?Perhaps the greatest thing about buying used books is that they are much cheaper than when they are bought brand new. The only problem is figuring out where to get used books that are still in good shape.
The first place to start should most probably be the local classifieds. An online version of the local classifieds has even more listings of used books for sale than an offline one because people know that in this age of technological advancements, digital media is the way to go. The disadvantage to looking for used books in the classifieds is that the prices the books are listed with are often not negotiable and one can never really know the condition of the book until it is bought.
Another place to visit in order to find used books for sale is second-hand bookshops. These are great because they have a good variety of books so you are very likely to walk in and find what you are looking for. The bad thing, however, is that second hand bookshops are not as cheap as other sellers of used books. This is because the price that a book is sold at will include a little to cover the cost, a little for the store’s overheads and then a little for profit. That generally adds up to a lot.
Although rare in South Africa, some people do have garage sales and the books there are sold at prices much less than those of a bookshop. This is because people sell the books at prices based on what the original price was, how long the book has been out of the original store, how much it was used and how quickly they want to get rid of it. What they do not consider is what the market value of the book still is.
If one is looking for used textbooks that are for sale, another place to look is from past students. Students, more than most people in the world, are always ready to make the extra buck. And because they are often so desperate to make a quick buck, one can even name his or her own price when it comes to textbooks being sold by students.
