Ooh, that dog-earred title could be a bargain!
May 12 '01
The Bottom Line There are many basics to consider when picking out used books. Here are my hints for choosing used books.
My local public library had their Friends of the library annual booksale today and I hauled off some deals! In a nutshell, I would like to tell you about important factors and qualities to consider when buying a used book, as well as what to avoid.
Many public libraries will have a shelf or more of used books they are trying to get rid of. Usually at bargain rate. If it's a bazaar sale or a fundraiser sale type of thing, they will often charge say, twenty-five cents for paperbacks and perhaps fifty cents for hardbacks. Not bad at all!
When selecting books to buy, of course you'll want to take into consideration whether the title is interesting to you and that you may someday read it, or, if the book is in almost new condition, give it as a gift to that bibliophile friend of yours. Flip through it to see that it is not marred, written in or has pages missing. If it is, you could barter with the seller for a discount. Does the book seem like-new? If it has some wear and tear, is it a title you simply MUST have and maybe you won't mind its being picked over.
If the book's pages are starting to yellow, or the book is obviously in bad shape, and it's not a title you simply MUST have, then all you have to do is bypass it, yep, toss it back with the lot. Don't want ketchup-stained pages or musty/moldy spines, etc. If a chunk of pages are missing from a novel or story, you may want to overlook that one too, since who wants to miss out on a good chunk of the story?
Today I walked off with a 1963 Life magazine set of volumnes on countries (China, U.S., Canada, etc.). The last hour of the Friends sale allowed customers to fill up a shopping bag with their selections for a mere buck! This offer was made in the final hour of the sale. Now that's a deal! I also got a nice selection of children's titles, albeit a bit worn, but quite readable, for just a quarter each.
So the next time you're in your local library, or at your church bazaar, or wherever...browse through the stacks of used books and take your pick of the lot of 'em. Happy searching!
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