Hello bookworms! Today I’m posting about how I get my books.
As someone who intends on becoming a librarian, you would think that I only pick up my books and magazines at the library, to fully support my future profession. Unfortunately, consumerism has attacked my mind and I feel an uncontrollable desire to purchase every book that seems remotely interesting to me. I am becoming better at using the library, but I still can’t resist building up a huge, beautiful book collection. So here’s my go-to spots to purchase books, in case you’re in the market for some:
- Thrift Stores
Thankfully, as a collector, I’m not the type that needs a brand new, perfect copy of every single one of my books. This allows me to save some money, as I frequent thrift stores and their book selections often. And I’ve had great luck finding new books or popular books in great condition at the thrift stores in my area. I’ve gotten Book of the Month editions, brand new hardcovers for less than five bucks. The thrift stores I go to are Savers and Goodwill, and I find that Savers has better selection. They also have a deal where if you buy 4 books, you get a fifth book for free! In my area, the Salvation Army has an abysmal book selection, so you’ll have to check and see what the thrift stores in your area are like.
Also don’t forget about your local library! In my city, all the library branches have a small bookstore where the library sells books that are donated to them. They’re super cheap, and I was able to find books that I had been searching everywhere for, and they were only 50 cents each. It’s also a great way to support your libraries!
Thrifting in general requires a great amount of patience. Often, the books are unorganized at the thrift store, so you have to check every single spine and shelf to find some treasures. Even if the selection is sorted by genre, sometimes books are categorized incorrectly, so it’s a great idea to check all the sections regardless. Looking at every single book makes a good find that much more rewarding, and I truly enjoy it. It’s a cheap way to get books and spend your day!
Side note – as a manga collector, I haven’t been very lucky in thrift stores. However, I’ve seen people acquire amazing hauls at their thrift stores! It’s very dependent on your area and chance if you’re seeking manga.
2. Barnes and Noble
Recently, I’ve been going to Barnes and Noble a lot with my friends, as we seek out the next volume we need for our manga collections. It’s been one of our go to activities when we all hang out together. It’s so much fun to be surrounded by books and the people you love. I also had a bunch of Barnes & Noble gift cards, so I had some money to spend that sparked this trend of going there too often.
I’m trying to limit my spending on books, so I stray away from buying hardcovers and try to tell myself I can find these books at the library (manga is a different story). However, I still browse the YA and adult sections, to add books to my long TBR list, and my list of books to look for at the library. It also gives me insight into what books have just been released.
When I go to Barnes and Noble, I search all over the store for their Buy one, get one 50% off tables. These are relatively new promotions that the chain has been doing, and each location I go to has different options every couple of weeks. I think it’s a great deal so I try to only buy using these promos!
Additionally, I only bought books online from B + N when they had a 50% off deal going on and I didn’t wanna miss out on the ones I really wanted. I prefer to search the shelves on my own instead of scrolling or searching online.
3. Alibris, BetterWorldBooks, eBay
These sites I buy almost exclusively manga from, to limit myself from adding even more YA and adult novels to my physical TBR. I haven’t bought anything from these sites in a while, so my wallet has been rejoicing. Alibris is my favorite, as you can buy brand new books for a great price. BetterWorldBooks supports a great cause, for every book you buy, they donate a book to someone in need. They have a smaller selection than Alibris and only their used books have great deals. eBay is definitely for manga deals, but it takes some patience and constant searching to find the great stuff. I may make a separate post on where I buy my manga and how I find them.
These sites are great if you’re focused on finding books for a great price, without supporting Amazon.
4. Local Bookstores
If you have a great local bookstore near you, especially one that sells used and new books, I am so so so jealous of you. In my city there are very few bookstores, and absolutely none in my area. There is one local bookstore that is very nice and has a great selection of books, but it’s a bit far from where I live. There’s no used books, so the prices are a bit much for me. However, I am very fortunate to have scholarship money for my textbooks for school, and I go online to their site and order any novels I need to read for the semester from there. My scholarship reimburses me and I get to support a local business – a win win situation!
I always check out local bookstores when I travel, so I obtained a good amount of my books from local bookstores in California, Oregon, et cetera. I really wish I could support local bookshops more.
That’s where I have sourced my books! As you can tell, I try my absolute best to avoid buying books from Amazon and paying list price hahaha. Where do you buy your books? Are you a collector or a borrower?
This post is not sponsored at all – just an honest post about where I buy my books.
Tracy the Bookworm 
[…] ⭐️ Tracy the Bookworm | Where I Buy My Books […]
LikeLike