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SECOND HAND vs BRAND NEW
- Thread starter oldboy
- Start date
Jessica089
New Member
Absolutely nothing. I love buying second hand! Love it! You can find books that are never available new or in the shops. But on the other hand sometimes it's not that great, like a copy I found of LOTR, return of the king at a second hand store was $3.50 and brand new $5 There are goods and bads. But deffinately no shame.
Witchchild
New Member
I buy a lot of my books second hand AND as cheaply as possible. Our town library has an ongoing book sale where on a certain shelf paperbacks are .50 cents and hardcovers are $1. The selection is poor, but every once in a while I find something great. 
I shop tag sales, second hand bookstores, thrift shops, etc.
The only advantage a new book has over a secondhand one is if you absolutely have to have it the instant it comes out. I get the Harry Potter books as soon as they hit the shelves because I am dying to see what happens next. The only other book I can see myself "needing" right away will be the new Anne Bishop book.
Secondhand is WAY better than new when I have the patience to wait for what I want.
~Witch
I shop tag sales, second hand bookstores, thrift shops, etc. The only advantage a new book has over a secondhand one is if you absolutely have to have it the instant it comes out. I get the Harry Potter books as soon as they hit the shelves because I am dying to see what happens next. The only other book I can see myself "needing" right away will be the new Anne Bishop book.
Secondhand is WAY better than new when I have the patience to wait for what I want.
~Witch
Second hand shops, garage sales, outlet stores, Barnes and Noble discount table, Amazon nearly free webpage, trade in stores--Mmmm Hmmmm! I used to get nearly all my SF and Fantasy from a book swap down the street. I'd take my mom's old romance novels down there and swap them two for one for Tolkein, Heinlein, Zelazny, and whoever else caught my fancy. Cheap! Nearly free and when I occasionally had to spend money it wasn't much. Nothing like a good half-price bookstore either.
cajunmama
Active Member
Absolutley no shame there!!! Hey, I'm not made of money!!! If I bought all I read brand new, there'd be no money for groceries and the kids get kinda cranky if they don't eat for a few day!! HaHa, just joking. But seriously, if it is in readable condition, that's good enough for me.
Witchchild
New Member
oldboy said:
Why not? Are you disgusted that I would pay full price for a book? Or are you trying, in your subtle way, to tell me that you think my taste in books sucks?
I read a lot of books of many types and genres. I like the Harry Potter books because my oldest son, who previously only read comic books, became absolutely enthralled by HP when I read the first book to him. I got that one in paperback for $4 but snatched the other ones up as they came out because it was something he would read that didn't have pictures and word balloons. I also really enjoyed the way the first book flowed and I guess I became attached to the characters.
My son is high-functioning autistic and is very attached to Harry and his friends. I am dying to see what happens next partly for his sake, he knows someone dies in book 5 and hasn't let me finish reading it to him because he doesn't want anyone he loves to die. I love HP for giving my son a glimpse of something magical, and a new love for real books.
If you weren't trying to be snotty; I apologize for snapping at you.
dan_k_buds
New Member
i buy all the books i can at second hand shops
when i can get 6 books for the price of a new book its a no brainer
and when i am done with them i can trade them in for store credit
when i can get 6 books for the price of a new book its a no brainer
and when i am done with them i can trade them in for store credit
marlasinger
Member
Witchchild said:Our town library has an ongoing book sale where on a certain shelf paperbacks are .50 cents and hardcovers are $1. The selection is poor, but every once in a while I find something great.
Yus - library sales are great!
I picked up The Pillars of the Earth for AUD2.50. I don't mind buying from second hand stores - but there aren't that many around (locally), so I don't use them often.
If I'm walking past one, I'll go in, but if I'm looking for a particular book, I don't even think of second hand bookstores. 
VTChEwbecca
kickbox
My few favorite authors I buy fresh, crisp and new. The others, definitely love second hand, because I'm cheap. Usually you can get pretty good copies for very little money.
Used vs. new
Buying used books instead of new copies doesn't (directly) pass money back to the publisher (and through them, the author) at all, which gives the publisher less profit -- and, eventually, they are unable to pay authors as much. Which means less financial incentive for authors to write... and it's, really, a job (though, part-time unless they are mega popular)... Less money may mean a different job.
So, really, buying a used copy of a new release really harms the industry cycle (yes, minutely, but it adds up eventually, IMO).
On the other hand, used books are a way of advertising for authors that are currently in print. So, yeah, I don't think buying used is really bad.
Personally, if I like an author's work, I'll make an extra effort to buy a new book -- I want them to continue writing. If it's something new, chances are I'll buy a used copy of the first book; if I like it, I buy future books new.
I'd prefer to read a new author first electronically (ala Baen) and then take my approval from there.
Buying used books instead of new copies doesn't (directly) pass money back to the publisher (and through them, the author) at all, which gives the publisher less profit -- and, eventually, they are unable to pay authors as much. Which means less financial incentive for authors to write... and it's, really, a job (though, part-time unless they are mega popular)... Less money may mean a different job.
So, really, buying a used copy of a new release really harms the industry cycle (yes, minutely, but it adds up eventually, IMO).
On the other hand, used books are a way of advertising for authors that are currently in print. So, yeah, I don't think buying used is really bad.
Personally, if I like an author's work, I'll make an extra effort to buy a new book -- I want them to continue writing. If it's something new, chances are I'll buy a used copy of the first book; if I like it, I buy future books new.
I'd prefer to read a new author first electronically (ala Baen) and then take my approval from there.
direstraits
Well-Known Member
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.SLot Dave said:
) ds
Ashlea
New Member
I shop used first, and if I can't find it I go for the new stuff, except for a few select authors. I've also been known to check out the hardcover at the library and buy the paperback when it comes out.
Truthfully, I'd buy more new but the barnes and noble by my house has a crappy, crappy selection. I just don't understand why you need to have12 copies of the newest book in a series but it's not worth keeping one copy of the other books in a series on hand. And no, I don't want you to order it for me, thank you, I can find amazon.com all by myself.
Truthfully, I'd buy more new but the barnes and noble by my house has a crappy, crappy selection. I just don't understand why you need to have12 copies of the newest book in a series but it's not worth keeping one copy of the other books in a series on hand. And no, I don't want you to order it for me, thank you, I can find amazon.com all by myself.