Jump to content

Menu

Where do you buy used books?


Recommended Posts

Wondering some good websites to buy a lot of picture books. Amazon is my go to, but wondering if something better is out there. It adds up fast with shipping and sometimes a book is so used it isn't worth that! But I can only buy online-

 

We are in need of more to rotate through!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I buy bulk lots of used picture books on eBay that we give to a 1st grade class we adopt each year at an inner city school.   I typically look for bulk lots in which books are price no higher than $0.50 per book.    For individual books for my kids (not picture books), I like Thriftbooks.com.   

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

ThriftBooks is my first choice for my book purchases. Their quality control seems better, the website is easier to use and as long as you're purchasing more than $10 you get free shipping so it's comparable price wise to Abebooks. Plus they have their rewards program where you get a $5 coupon for every $50 you spend and I love those. I also use Abebooks if I can't find what I'm looking for though.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I get lots of books from betterworldbooks.com. Most I've gotten seem to be former library books.

 

We just put in a big order from them. Usually the description will say that the item is an ex-library book, so that you can avoid it if you don't want that.

 

We've also used paperbackswap.com. You can set your requirements (for instance, we have asked for nothing from a home that includes smoking, no ex-library unless you ask first, nothing with a lot of highlighting or underlining, that sort of thing).

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Library sales, the nearby town has a huge one every fall. You really have to check the quality of the books but they are often less than $1 each.

 

For new picture books see if Scholastic has a warehouse sale near you. They are usually in early December and again in the spring. The books are generally half off retail and then an additional percent off of you buy over a certain dollar amount.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

For picture books and homeschool living books, I like looking at the titles on Dibble and Dash on Instagram.

https://www.instagram.com/dibbleanddash/

 

The shipping costs are less than tradition sellers, especially if you are purchasing multiple titles. Good prices on books, too.

Thanks for sharing this! I love how she used videos instead of pictures.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

ThriftBooks is my first choice for my book purchases. Their quality control seems better, the website is easier to use and as long as you're purchasing more than $10 you get free shipping so it's comparable price wise to Abebooks. Plus they have their rewards program where you get a $5 coupon for every $50 you spend and I love those. I also use Abebooks if I can't find what I'm looking for though.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yep!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Other than Amazon, we're frequent book buyers at the local Half Price Books and Goodwill. HPB is fabulous, and you can stock classics inexpensively just from browsing their clearance racks when you walk in. Goodwill's half price day (every other Saturday) is another good way to stock up. Little out of the way thrift shops often have hidden treasures too.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

drjuliadc- that is what halpens to me too. I think amazin is set up that way. A few other places listed here seem different.

 

 

Silvermoon and Rach whenever I am in the states I always scope out used stores. We just are overseas with no english books here. We are in need of more! I have to order and send to my dad who then combines and sends to us. I wish I could send one of our parents to pick stuff out, but our tastes are too different. They just don't know what to look for.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

We just put in a big order from them. Usually the description will say that the item is an ex-library book, so that you can avoid it if you don't want that.

 

We've also used paperbackswap.com. You can set your requirements (for instance, we have asked for nothing from a home that includes smoking, no ex-library unless you ask first, nothing with a lot of highlighting or underlining, that sort of thing).

 

You're right! I just got my big order from them, and now that I was sure to only get copies in "Very Good" condition I am impressed-- many of these are gift quality.

 

It's funny because many sellers like BWB and Thriftbooks do list books on Amazon as costing 1 cent with $3.99 shipping, which is why they don't combine shipping costs, I think-- then on their website the book might cost $3.98 with free shipping. Pretty sure this is why Amazon won't combine shipping for used books-- sellers simply make a calculation based upon what they think will look most appealing to used book shoppers. But it also makes the actual worth of the books appear lower.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...