Is there any website that can get you used physical books for cheaper price? I have tried Abebooks in the past but now they have been charging a lot for shipping. I am trying FB marketplace these days but so far I found very limited options and you have to drive a lot to get these. Thank you in advance for your suggestions.
I used to find great deals at Thriftbooks, Abebooks, and Book Depository, but they’ve all become too expensive to ship to Canada.
Do you need to pay for books at all and then have them clutter your house?
What about borrowing from libraries?
Apart from public libraries, university libraries usually offer community borrower cards and lend e books too.
I like Pango Books for online purchases and my local thrift stores for in person.
There is no website but have to tried Goodwill? I get mine there
I agree that library book sales are the way to go. But if you’re looking for a specific book, bookfinder.com is a great resource. It does a meta search that covers ebay, amazon, abebooks, and many other used-book sellers.
Yes, that is what I wanted to do. Thank you.
I find eBay has a huge selection of used bookstores with great prices. The problem with eBay is what qualifies as Very Good, Good, Acceptable, etc… They don’t usually include pictures of the actual product to show its quality/condition, and if you inquire about it, they don’t have access to the book in their warehouse.
I haven’t tried eBay yet, but seeing the response here I will give it a try. Thank you.
biblio.com = old, out of print, hard to find, and oddly random books
hpb.com = if you’re lucky enough to live near one, they are fun to browse. They buy from the public, so each store is different. They also have a great selection online, including puzzles, first editions, and weird esoterica :)
Bookshop.org = Best way to buy from small book stores when you don’t live near them :)
If you are near Detroit, John K King books is amazing! (https://www.johnkingbooksdetroit.com/) I go there every time I visit
And, if you’re in Arizona, try Bookman’s Entertainment Exchange (https://bookmans.com/#stores)
I have SO many websites I shop at. Not long ago I made a comment list in response to a similar question on this sub. However someone saved my life by showing me this: Book Finder
If you know what book you want it will pull up whose selling it, with prices so you can bargain! I believe there’s an option to filter your search to only have it be websites/stores with delivery for your specific country. 😊
Ebay, a seller called second sale, cheap books, usually buy 3 get one free, and free shipping.
Half Priced Books.
Also, check your local library for their book sales. Most have at least one or two big sales a year to make room for new ones.
I used to get of stuff off abebooks, but like you said, their shipping has gotten outrageous in the last two years.
Any guesses who owns Abebooks? Part of the evil empire and hence the shipping increases!
I agree.
Have you checked out ThriftBooks? They offer a wide selection of used books at affordable prices, and their shipping rates are usually quite reasonable. Happy book hunting!
I’ve always done a gamut around my state to thrift shops. Search through their books and find ones to sell/read. Probably the cheapest place to find them, and generally that’s where the books you find on websites come from honestly. They’re charging you for convenience and storing them.
Looked it up, think goodwill may have an actual goodwillbooks website. Maybe a good place?
They do, but I think they don’t deliver to Canada. I tried and their website doesn’t show Canada in the shipping section.
I’ve always found it funny when my fellow Americans complain about costs. Anytime I go out of the states I end up paying an arm and a leg. 25% sales tax, exorbitant shipping. Etc.
If you want just a ton of books of varying quality, try https://www.thebookbundler.com/collections/books-by-the-color-decorative-books-bundles?gclid=EAIaIQobChMImrj40-XMggMVFcrICh2KVwvDEAAYASAAEgKN7vD_BwE.
They have lots of books by color and kid’s books, but also some adult bundles sorted by theme.
Library book sales or other places that accept donated books, locally the art museum also runs a yearly book sale.
Used bookstores sometimes have a clearance shelf.
eBay sometimes you can find someone just selling a grab bag of books for cheap, the shipping could add up though.
Find your local recycling center, one of local ones takes books and puts them up on a free shelf for a period, if no one takes them they recycle the paper.