I don't know about all of you, but probably 95% of my book collection is secondhand. And probably 75% of my secondhand books are from thrift stores. I've been collecting books from thrift stores for years so naturally, I've developed some tips and tricks that I follow when I'm in the mood for some thrifting. Stick around till the bonus tip, I recently found out that it's really useful information.
Tip 1: Go Often
This one is the most obvious, the more you go to your local thrift stores, the more likely you'll be able to find some new, interesting books. At the thrift store that's closest to me, they know my friend and I. They know that we like to come in at least once a week to look at their books. Going often is especially helpful if you want to find out when they put out new stock. If you go often enough, you'll figure it out. Some thrift stores put out small amounts of stock constantly, but some put things out on specific days of the week. If you're curious, don't be afraid to ask! But take a break once in a while, let them build some new stock.
Tip 2: Check around online to see if they have a decent book selection.
I have been disappointed in the past by quite a few of the thrift stores in my area. There's a couple that I've been to that do not sell books, or if they do it's only cookbooks or textbooks. Sometimes thrift store owners, workers, or customers will put pictures of the inside of the store online. When they do, you can get a good idea of the book selection therein. If you can't find anything, it's perfectly fine to go check for yourself (that's part of the fun too, isn't it?)
Tip 3: Attempt to read the titles of the books on display.
This one may sound a little stupid or obvious, but I think it's less prevalent than you would think. I have a hard time doing this, I have a tendency to scan the book shelves for something that catches my eye, rather than really looking at what is present. I've found that if I slow down and take care to actually read the title of the book from the spine, then I'm more apt to discover something the I would've otherwise overlooked. This is also a very important aspect to consider when you're looking for a specific author. Whenever I look for Stephen King books at thrift stores, I have a tendency to just skim over the spines, looking for the big. "KING" on the side. I can't tell you how many times I never found anything, then a friend or one of my parents walked over to me with a Stephen King book. Slowing down is incredibly important.
Tip 4: There's nothing wrong with picking up a book because of the cover.
Books at thrift stores encompass literary works from all phases of time. Some books that were really popular at one point, have lost their popularity. Also, there can be multiple editions of the same book that all look very different (especially if it was printed in a different country). Alternatively, if the spine or cover design draws you in, pick it up! See what it's all about, covers are designed to pull you in on purpose. I picked up Caraval by: Stephanie Garber at a thrift store, initially because I found the spine to be eye-catching. I hadn't heard of the book prior to then, but when I read the inside I found it to be intriguing.
Tip 5: Don't assume that just because it's a thrift store, they won't have newer books.
Like I just said in the last tip, I found Caraval by Stephanie Garber. While this book isn't incredibly new, it is still pretty recent (and I was able to get it for $2). I've also found The Woman in the Window by: AJ Smith (two copies actually), Where the Crawdads Sing by: Delia Owens, The Woman in Cabin 10 by: Ruth Ware, Glass Sword by: Victoria Aveyard, so many Cassandra Clare books The Wife Between Us by: Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen, Promise Not to Tell by: Jennifer McMahon, A Stranger in the House by: Shari Lapena, Into the Water by: Paula Hawkins, so many copies of Gone Girl by: Gillian Flynn, Bird Box by: Josh Malerman, etc.. the list can really go on and on. My point is, that you would be surprised what you can find secondhand.
Tip 6: Look in every book section, regardless of the "genre."
Customers are the same everywhere, they walk around and move things to places that they shouldn't be. Books get catalogued into incorrect categories all the time. Thrift store workers aren't necessarily going off much information when they shelve a book which means that there can be errant books placed in the wrong areas. This doesn't apply as much if the books are out randomly or alphabetically, but when they're divided by type it is very important to check all the different genres.
Tip 7: Look at the book area more than once.
It's easy to get overwhelmed when you go to a new thrift store, especially when they have a huge book section. The best thing you can do is pace yourself. Have a cursory look at the books then walk around to see what else they have. At the very least, you have the opportunity to cleanse your palette. Then you can head back and you may pick up on things that you overlooked before.
Tip 8: Don't be too hard on yourself, if the book looks interesting then buy it!
I have bought many a book because I thought it looked cool in the moment. There's noting wrong with that, uncovering a new book you hadn't otherwise heard of can be exhilarating (especially for a dollar or two). I've bought a few books that weren't the first in the series (on purpose) because I though that they sounded interesting or I had heard good things about the author. I'm an opportunistic book buyer, I see it, I like it, I buy it.
Tip 9: If the name of the book looks like the name of a movie, it probably is.
This one goes without say, I've found innumerable books at thrift stores that had movie adaptations. For example, I didn't know that Rosemary's Baby or the Other Boleyn Girl were based on books until I found them thrifting. If you love the movie, then you'll almost certainly love the book 10x more. Misery by: Stephen King was a good movie, but it was a great book.
Tip 10: Branch out, find some new thrift stores to go to!
If you go to the same stores every time, thrifting can get stale. Plus, you may not be giving them a chance to get donations. If you allow yourself to branch out, you'd be surprised at the treasures you can come across. I found a cool, original copy of Game of Thrones by: George R. R. Martin (the one with the tacky, fantasy cover that is just awesome) at a thrift store that I'd been neglecting to go to. If you keep cleaning out the same thrift stores every time, you're just going to get worn out and disheartened. Branch out! Especially when people clean out their homes at the end of seasons (particularly spring).
Bonus tip: check the dust jackets on hardback books to make sure that it is the book that it claims to be.
Very recently I went to a thrift store with my friend and bought the book Where the Crawdads Sing by: Delia Owens. Well I thought I did. When my friend and I got home, she realized that someone had removed the cover from the actual book and placed it on an entirely different book. We knew this because we had seen a bare copy of Where the Crawdads Sing and though it ironic that there were two there. Obviously you buy the copy that has the dust jacket and leave the one that doesn't. Luckily the bare copy was still there and the thrift store let me switch them. This is my cautionary tale, check the inside of the book. Don't get bamboozled like I did.
Comentários