Caravan Book Store

The guy who owns/​runs this place was a jerk to a nice lady who was very excited about the bookstore. No joke, told her that he was about to start doing some work and asked that she stop talking to him. No. You don’t treat people that way. When I walked out, I reiterated her sentiment that he was rude and he exclaimed in his supposed defense «but she was a talker!» Get over it buddy. Obviously you don’t care about selling books or treating people decently.

I just moved back to L. A from England (unfortunately) and wanted to find antique books, I found Caravan Book Store and was not disappointed — for a moment I thought I was back in Europe!
The owner is the friendliest and the most knowledgeable book store owner I have ever met (I am surprised to see that other people had a different experience…), he is very knowledgeable about a lot of subjects and the books in the store, I spent over an hour in there and have learnt a ton (ranging from how to tell when a book is from when it is not dated to L. A history).
The books are all reasonably priced, he also has a lot of other items such as maps, photographs etc.
Don’t miss out!

This is just what a bookstore should be! The owner spends his time reading when customers are not in the store. You see him happily engaged in this activity whenever you walk by. He has diversified interests & speaks knowledgeably about various subjects & book titles.

If you are looking for old vintage books of all sorts of topics this is the place for you. Its next to a starbucks and fairly cramped but you can spend a good half hour to an hour browsing the selections. Good prices as well on some books ranging from $ 4 – 20

Owner Leonard might be the kindest, most knowledgable and welcoming shopkeeper in DTLA. Love this very special store! I can’t believe it took me so many years to think of giving him a Unilocal review.

Aesthetically, this is the quintessential bookstore. It’s not full of remnants and cast offs from larger book stores; it’s full of old and rare and interesting books you never even thought to imagine. It has a great feel and a nice selection for such a small space. Sure, the layout makes you play Twister with the oddly stacked books and there’s no rhyme or reason why the books are categorized the way they are but that’s half the fun! I could easily spend a fortune here. But I will never spend a single cent here, even though I’m a book addict who works 2 blocks away.
Why? Well, I’ll tell you. I went in to Caravan on my lunch break. I work very close and discovered that one of L.A.‘s oldest book stores was something I could walk to quicker than I could reach the cafeteria in my building. Caravan has an extensive selection of books on local subjects. As a book addict, I go through phases where one subject takes over my life for a month or two, and I’m spending all my time on one subject… until I get bored and move on to another. After spending a bit of time browsing and picking up a few books I was planning on buying, I inquired about one of the subjects that fascinated me at that point in time. Being of a true crime nature and dealing with one of L.A.‘s darkest periods, I asked the proprietor if he had any books on this subject. «NO!» he barked. But the way he said it, it essentially translated to, «Get the %&#$ out!»
I truly hate to leave a bookstore (especially an independent one) empty-​handed, but I did on that day. And I’ll never go back. It may look and feel and smell like the bookstore of your dreams, but god forbid you don’t adhere to Scuffy’s unwritten moral code. How dare you inquire about a subject that deals with the history of L.A. in a bookstore that was actually around when this event happened and which has other books on similar themes! I wasn’t trying to rob you, Scruffy, I was trying to become a loyal customer! In hindsight, it felt like I was in Scruffy’s personal museum and not free to look at or inquire about anything, out of fear of upsetting him. Maybe that’s just how he is on the outside and I could have gotten him to warm up to me over the many lunch hours I planned on spending in his store. But there’s something to be said about the cold, impersonal touch of the internet, where my search queries aren’t met with disdain & scorn from haggard proprietors and I actually get what I want instead of the stink eye. I imagine I would have dropped quite a bit of money on books at Caravan since my first excursion there last Spring. Instead, I eagerly await my Friday morning Direct Deposit so I can blow money on Amazon or head West to friendlier bookstores. Caravan could be amazing if somebody else ran it. So, if you want to be made to feel like a criminal or a leper, by all means, go to Caravan Books. Just don’t make eye contact or ask any questions of the man behind the counter. He’s not your friend, he doesn’t want to be, and he wants you out of his shop as soon as possible.

This book store is small but really interesting with a great assortment of old books and antiques for sale. The old posters and post cards are wonderful too. If you are in the area it is to be experienced. The owner isn’t friendly but he doesn’t bite.

Most hostile bookstore owner i have ever met. I would rather take my money elsewhere. I know independent bookstores are a dying breed and we need to support them but this one is not worth supporting.

If you feel like traveling back in time, I suggest checking out Caravan Book Store. The store has a great selection of antiquarian books as well as post cards, posters, prints and other ephemera. A highlight during the holidays is the train set-​up display in the front window. You can see a clip of it here:

Ever since atomic comics has closed down it has been very hard to find a decent comic book store but this one by far comes closest to what atomic was like. They have great variety, friendly people, and good prices. Granted you can always find cheaper comics online but not only do you have to wait for them you don’t get that atmosphere of awesomeness which is worth the extra few bucks, not to mention its easier to broaden your horizon in a comic store rather then online

Unilocal took down my original review saying it wasn’t very useful. I hope to make this one better, I will at least try and make it useful. To do so,
I went down to Caravan Books and talked with Lloyd about censorship and books. He said he had the perfect book for me. But he couldn’t remember what it was and he sold it a little while ago.
We then decided I should probably work on prose.
I asked if he had a first edition of Elements of Style.
He didn’t but he did say that is a great book to have.
I’d really like to add a first edition to my collection. Lloyd is going to keep an eye out for me.
He is good like that. He has scored me a couple great books. Lloyd is a good guy.
He knows way more about books and authors than anyone I have met and talked with.
Go down and talk with him and get a book.
Now on to useful stuff besides getting a book from Lloyd:
If a man says he has puppies in the back of his van in the alleway: it probably isn’t a good idea to find out. You should run.
A $ 5 pizza will taste about as good as a $ 5 pizza should.
Yes, you might get a ton of laughs walking around Walmart but then (you should) feel bad for these people and will probably end up in hell for laughing.
If your significant other says never mind, you better mind.
Teaching the neighborhood kids how to make pool bombs might get you into trouble.
If an elephant is dancing on a ball, in your living room, just ignore it and it will go away.
If you enjoy walking through spiderwebs, you have serious issues, and should seek psychiatric advice.
If an old gypsy sees a pentagram on your palm and then starts speaking in the old language to you about wolfsbane: you are pretty much screwed, and should just kiss trips to the public pool goodbye.
A revolution begins in the mirror.
I hope this helps.
Hopefully it will be useful for someone.
The only important thing is what it means to you; no one can tell you what tastes good or bad, what is right for you, or what is useful. A shovel won’t do much good for a college kid but is great for a grave digger. Unless of course the college kid is a botanist or an archeological type.
Hmmm…
I guess you never know what is useful and for whom.

Among the many books shelved in this bookstore you’ll find numerous first editions and classics as well as historical and non-​fiction. The old man behind the desk adds to the antiquity of his prized store and the atmosphere is heavy but knowledgable.
One can find numerous authors such as Kipling, Wharpole, Poe and others of the like. Prices vary from pocket change to potentially an arm and a leg depending on your fantasy in the written word.
Overall, if you’re in the mood for a classic copywritten close to its original birth then check out this wonderful collection.

This is a charming little treasure that has somehow managed to be around for decades. I sure hope it hangs around for a lot longer, because not only is it historic, it also seems to be run by someone with a sincere and honest passion for books.

Book stores are a dying breed of stores. With big box retailers selling books, a limited number of corporate bookstores, along with the digital age of Ipads and Kindles, there are very few around.
Open since the mid-50’s, Caravan Book Store is a museum in itself with artifacts and books dating from the late 1700’s. Barely at 1,000 square feet, Caravan Book Store has decades old books, memorabilia, photos, and figurines. Located on Grand Avenue just north of 6^th Street, it’s easy to miss this store. It’s located in the Pacific Center Building which also houses Water Grill, great restaurant with vintage architecture.
If you do plan to check out this book store, make sure to find the interior building corridor and lobby. There’s no access from this store. You’ll have to enter the from the outside. Building interior lobby and corridors are vintage 1920’s architecture full of marble accents, vaulted ceilings, and old school mail drop boxes.
Enjoy the history.

I honestly only gave the books at this store a one-​over. It’s the fact that this shop still exists in all its quaintness that deserves 4 stars. I found Caravan by chance. I was walking up Grand on a mile and a half journey from Staples to Grand Park and almost missed it as I was caught up in the GPS feature on my phone. Luckily I looked up in time to catch a really quick glimpse of the inside from the open door. I took another half step and a half forward; enough time for my mind to catch up to my pace. When I realized that I had just seen something enchanting enough to be part of a scene in Harry Potter, I paced backware and popped in.
I looked through the books on sale but didn’t find anything to suit my interest. I noticed most of the books were really old and a lot of them were series. What I did buy were a bunch of cool vintage postcards for less than $ 2 a piece. One of them is of San Diego’s El Cortez hotel which was printed some time between 1927 when it was built and 1951 when the postage was raised to 2 cents. The «One Cent» postage placeholder is really neat. Feels great to support old business, even if marginally.

If you eagerly embrace everything technology has to offer in this world, and furiously rage on Reddit about anything which possibly encumber your voracious early adoption of anything resembling progress… this store isn’t for you.
Just walk out the door.
Walk away.
Don’t post on Unilocal about this place… just let it slip out of your mind and allow any brain cells you might have spent considering this place to be easily supplanted by a thought about google glasses or something hella stupid one of your friends posted on Facebook.
But…if you’re able to take an hour or two and slow the hell down… and really take the time to enjoy something which hasn’t changed much since 1958… if you can accept the incongruity of a store that’s as much a product of a book sellers intellectual pursuits, as much as it is a store, plopped into the middle of downtown LA… then this store needs to be on your bucket list.

To begin with I would like to be completely honest as to why I am writing this review. The other day on my way home from work (I take the METRO train) I happened to open the Unilocal app and saw that some moron had left a one word «TIP» saying «JERK» with out any explanation about The Caravan Bookstore. It really kind of ticked me off. So, I sent the moron a «compliment» suggesting that he write a «review» of his situation that led up to his «TIP». That way, I explained, we could all decide for ourselves just exactly who the jerk was. I can’t even remember what his name was now and I’m sure he didn’t approve my «compliment». I’m also sure he won’t write a review because he’s probably not capable of anything more than «Jerk» or «Doh!».
Having said that I would now like to explain what my experiences have been like at the Caravan Book Store.
To begin with they span well over thirty years. I’ve been going there since I was a teenager. I learned to love books (especially old ones) from my mom. And many an hour I spent with her in the Caravan. My library is extensive, many for my work which are long out of print and can only be found someplace like the Caravan. I won’t get started on what sellers like Amazon and Barnes and Noble have done to independent booksellers like The Caravan. Their numbers are being decimated on a daily basis. It’s a shame and a tragedy of today’s culture. The fact that the man at the Caravan has been there so long (and yes, it has always been him, no one else) is a great treasure of downtown Los Angeles. We are all extremely lucky to have him there.
Some of my favorite and most rare books have come from this business. But more than that, the owner has always been helpful and willing to share his expertise even if I wasn’t buying anything. Perhaps after so, so many years in the game he doesn’t suffer fools gladly. But then why should he? We’ll never know what «Mr. Moron’s» issue was, I’m sure. But I’m willing to lay money that it was he who was the «Jerk».

Support your local independent bookstore!!!

Walking in to this little shop off of Grand is like walking through the entrance to Narnia. It’s a completely different world, man.
When you walk in you immediately raise your IQ by at least five points, and are greeted by a wonderful «musty book smell.» Each step you take you pass a few hundred more old rare books you wouldn’t ever realize you were missing in your life. The shelves themselves are antiques and there are some little surprises along the way.
Sandwiched between some upscale lunch/​dinner options, this little wooden gem is worth a visit.
I went in to do some holiday shopping and the owner was very helpful and kind. We set a few aside for me to pick up after work, but I soon realized I wouldn’t have the time to make the stop. I gave him a courtesy call to re-​shelve them and he was very nice about it and thankful I gave him a call.
Give this guy your money. Grab a book and put down your iPad. You’ll be just fine.

This place is one of LA’s hidden gems. It’s filled with weird, wonderful, and rare used books. Caravan particularly specializes in books about the West. Want to learn more about LA history? You won’t find a better selection anywhere else in the area. Books range in price from super expensive (for well-​known first editions) to quite reasonable. Even if you don’t have a lot of money to spend, it’s worth visiting just for the experience (and you can at least buy a cool leather bookmark). As others have noted, it’s a small shop with books crammed into every shelf and corner. The owner is super friendly and knows a ton. They also sell old LA postcards and other historical documents about California.
Support independent bookstores in Los Angeles! Check out Caravan and you will not be disappointed!