Ten Reasons to Buy Used Books

Amy Brantley
Ten Reasons to Buy Used Books #1: You'll Save Money

When you buy used books, you save money. The cost of a new novel is usually around $7 for paperbacks and $25 for hardbacks. The best places to buy used books are your library, used bookstores, yard sales, flea markets, and Paperback Swap.

Ten Reasons to Buy Used Books #2: It Keeps Novels Out of the Landfill

When you buy used books, you ensure that fewer copies are printed. Why is this a good thing? This helps to avoid used novels ending up in the landfill. When people have yard sales, they sometimes throw away items that do not sell. Do you really want used novels to end up in the landfill?

Ten Reasons to Buy Used Books #3: Save Trees

When you buy used books, you help to ensure that new copies aren't printed. This means that fewer trees are cut down. Even if you buy novels that are printed on recycled paper, that paper could have been used for something else.

Ten Reasons to Buy Used Books #4: To Trade on Paperback Swap

Paperback Swap allows you to trade used paperbacks for free. This means you can buy used books that you might not want, and trade them on Paperback Swap for used novels you really do want. You'd be surprised at which novels people will pick from you list too.

Ten Reasons to Buy Used Books #5: Great for Vacations

How many times have you left a good novel in a hotel hundreds of miles from your home? Instead of leaving a fabulous copy behind, why not buy used books to take on your next vacation? This way if you leave the novel behind you won't feel as bad, because it didn't cost much.

Ten Reasons to Buy Used Books #6: No Need to Worry About Damage

When you buy new copies, you hate to read them and break the spine. But, when you buy used books, you don't have to worry about causing damage, because they've already been damaged.

Ten Reasons to Buy Used Books #7: Cheap Way to Stock Bookshelf

When you buy used books, you can fill your entire bookshelf for very little money. For example, sellers on eBay often sell large quantities of used books for very little money. You can sometimes get sets of 15 for $8. Then there are yard sales. You can sometimes find used books for $0.10 at yard sales.

Ten Reasons to Buy Used Books #8: First Editions

When you buy used books, you have a very good chance of finding a first edition. Many times, people have no idea what they have in their collection. This means you may find a first edition for $1 or less. If you are a big fan of a certain author, this is a great find. This may also be a way to make money off of used books.

Ten Reasons to Buy Used Books #9: No Longer In Print

There are wonderful novels that are no longer in print. Believe it or not, you can sometimes find these novels at used bookstores, on eBay, and at yard sales. Depending on the seller's knowledge of books, you may get these novels at amazing prices or you may have to pay quite a bit. Either way, this is a wonderful way to latch onto a novel from the past.

Ten Reasons to Buy Used Books #10: You May Make Money

As mentioned above, you can make money off of used books. You can trade them on Paperback Swap, which is a way of having money for more books or you can sell the treasures you find. You may find a first edition that someone is willing to pay hundreds for.

Published by Amy Brantley - Featured Contributor in Lifestyle

A passionate writer who specializes in food-related content and has hopes of changing the way people think about cooking. Has published over a thousand pieces of food-related content. Amy is available for wr...   View profile

4 Comments

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  • Beth Callahan 4/30/2007

    i almost always buy used books. Great article.

  • Charlotte Kuchinsky 4/26/2007

    I buy used whenever I can.

  • Carol Gilbert 4/26/2007

    Reading the comments of those who came before me is one of my fav reasons for reading used books.

  • Zac Wassink 4/26/2007

    im a huge fan of this. great work here

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