12 Reasons to Buy Used Books

Books have always been one of the best ways to travel to new and exciting worlds described on paper. If you’re an avid reader, you know how rewarding it is to search and find some of your all-time favorites in a library. The feel of the book, the smell of its old pages, it’s a feeling that only you can describe. With the arrival of the digital era, collecting books has been a more complicated activity. While there are still some people who go to the library for a quick read, some people want to take that small piece of history with them. The fastest way to get a book right now is to order its digital or physical edition online. However, buying the newest edition is not something that everyone wants; these usually come more expensive than older editions. Some of those books don’t even vary too much from edition to edition. The solution to this is to buy used books. Getting used books is the best way to save money, help the environment, and take your favorite to your home; everyone wins! In this article, we’re going to look at some of the reasons that buying used books is your best choice.

1. Used Books Are Affordable

Money is the main reason why you should buy used books. While not every new book is too expensive, some editions may go over your budget. While you may find a new book for high prices such as $39.99, you can get that same amount of money and buy three to four used books! Reading doesn’t have to be expensive. If you know where to search, you can find many rare gems for great prices. The perfect places to find used books are thrift store books, you can find both new and used books. Some of these thrifting books stores even allow you to trade your old books for another from their catalogs!

2. Used Books Are Environmentally Friendly

Buying books used by someone else can help the environment since it saves the trees and reduces landfill waste. A single book can pass from owner to owner for generations; if they’re properly taken care of, they’re going to look amazing. Buying a used book may not seem like much for the environment, but every single thing counts.

3. You Can Spend Time Browsing the Thrift Book Stores

There’s nothing better than scanning each bookshelf and discovering exciting stories to read. These thrift book stores are loaded with amazing used books, so you may visit it without actually having a book in mind. We assure you that you’re going to discover exciting authors and books that you probably didn’t know before. (Going into thrift bookstores can also save you shipping costs since you’re getting the book directly!)

4. The Old Books Smell

If you have an old book in your possession, you know what we’re talking about. After years of light, moisture, and heat accumulation on the book pages, they can give out a unique smell that every reader loves. You can’t get that smell from even the best e-books since you’re reading them through a digital screen.

5. The Old Books Look

Aside from the smell, used books look fantastic. The way a book age is something surprising. While they look deteriorated from years of usage, that old look adds a lot of value.

6. Used Books' Previous Owners

One of the most exciting mysteries regarding used books is never knowing who owned them before you! Every owner leaves a piece of themselves on their books, so in a sense, you’re connecting to those previous owners through the books, even if you never know who they are.

7. Search for Rare Books

Books can come in several different editions. While each edition may have slightly different details, they are mostly the same. However, with books that have gone over eight to ten different editions, it may be hard to know how the first edition was written. If you search properly, you may come across used rare gems that you like. On the other hand, you can find old editions and first edition copies of your favorite books. These books tend to be much more unique than newer editions, mostly because more recent editions may not even come in physical copies! Since old editions are used, you can get them at great prices, which means you can use that spare money to buy something else (or to purchase other textbooks).

8. You Can Pass Used Books to Someone Else

If you don’t find further use for your books, you can pass them on to someone else! Used textbooks may have lost their value for you, but they may mean the world for someone who likes to search for old editions. Remember that each person gives a different meaning to books, whether they’re used or new.

9. You Can Sell Used Books for Cash

If you want to get some money back from your used books, several bookstores accept those old/rare gems for a fair price. There may be someone who goes into that specific store to search for those particular books, you never know! More than getting money from your used books, you’re allowing someone else to find their favorite textbooks at better prices. The amount that you can receive for your books can vary from store to store, so you can take your time and search for a trustworthy buyer.

10. Some Used Books Come with Interesting Margin Notes

Have you ever left a note on your books? Many people use margin notes to leave a piece of perspective on a specific phrase for those textbooks. Not everybody loves them, but it’s incredible how you can get a glimpse of the previous owner’s mind with just a small note. If you ever get used books with margin notes, you can use them to debate that idea from your perspective. You’re literally discussing with someone you’ve probably never met, which is a beautiful feeling that you can only find in reading used books.

11. Some Used Books Are Not as Delicate as New Ones

New books come with pristine white paper, amazing color, and that particular “new” smell. Most people who buy new textbooks are scared to bend their spine or stain them; this doesn’t happen with used books since they probably already came like that. You find used textbooks for a better price because they come with previous “damage” that may lower their value for some people. However, those details help to increase the books' value for some other people. New books feel amazing, but they can’t beat the feeling and smell of used ones.

12. E-Books Don’t Feel the Same as Physical Books

E-books are a fantastic way to find all the books you want at a better price since you don’t have to pay for the physical product plus shipping. These also help the environment since they’re digital and don’t use paper. However, some books weren’t made to be read digitally. Reading e-books may cause eye-sore if you read for a long time; physical textbooks don’t. Aside from that, they don’t feel the same. You may have a digital library filled with hundreds of new PDFs laying around, but that doesn’t beat having a bookshelf with physical copies of your favorite books.

Where Can You Find Used Books?

Finding the best prices on books used may be complicated since there are many stores available. Each one offers different shipping costs, which may or may not add up to the final price. We came across AddALL Used Books , one of the best search engines for used books. AddALL works by going into several online stores, such as Amazon, eBay, Abebooks, Biblio.com, and many more at the same time! This way, you can find the best rare gems at an excellent price. The best thing about AddALL Used Books is that you don’t have to go into each site to find the books you want. Instead, you only have to input the title, author, or ISBN of the books you need into the “Search” box. AddALL will show you the results from many different used bookstores so that you can choose the best deal for you.

Please go checking AddALL Used Books out by yourself.

Conclusion

Many reasons make reading used books over new ones the best choice for you. In essence, you’re not going to spend as much money as with new books, you can have a good time while you search for your favorite books, you help the environment, and you can pass them on to someone else when you don’t want it anymore! Reading is a beautiful experience that connects people worldwide, regardless of their culture, age, or preferences. Remember that you’re also getting a small piece of the previous owner’s perspective with used books.