Building A Better Thrifted Library

"Take a look. It's in a book"

If you're keeping it old school like me and prefer settling down with a cup of hot tea and a good book as opposed to firing up a Kindle, Nook or whatever new digital ebook device will be next, I have good news. Print isn't dead. It's alive and well at your local thrift store. And you could be paying a fraction of the price as compared to national book store prices.

Chances are, your typical Goodwill is stocked full of microwave cookbooks and dated computer software manuals, but don't write off the possibility of finding a good read just yet.

Building a better thrifted library can mean embracing the virtue of patience if you are looking for a particular title. But there are may be a few titles on your to-read list that you can find at the thrift.  Think about it. Between the thousands, literally thousands, of the same title from the bestsellers list that have circulated the masses, I'd bet a good percentage have found their way to the thrift store shelves. Add those Oprah book club reads and all the fodder from high school book reports and required college reading into the mix and you have a sporting chance at finding something that will catch your interest.

If you are ashamed of the fact that you've never read Moby Dick or maybe you're looking to rediscover some of the Beat writings of Kerouac, fear not. I've amassed a number of the classics for pennies on the dollar thanks to Goodwill. 

Here's my book shelf on Japan! 

Even if you're not looking for something in the classics category, you still may one day find something specific in a niche topic. Several of my books on Japanese culture were even bought secondhand, at both thrift stores and flea markets. 

Some Tips for Thrifting Books

1. Some thrift stores have taken the initiative to separate books be genre. If you have time, scan the entire section. You never know what bodice-ripping romance novel will end up in the children's books by mistake. 
2. Always check the binding. You can maybe tolerate a few dog-earred pages, but shoddy binding means eventually losing pages. Cracks in the spine, loose pages or a book that can lay entirely flat when opening at the halfway point are typical signs of binding ware.
3. Check the copyright and edition. If you are a re-seller, it's best to know these things and it never hurts to know otherwise. You could be thrifting something valuable!
4. Give a book a chance! Not sure if that sci-fi adventure will get your imagination going? Ah, for fifty cents, it's worth finding out. 
5. Spread the word(s). If you're reading to enjoy the story and aren't necessarily interested in keeping the book for your collection, donate it back to the thrift store. Think of the 50 cents as a mere rental fee for a good read. 

           Recall this thrifted book on...voyeurism...?

While I don't encourage reckless stockpiling of thrifted books, for fear of ending up on Hoarders, it's quite possible to build an enviable collection for your personal library. Classics, recent bestsellers, DIY craft books and even the occasional literary oddity like Body Watching is Fun can all be yours for less than the price of a pack of gum. Chew on that, you thriftin' leisurely readers! 

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Let's Go Thrifting recommends...

Perfect for displaying books and thrifted knick knacks!