Why do we go to an old book seller? Is it because of the non availability of an old book in the book shops, or is it the money drives you there? For many the non availability can be a reason but main cause of the increasing demand of a used book seller is the cost factor. Many of us love books; love to own them in our book shelf, for repeated reading and reference. Libraries will lend the book, but for a limited time period as per their rules and regulations. In such situations, an old book shop keeper in the next street or an on line used book seller appears as a book angel for us. Is it a complete compromise to purchase a used book? It is not always. Many times the search for some out of print books and very old favorites which are rare at present can be ended up with an old book seller only. There, it is not the price that matters. In the case of academic books for students and researchers, the non availability is a major problem. Also different editions of a particular book can be availed from a used book store only.
The online book sellers are mostly user friendly and they provide us all details about the exact condition of a book. The lower price can be an indication of a poor condition of the book, so never tempted by it, unless you get satisfied with the details. It should have all pages and all pages should be readable. As there is no fixed price for a used book, you can see the availability at a cheaper rate too. With online book sellers it is very much possible to compare all parameters including price, before buying a book. Beware of the cheating, as it is there in every market.
When shopping at an online shop, be sure that the site is secure. Also carefully read the buyer’s comments about the site and the bookseller, if available. It is better to seek opinion from experienced customers. A buyer has to pay shipping charges above the price of the book. The charges and the delivery time should be reasonable. Sometimes the book can be cheaper than its shipping charges. Select a reliable vendor who has a sufficient inventory with him. You can see many copies of a single book with different prices, so that, an absolute selection is possible.
As long as book publishing is a costly affair, the book market cannot cheaper and collecting new books is a day dream for many of the readers. More over a book lover cannot resist himself from the temptation of having a book. So old book sellers have a good future and the work of such sellers or service providers is really praise worthy. Is it not amusing to have a book with nice old smell, which has come from an unknown friend’s book shelf to you crossing miles and miles?
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