Nivedita Ramakrishnan
As a near-hardcore bibliophile, I am on a constant lookout for cheap books--as in, books that cost less which I can afford without going broke. Finding such low-cost books is a hard-to-come-by heavenly experience. But with these tips that I'll mention in this list, you'll come to know a few pointers on how to buy books cheap(er)!
Narrow down to the books that you really need: yes, we do need books all the time, we bibliophiles.
But when you are in a financial pinch, learning to differentiate between book-want and book-need is essential.
Start with a second-hand store. There will be many stores that will have good, undamaged copies of what you want.
There’ll be publisher A whose front-page is glossy, embossed, designed by a famous artist which will cost a little bomb. Then there’ll be publisher B whose front-page will be dull and boring—but will have the same beautifully inspiring content that you are looking for!
It’s an easy fact that paperbacks cost lesser than hard-bound copies. So unless you’re an absolute aficionado for hard-bound spines, go for the paperbacks!
Look out for them crazy book sales! Keep an eye out for cheap books in backyard sales, flea markets where you have many chances of buying so many, many books for below-the-margin prices!
True it is that a book borrowed is as good as a book lost. But if you know your way around handling books, then you might as well borrow the book you want if a friend or an acquaintance has it.
There are also many by-the-kilo book sales that may happen in and around the city where books are literally sold for set prices of their combined weight! This could definitely be your treasure trove if you can find one!
When I say books, I sure can mean the e-books as well! Have you noticed how the Kindle versions of many books are much cheaper than that of the paperbacks? No? Well, check it out! This means that having a Kindle at hand goes a long way in saving money on books.
Compare the price(s) of the book(s) you want to buy at different bookstores. This can be very tiring indeed but it will be worth all that agony. I’ve seen how prices (somehow) differ for the same title in different aisles in ONE bookstore! Imagine how much price difference one can find in different stores?
Thanks to the heavy advent of e-commerce, websites like Amazon and Flipkart seem to have book sales going on nearly all the time now! This is not limited to only festive seasons. These sales are sometimes bad as they blatantly raise and lower the prices just like that. But you’ll definitely not miss the good deals if you keep a close watch…!
Another teenager in university, having a penchant for Japanese, literature and all the small things in life that almost always go unnoticed.
