Unique Bookstores: Sweet Pickle Books trades books for pickles in New York City

In November of 2020, a new type of used bookstore opened in New York City. This bookstore allowed people to bring in their books in exchange for a jar of pickles. The Sweet Pickle Bookstore is the perfect destination for people who love both pickles and books.

I learned about this unique used bookstore from my father, who was really excited by the idea of a books and pickles exchange. This led to hunting down more information about this store located in the Lower East Side of New York. (It's even been on the news, so it was actually not that hard to find information about the store.)

The Sweet Pickle Bookstore has a rather unique approach to bringing used books into their store. According to their About Me page, the store accepts "donations" of books and records. Donations are accepted two days per week, specifically on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. If you bring in four books, you can get a jar of pickles. And it seems as if there are four different types of pickles to choose from, Double Dill Spears, Bread & Butter Pickles, the Big Jar of Dill Pickle, and the Big Jar of Spicy Pickles.

Trade some books for pickles at the Sweet Pickle Bookstore in NYC

We do have to point out that even if you bring in more books, you still only get the one jar of pickles. That being said, this is still such a fun way to potentially get some of the books you are done with into a new home, while also getting something for them.

Every month, the store shares what they are looking for when it comes to books. Basically, they let their followers know what genres and types of books they need in inventory and those are the books that they are accepting when it comes to donations.

In a post on Instagram for July 2024, the Sweet Pickle Bookstore shared that they are in need of books in the horror, science fiction, romance, and mystery genres. Other requests for books include poetry books, fiction, cooking, art, and more. However, there is also a list of what they are not accepting for the month, which includes dictionaries, young adult books, religious texts, and more.

Every month, the list changes based on what the store may need. And that is really cool. It allows the store to offer what customers are looking for, while also being picky.

Personally, I love the idea of pickles and books coming together in such a symbiotic manner. And this is just so much fun.

We really want to check out this store in New York and not only bring them some books, but also try their pickles. But we want to know what you think. Is this the kind of bookstore that you want to check out? How do you feel about trading books for pickles?