Nov 19, 2001 04:05 PM
2566 Views
(Updated Nov 19, 2001 04:07 PM)
I do not have a lot of money, but that has not curtailed my desire to read and to buy books. How am I able to deal with this and still have money for food and other necessities? I have become the bargain book buying babe. I never pay full publisher price for books anymore.
When a new book comes out that I simply must have immediately my first thought is Walmart or Kmart. Both of these places discount all their books a significant amount off the suggested publisher's price. This is usually around 20 to 25%. Sometimes it is even more.
If I am looking for a specific older book, I will often look online at half.com. All of the items there are listed at least 50% off the publisher's price. Many times you can find books for just a few cents. One thing you have to remember about buying from this site is that you will have to pay shipping charges, so make sure it is really as good a bargain as it seems. There is also a listing beside each product to let you know what condition the item is in. Check the sellers ratings to see that they are truthful when listing condition. So far, I have never been disappointed with any of my purchases from this site.
Another good idea when searching for specific older books is trying used books stores. Here again you can find books for a fraction of the publisher's price. The standard rate at the particular store I frequently shop is 60% of the list price. That is not the same for all of these types of stores. You will just need to shop around to find the best of these places in your area.
Now, if I am not looking for a specific book I can really get great deals. If I am just looking for anything to read, I tend to shop flea markets and yard sales. The books aren't generally in as good a condition as they would be new. However, I'm not usually buying them to collect. I am simply looking for something to read. I have found that you can normally buy paperbacks for anywhere from$.10 to$2.50. This depends on the type of book you are buying and the individual seller of course.
I hope that I have given you some new ideas for where to look for book bargains. Now, get out there and shop.
