Book Hauls Discussion: New or Second-Hand?

[Fried Egg]

Definitely, horror has as much in common with fantasy and SF as they have with each other. For me they are the holy trinity of what I think deserves to be called speculative fiction.

 

[steve12553]

Within an hour's drive from my home, there is one book store that is not a textbook, bible or adult book store. I stopped attending college clases in 2000, I have at least 3 varied copies of the bible and I really don't have a desire to start an "adult book collection. The one book store is a Books-a-Million which is a kind of a smaller version of Barnes and Noble. When I have looked there I've not found anything that really excited me. Their selection in not extensive. I have found between Amazon.com, Abebooks.com and BarnesandNoble.com I can find nearly everything I want. Sometimes the old books I want show up as used copies, sometimes there are new copies available. I just want to be able to read them. I occasionally develope a desire to read an author who is mostly out of print. There are still used copies floating around of many books that haven't been preoduced in many years. The beauty of the internet is the available communication to allow transfer of books from a seller to a buyer without either really being in business.

 

[Connavar]

Im envious of readers in SFF chrons who have 30 years of experience. They have discovered and read all the books i want to read in SFF and other modern,classic authors.


My reading started for real in 2007 so im still in discovery mood. Sure i have read 30-50 SF classic books but i have many other books,authors left to try and read. I have read only 27 Jack Vance and 8 PKD books as new buys.

I cant wait for the library to buy new printing of ERB or a new book by Tanith Lee or Tim Powers. I have read many books from library just to try authors. To me Library status for me authors not worth collecting and re-reading. Stephen King, Koontz, Michael Connelly type authors.

Im not rich my new book buys have killed of my other hobbies like gaming, watching films more often in Cinema.

Second hand is for Jack Vance books like Big Planet and Araminta that is out of print.

 

[Connavar]

Re: Book Hauls!

That's how it ought to be (and used to be here) but the idiot bookstores now tell you to go order online. So people do - from Amazon. And those bookstores wonder why they're going out of business.

My bookstore can even get me second hand books cheaper than online sites. They dont sell second hand but they know customers like me are loyal because of their quality, their knowledge as booksellers.

Frankly im spoiled i think everyone has a good bookstore like that around them.

Thats why im so used to buying new books. Their phone nr in my mobile is under contact called Book Pusher. They have fed my habit real well.

 

[MontyCircus]

I don't read as voraciously as you folk, so I just buy new from Amazon.ca. I haven't encountered anything I've needed that isn't in print, but virtually all of the "Essential Sci-Fi Anthologies" listed here are out of print, so I could see myself tracking down them at some point.

 

[AE35Unit]

Definitely, horror has as much in common with fantasy and SF as they have with each other. For me they are the holy trinity of what I think deserves to be called speculative fiction.

Hear hear!

 

[ratsy]

I really only buy new. I dont have a good used bookstore in my city that has a decent sff section. I dont really know how to buy used online. So i buy new. Mainly from amazon. I have got into the habit of getting hardcovers of my fav authors new ones as well. Cant wait for the paperbacks. As for price, i only read 1-2 books a month so the cost is low relative to lifes expenses

 

[nixie]

Mainly new although I do have a number of second hand.

 

[dask]

Definitely, horror has as much in common with fantasy and SF as they have with each other. For me they are the holy trinity of what I think deserves to be called speculative fiction.

This should be shouted from every rooftop!

My core collection, sf up to the early eighties, suffers no lack of newly purchased books. But times have changed, room is scarce, and when the economy tanked a few years back it made sure I went along for the ride. It is the rare book now I need to buy new, or need to have. If I had to choose between the current Best of the Year grab bag or an old ripped up pulp of the supposed lowest quality I'd grab the latter quicker than the eye could follow. The last two books I bought new were MOSSES FROM AN OLD MANSE and VICTORIAN STEAMPUNK, the first because Brander Matthews rated it so highly and I couldn't locate a used copy anywhere locally (I haven't gotten around to ordering online yet and besides, it was a birthday gift to myself) and the second because I don't think I could have found the stories anywhere else without spending a fortune I can't even visualize in my dreams and the sticker price Barnes and Noble was charging (pennies shy of $10) was (supposedly) 75% off the list price.

And I like cheap!

 

[AndrewT]

My local Barnes & Noble has a great selection of high quality new SFF and a reasonable amount of classic. Not sure if you are familiar with B&N in your areas.
But they don't have any Marles Pickens or Charles Dikkens - the well know Dutch author spelled with two k's. See following youtube video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCM2nEBE0RY

 

[elvet]

99% of paper books I buy, I buy new. I'll occasionally buy an E-book if the paper book is out of print. I do like going to used bookstore, but more as a treasure hunt - finding a long forgotten fave, getting a spare copy of a good book for a friend and occasionally finding something worthwhile.
I don't have many other hobbies, and I'm not out much, so I can justify the expense, though I do get ticked off at the higher cost of books here in Canada compared to in the States. Online orders don't help because they get you at the border. I once ordered some non book items from Amazon US. They cost me 27$,, the brokerage,, taxes and duty cost 45$. That's the last time I'll do that.
Every time I visit the U.S. I look for bookstores, but they've all seem to have disappeared. I was in Orlando Fld. in November. I found 1 bookstore in a mall - the mall was empty (and creepy) and the bookstore was holding a going out of business sale. I think there was 1 shelf of SF/Fantasy. Very sad.

 

[Lady of Winterfell]

I do like going to used bookstore, but more as a treasure hunt - finding a long forgotten fave, getting a spare copy of a good book for a friend and occasionally finding something worthwhile.

I like how you described going to the used bookstore as a treasure hunt. I feel that way too. I can go in looking for specific books, but if they don't have them I inevitably discover something else to read anyway.

 

[Christopher Lee]

Mainstream bookstores such as Barnes and Noble and Books-a-Million, though I love them for their coffee shops, are terrible places to buys books. The Fantasy/Science Fiction section is littered with today's bestsellers and their ripoff counterparts.

I go to a used book store near Nashville where you can buy and sell used books. As opposed to buying a new $9.00 book at a retail store, I can grab five tattered and used books for that same amount, sometimes even less. I don't care what the book looks like as long as it isn't missing pages.

 

[Peter Vida]

Currently i am buying my books used through thrift shops but that is mainly because that is the only way i can afford them at the moment.

 

[BAYLOR]

I buy my book from Barnes and Nobel and Used Bookshops.

 

[Vince W]

The last book I bought was from amazon new, but I'm constantly looking around at used book shops, charity shops, boot sales...

 

[Brian G Turner]

No first Hand books?

I wonder one thing do you guys have a policy of when you buy new books that isnt second hand copy?

It seems this thread you guys only buy second hand. Of course i try to find second hand of rare books or new authors i dont know yet but Fav authors i want their books in new copies, good condition.

I used to buy all books first-hand - but that's when I could afford to do so.

Now I'm on a budget, but I'm still trying to read widely. Most ebooks are reasonably cheap, but 2nd hand books can usually be bought for £2.81 from Amazon UK. For non-fiction books that's almost mandatory, as the "new" options can be absolutely ridiculous.

Local charity shops are another source - limited options, but only £1. A good incentive to try books I'd never normally read.

 

[althea]

I always buy Robin Hobb's books brand new,usually I pre-order as I'm always waiting for her books.
I keep them in perfect order and read them more than once.
I used to buy many second hand books for their cheap price.
Now,I can buy books quite cheaply for my Kindle on Amazon,so I mostly do that.
If I like an author's writing and enjoy their books, I am willing to pay almost anything to get them.
Don't mention this to Amazon,please.