Bookman’s Entertainment Exchange

Specialties

Bookmans Entertainment Exchange is your source for new and used books, music, movies, video games and systems, musical instruments and much more! Trade in your used merchandise for cash or trade credit.

Our Mesa location is proud to serve coffee, espresso, specialty drinks, and smoothies. We accept trade credit in the café, so bring in your used books and trade ‘em in for a delicious lunch.

History

Established in 1976.

An Arizona institution for over 30 years, Bookmans Entertainment Exchange has built our reputation on the concept that «used» is not a dirty word. With six stores in Tucson, Mesa, Phoenix, and Flagstaff, we rely on our customers for what we sell — books, music, movies, video games and systems, magazines, comics, electronics, tchotchkes, and musical instruments, and more. That’s nearly 114,000 combined square feet of media recycled from the community. We provide the shelves but it’s your stuff that goes on them.

Meet the Business Owner

Bob O.

Business Owner

Bookmans founder Bob Oldfather never expected to go into retail. «I was going to be a mechanical engineer,» he says. «I never thought about being in retail.» But at the pivotal age of 25, a move back to Tucson from Colorado led to a fateful visit to his father, who owned and operated Livingston’s Used Books at the corner of Broadway and Tucson Boulevard.

«I hadn’t seen my dad in quite a few years, so I stopped in to see him, and I just hung out. He had this little store — I don’t think it was over 2,000 square feet, maybe 1,500 square feet. It was mostly paperbacks and some magazines.»

Over thirty years later, with six stores in Arizona, Bob’s creativity and willingness to take risks remains the force behind Bookmans. «I would love to say I had this grand vision, that I knew it was going to be successful. But it was never about money. Ever. I just wanted a cool place for me to hang out.»