Tim’s Used Books

Great used book store. Stacks and stacks of books on all subjects. Good, reasonable prices. Knowledgeable staff. Great location on main street. Does smell like old books, but hey there are a lot of old books. Old smelly carpet too. Anyone who likes old books, this is for you. One of the few around. Check it out. Open most times.

Tim’s on busy Main Street in the middle of Hyannis is a fairly typical used bookstore except that it seems a bit roomier than most. That said, there are stacks of books on the floor and up to the ceiling in some places, so if it’s variety you’re seeking, you’ll be able to spend plenty of time here. There is some organization, but as a staffer working here told us, «it’s organized chaos.» They have large collections particularly of local history, science subjects, history from all over the world and, perhaps unusually, lots of lit crit. If you’re searching for a specific title, good luck. Fun place for no-​pressure browsing books used, old and very old.

A great place to lose yourself for a bit, browsing the racks n’ stacks.
Customer service is kind of an after thought, they don’t bag your purchases and kind of look at you with an intense fear you’ll engage them in inane conversation, but I love this place.
Always find something great here!

Very good used bookstore. Nice and quiet and very well organized. I spent a long time browsing and never felt pressured by staff to buy something (though I did buy something of course! How could I resist?). A bookstore-lover’s bookstore! Especially good nonfiction collections including many academic books and science books, field guides, etc. Priced very reasonably. I hope they can stay in business in this era of amazon!

Do not go into Tim’s Used Books with a specific book in mind. It is really just a browsing store as it is floor to ceiling covered in used books. It has such a large filled space that I’m betting you’ll find something you want. I personally didn’t find much of interest (likely due to being overwhelmed by the selection). But there are some real gems in both fiction and non-​fiction. They even have a textbook/​reference section which never seems to amaze me (who will buy a reference on how to use an 8-​track player or a textbook on programming Windows98??)
But if you have time to walk around, it’s worth a look. Don’t expect a fine example of organization or any kind of eye-​catching décor. It’s used books, plain and simple.

New books
old books
and books
in between
Tims’ is a bookstore located right on Main Street in the center of Hyannis. Not a particularly large store, it has the delightfully sloppy and unorganized look that I love in used bookstores. Books just kind of piled everywhere but in a loose system so you can actually find what you’re looking for.
Lots of local history and nature books find there way here so it’s a good place to find information about Cape Cod and the islands. Last time I was here I found a whole batch of hiking and biking books of the area.
Tim’s also seems to specialize in used text books and lots of college kids come here to get a break on the ridiculously high prices on necessary course books. You don’t have to be in school to buy a text book and if you have a sudden and unexpected desire for a book on microbiology or non linear differential equations this is a good place to find one at a good price.
Of course Tim’s also buys books and many people walk in with books that they want to sell and then end up buying more. The prices on most books are quite reasonable and it’s easy to walk out with a sack of cool used books.
Certainly not the largest bookstore around but a cool place with nice people and a great place to stop when on the cape and need something to read.