The Custard Square Bookshop — Christchurch Central
A secondhand bookshop in Christchurch Central, Christchurch. Part of the Greater Christchurch secondhand bookshops directory — see also our NZ used-book price guide.
About
The Custard Square Bookshop is Christchurch’s only brickless central-city secondhand bookshop: a custard-yellow vintage caravan parked at the Arts Centre on Worcester Boulevard. Run by Cathleen and Tony, it packs literary-leaning fiction, gardening, cooking and children’s books into a tiny, carefully chosen stock — all typically $5.
Trading is outdoor and weather-dependent (closed in heavy rain or strong wind), Wednesday to Sunday. Neat Places and Spinoff both celebrate the caravan’s charm and the owners’ hand-picked eye. If you’re already in the four avenues and need something to read without a library card, this is the central used-books lifeline. Grab an ice cream from nearby Frances Nation and read in the Botanic Gardens.
Price tip: Flat ~$5 pricing — about the price of a coffee for a hand-picked read.
What you’ll find
Hand-picked literary fiction, poetry-adjacent browsing, gardening, cookery, children’s books — small stock, high hit-rate.
Practical info
- Address
- Arts Centre, 2 Worcester Boulevard, Christchurch Central, Christchurch 8013
- Hours
- Wed–Sun 10am–4pm (unless raining or too windy); Mon–Tue closed
- Phone
- 021 701 173
Weather-dependent outdoor trading. Also listed as 5/35 Worcester St in some directories.
Visitor notes & reviews
“Sole secondhand hold-out in the central city; hand-picked stock flat-priced around $5.”
2025-01 · The Spinoff
“Vintage custard caravan with shelves chock-full of literary goodness; all books just five dollars.”
Neat Places