pitterpatter Posted January 15, 2012 Share Posted January 15, 2012 Getting so very annoyed with our Goodwill. All paperback children's books are supposed to be .30 cents. However, the past 6-9 months someone has decided that all of the good, higher-quality literary books should cost more. In many cases, a lot more. Today, I paid $3 for a regular ole paperback version of Strega Nona (wouldn't have, but I needed it for a lesson). :ohmy: Now, I can afford to pay this ever now and again, but it really makes me angry that they are pretty much ensuring that children from families of lower socioeconomic brackets are taking home junky dollar store books. The Goodwill about an hour down the road from me does not do this...all children's paperbacks are .30 cents like they're supposed to be. Off the seven children's paperback books I purchased today, only one was .30 cents. :glare: Anyone else's Goodwill up-charge for the "good" books? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bang!Zoom! Posted January 15, 2012 Share Posted January 15, 2012 Here, they are culled before they hit the shelves, they have online sales. The really good stuff never makes it out. Stinkers. Find another thrift. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamakim Posted January 15, 2012 Share Posted January 15, 2012 Here, they are culled before they hit the shelves, they have online sales. The really good stuff never makes it out. Stinkers. Find another thrift. Yep. So many times on Amazon the book I want is in marketplace from our local Goodwill :glare:. Didn't use to be that way. Plus, just recently ours changed shoe prices from $6.99 for all of the adult shoes to $18.99 for shoes they randomly think of as "good". Which opinion can sometimes be really off-base. I agree OP - way to encourage literacy :glare:. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5forMe Posted January 15, 2012 Share Posted January 15, 2012 Children's books are $1.50 for paperback and $3.00 for hardcover at my Goodwill. I saw one of the Harry Potter books on audio CD all 8 discs were in the set and they had it marked as $8.00. I think my Goodwill is a bit pricey. However, if it is something I really want I pay it and just consider it a lucky day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pitterpatter Posted January 15, 2012 Author Share Posted January 15, 2012 Even the crappy dollar store books that cost a $1 new at the dollar store? Eek! Children's books are $1.50 for paperback and $3.00 for hardcover at my Goodwill. I saw one of the Harry Potter books on audio CD all 8 discs were in the set and they had it marked as $8.00. I think my Goodwill is a bit pricey. However, if it is something I really want I pay it and just consider it a lucky day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bang!Zoom! Posted January 15, 2012 Share Posted January 15, 2012 Totally save up your money and find the library book sales around your area. There's even a website totally devoted to finding them year round... http://www.booksalefinder.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalanamak Posted January 15, 2012 Share Posted January 15, 2012 Yes. I get around it by going to lousy part of town. The pricer there is evidently not much of a reader. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pitterpatter Posted January 15, 2012 Author Share Posted January 15, 2012 Oh, wow...thanks! Totally bookmarked that puppy. :thumbup1: Totally save up your money and find the library book sales around your area. There's even a website totally devoted to finding them year round... http://www.booksalefinder.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommaduck Posted January 15, 2012 Share Posted January 15, 2012 I saw this at a Salvation army in the midwest. They up-priced some Avon bottles (they thought they were "antique", but I had sold Avon and knew these weren't)...and at the same time, they have a Partylite candelabra priced for $1.50. I didn't even have that (I was window shopping), so I told a lady looking at it what it was and what a steal it was...she bought it ;) I've been chewed out for buying a bassinet and then going in and asking if they had another a year or two later. "No! You bought the last one last year!" Sorry...the old thing had collapsed (it was one of those really old wicker ones) and who's to say I wasn't buying for someone else?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie in CA Posted January 15, 2012 Share Posted January 15, 2012 Most of the thrift stores where I live are operated to benefit a charity, and are not there to actually *be* the charity. Therefore, I don't necessarily blame them for doing things that will actually *make them money*. While it stinks that better books are priced higher, it makes sense that they would try and squeeze out as many dollars as they can in order to support their cause. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted January 15, 2012 Share Posted January 15, 2012 Children's books at our thrift store are 69 cents. They occasionally charge more for some, but they never know which ones are actually better so it's extremely bizarre what gets marked up. Actually, the pricing for everything is bizarre. I once bought a pair of candlesticks. One was $1.41 and the other was $3.63. Huh? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhonda in TX Posted January 15, 2012 Share Posted January 15, 2012 Most of the thrift stores where I live are operated to benefit a charity, and are not there to actually *be* the charity. Therefore, I don't necessarily blame them for doing things that will actually *make them money*. While it stinks that better books are priced higher, it makes sense that they would try and squeeze out as many dollars as they can in order to support their cause. This is what I always thought as well. The thrift stores around here are not super cheap. Definitely cheaper than retail, but not what I hear others pay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
isitnaptime Posted January 15, 2012 Share Posted January 15, 2012 Our Goodwill books are higher priced as well. None for .30. Even cheap paperback kids books are .99, a few they will mark .49 but not many. Most nice hardcover are 1.99-4.99 or even more. Plus their stickers ruin books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rivka Posted January 15, 2012 Share Posted January 15, 2012 Our thrift mostly prices books at .25 paperback, .50 hardcover, but I've sometimes seen large reference-type books priced higher. It's pretty random. Once I went in and they had a big pile of DK Eyewitness books, but they'd priced them at $1.90 each, so I didn't buy them. They don't seem to carry as many children's books as they used to, but there are often books of surprisingly good quality. Today I got a volume of The World in Ancient Times for .50 and a beautiful, mint-condition set of Great Fashions of the Victorian Era paper dolls for a quarter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeatherL Posted January 15, 2012 Share Posted January 15, 2012 Totally save up your money and find the library book sales around your area. There's even a website totally devoted to finding them year round... http://www.booksalefinder.com/ Thanks so much for that website! I found a sale nearby that will be half price tomorrow. I know where I'll be:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pitterpatter Posted January 15, 2012 Author Share Posted January 15, 2012 I will admit, I have no idea what Goodwill is all about. I've always thought they were about supplying jobs for a specific group of people and providing used goods for cheap to those in need. Still think that if there is a sign posted that all children's paperback books are .30 cents and hardbacks are .50 cents, they should be. I also think there should be consistency, at least regionally. Most of the thrift stores where I live are operated to benefit a charity, and are not there to actually *be* the charity. Therefore, I don't necessarily blame them for doing things that will actually *make them money*. While it stinks that better books are priced higher, it makes sense that they would try and squeeze out as many dollars as they can in order to support their cause. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NotAVampireLvr Posted January 15, 2012 Share Posted January 15, 2012 The bulk of our HS fiction & reference library has come from Savers. Children's books are almost always .69 & buy 4 and get the 5th free. Hardcovers are between 1.99-3.99 and also buy 4 get the 5th free. I'm always coming home with amazing books for low prices... DK books, Usborne, etc. I've never paid full price for early readers or chapter books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cricket Posted January 15, 2012 Share Posted January 15, 2012 I will admit, I have no idea what Goodwill is all about. I've always thought they were about supplying jobs for a specific group of people and providing used goods for cheap to those in need. Still think that if there is a sign posted that all children's paperback books are .30 cents and hardbacks are .50 cents, they should be. I also think there should be consistency, at least regionally. I stopped shopping at Goodwill months ago. When I can buy brand new clothing on clearance cheaper than at Goodwill, there is a problem! I have started looking at Savers but the book prices there are a little high for my taste. I recently found a consignment store that has great quality and is cheaper than Goodwill. It carries mostly kids clothes but also has books (as well as men's and women's clothing). I say look around for other thrift stores and definitely see if your local library has a sales section. Garage sales are great too but more time consuming that just hitting a thrift store. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ereks mom Posted January 15, 2012 Share Posted January 15, 2012 I do a lot better at Salvation Army than at Goodwill. At Goodwill, it's $1.99 for most kids' books; for adult books, it's $1.99 for paperbacks and $2.99 for most hardcovers. Some of the thick, nice quality hardcovers are $5.99 or higher. Textbooks are $3.99. DVD's are $3.99 and CD's are $1.99. Our local Salvation Army sells children's books for 15 cents. Adult books are 39 cents for paperback and 79 cents for hardcover. Adult clothing is $2.49 for tops and $2.99 for bottoms. Kid clothing is $1.49 for tops and $1.99 for bottoms. CD's & DVD's vary, but are usually about $1. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8circles Posted January 15, 2012 Share Posted January 15, 2012 Totally save up your money and find the library book sales around your area. There's even a website totally devoted to finding them year round... http://www.booksalefinder.com/ Thanks for that site! I'm always looking for library book sales. I've been chewed out for buying a bassinet and then going in and asking if they had another a year or two later. "No! You bought the last one last year!" Sorry...the old thing had collapsed (it was one of those really old wicker ones) and who's to say I wasn't buying for someone else?! Does your thrift store carry regular stock? :confused: I've never heard of that. Most of the thrift stores where I live are operated to benefit a charity, and are not there to actually *be* the charity. Therefore, I don't necessarily blame them for doing things that will actually *make them money*. While it stinks that better books are priced higher, it makes sense that they would try and squeeze out as many dollars as they can in order to support their cause. Yes, Goodwill's mission has nothing to do with providing lower-cost items for people in need. There mission is to put people to work. They do that by using the profits from the stores to train & equip people for work & using the stores themselves to employee people. Our Goodwill books are higher priced as well. None for .30. Even cheap paperback kids books are .99, a few they will mark .49 but not many. Most nice hardcover are 1.99-4.99 or even more. Plus their stickers ruin books. Our Goodwill doesn't price individual books - that would irritate me. Ours are priced at I think $.49 for all kids books. Books that might be priced differently (very rare) are put into a locked case. There are people with a book price app that grab all the good books here from the thrift stores. I don't even bother donating since I know I am just supplying a business with stock now. If I want to pass books on to a low income fam I'll go thru the school district or church. I understand why this bothers you in a way. But your donation helps Goodwill nonetheless & I would hope you would consider donating in the future again. I know people who have been able to make it through a period of unemployment by buying at Goodwill & selling for profit. That "business" is a person who also needs to provide. I will admit, I have no idea what Goodwill is all about. I've always thought they were about supplying jobs for a specific group of people and providing used goods for cheap to those in need. The bolded is not part of their mission at all. Each region operates independently & each store makes their own pricing rules. Our Goodwill rocks!!!!!:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mimm Posted January 15, 2012 Share Posted January 15, 2012 Our Goodwill books are higher priced as well. None for .30. Even cheap paperback kids books are .99, a few they will mark .49 but not many. Most nice hardcover are 1.99-4.99 or even more. Plus their stickers ruin books. AHHH! Biggest pet peeve ever! When I bring a product home and try to peel the sticker and it leaves sticky stuff on my newly paid for item, I feel like someone maliciously vandalized something that belongs to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beaners Posted January 15, 2012 Share Posted January 15, 2012 We get our books from a local "like new" used book store. Every child gets a free book with every visit, and just about every kind of juvenile paperback is $1. Sometimes those are also B1G1. If you want a hardcover edition, it might be $3. You have to pay around $5 for more expensive books on specific subjects. I love that place. If we end up moving soon I am going to miss that store more than anything else in this town. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted January 15, 2012 Share Posted January 15, 2012 Paperback Books start at 1.99 at Goodwill and drop to .99 and then .59 when the color tag changes (just as the clothes do). Hardbacks go from $3.99 to $1.99 to .59. Adult books, kids books, doesn't matter. Which means that the Dolly Parton Imagination Library books, which are nice hardbacks, but which children can get for free if their parents sign them up, end up priced at $3.99. We actually have a dedicated Goodwill Used Bookstore, so the nicest books end up there. Our Used bookstore is 1/2 cover price, and only takes really nice kids' books, focusing on ones that are on school reading lists. I get most of my books for school at library used booksales. We donate to both local library systems so that we get to shop the day before. Last year, I got basically all of Sonlight Core 3 and 4's literature books for .25 each. Which reminds me-I need to pull out my old SL catalog, because it's that time of year again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pitterpatter Posted January 15, 2012 Author Share Posted January 15, 2012 I first peel it (no, them...hah, as mine likes to pepper each book with stickers), then I use Goo Gone to remove the residue. Most books have a glossy coat on them, so the covers hold up. I also use a Clorex wipe on the covers. Used to wipe every page down when I was buying board books. AHHH! Biggest pet peeve ever! When I bring a product home and try to peel the sticker and it leaves sticky stuff on my newly paid for item, I feel like someone maliciously vandalized something that belongs to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PentecostalMom Posted January 15, 2012 Share Posted January 15, 2012 Yes. I get around it by going to lousy part of town. The pricer there is evidently not much of a reader. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stripe Posted January 15, 2012 Share Posted January 15, 2012 I've seen some articles about how the Goodwill and other thrift shops are doing this, such as this one. I know they have their own e-commerce site. I did once sell my CM series to someone, and then repurchase only the three volumes I wanted, at a discount, from a Goodwill somewhere (via online site). So I ended up happy. There are people with a book price app that grab all the good books here from the thrift stores. I don't even bother donating since I know I am just supplying a business with stock now. I have been to library book sales where many of my fellow shoppers have some sort of electronic device that they are using while they shop. I thought I was hitting the annual bag sale at my local library, but I was actually a week early. Happily, I got some goodies that I likely would have missed had I waited. I found a copy of Lois Lenski's "San Francisco Boy" that I resisted buying for >$10 online. I paid 50c for it. I also picked up a paperback copy of Flossie and Bossie by Le Gallienne based solely on the fact that it was illustrated by Garth Williams and is a Dell Yearling book; it's selling for >$50 online. I also shop at a less popular library book sale periodically. The people there are voracious readers (or at least eager shoppers), but more of adult novels than children's stuff. I encountered one man who fit my stereotype of a homeschooling family (he was lecturing his six year old about the Truman/Dewey newspaper goof) and he bought up a big pile of Great Illustrated Classics abridged hardbacks, so even he wasn't much of a competitor for what I wanted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitten18 Posted January 15, 2012 Share Posted January 15, 2012 AHHH! Biggest pet peeve ever! When I bring a product home and try to peel the sticker and it leaves sticky stuff on my newly paid for item, I feel like someone maliciously vandalized something that belongs to me. You need Un-Du http://www.amazon.com/Du-Products-Adhesive-Remover-4-Ounce/dp/B002E3KMSQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1326644004&sr=8-1 It just melts the adhesive and removes all stickers and labels. You can buy a smaller bottle/cheaper in the craft department (with the adhesives) at Wal-Mart. ETA - I like Goo Gone for laundry and some other things but the Un-Do is much better at removing stickers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mergath Posted January 15, 2012 Share Posted January 15, 2012 We don't have a Goodwill here, but I stop at one when I drive up to visit my mom, and it's not great. They usually only have a handful of books, and they're overpriced. I've always found that odd because it's a HUGE Goodwill, like a warehouse. I'm guessing they cull out the good books. Then there's a tiny little Goodwill in the next town, and they have tons of good books. Last time I was there I picked up a stack of k12 literature books for dirt cheap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThisIsTheDay Posted January 15, 2012 Share Posted January 15, 2012 I found a copy of Lois Lenski's "San Francisco Boy" that I resisted buying for >$10 online. I paid 50c for it. I also picked up a paperback copy of Flossie and Bossie by Le Gallienne based solely on the fact that it was illustrated by Garth Williams and is a Dell Yearling book; it's selling for >$50 online. I hear of great finds at Goodwill, but I think I've only been successful once. Our library book sale is a different story though. We have two different sales. One is monthly, donated items that are deemed not suitable, for whatever reason, for the collection. The other sale is ongoing, at a table in the children's dept., with former library materials that have been culled due to poor condition, or duplicates of a less popular book already on the shelf, or an old copy replaced by a newer donated item. Lenski, Coerr, Hillert, Minarik, Turkle, Cleary, Lindgren are examples of the kinds of authors one might find on the library table. (Of course, there are many others unrecognizable.) $.25 for hardbacks, $.10 for paperbacks, no matter how good or poor their condition. We are not a large library, serving a county of just 50,000 people. We have a diverse population and what people read here often impresses me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bang!Zoom! Posted January 15, 2012 Share Posted January 15, 2012 The local library friends store here has two areas. One in the front which sells for donations of 2 books for .25 cents. (Yes, you read that right, 2/.25) Inside the friends store it's hardback for a dollar and soft for .50 cents. Then there is a FREE area. It's the best I've seen. Amazing books, some special sets or series are priced individually. I love donating back there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TracyR Posted January 15, 2012 Share Posted January 15, 2012 I agree, those stores are meant to help support charities. If you want to find inexpensive books. Go to your local library when they have book sales. If they don't have them, then start one. If you go at the end of the sale you can get bags full of books. I stopped in one day when they were literally putting books away and I found a book for my religious ed class., They just gave it to me. I didn't have to pay a thing for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted January 15, 2012 Share Posted January 15, 2012 (edited) My local Savers didn't used to know a Kmart little girl's dress from a Hanna Anderson one. They were all 2.99-3.99. No longer true. Which is a bummer. They don't charge more for popular kids' books, but they do charge more for hardcover. Harry costs the same as Garfield as Oliver Twist as Strega Nona. Edited January 15, 2012 by LibraryLover Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beaners Posted January 15, 2012 Share Posted January 15, 2012 I have been to library book sales where many of my fellow shoppers have some sort of electronic device that they are using while they shop. I know a lot of people do this to resell the books, but we would be putting the book title into our Librarything account to make sure it wasn't already on our shelves. I still manage to come home with doubles on occasion. :confused: I guess there are a few books that I really, really like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lailasmum Posted January 15, 2012 Share Posted January 15, 2012 Oxfam is doing the same thing here in the UK. Their books used to be 49p to about £2ish and there was a good range. Every thing now seems to have gone up by at least a pound or two and the decent stuff gets skimmed and sold online. Their kids section has halved and the same books sit there for months. Their second hand clothes are expensive too-I've seen bobbly t shirts for £6. Luckily there is another new charity book shop in town that opened recently and sells most of its books 50p to £1. They seem to have a big range too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommaduck Posted January 15, 2012 Share Posted January 15, 2012 Does your thrift store carry regular stock? :confused: I've never heard of that. They typically had one or two on hand regularly, yes. Not intentional "keeping stock". One of th previous areas we lived in, the Salvation Army and Goodwill WERE there to provide cheap clothing to the working poor. The middle class on up did not bother with those stores as the stores were "beneath them". That is how these stores were viewed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In The Great White North Posted January 15, 2012 Share Posted January 15, 2012 There are people with a book price app that grab all the good books here from the thrift stores. I don't even bother donating since I know I am just supplying a business with stock now. The biggest booksale around here, the annual Five Colleges sale, actually lets dealers in before the rest of the peons. It's usually at a local high school and takes up the entire gym and cafeteria. They run around and grab everything that looks good, haul it back to a "private" classroom, where they can go through their stash at their leisure with their pricing apps and dump the ones they don't want back out a few hours later. :glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momof3littles Posted January 15, 2012 Share Posted January 15, 2012 (edited) I have lived in two different states while HSing, and in each place have found certain stores are better for thrifted books. Some thrift stores in my area periodically run 50 percent off book sales and I try to buy then. We have one large thrift store in my area that takes up half of a strip mall. They have an entire used book store, and things are reasonably organized. It also smells good LOL :D We spent 100 dollars there last week and walked out with two huge boxes of books and a bag of books, many of which were expensive if bought new. I found many, many books I was going to buy anyway. The Strawberry Girl, Tolliver's Secret, a Nesbit book, some AG books we didn't own yet, a library bound copy of The Wind in the Willows (my PB version is falling apart), The Phantom Tollbooth, DK Eyewitness books for 50-75 cents, some hardback picture books like The Kissing Hand, and lots of other great stuff. They even have a HSing section :D We use singapore but I just picked up saxon 6/5 for 1.50 to use as extra practice for certain topics. I also picked up an orange Miquon book for 25 cents (we use Miquon and Singapore for Prek/K/1st). DD has her own orange book but I'll put it away for DS2 :) That particular thrift store sells a lot of valuable donation items on ebay (AG dolls for example). However, they don't seem to bother too much with doing that with books unless they are really rare copies. The state I was living in previously had better library book sales than where I live now. Our closest library sometimes charges per book at the sales, and sometimes they charge a flat per bag fee (2 per bag). It seems difficult to figure out. Sometimes I go and get amazing stuff for a flat rate (2 dollars a bag) and sometimes I go and there is a poor selection and they still want 1.00 a book or more. Edited January 15, 2012 by Momof3littles Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luanne Posted January 15, 2012 Share Posted January 15, 2012 ALL children's paperbacks are 49 cents and ALL children's hardbacks are 99 cents. It doesn't matter what the book is. If the book is in bad shape it doesn't go out on the floor. I volunteer at the Goodwill here so I know first hand. Our store has a really good manager though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pitterpatter Posted January 15, 2012 Author Share Posted January 15, 2012 What the heck is that about? Are they paying an early-entry fee? Think I would borrow an iPhone and scan away. The biggest booksale around here, the annual Five Colleges sale, actually lets dealers in before the rest of the peons. It's usually at a local high school and takes up the entire gym and cafeteria. They run around and grab everything that looks good, haul it back to a "private" classroom, where they can go through their stash at their leisure with their pricing apps and dump the ones they don't want back out a few hours later. :glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moxie Posted January 15, 2012 Share Posted January 15, 2012 The biggest booksale around here, the annual Five Colleges sale, actually lets dealers in before the rest of the peons. It's usually at a local high school and takes up the entire gym and cafeteria. They run around and grab everything that looks good, haul it back to a "private" classroom, where they can go through their stash at their leisure with their pricing apps and dump the ones they don't want back out a few hours later. :glare: This is why I no longer go to our Friends of the Library book sale. Women line up with boxes and wagons. When the doors open, they RUN in and literally push all the kids books off the tables into their wagons. Then they sit in the corner and go through the books to pick what they want to keep. The greed and lack of manners turned my stomach. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8circles Posted January 15, 2012 Share Posted January 15, 2012 They typically had one or two on hand regularly, yes. Not intentional "keeping stock". One of th previous areas we lived in, the Salvation Army and Goodwill WERE there to provide cheap clothing to the working poor. The middle class on up did not bother with those stores as the stores were "beneath them". That is how these stores were viewed. That may be the attitude in your area. My Dh used to work for Goodwill. I just asked him and he said that the mission may be stated differently but the mission of Goodwill is not to provide inexpensive used goods to people with lower incomes. That is a side benefit, of course, but it is not their motivation for existing. Quite the opposite- many Goodwills have special ad campaigns to encourage *everyone* to shop at Goodwill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ailaena Posted January 15, 2012 Share Posted January 15, 2012 I consider myself extremely fortunate to have such an excellent Goodwill. I am putting it in writing that I will not complain about it and promote it to everyone. Until today, I thought they were all the same! 50 cent paperbacks, $1 hardbacks, $1.99 textbooks/large books. Get the ones that are 50/30% off and an embarrassingly small amount of money has been spent! I ventured into the clothing the other day and bought dd a silk skirt for $2.99 - before the half off! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soror Posted January 15, 2012 Share Posted January 15, 2012 Usually they are priced at 30c -50c paperback and 50c to $1 for hardcovers. I've seen up charging, but not usually. I can usually find some awesome books you just have to shop often and summertime seems the best as I think a lot of people, especially teachers, clear things out then. Our library just has an ongoing sale and I've yet to find anything much there. Btw thanks to the pp who listed the booksale finder site I need to bookmark that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThisIsTheDay Posted January 15, 2012 Share Posted January 15, 2012 This is why I no longer go to our Friends of the Library book sale. Women line up with boxes and wagons. When the doors open, they RUN in and literally push all the kids books off the tables into their wagons. Then they sit in the corner and go through the books to pick what they want to keep. The greed and lack of manners turned my stomach. (((Jaw dropping open))) WHAT on earth is WRONG with people?:confused::confused::confused: I wouldn't go either. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stripe Posted January 15, 2012 Share Posted January 15, 2012 I hear of great finds at Goodwill, but I think I've only been successful once. Yeah, I see a lot of junk at thrift stores too. The few items I bought from Goodwill have been online. I have found some great stuff at library book sales, but I also see stuff I wonder about, like, why are there so many copies of Why The Caged Bird Sings and Shakespeare. Maybe it's there because no one actually reads it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eaglei Posted January 15, 2012 Share Posted January 15, 2012 I do much better at the Salvation Army. Paperbacks are a quarter and hardbacks fifty cents. Sometimes they have dime sales, where all books are ten cents. Contrarily, the Goodwill just recently upped their book prices again. They had been .75 for paperback, 1.00 for hardback, and children's were .35 unless otherwise marked - and guess what was generally *otherwise* marked . . . children's books were .55, .99, then up over a dollar, depending on what I don't know. Now, it is almost impossible to find a children's book for under a dollar; adult-level paperbacks are 1.50 and hardbacks 3.00 - with the really good hardbacks marked at 5.00 and more. Occasionally, I stop by and glance around - but Salvation Army gets my business! (That is, when I shop for a non-necessity - which is not often these days) The library sales have also upped their prices. One library starts at around 2.00, while the other starts around 1.50 - paperback or hardback, adult or children's - doesn't matter - with most of the prices 4.00 and up. Kind of sad as I well remember the deals I used to find, including the free table one library had that was stacked with all kinds of good books . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Element Posted January 15, 2012 Share Posted January 15, 2012 75% of the time, our paperbacks are $.49, hardbacks are $.99, and cookbooks are $3-$10. I guess people in my town only buy cookbooks? :confused: Sometimes I'll go in and all of the books will be $2-$10, but then a month later they are back down to 49/99 cents. I have no idea how pricing works around there. I went in the other day and the kids books were shelved instead of on tables that you can flip through. Do you know how hard it is to look through SHELVES of tiny little paperback children's books? :banghead: I can't even reach the top shelf. I hope they bring back the tables. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisbeth Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 I am yr friendly paranoid of bedbugs hive member. They are up charged quite a bit if they have bedbug travelers and they get in yr house and end up costing thousands to treat. In other words...I miss libraries and Goodwill...but won't risk the dreaded bb. I really hate BBs... I'm hoping they are not as widespread as the exaggerating media has made them out to be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5knights3maidens Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 Our local thrift store has really increased prices. Some of the items I've seen are from the dollar store and more expensive! I did get 2 LeapPads for $4.50 each (with batteries), and the books with the cartridges were $2.00. I don't think that is bad at all.:001_smile: I have bypassed a lot of items because I though the prices were ridiculous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThisIsTheDay Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 I have found some great stuff at library book sales, but I also see stuff I wonder about, like, why are there so many copies of Why The Caged Bird Sings and Shakespeare. Maybe it's there because no one actually reads it. Based on my library, I would guess these were part of a reading program or a book otherwise promoted, so they had an abundance of copies to begin with. For example, we have over half a dozen copies of Gary Paulsen's Hatchet that were used for a library book club one summer. There was a local theater's promotion for Heidi, so we have 6-8 new copies of that. Eventually, most will be culled from the shelves and offered for sale. I am yr friendly paranoid of bedbugs hive member. They are up charged quite a bit if they have bedbug travelers and they get in yr house and end up costing thousands to treat. In other words...I miss libraries and Goodwill...but won't risk the dreaded bb. I really hate BBs...I'm hoping they are not as widespread as the exaggerating media has made them out to be. The media? Exaggerate? Nah!!!!!! ;) I've seen plenty of disgusting things at our library (where I work), but I've never seen bedbugs. Boogers on books, condoms in the book drop, and sometimes we just don't want to know what. I don't worry about the bedbugs, but I seriously no longer touch the door handles (I'll push the button to activate the auto-door).:ack2: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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