BOOK-A-HOLICS discussion
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Secret places to find bargains on books
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The library system in my town also has a USB that supports the libraries around here as well. Books range from .10, .25 or .50 cents each to 1.00 or 4.00 for HB's. I have found brand new, less-that-a-week-old paperbacks there for .10 cents.I love the place and never walk out with less than 10 books (as my bookshelves will attest with each groan, lol)
Our library is small so our sale is only during the summer as we can't leave the tables up when school is in session due to classes coming in ... we're housed with the school library. Books sell for 25 cents or 5 for $1.00. What a bargain. I also trade books at our bookstore. Trade in 1 book and buy another for 20%. Although the owner recently told me she never charges over $1.50 anymore. And there's no difference between paperbacks & HBs.
I'm a big fan of amazon.com. I find lots of paperbacks on there for 0.01/ea. Of course, if I'm honest, they still wind up costing $4.00/ea after S&H, but it's still a fair price. I go to my local used book superstore fairly often. They have awesome prices and are very convenient.Kristopher
Peter wrote: " The Boston Book Annex (near the Brookline town line) has a room where almost all the books are three for a dollar"I missed this the first time through, Peter. I loved the Boston Book Annex when I was living in Brighton. I got *so* many books from there. I still try to get there whenever I'm in Boston.
Kristopher
I'm a big fan of paperbackswap.com and both of the libraries close to me have on-going book sales....50 cents for paperbacks and $1 for hardcover or sometimes $3 for newer hardcovers.
My library has a Friend of the Library booksale every four months or so. Paperbacks go for .25 to .50 and hardbacks are only a dollar. All the money they make helps keep the library open. It is awesome!
Here in Grays Harbor, Washington, two or three used booksellers cart boxes of their books to the Fairgrounds once a month (usually the first weekend of the month) to the Fairgrounds Flea Market. Usually, they'll trade 2 for 1 or sell for half the cover price if the book is in good shape.Not as good a deal as Amanda's Library sell-off, but we don't have to drive as far (ROFL-CGU).
More free than cheap, but in my building people leave books that they've read on the landing (in a block of flats) so you just pick up any book that you want, and leave anything you're happy to part with. I thought it was a really nice idea when I moved in, and once you start doing it other people just join in of their own accord. Maybe some of you might want to try it in your buildings.
My mom's office was doing something like that. But if you took something you had to leave something. But I don't think that everyone followed by it. When it ended I did get a few books that looked interesting. My mom was kind enough to bring them to me. No one really wanted them so I benefited from it!
I tend to give my read books to friends anyway (I'd love to call it lending, but they tend to like the book and then lend it to someone else...so I'm just calling it giving). I have ended up re-buying books that I wanted to re-read, but I don't really have a problem with that - if I didn't like it enough, I wouldn't do it. And it's always good to share great books :)
i do find a lot of vintage or old books on ebay but do be careful of postage sometimes you find a great book but the postage makes it way over price
For Kindle owners (or those with readers that can handle Kindle books), the big non-secret is the limited time givaways.Amazon has a program whereby publishers or self-published authors can offer their eBooks (normally sold for real money) for up to 5 days within a 90-day period.
This works out for the publisher because it increases the number of fans for a given author or series, increases the number of (hopefully positive) reviews, and gets more people talking about the book. All from a pool of honest people who normally purchase books.
It benefits the customer because s/he gets an opportunity to try out a new author or series without financial risk.
So, when someone offers a 2 or 3-day "giveaway", don't discount it as another desperate author trying to gain an audience (of course some are). You might find a real gem.
For instance, we at AKW Books are going to do that with one of our most popular authors in a couple of weeks (watch for it). Not someone's books that aren't selling, but one of his best.
And other books you see in this program, by other publishers/authors, may be just as valuable.
Basically, I'm looking to share tips about places to find cheap books. For example, the public library in Boothbay Harbor, Maine has a permanent standing book sale to support the library; they have several hundred books on a (covered) porch at ten cents per book. It's on the honor system. Inside, they have thousands of books, most of them fifty cents to a dollar. Every time I go there, I find treasures. Last time I found a hardcover edition of Barry Hughart's The Bridge of Birds in beautiful condition - on the porch, for ten cents!
My local public library (in Woonsocket, RI) also has a permanent book sale with several hundred (perhaps a thousand) books available, at $0.25 - $1. And they hold a big book sale twice a year, with many thousands of books.
The Boston Book Annex (near the Brookline town line) has a room where almost all the books are three for a dollar.
Do you know any places like those?