All books are great, but used books have a special appeal for avid readers visiting a book thrift store. They have gone through so many people and have traveled a long way before reaching you. You now get to share the experience of these people—at a more practical price. It also feels great to find a book you want, like a hunter who found success on a hunting trip.
Reading is a passion that helps people grow in their lives, becoming more compassionate, creative, and imaginative. They create an atmosphere of passion wherever they go and encourage others to be more interested in books.
Why You Should Buy Books Second-Hand
Books are great companions anywhere, whether you’re in a cozy armchair by the fire during winter or lounging on the beach during summer.
Buying books is a completely different matter. Sometimes, it can feel overwhelming; you have a limited selection of books to choose from, spines that you don’t ever want to spoil, not to mention their ever-increasing prices. You’ll always feel the need to keep them looking good for as long as possible, making you feel like you always have to make the right decision to keep yourself from feeling disappointed and sorry for your wallet.
However, visiting a book thrift store offers an exciting possibility of discovering new books and rediscovering old titles. Here are a few of the benefits of buying pre-loved books.
1. Pre-Loved Books Are Less Expensive
Purchasing thrift store books saves time, money, and effort while providing their readers with knowledge. Students and people preparing for competitive exams will find this highly beneficial; they can even buy second-hand books online at a lower price than new books.
Thrift store books also allow people to buy them in bulk for a bargain price. Aside from providing readers with hours of entertainment and enjoyment, books also encourage them to read more and invest time and financial resources in books.
2. More Chance of Finding Rare Books
Some rare books are no longer published; having them in your collection is something to be proud of. Luckily, instead of buying them from another collector for a higher price, you might find them as thrifted books while browsing second-hand book shops. Finding a rare copy amongst dusty stacks in a second-hand bookstore often feels like the beginning of a new adventure; some stories even start by finding rare books in a second-hand bookstore.
Thrifting books might lead you to find old editions of Classics and non-fiction books published in an earlier decade. Try scouring a thrift shop for books, and you will likely find written pieces of history that are no longer readily available.
3. Added Fun and Excitement
Walking down an aisle full of new books is equally exciting as discovering good books hidden in a pile at a thrift store. You never know what book you might find next in the thrift store. Sometimes you might find the book you’ve been looking for so long that you were almost ready to give up, making it more fun and satisfying.
Shopping for pre-loved books or thrifting books is also a fun bonding activity with friends or loved ones; find favorite titles or interesting books from a genre you like and exchange them with your loved ones for fun.
4. Sustainability
Books are collections of paper that took many trees to make. Tossing them out is a waste, both the book itself and the paper used to make them. Thrifting books help keep them out of the garbage and on a bookshelf, helping the environment. If there are many copies of the same book in stock, resist the temptation to purchase a new one to help keep information and stories alive while protecting the environment.
As long as pre-loved books are well-kept and maintained, they can last for generations and will entertain readers of any age, from any decade. Encourage everyone around you to go book thrifting every once in a while and help save the environment.
How to Find Good Books In Thrift Stores
When you are out on a mission to pick up a book from your local thrift store, it is best to come prepared; the variety of thrifted books sold by thrift shops is overwhelming and can easily distract you. Here are some tips to help your book thrifting adventure fun and satisfying:
Do not look for a specific book.
Thrift stores often categorize books by genre or age level, like bookshops. Come to the store without any expectations or a particular title in mind; this can help you become an objective buyer of books.
Having no expectations will not lead to disappointment in case you are unsuccessful in finding a certain edition or a certain cover of a book. Keeping an open mind while browsing the stacks of second-hand books and thrifting books can lead you to surprises.
Create a list of genres that interest you.
Writing down genres or plots that tickle your fancy is helpful if you’re undecided about which books to buy or if you’re looking for a quick fix.
Prioritize your preferred genres followed by other genres that also interest you but not as much as your priority genre. Listing book titles can also help you while thrifting books; show your list to clerks to help make looking easier.
Check the condition.
Most pre-loved books sold in thrift stores are quite old. Some are decades old, and some are even older. Don’t be surprised if you find books with little scratches and defects – those are all part of the charm of thrifting books.
You will definitely want to enjoy a good book you find; however, you won’t get to do that if it’s in dire conditions. Always check the book if the pages are complete or if the cover is still attached to the spine.
In some cases, termites and other insects create their sanctuaries in the pages of old books. If the book isn’t disintegrating with a touch of your hand, try removing the insects and treating the pages with oil.
Give as you get.
This is a common practice among book lovers. Instead of throwing away books that no longer interest them, they donate them to thrift stores. Aside from decluttering their space, this will also help thrift stores expand their collection of pre-loved books.
If you have books that you haven’t touched in a year or two, you might want to consider putting them in a donation box and giving them to your local thrift store. Second-hand books make reading accessible outside the confines of a library, encouraging people to read and thrift used books.
Give Old Books at Haven House Thrift Store a New Home
If you plan to donate or collect pre-loved books, our thrift store in Destin, FL, Haven House Thrift Store is the place to be. Haven House Thrift Store offers various items ranging from clothing, books, and trinkets that are perfect for your home.
All the proceeds from Haven House Thrift Store go to haven House Recovery Center, an institution that aims to help men recover from drug and alcohol addiction.
