Daedalus Books & Music in Baltimore, Maryland

Daedalus Books & Music is a remarkable bookstore located in Baltimore, Maryland, at 5911 York Road. (map) This is an incredibly convenient location, right near a great little shopping center, a couple local coffee shops, and a Staples. Though I wasn't able to visit it this trip, the same people run another location in Columbia, MD.

The first thing that struck me about Daedalus books was its remarkably affordable pricing. On my first visit I left with three books I'd been wanting for a long time, all for under $12, and this less than $4 per book pricing is common in the store, which sells publishers' overstocks for 50-80% off. I'm not used to seeing popular and famous authors' books for less than $5 in hard cover, but at Daedalus, this is the norm. Don't believe me? Check out their website here.

Did I mention that this place also sells CDs and DVDs? Here the selection is a little more limited - Daedalus is primarily a bookstore, but the pricing is just as good. The only CDs that they have anywhere near full price are European imports which you can't get anywhere else anyway. Most of their DVDs are of a more scholarly bent than at a Blockbuster - it's a great place to pick up cheap DVDs of History Channel specials and documentaries, but probably not the best place to go if you're in the mood for Doom or Batman Begins. Their classical music selection is very good, many European labels such as Deutche Grammophon are widely available, and right now they have a CD set of the complete works of J.S. Bach (155 CDs for $110!).

The staff at Daedalus Books are very nice and well-educated. At other, less-awesome bookstores, I'd grown accustomed to being met with blank stares if I asked to find an old classic or whether a particular translation was any good, but here the staff are quick, competent, and intelligent. I had no trouble finding what I was looking for, and quite a few things besides. My dad's been teaching English for 30 years, and I found books that he doesn't have and wanted in only a few minutes. I also found the atmosphere very please. Nothing was cramped or hard to find, and there are comfortable chairs and good lighting.

To make a long story short, I went to a bookstore, got caught up in all the cool books, and dropped $40, but this time I left the store with 6 great books, all in good bindings and good editions - a series upgrade from my usual haul if I drop $40 at a bookstore. If you're ever in Baltimore, you should definitely check this place out - I promise you'll be impressed.