Good books are rare to find, and cheap, good books are rarer still. So here’s an article for all you book lovers, that will help you find cheap, good books. Read on, and thank me later!
Here is what Sir Winston Churchill said about books ~ If you cannot read all your books… fondle them—peer into them, let them fall open where they will, read from the first sentence that arrests the eye, set them back on the shelves with your own hands, arrange them on your own plan so that you at least know where they are. Let them be your friends; let them, at any rate, be your acquaintances… Couldn’t have put it better. The world, methinks, is divided into two categories – people who read, and people who don’t. This article is mainly for those who read, or rather devour and gobble books, and have finished reading all those that you bought last time. If you wait impatiently for your next salary so that you can buy some more, here are a few great places that will give you books at dirt cheap rates. You will be able to get as many as you want, and not have to wait for the next paycheck! No more wondering how to find cheap, used books.
Where to Find Cheap Used Books
Libraries
I have always imagined that paradise will be a kind of library. ~ Jorge Luis Borges
Libraries are amazing! I love them, and if you have not joined one yet, please run to your local library and get yourself a membership right away. They offer reasonable prices, and you can read as many books as you want per week/ month, for a fixed price. Libraries also offer old books on sale, and you can find really great ones. Take a few home every day/ week, and enjoy them with a hot cup of coffee.
E Shopping Sites
The buying of more books than one can read is nothing less than the soul reaching toward infinity. ~ A. Edward Newton
The number of sites that offer cheap, used books are mind-boggling. And there are also many sites that offer brand new books, at discounts that will make your jaw drop. Besides, most of these sites also waive off the shipping charges, so you get the books cheaper than in stores and also home delivered. Sites like Amazon, Flipkart, etc., offer great discounts on the books, and you can also avail great coupons for books at Amazon to get the books you want at reduced prices. Next time you wonder how to find cheap, used books, think no more. Just log on, and fill up your shelves.
Thrift Stores
When I get a little money I buy books; and if any is left I buy food and clothes. ~ Desiderius Erasmus
Thrift stores are another option where you can buy, as well as donate books that you no longer read. They are different from garage sales, because they look out for stuff to be donated for charity, and so they are not temporary. You can go to the nearby thrift stores and pick up some really great books. If you are looking for one of the best ways to find cheap, used books, and also places to donate old textbooks, or novels, this is where you can do it.
Book Swapping Clubs
We read to know that we are not alone. ~ C.S. Lewis
We are not alone, indeed. Find people who share your passion for reading and get them together. Start a book swapping club, and you can share your books with other book lovers. This is one great way to find cheap, used books, and at no cost whatsoever. You don’t have to buy books, simply borrow them and return them when you are done, or pass them on. Keep the books circulating amongst yourselves. Also, you can pool in some small amount and go book-hunting at thrift stores or sales, and make a library for your club.
Garage Sales
I am simply a ‘book drunkard.’ Books have the same irresistible temptation for me that liquor has for its devotee. I cannot withstand them. ~ L.M. Montgomery
Garage sales are an excellent way of buying as many books as you want, without burning a hole in your pocket. If the sale is exclusively for books, you are in luck. You can get some really amazing books, and maybe even come across some old editions that you have been looking for. You don’t have to hold yourself back or withstand/ resist the books. Grab all you can, I say!
Secondhand Bookstores
Some women have a weakness for shoes… I can go barefoot if necessary. I have a weakness for books. ~ Oprah Winfrey
With secondhand bookstores in existence, you can buy all the books you can read, and still have some money left over to buy some slippers. Or not, actually! But seriously, if you are looking for books that are in good enough condition, as well as being easy on your pocket, secondhand bookstores are a perfect place to be. Make it your regular hangout, and you’ll be amazed at the way your own collection burgeons.
Goodwill Industries
It is chiefly through books, that we enjoy the communion with superior minds… In the best books, authors talk to us, give us their most precious thoughts, and pour their souls into ours. God be thanked for books. ~ William Ellery Channing
God be thanked for books and Goodwill Industries. These are the institutions that make good books, clothes, etc., available at very affordable rates. You can check out the Goodwill Industry outlet in your city and see what they have to offer.
Online Options
I have seen men hazard their fortunes, go on long journeys halfway around the world, forge friendships, even lie, cheat and steal, all for the gain of a book. ~ A.S.W. Rosenbach
With the Internet making everything so easy, you no longer have to resort to any of the above-mentioned tactics to get books. You can get the best books ever, at little cost, through all the options that the Internet places at your disposal. You can book shop, book swap, and you can book mooch, and book cross. This is basically when you give someone books, and they in exchange give you theirs. The shipping costs are the only expense in such deals. Very easy on the pocket, and you can explore the net for a variety of other options too.
There are lots of ways to find cheap books, and also give away your old books that you are not going to read again, and are just piling up in your house. And these options will give you all sorts of books – medical, scientific, fiction, non-fiction, and anything else that you want. Also, once you know where to get books from, you won’t have to worry about finding places to donate used textbooks that are lying around your house. With so many options available, you are free to choose the one that suits you and go for it. Reading can be so much more than just an escape. Books can be your friends, if you open your mind to them. Reading is like gaining through the experience of others, without having to actually experience everything for yourself! That is what reading good books feels like – like having an experience! Happy reading.
