-
Welcome
to BookAndReader! We LOVE books and hope you'll join us in sharing your favorites and experiences along with your love of reading with our community. Registering for our site is free and easy, just CLICK HERE!
Already a member and forgot your password? Click here.
SECOND HAND vs BRAND NEW
- Thread starter oldboy
- Start date
Totally on my PDA. It's so convenient to be able to haul 10-15 books around on a PDA. Truthfully, I've never tried reading a book on a PC -- for some reason, that seems kinda not right. Not sure why, though.direstraits said:How do you read your electronic Baen books, Dave? Via PC or PDA? I'm just curious - I've got Weber's On Basilisk's Station on my PDA right now (but I'm reading somethine else.)
ds
direstraits
Well-Known Member
Er... you're not sniffing them are you? Cause if you are I'll never look at a second hand book the same way again.SillyWabbit said:
ds
direstraits
Well-Known Member
Oh, yeah, a high five is in order.SLot Dave said:
We should trade books... I'll tell you where I get my stash, you tell me where you get yours.
Ah, off topic alert! Okay, quick... I love second hand bookshops. I get lots of stuff I can't get anywhere else there, and it's a more varied selection as well.
ds
direstraits
Well-Known Member
There's nothing like the scent of a *new* book. There's lots of things you're inviting to live in your nasal cavity when you sniff an old book.SillyWabbit said:YES!
There is nothing like the scent of a book. First thing I do when I get a book ( new or old ) is crack open the pages and take a deep breath
Well... maybe I just like the rush of the binding glue
Any chance books I could have bought a book you sniffed before? I've got a couple here that has what I thought were pencil marks but now looks suspiciously like wabbit nose hairs.
ds
Halo
New Member
I have only bought second-hand books about 3 times in my whole life. I don't even read library books. Even though I could get second-hand books a lot cheaper, I always buy brand new books. I like to be the first person to read a book, without anyone else having had their grubby little mits on it, spilt "stuff" on it or turned down any corners. This is because I am very fussy about my books. I kept them pristine and never throw any away, which is one of the reasons I need a bigger place!
hatter
New Member
Halo said:
You might like to read Anne Faddiman 'Ex Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader' (not sure if I've spelt her name right sorry). She talks about different people's attitudes to their books and classifies readers as 'courtly lovers' or 'carnal lovers' depending on how they treat their books.
I buy both. Sometimes I want the book to look pristine and/or to support the author. Sometimes I like the idea of a book with history, you can imagine all the people before you who loved the book also. I have bought second hand books because of funny comments written in their margins by past readers. You can also find some really interesting titles in second hand stores that you might not come across anywhere else.
ions
New Member
Used when I can. There's something satisfying to new things but that's expensive wasteful thinking often. Plus books are SO FREAKING EXPENSIVE!! I'd like to support authors when I can but....sheesh!
I wanna read The Old Man and the Sea by Hemingway but my local library lists their copy as 'lost' and the local bookstores have it for $14.95!! Cripes, it'll take me a couple hours to read tops. Just an example. Of course finding that used is proving nearly impossible, not including shopping online.
I wanna read The Old Man and the Sea by Hemingway but my local library lists their copy as 'lost' and the local bookstores have it for $14.95!! Cripes, it'll take me a couple hours to read tops. Just an example. Of course finding that used is proving nearly impossible, not including shopping online.
water faerie
New Member
I nearly always buy used because I just can't afford to buy new books.
francesca
New Member
I buy both partly because as a lot of people have already pointed out, new books are so expensive but also because I love the look and feel of them. I will also be less discriminate and therefore turn up stuff I wouldnt have otherwise bought, and like Wabbit I love that musky old book smell, I love to find inscriptions, or owners names, or old library cards inside them, I also love the old covers, some are really elegant. The Oe book I'm reading now is a used copy that I bought through Amazon as its not available new at the moment, and it has this really funky 70's cover, I love it.
Last night, in fact, I bought a big pile of second hand books, people dont like to buy anything second hand here, so consequently they are soooo cheap, even lovely ancient old hardbacks with beautiful covers. I actually love everything second hand, clothes, furniture, etc, I really miss my Uk charity shops for that.
Last night, in fact, I bought a big pile of second hand books, people dont like to buy anything second hand here, so consequently they are soooo cheap, even lovely ancient old hardbacks with beautiful covers. I actually love everything second hand, clothes, furniture, etc, I really miss my Uk charity shops for that.
I'm a bargain shopper. I live on a pretty tight budget so I don't often buy newly released hardcover books. I typically wait for titles to come out in paperback before buying them.
I turn to used bookstores for out of print books or and for older printings of older titles (I just enjoy having really old books).
I turn to used bookstores for out of print books or and for older printings of older titles (I just enjoy having really old books).
tartan_skirt
New Member
I love charity shops and anywhere else I can get books cheap. Its usually an older version of the book (old cover maybe) and it may be a little worn, but they're good enough for me!
I will buy my books new if I know they're ones I'm not going to be finding in a charity shop anytime soon. For example my Garth Nix books I buy new, as I like to buy them as soon as I can and I've not seen any of his books in a second hand place yet! but I never usually have enough money to buy all my books this way... so second hand is my prefered way!
There is one shop in my town (Music Zone) that has a (usually small) section of books, most often they're music biographies, movie tie-ins and such, but they're VERY cheap. Lately the selection has expanded a little and I've seen plenty of books I'd like to get there. With this shop I get the best of both worlds, new and cheap!
I will buy my books new if I know they're ones I'm not going to be finding in a charity shop anytime soon. For example my Garth Nix books I buy new, as I like to buy them as soon as I can and I've not seen any of his books in a second hand place yet! but I never usually have enough money to buy all my books this way... so second hand is my prefered way!
There is one shop in my town (Music Zone) that has a (usually small) section of books, most often they're music biographies, movie tie-ins and such, but they're VERY cheap. Lately the selection has expanded a little and I've seen plenty of books I'd like to get there. With this shop I get the best of both worlds, new and cheap!
leckert
New Member
I think I might have been a "Fred Sanford" in a previous life.
I LOVE other people's junk.
Weekends find me cruising neighborhoods for yard sales. I once worked for a horse stable, and made runs to a local landfill. It was like friggin' Wal Mart for me! It is amazing what people toss out! Brand-new appliances (like stoves, ACs and refridgerators) with the cords cut off. Display models from Sears. Replace the cord, and, TA-DAA!
I love the trade-in paperback deal.
One point, though, there really is nothing quite like a brand new hard back to put on your shelf.
I LOVE other people's junk.
Weekends find me cruising neighborhoods for yard sales. I once worked for a horse stable, and made runs to a local landfill. It was like friggin' Wal Mart for me! It is amazing what people toss out! Brand-new appliances (like stoves, ACs and refridgerators) with the cords cut off. Display models from Sears. Replace the cord, and, TA-DAA!
I love the trade-in paperback deal.
One point, though, there really is nothing quite like a brand new hard back to put on your shelf.
DakotaDreams
kickbox
Give me a bookstore, any bookstore...
I buy both new and used...generally I will take chances on used books...read the back, hey this sounds okay, pick it up because it is cheap. Have found some really good authors that way. Or when I want something light, silly I will usually look used...I found John Sanford's Prey series like that...as well as J.D. Robbs' In Death series.
When I am looking for specific used books I will sometimes use Amazon.com or EBay, as I can search without spending a day in a thrift shop.
I do tend to buy quite a few new books as well, although I do try to wait until the paperback versions come out (except in the case of Laurell K. Hamilton...I just can't wait for those...lol...) $7 for a book is a hefty price tag though and I never leave Barnes and Noble without spending at least $50, so I do try and hunt used when I can. Problem is it is tough finding vampire/werewolf books in thrift shops, usually I only find things I already have.
And libraries are a lost cause...lol...our town library is a few shelves in the elementary school...I have more books at home on my shelves than the whole town does!! One big drawback of living in a very rural area!!
I buy both new and used...generally I will take chances on used books...read the back, hey this sounds okay, pick it up because it is cheap. Have found some really good authors that way. Or when I want something light, silly I will usually look used...I found John Sanford's Prey series like that...as well as J.D. Robbs' In Death series.
When I am looking for specific used books I will sometimes use Amazon.com or EBay, as I can search without spending a day in a thrift shop.
I do tend to buy quite a few new books as well, although I do try to wait until the paperback versions come out (except in the case of Laurell K. Hamilton...I just can't wait for those...lol...) $7 for a book is a hefty price tag though and I never leave Barnes and Noble without spending at least $50, so I do try and hunt used when I can. Problem is it is tough finding vampire/werewolf books in thrift shops, usually I only find things I already have.
And libraries are a lost cause...lol...our town library is a few shelves in the elementary school...I have more books at home on my shelves than the whole town does!! One big drawback of living in a very rural area!!
CarolinaCarol
New Member
DakotaDreams said:
I too have found some great authors that I'd never otherwise read through used books... and have consequentially gone on to buy their new releases in hard back. I usually buy hard back through a book club when they have free shipping promotions or other specials that offset the shipping cost (Like a free book). The price is usually half of the bookstore prices.