Oscar’s Art Books

It’s upsetting to me that a business would tell it’s customers they are closing in a short time, and then still be open 6 – 7 months later. I rushed in and bought more books, told everyone I could to rush and buy books, and was quite sad they were shutting down. To me, it seems they just needed money and lied. Once a loyal Oscar’s book buyer, not anymore. Ripped off.

Good selection of art books, but there’s one particular employee here who has not made me feel welcome at all. It may be that I’m younger than the general crowd that shops here (I was 22 before I stopped coming here), but I have previously been accused of taking pictures of the pages of books without buying them – just because I had my phone out while I was browsing. The employee’s condescending attitude was not only insulting but it was also dismissive when I explained that I was texting while I was only looking at the condition of a book before I bought that particular copy. Needless to say, he certainly didn’t care for what i had to say.
Even before that particular incident, that employee never stopped to ask if I ever needed help finding a particular book, even when I’ve personally seen him go out of his way for «older» customers.
My gripe is really with just that one employee but everyone else is welcoming and friendly. It’s just such a shame when a decent store with decent employees has ruined a customer from returning because of one person.

Because this is closer to my best friend than I he gets the books for me. They always have something that I’m looking for that he brings back to me at prices that are better than other book stores in the city. My best friend and I (he gives me some books) always come home with something. There hasn’t been one visit in which we were empty handed. The conditions of the book varies, however, most are great. We go in at least twice a month.

with good specialty stores closing all the time its nice to have a place to go were you can find a cool book every time you walk in

«Do you write a good review for every good store experience you have?»
This is what the salesperson said to me after I complained about being treated rudely by her co-​worker, Dave. Now I’m making good on my promise to write an unfavorable review. Probably would have skipped it if salesperson 2 had been civil with me and my family.
We were visiting from Boston and came in to Oscars to spend $ 120 in gift cards. I was looking for a specific format day planner and saw that a few had been opened so that people could check the format. I use a day planner to book clients for my business. The one I wanted to buy did not have an open sample available so I asked Dave if he could open one for me. Just a note that usually when someone wants to check a dayplanner format, they just open it to look and do not thumb through as opposed to all the other (some quite expensive) art books in the store that are not wrapped in plastic and are regularly thumbed through. I can’t even tell you how unpleasant Dave was about it. He went over to the rack and started showing me a planner that was already open that I had already explained was not the right format. Then he gave me a really nasty lecture about not opening any of the others. It was so unpleasant that I just had to walk away from him. We only bought things at Oscars because of a gift card, but I will never set foot in that place again. Both salespeople really treated us like dirt. They were totally toxic. There are lots of other places to buy art books in Vancouver. With that kind of customer service, Oscars does not deserve your business.

Thee Go-​To Place for art books– architecture, interior design, furniture design, painting, drawing, artist biographies, photography, 3D rendering, illustration, erotica, classic, avante garde, nouveau, etc. These are books that are meant to be held, flipped through, displayed proudly, and adored. The ebook would not do justice for these heavily illustrated, carefully curated, hardcover (and softcover) tomes. There is always a sales section on art books too, but paying full price feels worth it – you are getting something substantial in return.
They have paper paraphernalia too: Moleskins and other notebooks, calendars, agendas and pocketbooks. Oscar’s has a HUGE selection of calendars, which tend to go on sale in January, but by then the selection has been heavily picked through.
Oscar’s also has a book making machine: the Espresso 2.0. They have a handy Set Up Guide available on their website and is a great option for self-​publishing a limited run of books. I’ve seen the finished products and they’re very good looking.

Local and going strong!
Oscar’s has a very nice selection. And what they don’t have, the staff are eager to order for you right away. They also have book reading supplies such as lights and fun bookmark’s.
Oscar’s has every section I want. Their film and television section could be bigger but I have still found some books I ended up buying and enjoying. The space is rather small but they do a good job of getting as much as they can in there. The sections are easily identifiable, but if you can’t find what you are looking for, thanks to the size of the store, it takes no time to find a customer service person who can help you out.
Oscar’s has been around for a long time. I have probably purchased a dozen or more books from them to date. Their pricing is similar to that of the major bookstores. The discounts are okay but aren’t as good as the big book franchises. So for all those reasons, I give the four stars.

The Book is Dead, The Book is Dead, The Book is Dead. Nonsense Oscars Art Books proves this on a daily basis. If there is and Oscar behind Oscar’s, he is a Mad Man with a good eye and sense of self promotion. The store is full of books about image creation, colour use and design and what is called «ART». This store makes me think of Rollo May (think psy 202) and his idea it takes «Courage to Create» the Books in Oscars Shop show you how others have embraced the feeling «Courage» and we see the result of efforts in the books on the shelf’s and maybe the books on Oscars Shelf will give us all the same «Courage to Create»

I am here for the game-​related art books! They seem to know exactly what I want before I’ve entered (Okami and Mass Effect Universe art books, ohmygosh). They especially carry the Udon game book range, which is nice, as those are good quality.
Also, anything that’s new out by the front is often 20% off, which is always a nice little surprise. The Moleskin range is great, and there sure are many other cool art books here. But yay for game/​animé/​movie art books!

YOU THIEVES YOU TAKE MY MONIES! Well, I guess it’s my fault for coming in here.
Animation books are really hard to come by. Try finding a good animation book at Chapters. It’s basically down right impossible! Oscar’s however has a huge selection of art books
–Animation
–Concept Art
–Fashion
–Art History
–Architecture
–Industrial Design
–Painting
–Drawing
–Anatomy
–Interior Design
–Graphic Design
–Etc.
They also have mole skin sketchbooks and other note books! Plus when they do have sales the sales are fantastic. I got a Lord of the Rings Concept Art book for $ 10! Yea, I know your jealous. Go support Oscars. Cool people work here, and are willing to help you find whatever you need

I could spend DAYS in this store!
(And every dollar I earn!)

Dear Oscar’s,
I know I visit you often, but it’s only fair that I let you know just how much you mean to me.
Because of your vast and reasonably priced Moleskine selection, my time and ideas remain organized. Your tables, filled with countless beautiful books on art, design, architecture, fashion and photography are discounted to prices sooo low that I’m able to afford almost everything I could ever want. Your shelves, with their almost endless gift inspiration, are perfectly stocked with the most desirable books for my collection.
You are a special shop, Oscar’s, and I’m so happy you are here.

I love good bookstores, and Oscar’s is about as good as it gets. Wonderfully varied selection of art related books, as well as calendars, journals, notebooks, etc. Buying books is a luxury that I don’t afford myself very often, but I stop in at Oscar’s at least once a year for a very specific reason… to buy a Moleskine planner.
Despite their pretentiousness, I’ve been hooked on them ever since my sister gifted me one several years ago. Oscar’s has far and away the most comprehensive selection of Moleskine products I’ve seen in any bookstore (city guides, notebooks in all colours and sizes, and the new «passion» collection), and at very reasonable prices. When I visit in early January, I know I can get my Moleskine for 20% off list price. And to top it off, service is lovely. They’re out of stock in 2011 planners at the moment, but they’re available for pre-​order. And if you’re lucky like me, you’ll nab the secret copy that someone ordered by accident and didn’t buy!

I’ve been going to Oscar’s Art Books for years checking out their deeply discounted art & music books. I’ve almost never left the store without finding something that I didn’t know I needed. LOL! As a potential author I have been seriously thinking of self publishing and going the route of self promoting my manuscript. Now that Oscar’s has a printing machine on site, I am hatching a plan. The owners are helpful, the stock is ever changing and the prices can’t be beat!

The thing that sets Oscar’s apart from other book stores is their passion for beautiful books. They don’t just have Taschen’s; they’ve got a Taschen section! Similarly, with Moleskins; with Tat books; the list goes on.
Part of the allure is their innumerable tables of knockdown priced art books; Oscar’s is seemingly ruthless with stale-​dating their merchandise and clears it if it hasn’t sold. Amazing deals to be had on beautiful books on timeless subjects.
Of note is a new machine they’ve got that looks like the love-​child of a photocopier and a Guttenberg press. You can print books on demand!
I don’t know much more about the process: when I saw the machine, I didn’t know whether I should bow down before it or start throwing things at it; the thing is just that revolutionary in appearance!

Oscar’s is a great place to go for your art book needs. Everything from graphic design, animation, furniture design, architecture, fashion, photography, erotic art, and the more traditional drawing and painting books are available here. Hardcovers are well represented and books range from how-​tos to inspiring collections.
Tables are laid out with fantastic sales and are well worth picking through. Find quirky gifts for friends and family (or yourself!) or even hard to find artist’s bookworks.
By the door, find independent chapbooks from local artists and writers (small run, artist created), one of the few places these can be found.
I do wish that the art theory section was bigger and more definitive. Theory books are so difficult to find.

I heart Oscar’s. I heart them a lot. Whenever I walk in, I tell myself, «Ok, I’ll just look. That’s it. Then I’ll leave.» How naïve.
Not only do they have an amazing selection of whatever art book you could want, if they don’t have it they’ll order it for you.
Oh, want a discount? Here you go, have a free membership and 15% off all your purchases ever. And take this free re-​usable cloth shopping bag too.
Thank you, Oscar, whoever you are.

Oscar’s is great — they have all sorts of books EXCEPT novels. Mostly it is Art, Design, Photography, Erotic, Cooking, Computer, Journals, Calendars, etc.
There are two great things about Oscar’s:
1. It is a small, local, independent book store.
2. The sales! I have literally bought a $ 90 book for $ 10!
Shop here. Support the ‘little guy’. It is smaller shops like these that make the neighbourhoods around Vancouver so great!

I was on the hunt for some Moleskins: bound at the top, unlined pages, black cover.
Getting off the #17 bus at Broadway and Granville, you can basically walk right in the door to Oscar’s, so I did. Within seconds I’d found the exact Moleskin I was looking for and proceeded to the counter.
Now I have a slight confession: I got off the bus because I’d been planning on going to Chapters. Yes I know I know, but I’d checked at a couple of independents already and failed to find the right Moleskin.
So there I am in Oscars, confessing to the cashier my guilt about planning to go to Chapters but ending up at Oscar’s. So rather than hissing at me about buying local, the guy gives me 10% off the Moleskins! That positive reinforcement only made me think more consciously about buying local. And, it also gave me a break on those horrendously expensive but beautiful little notebooks.

Whenever I am looking for a decent art book, design book or in general a good coffee table book. Oscars is the first place I think of…
The selection is awesome. they carry a lot of Taschen books which is my favorite publisher. the service is AMAZING and they usually have those hard to find out of print books I’m looking for… and if not they will always offer to order it in or help you track a copy down in one way or another…
Next time you need a good book about Channel… Monet. Tom Ford… Frank Lloyd Wright… Paris Interiors. Modern Design… Karim Rashid… Wolfgang Tillmans… The Architecture of Chairs… or whatever it may be. skip Chapters and support a local business!