Buying books from charity shops...

Discussion in Books, eBooks & Audio Books started by lucyarty • Jan 13, 2015.

  1. lucyarty

    lucyartyMember

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    Anyone else here who immediately makes a beeline for the books section whenever they're in a charity shop? I LOVE looking through the shelves and seeing what I can find. I was actually introduced to one of my favourite authors by doing this: I picked up a book called "The Little Friend" on a whim - the cover interested me and the reviews printed on the back were pretty good, and even though I'd never heard of the author (Donna Tartt!!) but decided I'd take a chance... anyway, I loved it, and through it came to read The Secret History which is, of course, a modern classic and which is one of my all time favourite novels :) I pick up loads of second hand books for my children, too.

    Anyone else have any similar stories?
     
  2. MrsJones

    MrsJonesActive Member

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    I browse the books while I'm thrifting too. I'm just drawn to see if anything catches my eye. If I find an interesting cookbook or craft book I'd buy it. Often times I'll come across a Dr. Suess book that I don't have. I try not to buy books though because I may have donated it to them :rolleyes:.
     
  3. ReadWriteLearnLove

    ReadWriteLearnLoveActive Member

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    I do! I am drawn to books wherever I find myself, especially cookbooks. I've had to purge books a few times because I always end up with so many books. It's hard for some reason to let them go.
     
  4. Theo

    TheoWell-Known Member

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    This is one of my favorite pastimes and I often go and look to find rare books or old editions. I don't have as much space now, but I still buy them, but they have to be classics or a really good buy these days. My parents work in a charity shop and sometimes bring back books they can't sell because a page is torn. My favorite is Oxfam as they always have a good selection.
     
  5. Webene

    WebeneMember

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    Buying books from charity shops always proves to be an exiting experience because you don't know what you will find. Plus, there is the added bonus of supporting a charity. Many of the books donated are ones I had not previously heard of, which really encourages me to try new genres and authors. This applies to mainly fiction books, where reading the blurb can instantly hook you into the story. Sometimes there are non-fiction books that are very informative in areas of interest, or relevant to one's studies if they are a student.
     
  6. Parker

    ParkerWell-Known Member

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    I always check out the book section. It's a great place to find classic books at extremely affordable prices. I really thought that I the only one who did this. There is rarely anyone checking out the book section with me.

    I also like to browse the album section. I have picked up a couple of rare jazz finds.
     
  7. hellavu

    hellavuActive Member

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    That's the only thing I ever seriously look through in a charity shop! I will browse through clothes, sure, and pick out to look at shirts or dresses that have nice colors and/or fabric. But books? Books I will go through the entire section, paying attention to the authors and titles! And why not, they are so cheap! :)
     
  8. missbishi

    missbishiWell-Known Member

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    Yes I do! I can't walk past a charity shop without popping in to check out the book section. I usually find that the popular books start arriving in the charity shops around 4-6 months after they have been released. In fact, I got copies of "Gone Girl", "Fifty Shades of Grey" and "Wolf Hall" in the charity shop whilst they were still at the top of the bestseller lists.
     
  9. ACSAPA

    ACSAPAWell-Known Member

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    I also enjoy the book section of Goodwill and I've found the first 12 volumes of the Naruto manga there as well as the manga for One Piece and Prince of Tennis. I even found a manga that wasn't translated into English and bought it for the artwork. I bought the Final Fantasy 13 strategy guide at Goodwill for $1.50.
     
  10. Mattenheimer

    MattenheimerNew Member

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    This is such great advice on so many levels! Not only are you helping by reusing, rather than buying new. You are also saving your self a whole bunch of cash, especially when the sticker price on books can be so high, and usually helping a non-profit or charity to boot! I know a few thrift stores near me and the prices vary. One place is .50 each no matter what. Another is up to 2.99 each, but usually 1.99(That is Savers Value Village) and then of course there is my personal favorite which is Goodwill. The one near me has all books for a dollar each, hard cover or soft. You can't beat that! Sometimes they will have a "special" book they may mark up to 3 or maybe even 4 dollar such as Julia Childs Joy of Cooking, or some fancy big Coffee Book Table. I know a lot of Goodwill's vary too!
     
  11. Kitty Reeves

    Kitty ReevesActive Member

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    The book section of the local thrift store is pretty much the only place I look! Ours is awesome because paper backs are 50 cents! I've found some really good reads through thrift stores. There was a young adult book I found called "Born To Rock", and I bought it on a whim (after reading the description on the back) and it ended up being one of my favorite books! The cool thing about thrift store books is also that you find books that might not have been all the popular to the mass market when they came out, but they're still really good stories! I love buying books via thrift stores! :D
     
  12. dandeliion

    dandeliionMember

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    I do it all the time. I buy a lot of books on amazon as well as at our local used bookstore but I will say that I find the best bargains at this thrift store down the street from my house. The books there are rarely over two dollars and they usually have a pretty good selection! I only keep books that I absolutely love so I don't see the point in spending a ton of money on them.
     
  13. DonnaIReilly

    DonnaIReillyActive Member

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    I love going in charity shops, I think its a wonderful place to buy a book. I don't know about everyone else book I think a second hand book tells more of a story. You can find old books that you would never normally dream of reading. I think charity shops are a great place to buy books.
     
  14. Polgie

    PolgieNew Member

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    I always look through the book section in charity shops, but I rarely buy books there. Why? Because most of them are rubbish! Basically all the harlequin novels and Danielle Steele... sorry if that's your thing but it's most certainly not mine. :( Luckily, I rediscover the library now and then so my reading becomes free ;)