Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge: Do You Buy Books New or Thrift Them?

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A pair of black-rimmed glasses lying on an opened book. As I mentioned in an earlier Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge post, I generally borrow ebooks from the library instead of purchasing them.

If I did need to buy a book for some reason, I’d check a secondhand bookshop first but sniff everything carefully before buying it. Yes, there’s a good reason for this.

I’m allergic to many types of mould and other itchy things, so I need to be careful about what I bring into my house.

Assuming the book was in good condition and did not smell of mould or must, why not pay less for the same reading experience? I don’t even enjoy the scent of a new book after all. It makes me sneeze!

A used book is also easier to take with you to the beach or some other place where it might get wet, torn, or otherwise damaged because you have so much less money to lose if the worst happens. Of course, I’d do everything I could to keep it safe and dry, but accident do happen sometimes.

So that is my practical and frugal answer to this week’s question.

 

 

 

16 Comments

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16 Responses to Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge: Do You Buy Books New or Thrift Them?

  1. I mostly purchase ebooks, but for physical books I don’t think I ever had a strong preference for new vs. used. Just depended on which book shop I happened to be in…

  2. I don’t have many physical books, so I mostly purchase ebooks or audible books, but I do look for sales.

  3. I love your response! I’m definitely an Ebook girl!

  4. Ann

    I like borrowing e-books from my library. That way it doesn’t take up room on my kindle.

  5. I’m not a huge fan of buying used books. I don’t know why because it makes so much sense to pay less, plus I have no problem borrowing books from the library and those are ALL used. Something about the smell of used books (and thrift stores in general) just turns me off. I’m not even allergic—I’m just weird. LOL. Thankfully, I get a lot of books in the mail from publishers/authors. When I do buy books, I always look for coupons and discounts. That helps offset the cost a little bit.

    Susan
    http://www.blogginboutbooks.com

  6. That would be a great reason to go all digital! And man, learning I could borrow ebooks from the library was such a game changer for me!

  7. I spend disproportionate amounts of my income on new books by living writers, to encourage them. Once a writer is either famous or dead, give me the used books, and buying them in aid of a good cause feels virtuous.

    E-books…I’ll read them if they’re free, but they need to be printable, because I try to minimize time spent looking at screens. Cataracts run in the family at best.

  8. Your mention of sniffing them made me smile, just because I ordered a book from Amazon recently and it arrived smelling of freshly fried chips. I have no idea why.

    • Too funny! I wonder why that happened?

      I do continue to try to comment on your posts every week, by the way. I don’t know why I’m having so much trouble with Blogger in that regard.

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