Gently Used: Books

Shopping for books in a thrift store is a fairly simple process. But first you should know that when you go to the book section you never know what you'll find so don't go there expecting to find a certain book. (If you want that sort of ease I suggest www.half.com or www.amazon.com. ) There are always certain genres that you can always find; Romance, Travel and depending on if you live in a college town or not you may find text books. The rest of what you find is really up to those that donate to these places!

Many thrift stores are so understaffed and overwhelmed that they don't take the time to organise the books. They simply toss them on the shelves for the people to dig through. A good find is always worth the time spent.

If you're a college student a good thrift store can be your salvation. Just after the end of a semester take a list of books you'll need for the next semester and even year if you already know what classes you'll be taking the next semester. A warning though, if you do decide to buy a book for a class you won't take until the future keep in mind what semester you'll be taking the class in. Teachers only change books over the Summer semester leading into Fall. So don't buy a book used in Spring semester for a class in the Fall unless you talk to the teacher first.

Before you buy the book you've found check for certain things. Is the cover in good condition? Is there water damage to the book? Flip through the book. Are there pages missing? Did someone scribble in it? If the answer is no...buy it.
Remember to check back at your local thrift store regularly for new books. Yes, you'll find that some books just never seem to leave. But who knows what treasures you'll find!

When you finish the book, keep it if you like or take it to a thrift store for someone else to enjoy. I wouldn't recommend taking it to the same thrift store you're a regular at, just to eliminate the risk of you buying it a second time.