{DISCUSSION} Used Books

Are new books really better than used books?

Last week we discussed pricing books by the page because some books seem awfully overpriced. Well, I doubt the industry will start changing prices any time soon, and that means books will remain rather expensive for the ravenous reader for at least the time being.

Unfortunately, this means that I can’t always buy new books (nor do I want to.) I like my bank account to be full and happy… and, you know… not making me guilty or stressed. :p Thus, it’s important to look for other, more immediate options to keep it satiated and still satisfy my desire to read at a higher pace than in previous years. Therefore, after quite a bit of grumbling, dragging my feet, and debating giving up reading altogether…

I’ve grudgingly relented to the power of used books.

Now, my first thought about used books is usually a cringe followed by a shudder and maybe a grimace. After all, I’ve come across a sizable number of extremely gross, tarnished, ruined used books in my search for new reads. And being a reader who cares about how the book actually looks and feels, I disliked used books so much that I wouldn’t even step foot in a library. There was just something about someone else having read a book, taken it god only knows where, that really… bothered me. You know?

But… to keep up with my book review requirements and to be up-to-date on current releases, I had to cave.

I mean, how can I really justify going to the bookstore and paying $20 + tax for a brand new book when I’ve honestly seen last year’s releases sitting on the used bookshelf for half the price? Sometimes books are even less than that! I’ve bought used books for $5 or less, which is a steal! How can you say ‘no’ to that? I mean, I basically get to buy four times the number of books for the same price if I just let myself open up to the idea.

Though, I’ll be honest. It’s been… a challenge to say the least. Even when I find a book that I really want, there are still a variety of reasons why I might turn it down: broken spine, damaged dust jacket, dirty/stained/bent/sticky pages. The former is really just cosmetic and me being picky, while the latter… is just gross! I mean, what are people doing with their books!? More importantly, why would a store sell something so visibly disgusting?! *cringe*

Thankfully, in recent months, I have managed to find some well-kept, clean, pristine used books… well… a lot actually! Haha! I’ve been buying them so consistently that I’d have a new book haul close to every two weeks. [So, I’m just waiting and will post it later this month. 😉 ] The key, I’ve found, is where the used books are being purchased from. 

It’s definitely apparent that certain bookstores have stricter and higher standards regarding their used books than others. Yet, they’re still priced about the same as any other used bookstore. This… has been such a relief. *sigh* 😀 I’ve finally found a way to keep up with my reading/reviewing demands while also remaining within my budget.

Still… I can’t help but wonder how long it will last. After all… that book was still owned by someone else before me. And I like my books to be… well… mine, you know? But for the time being, used will have to do.

But what do you think?
Do you prefer new or used books?
Leave your thoughts below!

---

And check out my discussion from last week:
“Paying per Page“