As a literature major, I’m required to buy twenty or more books, usually novels, at the beginning of the semester. Dropping about $15 or so on each of them can get privy fast. While eReaders are one option for cutting the costs of books, there’s also the age-old option of buying used books.
There are tons of sites online that offer used books but Amazon probably has the widest selection.You can buy books of poetry and novels on Amazon for a fraction of their prices in the local chain bookstore. While shipping can get costly on sites like Amazon, used books are often so cheap that even with the shipping the cost ends up being minimal.
Another option for buying used books is independent bookstores. While chain bookstores are often easy to navigate and can be found in almost every town, shoppers pay dearly for that convenience. Local bookstores often offer both new and used selections of books, often cheaper than they are offered at chain bookstores. My favorite independent bookstore, where I bought a dog-eared copy of Jack Kerouac’s On The Road, is the Strand bookstore in Manhattan. The store is a goldmine for lovers of all types of books including literary classics, genre novels, and poetry.
Though you might initially avoid the used book market, once you set your hands on a used book you might never buy a new one again. Not only are used books easier on the wallet, there is something strange and interesting about having a copy that’s been passed down to you. Though you can often find used books that look just like new, sometimes having tattered and marked-up copies adds even more to the experience of reading the book. When you have a scribbled-on copy of a novel, not only do you have the original text, but also a stranger’s take on it.
While there’s no substitute for the fresh new book smell, the benefits of buying used outweigh the drawbacks. Whether it be from an online marketplace or a hidden local bookstore, buying used books saves you money and opens up a door into the world of a fellow reader.