Acquiring Books

Posted by Melissa Howard Jul 20, 2007

Some people like to read books but have no desire to collect them, while some of us are true bibliophiles and collect books as tangible and beautiful objects. We are like animal hoarders only our collections are inanimate, quiet, and don’t smell. However, like most things in life (a very unfortunate fact, I am afraid) books are not cheap. Even a paperback library (when books run at a minimum of fifteen dollars) would quickly bankrupt me. But! There are cheaper ways to collect books. Book collections can be augmented with discount bargains, thrift buys, and even free acquisitions. This post will discuss discount bargains and thrift books.

Discount Bargains

There are places that sell what are called overstock or remaindered books. These are books that, while in excellent condition and possibly great works of literature, did not sell as many copies as the publisher expected. Consequently, they are either destroyed or sold through discount merchants. My favorite discount merchant is Daedalus Books. Their catalogs are a pleasure to read through and their prices are great. Often I find books that interest me in high-end catalogs such as Bas Bleu and if I wait long enough, the books will show up in Daedalus.

I recently discovered Book Closeouts.com. I was delighted with the books I ordered. They too specialize in overstock and remaindered books. They also sell what they call scratch and dent books. Books with slight imperfections. These are often books returned by bookstores who ordered too many books in the first place.

Thrift Books

The most obvious place to buy thrift books is a used bookstore. However, as many of you might know, the prices at used bookstores are not always as cheap as one might expect. The cost of books at a used bookstore can be defrayed if you bring in some of your own overstock. Most used bookstores will either give you cash or (definitely more valuable) in-store credit towards new acquisitions for your collections.

Another good place to find used books is at library sales. Libraries often have sales to rid themselves of books they no longer need or want in their collections. Often, these books are in reasonable condition and the price is very good. Another perk when buying library books is that often they are bound in a sturdier style known as library binding. As a result, the book you purchase will be a bit sturdier than other books. There is a free service on the internet called Book Sale Finder, which makes it easier to locate library and other book sales.

Finally, do not overlook the humble thrift store. Goodwill is always a good stop when you are looking for current books and sometimes ancient books show up on their shelves too. The average price for a book at Goodwill is $1-$3. However, do not overlook their bargain bins. Our local Goodwill has a bin where you can buy books 10 for $1.49 and sometimes what you find is remarkable. I’ve bought nearly new hardcover books, books I remembered from my youth, and some awesome vintage cookbooks in the Goodwill discount bin.

It doesn’t hurt to become familiar with your local thrift stores. You will find that the donors vary from store to store and some stores are definitely better than others when it comes to finding books.