32nd Avenue Books Toys & Gifts - Denver, Colorado

Maria Caffrey

This store is a complete gem in the neighborhood. I have been there so many times with my daughter for book recommendations and they have always been incredibly lovely and welcoming. They will encourage my daughter to play with the toys while I browse the bookshelves. They are an older couple who are so friendly and their recommendations have always been great. Yes, they are slightly (not much) more expensive than online stores, but I think it's worth it to support a local small business owner.

I'm really not sure why this bookstore has so many bad reviews. Perhaps they have recently changed their policies or ownership because I seem to have a completely different experience to the others. Don't let the other reviews get in the way of checking this place out.

Taylor Beia

Every red-blooded American needs to experience 32nd Avenue Books Toys & Gifts. I want to watch a 9 Episode Ken Burns Documentary series on this store. I want there to be a post-game shuttle bus from Coors Stadium right to this store. I want to get married at this store. Being asked to leave this store upon entry should become a right of passage, like riding a bike for the first time, your first day of kindergarten, and your first kiss. I cannot, in good faith, recommend this as a book store - you are not allowed to shop here. But what you end up leaving with amounts to so much more. Five stars.

Michael Probst

One of the most bizarre, ridiculous, and completely rude retail experiences ever. I walked into the store to buy some toys and books for my grandson. I was primed and ready to spend some serious money. The man at the desk (owner) said, "Can I help you? I said no, I'm just looking, which is my normal response. His wife then came up to me and told me that you can't just browse and look. They have a small store, and they can't have people filling it up browsing. I was the only one in the store. She told me to go online, find what I want, and come back in. I looked at her incredulously. I asked her if she was kidding, and at that point, I realized she wasn't. They proceeded to ask me to leave. I told them I own a business, and if I treated my customers that way, I would be out of business quickly. WHY HAVE A BRICK AND MORTAR?
Most completely insane retail experience ever, not to mention the rudest. Do not patronize. They need to open up the space for someone who values their customers.

Kaitlyn Phillips

Went with my family after a nice lunch down the street. We didn’t know what we were going to get, but we were all going to leave with a book (would have been at least 5 books!), which is my experience most of the time I go to book stores. However, we were told we weren’t allowed to browse so we just left. How do you have a brick and mortar book store if you don’t allow browsing? Was very odd. Please consider allowing browsing as that’s part of the fun of physically going to a book store.

Alexander Lockwood

I have no words for what I just experienced, all I wanted to was look for some books. I was stopped immediately by an older person who asked what I was looking for. I told them one of the books they had on display, they handed me the wrong book in a fluster and when I told them it was wrong they told me no browsing, at a bookstore? Then i was asked to leave. I was stared at the whole time, and there was no one in the store. How do they stay in business? They are on a popular street with lots of clients readily available. I cannot recommend going the bookstore right down the street and blacklisting this place. If I could give zero stars I would.

Mary Vodopest

Owner stopped us and said they didn’t allow browsing. We ended up saying toy section and looked for toys for our son but only bought one thing. The owner has a good selection but had we been allowed to browse more we would have very likely spent more than $15 on that trip. I understand if they are worried about shoplifters but I feel like there are much better ways to handle this.

Pepe Cetina

I get it. It's very easy to check out the curated catalog and recommendations in a bookstore, write a list on your phone and buy them cheaper online.

However, questioning customers at the door and asking everyone to know exactly what they're looking for just completely breaks the logic of a bookstore, where you walk through the aisles without a specific plan and let a book catch your attention.

Being this restrictive in a fairly rude attitude just makes it worse.

Karly Stoddard

The oddest experience of my life. Similar to everyone else, we were told we couldn’t browse the books. When paying out - for two children’s books - I was asked to show my ID. My friends tried to leave the store while I was checking out and the door was locked (!!!!). Overall it was an incredibly uncomfortable experience.