Location & Hours
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Amenities and More
About the Business
Business owner information
Stephen F.
Old and rare books. Children's illustrated, fine bindings and first editions.
Recommended Reviews
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Qype User (tierna…)Cardiff, United Kingdom17146175 Jun 2011The best bookshop in the world. As i grew up in Chiswick i was taken here at a very young age. As i have grown so has my appreciation for this very special bookshop.
Many classic, sometimes expensive books in here including many first editions of Ian Fleming.
Stepping in here is like stepping back in time and i try to pop in every time i'm in Chiswick.
I hope it's here when i have a son and i can take him round just the same way i was. Great childhood memory.
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T E.Pasadena, United States4369653277 May 2012Updated reviewStephen's replies to my grumpy review are pretty fair, I guess.
Power to him for replying!Helpful 2Thanks 0Love this 2Oh no 0Business owner information
Stephen F.
5 May 2012
Sorry you found us disappointing, it's not the usual reaction we get.
1. The books are all organised into sections, and we are happy to point you in the direction of whatever subject you are looking for. Sorry about the piles of books (4ft piles? hmmm) it's a small shop, and we are guilty of adding too much from time to time.
2. Nice books.
3. It also means seperately published etchings, lithographs and drawings. Yes we do have engravings taken from books, but we don't EVER break up a complete book (it happens to be forbidden by our trade association the ABA), and using engravings that have come from incomplete volumes, means we can use something that has been supplied from a work that is defective, and likely not to be of interest to a collecter.18 Dec 2011Previous reviewPretty disappointing for an antiques book store. Perhaps I've been spoiled by all the lovely ones in Cambridge and Oxford but Fosters is not my cup of tea for three main reasons:
1. No obvious organisation - books are literally piled up everywhere and in some cases if you were to take one out to flick through it you could literally destabilize half of the shop and have 4ft high piles coming down all around you.
2. High prices. Gah... well this IS London I guess.
3. Lots of framed maps and illustrations for sale. You know what this means? It means old books have been cut-up so that the map and picture pages can be sold individually in frames. This is my major hate with a lot of the antique book industry. Whether Fosters are doing it themselves or not, I'd rather they didn't sell these and keep this book-butchering business going.
Carolina G.London, United Kingdom62973108 Dec 2008First to ReviewIf any of you know that show 'Black Books', then this shop will be reminiscent of the one in the show. It is a lovely shop which reminds you of a simpler time. They have lots of books, antiquarian and rare books, fine bindings, children's illustrated and first editions, prints, postcards and ephemera. It feels crammed but I don't mind this when it comes to books because it adds character and uniqueness to the shop.
You can also take any old books and exchange them, or even sell them. It's like adding to a library were the smells of moist paper and wood are enticing and overwhelmingly delicious. (No, is not food but it really is special) It also helps that this shop is one of the oldest in the high road, dates back to 1800s.
Being what the books are can make them expensive, for instance a 1930s alphabet and image book in french can cost £48, but you can find cheaper books like Joan Miro's Sculptures for £17. Even if you don't want to buy anything the sense of history and longevity is palpable.
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Shila B.Vancouver, Canada177128597348 Oct 2016They had a sale on brand new Mr. Men books. I collect Mr. Men books, therefore, was able to score some UK only versions of the books for a pound each which is $1.58 Canadian. Normally in Vancouver these books new cost 7 pounds. The inside of the store is cramped, semi organized but not much room to browse. Mostly older titles. Fair prices and good customer service.
Helpful 0Thanks 0Love this 0Oh no 0- Matt B.Houston, United States0321 Aug 2017
If you love books, you'll love this place! The gentleman at the counter was very polite and helpful in finding the book I was after. It is definitely worth a visit if you're in the London area.
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