okay, so look here: this is a giant used bookstore. It’s massive. It’s literally a giant warehouse full of books that are old and dusty. Unless you’re a freak or dense you’ll probably get down with something here.
It just depends how long you want to look.
As someone who has been to a lot of used bookstores I honestly srsly can say that I’ve never been to a place as physically big as JKKB with a selection as vast as JKKB. However, I’ve been to a lot of places that have much better selection than this place.
Look, I love carousing aisles full of 60’s misogynist psychology books as much as the next twenty something but when it comes to stocking my bookshelf, I say «no» to that kind of thing you know?
There are definitely some good books here but like I mentioned you gotta dig and they expensive and if you’re like me, you have priorities and those priorities include spending money on overpriced vinyl records and organic avocados from Whole Foods and not water damaged copies of «The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism».
But srs, you should go here. I give it four starsies because regardless of what is inside its amaze.
Also there is parking and the guy who works there is really nice and helped me not hit any other cars in the lot which if you know me is something that is so appreciated and something that I am not good at.

This is the biggest used bookstore in Metro Detroit. If you weren’t able to find a book elsewhere, you may be able to find it here within the four stories of wall to wall bookshelves. My boyfriend and I literally spent hours here browsing all four floors. They have every genre and some artwork placed throughout, mainly in the stairwells. I found a New Yorker magazine cover, frame included, and my boyfriend and I bought a handful of books for a decent price (mostly newer, reference books for about $ 7 – 10). The staff is very helpful in helping you locate genres or books as well.
The only downside is that since the building is old, they don’t have very good heating. It was super cold when I went! A pipe also burst and started pouring water on the books, so we helped move the books and clean up the mess (which isn’t a big deal, but be aware that things like that could happen).
They do have a private lot, but it’s not very big and it was hard for us to maneuver in and out of it.

Bloody hell, if there were ever a place where books go to die and be resurrected, this would be the place.
John K. King Books is a large bookstore – four floors – of row after row after row of books. There are two types of used bookstores: one is the neat and tidy bookstore with titles selectively chosen and shelved to be found easily; then there is the second kind where you’ll find books on top of books, stacked vertically, horizontally, behind glass, on top of random objects, and even in some instances, leaning against animals. John King Books is the latter. Now that’s not a bad thing since both have their place and serve readers equally.
The life of a book can be very interesting; some books are published with little to no thought of who the audience will be and are often times discarded, only to find life again on the shelves of a bookstore such as this. Walking the four floors of this bookstore you find yourself thinking, «Who the hell would publish this, who would buy it, who would bother to sell it?!» They have more of these types of books than I could ever imagine.
Let me talk about the staff for a moment. They’re excellent. I’ve hardly found a staff more eager to help you anywhere, much less a bookstore. Not only do they want to help you, but if they are unable to, they’ll ask you to email them periodically to ask about any title for which you are interested. Who does that? Typical business practice lately is to take your information and store it away. John King Books seems to do the opposite and is more than happy to help you in the most non-​pushy way. It is a feat of astounding patience that the staff can find anything in the place, and yet they do and can. While there, I actually got to meet John King. He was friendly, he was happy, he was everything you’d like a bookstore owner to be. His presence was reminiscent of a character in a movie about a bookstore that hasn’t been made yet.
The bookstore has more than just books, they have paintings, typewritters, and other old knick-​knacks for interested parties.
This bookstore is for anyone wanting to visit a bookstore for books, a bookstore as an old time testament to a reading history of America, a Detroit landmark, or just as a fan of books. Don’t go if you are clostrophobic or have a phobia of messy places.
Happy reading all!

John K. King Books is a gem in a town sorely lacking them. Indeed, it would be a jewel in almost any major American city. Most regrettably, in my hometown of Philadelphia, we have no equivalent to King books. The most we can muster are petite rare and antique booksellers (typically focused on a genre), which lack the variety, volume and price spread of King Books.
I distinctly recall my first visit: The thrill of crossing the threshold of the old warehouse King Books calls home and being hit in the face by the delicious perfume of old books. The scent plume is so vivid that it is nearly visible.
Four, count them, four floors of pre-​owned and antique books. I wanted to move in and explore every nook and cranny of this bibliophile’s paradise but on this first visit, I was on a mission for a special birthday gift. This old friend was both addicted to all-​things-​Napoleon and a voracious reader (RIP KS). A sales associate directed me to several shelves of relevant tomes. After pulling several titles and reading a few pages from each, I settled on an 18^th Century first edition for my friend. Bonus: The price was under $ 30. She was thrilled with the gift and I was thrilled that I was able to find something suitable for less than a king’s ransom (ha ha).
We have returned countless times to King Books and regard it as one of our favorite (no calorie) treats when we visit Motown. Absolutely worth a visit (and do drift by Detroit’s architecturally significant abandoned train station while you are in the ‘hood).

This is an awesome used bookstore! A wonderful place to get lost wandering around and discovering treasures.

There’s nothing like the smell of an old book and that scent is heavy here. Most of the books are at least twenty years old, in reasonable condition and tough to find elsewhere. Unfortunately for me, the sections of greatest interest to me are all on the top floor. Be prepared to do some stair-​climbing, wander a little and block out at least an hour of your time.
I’ve been coming occasionally for the last ten years and always leave happy. I relied on this store when taking literature classes since it’s much more affordable than buying new prints at a college bookstore.
Don’t bypass the freebie section at the door, always some good finds in there.

This bookstore has everything! There is fiction, romance, mystical, theatrical, classics and everything in between. There are about three levels that are pure amusement, since it is in an old building. So if you need that old, romantic library feel, then you will fall in love with this place. The staff there were knowledgeable enough, to the point where I was able to find my way around, but even they can forget where some things lay at times. So no penalty for them, however, stick to the signs telling you where to go.

I’m a bibliophile, and I wasn’t disappointed by King’s Books!
There’s free parking in a private lot on the side of the building.
I stopped in here with a friend on a Monday afternoon. The store was relatively quiet, and the guy at the front desk was quite friendly. We were greeted when we came in and provided with a map of the store. There are 4 floors, so it will probably take at least an hour of browsing!
We started with the first floor and made our way up. The staircases are decorated with photographs and paintings for sale. There’s not an inch of the store that isn’t stuffed with books. There’s books everywhere! I was confused at first as to where the prices were listed (they weren’t on the front or back covers) but then I was informed that they were on the first 1 – 3 pages of the book, written on the top right hand side. The books aren’t entirely cheap, seeing as they are rare and first editions most of the time, but they are still priced fairly.
Even if you don’t like reading (gasp!) or aren’t interested in purchasing any books, I would recommend this bookstore just as a tourist spot. It’s housed in an old glove factory, so it has an artsy, vintage touch.
Make sure you set aside an afternoon to go and take a look at King’s Books. You won’t be disappointed.

So I’m a college professor so of course I’m a book nerd. This place is like book heaven, it’s got as many books as the crazy library in NYC. My step dad is also a book nerd so we drug my mom here on their recent visit to Detroit. I could spend hours here, they’ve got great stuff on Freud! Here is my only issue… I am so deathly afraid that the place would catch fire and I’d be trapped 4 floors up! I know I know, stop being crazy but the thought literally went through my head ten times while I was there. Also, I don’t live the parking situation but if you go during the day it’s not terrible.

I don’t understand how they keep this place so organized. Well, I guess I do, because I saw a fair share of employees while visiting. But. still! It’s crazy organized, yet daunting at the same time, in the best way possible.
Came here with a friend with no goals in mind, other than to just check it out and wander around.
There is a book on about every subject you could ever imagine! If you come here with something specific in mind, I have no doubt that you will leave satisfied. I also think if you come here with nothing in mind, you will still leave satisfied.
Just plan to spend some time here and get lost! Oh and I know they say don’t judge a book by its cover but sometimes you have to here haha There are just so. many. books.

Such a fun place to hide on a groggy day. There is a private lot hidden away and four floors of books. Something for everyone. The workers here seem to really enjoy their jobs. The only thing is that they don’t have any of the new books so if you want a current best seller go to Barnes and Nobles.

Absolutely stunning. There are 4 floors chock full of treasures. The staff is all extremely helpful.
Please have at least an hour to peruse things. You’ll need more, but it’s worth it. Maybe even take a break at a nearby lunch spot then come back! haha

Give me a flashlight and a sleeping bag and I’d stay all night.
This place is a treasure.

Absolutely worth a trip! The whole experience is existentially romantic. The industrial warehouse feel, the maps of floor after floor of books. If you are looking for the fun of discovering something unexpected then spend some time on the upper floors.
I love reading metaphysical, religion, and philosophy so it took me about an hour to realize that all of the stuff I was looking for (Mark Twain, C.S. Lewis, G.K. Chesterton etc.) was not located on the 3^rd floor with the 6 – 8 rows of religion and philosophy books but ALL in the classics area on the main floor near the front desk.
The books from here smell more book like! if thats a thing.

I am so impressed with this store. They have a tremendous amount of care for little details.
I got my boyfriend a gift certificate there for Christmas and when the woman told me it was going to take about 10 minutes to make it I was confused, but it came out on fancy paper and was embossed and old-​timey and awesome. Also I ended up buying a few books and when they were rung up they carefully dusted them off with a paintbrush before wrapping them up.
The selection of books is crazy. They have a book about pretty much everything ever and they’re organized surprisingly well.
I also really liked going through the old postcards they had. Lots of them were written on many many years ago and I love that kind of stuff.
Very cool place.

Driving up to the warehouse, I felt all tingle-​y where my husband likely felt concerned about the differences in time we were each wanting to spend there. For perspective, I’ll show the math behind the Time-​In-​Book-​Store Equations in both of our heads.
My husband’s Time-​In-​Book-​Store equation:
8 minutes — 2 minutes if there is any game/​match/​round on TV (being able to retrieve scores on his phone does not influence this number) — 3 minutes if there are no historical artifacts around — 4 minutes if the quantity of books in the store outnumbers baseball cards he collected as a kid — 2 minutes if he is hungry — 4 minutes if he needs a Starbucks — 10 minutes if there is a store nearby that sells North Face fleeces or meat thermometers = _​_​_​_​_​
My equation:
Infinity + 2 days if the book store is in Paris + 30 minutes if I have recently eaten + 4 hours if someone brings me water and a banana + 2 weeks if the store has good lighting = _​_​_​_​_​
My husband is a downloader of books. He likes the feeling of being able to choose between dozens of books that are already on his iPad. I have an aversion to actually reading books on my technology because I consume almost all other content that way. To separate from that reading style and pick up a book is distancing enough from real life that I am immediately relaxed. Plus, the wonder of selecting your next book in an actual book store is special. It just is.
Once inside John K. King Books, we were greeted immediately by both a person and teaming stacks of books. The warehouse windows cracked through all of the book collections occasionally, but mostly we were in a dark maze of mysterious organization and book quality.
It was on the first floor that my husband asked cautiously if we needed to go all the way up to the 4^th floor. This happened just as I saw that TRAVEL was on the 4^th floor. So, up we went to the 4^th floor.
The building (overall) and stairwells (specifically) smelled like hybrid of a library and an old high school more than a traditional book store. There was something reassuring about it, not like that smell that you can never, NOT EVER get out of things bought from a thrift shop.
This is a place that seemed to require more of an exploration than most stores ask. You could ask for help, but that kind of defeats the purpose and the mystery of a shop that has four floors of word weight. The dive for that interesting cover and the reach for that oh-​I-​meant-​to-​read-​that book on the top shelf, these are all of the exercises that work those discovery muscles that make the finding that much better.
Here there are lots of «art» and «historical» non-​literary chotskies around, if books are not your thing. Being there is overwhelming only in that if-​you-​had-​ten-​years-​maybe-​you-​would-​see-​it-​all way and in the unruly temperature way. In these summer months, it is much warmer on the higher floors; a discovery I am sure flips to cold in the winter months. Bring a personal fan or sweater as appropriate.