Comments on: Why I Love Second-Hand Books

By: Luke

Luke — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 09:15:39 +0000

Love it. I also only like to buy and read second hand books.

Thanks for your post.

I’m glad I’m not the only one.

By: B

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 02:02:10 +0000

Electronic books? that is the worst thing technology has brought us. new or old I love the feel of a book. don’t we look at computer screens enough? I fear the day when books are only released electronically. and talk about a waste of electricity to charge up your kindle or other device to read. all i need is a little sunlight and i’m good to go. To the author- buying used books is great, but trading books are fun also. you get something new to read, and the books that you haven’t read in a long time will have a new life with someone else.

By: Cheapy Da Sheeple-Daddio

Cheapy Da Sheeple-Daddio — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 09:35:26 +0000

Pay no cent!

Just get electronic books from Project Gutenberg in text format then upload them to your mobile phone and read whatever, whenever, wherever you want.

By: Bri

Bri — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 08:04:32 +0000

here here! I agree, I ADORE second hand and old books. For all of the above stated reasons, but also, because the design of some the older books is simply stunning. They just don’t make them like they used to, and the covers and illustrations in old books is gorgeous and well-thought-out and just freaking amazing.

By: Drifter Smith

Drifter Smith — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 17:19:02 +0000

There are many reasons to like used books and the stores that sell them.

My favorite: used book stores frequently have a much better selection of stuff that is worth reading than you’ll find in new bookstores.

Here in Arizona we have a chain called “Bookman’s” with outlets in Tucson, Phoenix, and Flagstaff. The one’s I’ve visited are as large as a supermarket and are full of very good books.

The folks who work in these places seem to know quite a bit – they also take books in trade (and give you credits that can be spent like cash on more books, etc), but they are pretty selective about what they’ll take and put on the shelf. So the overall quality of what is on the shelves is (in my estimation, anyway) a lot higher that what I could find up the street at the local Barnes and Nobel.

Bookman’s also buys and sells music, videos, and computer software – to mention the most common stuff. They have a fairly rapid turnover of stuff on the shelf, lots of serious readers shop there regularly.

I think the new bookstores seem to focus most on this month’s bestsellers – but serious readers are still trying to find good stuff they may have missed when it first came out, or old classics from the past. You’ll have a hard time finding that in a new book store: lots of really great stuff is now out of print!

By: Tyson

Tyson — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 01:49:42 +0000

I like that Used Books are Previously Enjoyed. It`s like a stamp of approval to have well-worn pages and covers.

By: t.schroeder

t.schroeder — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 11:46:23 +0000

you should go to Parnassus Books in yarmouth port, ma on cape cod. talk about treasure hunting. although, i’m not sure of the bargins. it is down the street from edward gorey’s former home.

By: Susan James

Susan James — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 23:05:19 +0000

I love old books. I love to think how many other people have touched and loved the book before me. Lynn Truss talked about this in Eats Shoots and Leaves; how she was reading an old book in a library and saw a scrawled note in the margin from 50 years ago. 50 years later a possibly dead person's voice was being heard by another reader- book discussion from the great beyond. That just can't be done with a new book or an ebook. .-= Susan James´s last blog ..A Beautifully Thought Out Way to End A Childhood Dream =-.

By: ash

ash — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 05:18:32 +0000

Have you read Billy Collins’ “Marginalia”? Definitely goes to point No. 2:

http://www.billy-collins.com/2005/06/marginalia.html

By: Dan DeClark

Dan DeClark — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 03:06:37 +0000

My uncle once bought an Ogden Nash book of poetry at a flea market for a dollar. It turned out to be a first edition with a handwritten thank you on the inside. “To the Kurds. You don’t do things in halves you do them in thirds”