Rare Book Shop Near Me: Counterpoint Records and Books in Franklin Village

Counterpoint Records & Books is the rare book shop near me pick for people who want their first editions mixed with crate digging. The shop at 5911 Franklin Avenue, on the Franklin Village stretch below the Hollywood Hills, has bought and sold secondhand media since 1979. Signed art books and leather-bound classics share the room with vintage paperbacks, used vinyl, cassettes, VHS tapes and laserdiscs. It is a walk-in shop, open every day of the week, and the signed and collectible shelves are what turn a casual browse into a hunt.

Counterpoint was started in 1979 by John Polifronio and his partner Susan, who later became his wife. In 1997 the couple bought the building the shop occupies, which helps explain why it has outlasted so many Hollywood bookstores that lost their leases. Film fans may recognise the room from the romantic comedy A Lot Like Love, which shot scenes inside. The shop still calls itself a brick-and-mortar store first, although it also sells through eBay, Discogs and its own website. Over those decades the shelves have absorbed every format Los Angeles has thrown away, from laserdiscs and cassettes to zines and DVDs, which is why the store now reads like an archive of how the city consumed books, music and movies.

The rarities are the reason this shop belongs on a rare-book list. On the day of writing, Counterpoint's website listed a signed and numbered copy of Ellen von Unwerth's The Story of Olga at $5,000, a copy of Mario Bava: All the Colors of the Dark signed by the author to actor John Law at $1,300, and a signed, leather-bound Slaughterhouse-Five at $950. A first printing of Anton LaVey's The Satanic Rituals was listed at $150. Online stock moves quickly, so treat these as a picture of the range rather than a shopping list.

Not everything is a trophy. The same website listed a signed copy of Wanda Coleman's poetry collection Mercurochrome at $45 and a VHS tape of Godard's Les Carabiniers at $50, which says a lot about the shop's taste. Horror, erotica, film, poetry, photography and art all have their own categories online, and the store mirrors that mix. Collectors of cult cinema and Los Angeles literature tend to leave with more than they planned, because the cheap shelves are curated by the same people who price the rare ones.

Inside, a long rack of CDs runs down the middle of the store like a spine. Fiction sits behind it, with philosophy and religion on the opposite wall, and record bins fill the gaps between aged wooden shelves. Vintage paperbacks, zines, magazines and stacks of ephemera are scattered through the room rather than locked away. The pace is slow and the light is low, so give yourself time. A quick lap shows you the layout, and a second lap is when you start to spot the odd signed copy.

Counterpoint's posted hours are noon to 8 pm, Monday through Sunday. Early afternoon on a weekday is the easiest time to take your time at the bins without someone reaching over your shoulder. Evenings bring people heading to dinner and drinks along Franklin, and the store gets livelier after 6 pm.

Counterpoint buys as well as sells, and its buying hours are 1 pm to 6 pm every day. You do not need an appointment to bring in books or records unless you have more than about ten boxes. For a larger collection, the shop asks you to phone or email so staff can plan a visit to you. Sort what you bring by format, keep records in their sleeves, and pull out anything signed or first printing so the buyer sees it right away.

Flip records toward you and return them in the same order, and never stack loose vinyl on top of a full bin. Hold paperbacks by the covers instead of bending the spine to read a blurb. Keep bags and drinks off the shelves, and ask before photographing signed items or price tags. If you want to hear a record before buying it, ask staff rather than pulling it from the sleeve yourself. These are small courtesies, but they matter in a shop where so much of the stock is fragile.

Franklin Village is a short commercial strip of cafes, bars and small shops, and Counterpoint fits its unhurried rhythm. After browsing, walk north on Canyon Drive toward Bronson Canyon in Griffith Park, where the trail leads to the cave used in countless westerns and old TV shows. If you prefer pavement, follow Franklin Avenue east into Los Feliz and look for the Shakespeare Bridge, a Gothic-style span from the 1920s. The nearest Metro B Line stations are Hollywood/Western and Hollywood/Vine, both south of Franklin.

Counterpoint suits record collectors who also read, readers who also collect, and anyone looking for a signed gift with some character. Film students will find cult cinema on page and on tape, and poetry readers will find signed small-press work for less than a dinner out. It is not a polished antiquarian showroom with white gloves and glass cases, so expect dust and density. If that sounds like a feature rather than a flaw, you will happily lose an afternoon here.

Counterpoint Records & Books is at 5911 Franklin Avenue, Hollywood, CA 90028, in Franklin Village. The shop is open Monday through Sunday, noon to 8 pm, and buys books and records daily from 1 pm to 6 pm, with appointments needed only for more than about ten boxes. Street parking along Franklin fills up in the evening. Ask Karpo in the Karpo APP to build a Hollywood afternoon around Counterpoint, a hike in Bronson Canyon and dinner nearby.