Well, we've already covered buying new books online
with Amazon.com, so it's only fair we take a look at buying used books, too.
Whim's resident English major (and self-professed bibliophile) Shaun Corley
takes a gander at several used-book sites. This article also serves as a
follow-up to a similiar review Shaun wrote three years ago. See how much has
changed in the world of used-bookstores online since then.
Three years ago, I wrote an article detailing the in's and out's of used book buying
online. At that point, I was still a novice to the whole shopping online
thing, so needless to say, the article didn廠 go into depth as it should have,
though it sure was funny.
My, how the times have changed.
Powell廣 is still alive and
kicking, but Bibliofind has merged with Amazon. My tastes in literature have also changed since I wrote
that
article. I have since discovered new avenues to purchase used books online.
About the time I was composing that article, I discovered the joys of Ebay. I影e bought many a used book
from the auction site, often at insanely cheap prices. For example, I picked
up a four-book lot for only four dollars. If I had purchased the books new
(which would have been extremely difficult圣ne of them was out of print), it
would have run me upwards of 30 dollars.
I影e also discovered Ebay廣 sister site, Half.com. Unlike Ebay, Half is not an auction site; instead, it
serves as a middleman between the book seller and the customer. Much like
Ebay, Half features a ratings system in which you can rate the seller. Price- wise, you can find some incredible bargains. For example, a copy of Hunter S.
Thompson's "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" begins at $4.94 in paperback. It
would cost you around 13 if you bought it new.
And what became of Bibliofind once it merged with Amazon? Well, besides no
longer going by the name Bibliofind, nothing really. It still serves the same
function as before, and their prices are still reasonable. I影e utilized the
service a few times since the merger and have been pleased with the results.
So there you have it, an expanded look at used-book shopping online. I
encourage you to try them all and find out which one is best for you. I think
you幢l be pleased with them all.
Responses:
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Name: Shaun
Year: Grad
Major: English
Comments:
Christina, you're the second person in two days that's sang the praises of overstock.com. You'd better believe I'm heading there tonight to check them out!
Name: Christina
Comments:
Here's another one to try: overstock.com. Decent prices, decent service, and they have stuff besides books.
Name: Greg
Comments:
Thanks for the info!
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