118 home to plenty of amazing stores for decades, and even nowadays there is no shortage of great ones. Among several stand- outs, independent store Stinkweeds was founded by Kimber Lanning in 1987 and moved to its current location on Camelback Road and Central Avenue in 2004. It’s been a cornerstone of the Phoenix community, especially as a woman-owned and -run busi- ness. Over the years, Stinkweeds has become a Valley favorite for its excellent customer service and wide-ranging selection, helping shoppers stay aware of both new trends and less-commercial artists. An ongoing renova- tion and expansion will undoubtedly make Stinkweeds a premier Phoenix shopping destination for years to come. 22222 B EST N E W R EC O R D STO R E Nile Records 40 N. Macdonald, Mesa 602-705-3628 nilerecordsaz.com The folks behind The Nile Theater in down- town Mesa are nothing if not prolific. They already operate one of the best concert halls in the East Valley, a badass complementary venue downstairs called The Underground and a quaint coffee shop. Now, they’ve expanded into music retail. Last year, they opened Nile Records, a spin-off shop within The Greenbelt building up the street selling vinyl, tapes, CDs, books and apparel. What the small store, which recently moved to a slightly larger space next door, lacks in size, it makes up for with a curated selection of new and used music in the rock, country, indie, punk and hip-hop variety. Then there’s its coolest aspect that sets it apart from other vinyl emporiums: When artists and bands play Nile Theater or The Underground, the store has their tour merch and music avail- able for anyone who couldn’t make it out. Co-owner Michelle Donovan says that oper- ating a small record shop with merch from recent shows was something they had wanted to do for years. “We’ve been collecting merch from the bands that came through,” she says. “So we’ll have their stuff on hand in case fans miss out. It’s like their second chance.” 22222 B E ST B O O KSTO R E Changing Hands Bookstore 300 W. Camelback Road 602-274-0067 6428 S. McClintock Drive, Tempe 480-730-0205 changinghands.com Don’t give your money to Amazon. Jeff Bezos has enough of it. If you want to buy a book, go to Changing Hands. A Valley fixture since 1974 — and at its second location in Phoenix since 2014 — Changing Hands is exactly what a bookshop should be. The shelves are packed with titles, and if you can’t find something, a friendly staff member is ready to help you. And Changing Hands is so much more than just books. There’s no better place to grab stocking stuffers — lotions, ornaments, cooking supplies, funny knick-knacks and more abound. With the First Draft Book Bar located inside the Phoenix store, it’s also a great place to crack open a paperback and grab a drink. Changing Hands also hosts everything from writers’ workshops to author readings to poetry nights. And instead of your money lining Bezos’ pockets, portions of every sale benefit public radio, charities and local schools. 22222 B E ST U S E D B O O KSTO R E Bookmans Entertainment Exchange 8034 N. 19th Ave. 602-433-0255 1056 S. Country Club Drive, Mesa 480-835-0505 bookmans.com Truly, we want to support the publishing industry. It’s just that new books cost an arm and a leg these days. Fortunately, there’s Bookmans Entertainment Exchange. A local staple for decades, Bookmans’ two Valley locations have an enormous selection of used books across all genres. As original list prices creep up, so have Bookmans’ books, but you can still get most titles for about half of what you’d pay at Barnes & Noble. And Bookmans goes way beyond the printed page; both loca- tions sell musical instruments, DVDs, video games, vinyl records, craft supplies, collect- ibles and other cool stuff. You can even take your unwanted items and get cash or trade for them. The store’s cozy, welcoming atmo- sphere makes it easy to spend an afternoon browsing, after which we often leave with an armful of new-to-us reading material. 22222 B E ST B O O K SA L E VNSA Used Book Sale Arizona State Fairgrounds 1826 W. McDowell Road 602-265-6805 vnsabooksale.org Along with Christmas, our birthday and the ASU v. U of A football game, the VNSA Used Book Sale is one of the events we eagerly anticipate each year. For one weekend, an exhibition hall at the Arizona State Fair- grounds turns into an epic shopping experi- ence. More than 500,000 books, magazines, records, games, puzzles, maps and more are for sale at ridiculously low prices. Book dealers and bargain hunters show up as early as possible for a good spot in line; in fact, before the sale organizers changed the rules
