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View Full Version : How Do You Shop For Books?



Flip217
11-03-2008, 12:34 PM
The internet has really changed book-selling, in some good ways and others not so hot. I used to spend hours browsing the shelves in any bookstore I came across (assuming I had time to spare), but now so much more shelf space is dedicated to the new releases and best sellers, not to mention other non-book but higher-profit items, that I don't spend as much time in Borders or Barnes and Noble.

I like browsing online, since it's easy to find a large number of titles relevant to what I'm looking for and then start whittling down the choices. And of course the prices are hard to beat.

But since I still really enjoy the act of browsing shelves and picking up a book, I find that more and more often I visit the local used bookstores in my area. I'm lucky that we have quite a few. I love the smell and feel of old books, and you can find some really oddball stuff if you're willing to sort through the junk, not to mention occasionally finding a real gem that's being sold cheap.

DurbBird
11-03-2008, 04:03 PM
Naturally I enjoy shopping in independent bookstores, which are not beholden to their corporate masters regarding selection. I always find something quirky from a small press, a cool book in translation, or something else outside the mainstream.

I use the Great Satan . . . er . . . amazon.com only as a reference, then get the book at Otowi Station (http://otowistation.com/).

I love used-book stores, too, and have found some treasures in them (like a first edition of Charlotte's Web in a bright dust jacket for $40.00).

Tank
11-03-2008, 11:00 PM
Barnes and Noble.

Mark Carver
11-04-2008, 01:39 PM
I usually use Amazon.com as a quick reference point and have bought from them in the past. But to get the really old out of print books. It's ebay.com and www.abebooks.com.

TGO
11-04-2008, 03:51 PM
If there is something specific I need, I will usually go straight to Amazon or BN, especially if I'm in a hurry. More often BN because I have a membership card from my last year as a student (which I probably will allow to lapse at the end of the year but haven't decided yet).

If I'm browsing I love the independent bookstores, though they're obviously getting more and more scarce.

Malike
11-05-2008, 01:35 AM
I generally put a long list of books together every six months then order them all at one time from Amazon.com.

TyCobb
11-05-2008, 04:04 PM
I buy from amazon.com

The free shipping for 25 bucks and up items was genius. I don't know how many times I just added another book to get above $25 and won't have to pay shipping.