Recently I've found myself buying quite a few second hand books. I buy from various places - mainly from charity shops but also from the library and online from World of Books or Wob as it is now known. Charity shops are good for browsing, and I find Wob good if I am looking for a specific book, especially a book that is older or out of print.
There are so many reasons that I love buying second hand books!
The main one has to be the price. The going rate around here in a charity shop is £1 to £1.50 which I think is very reasonable. From the library it's even cheaper, about 40p, although sometimes the books can be a bit battered.
If the book is a bit battered then I don't need to worry too much about it if I want to take it on holiday or read it by a pool or in the bath.
It's a good feeling buying in a charity shop because I'm making a donation to the charity, or in the library because I'm contributing to a service which I really apprecite.
Because of the low cost it doesn't matter so much if I don't like the book because I can easily pass it on again without having made a big investment.
It's also a good way to fill in the gaps in my book collection without spending a fortune - many of the books I buy are ones that I either used to own and now regret passed on, or that I have borrowed from the library and know that I will want to re-read.
Although I do love a new book I also enjoy the feeling of picking up a book which has already been read. The pages are softer and open easily and it just feels more comfortable to read.
I also like the feeling of rescuing a book, I'm saving it from being left unread and unloved on someone's shelf, or even worse being thrown away.
I would love to hear about your second hand book bargains!
When I was a big reader I used to buy books from charity shops, they're a bargain and I like the feel of a book which has been read before too x
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