The ABCs of Buying Used BooksMar 28 '01 Write an essay on this topic.
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The Bottom Line Look at all your options. Yard sales, school sales, Goodwill, and internet used book stores. And don't forget to inspect the books when you can.
Being a college student, I am a big fan of used books. But I'm not going to talk about the college textbook used book which can still cost around $100, but rather, the ones that are about 100x cheaper. When most people think about buying used books (at least those who are not in the know), they think 'Oh, well we have a used bookstore around here!' Well, that's not the ONLY source of used books. In fact, I think that used bookstores are actually an overpriced source of used books. Used bookstores in this area charge at least $2 for a used book (those that aren't short children's books, anyway). This can be ok if you're looking for a specific book, but if you're looking to buy a bunch of books of a particular genre, or buy in bulk, this is definitely not a good source of books. Often times though, you may be able to talk down the prices with the book store owner, if you go there on a regular basis. A great source for used books is Goodwill. People donate books all the time without looking at them. My mother scours the local Goodwill's all the time, specifically for the purpose of finding rare books -- and she has found quite a few. The Goodwill's here in Kentucky sell paperbacks for $0.50 and hardbacks for $0.75. I'm not sure about other states prices, but I'd reckon they'd be around the same price. Goodwill's are usually full of older books, but it's not uncommon to find a few that are newer. While on the subject of Goodwill, I suppose I should mention consignment shops (2nd-hand stores) as well. Most of the ones in this area have only clothing, and keep the books to a minimum. Your consignment shops may be different though. Another good source for used books is yard sales. People want to get rid of books all the time when they hold yard sales. Obviously it's a lot easier to talk down the price at a yard sale. One time my mother got around 50 paperbacks for only $5. Yard sales FREQUENTLY have newer and more popular books too. They also typically one or two genres of books, or one or two specific authors. I have been to several yard sales that had nearly full collections from Stephen King, Michael Crichton, and James Michener. Prices vary, but are usually very flexible. Books also tend to be in better condition (at least in my experience). Also, schools and Universities frequently have book sales! In fact, I was just at one today where paperbacks were $0.50 and hardbacks were $1.00. These sales are generally announced far in advance, so check your local paper if you live near a college or school. Finally, a decent (yet somewhat expensive) source of books is the internet itself. There are tons of bookstores online that specialize in only used books. The books are a bit more expensive (the lowest sites I've seen have them selling for $2-$3), and there is shipping .. but if you're looking for a harder-to-find book than normal that has been out for a few years, they're [internet websites] are a good source. Now, about used books themselves, the following is pretty much common sense, but I will mention it anyway. Since they're used, often times they are not in pristine condition. ALWAYS check the insides of books before you buy them. They could be all marked up, or have pages removed. Also, if there is a broken spine, the only way you can really see this is by opening up the book. It's just like kicking the tires on a car (although you will probably find more bad books than bad cars, hehe). These are just some of the ways you can obtain used books for low prices. The methods of finding and buying used books vary from place to place, but there are many different options other than just a used book store. Hopefully this review has given you some new ideas on where to find books!  |
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