Books - Where Do You Buy New and Used, Online and Inperson? Where Do You Price Check?

• 

  bargain huntress on 10/01/2024 - 19:12

  The floor price for used books online was for years about $10 Australian dollars.
  Basically a 50c book and $9.50 postage I think

  But the floor price has suddenly jumped to about $20!?

  Inflation effecting even used books!

  Sometimes something is out of print and so buying used online is still the best or only option.

  But in terms of buying used over new and in print in order to save money…. well the new price hasn't inflated as much, the cheapest new books have gone from averaging $30 to averaging $35.

  So now instead of saving 2/3 by buying used, you're saving less than half.

  I'm not sure it's worth it anymore.

• 

  spackbace on 10/01/2024 - 19:57

  +2

  In Person:

  How about Big W, QBD, etc etc? Can be very competitive against Amazon and eBay

• 

  YadaYadaYada on 10/01/2024 - 20:17

  +1

  Depending on what book it is you may be able to get it off Facebook Marketplace/Gumtree used for a good price. e.g. there are a lot of Jamie Oliver cookbooks there going for next to nothing.

  Amazon Warehouse also has 2nd hand books but some may be in poor condition, but they will most likely be cheaper than their current new price.

• 

  AustriaBargain on 10/01/2024 - 20:24

  +3

  I sail the high seas for ebooks. Sure a big bookcase of physical books would be grand, but I don't have the space or money for that.

  • 

    sien on 10/01/2024 - 21:51

    +1

    Big bookcases are mostly a waste. So few people regularly re-read things.

    Also libraries can be really good if you're in a big city. The catalogues are all online and you can track down which library has what.

    They also have electronic lending setups.

    But people do say that Gen has a big library and that Anna has a remarkable archive.

• 

  garetz on 10/01/2024 - 21:05

  +1

  Books are very expensive in australia, and the 2nd hand market is pretty much non existant.

  Even with shipping its a good 15% cheaper getting most books from the uk or usa.

  https://pangobooks.com/
  I would like to see something like this in australia

  • 

    bargain huntress on 12/01/2024 - 17:32

    We can't use it I guess?
    https://help.pangobooks.com/en/articles/6292495-is-pangobook…

    Is it just like ebay?

    • 

      garetz on 12/01/2024 - 17:50

      its a private trading forum, postage costs have 10xed the since the pandemic, a auction on ebay hat used to be $50usd is now $300 postage using the ebay postage system

      guess its not feasible

• 

  Subere on 10/01/2024 - 21:24

  +1

  Booko basically lists the online shops like Dymocks, the Nile, fishpond , booktopia etc

• 

  altomic on 11/01/2024 - 09:08

  +1

  I used to use Abebooks . Used them for my uni textbooks. Sometime free shipping, it depends on the seller.

  Also alibris.

• 

  WreckTangle on 11/01/2024 - 09:32

  +1

  Dymocks in Sydney city is amazing. Armchairs and a cafe.

• 

  ihbh on 11/01/2024 - 10:22

  +2

  What subjects/types of books are you after?

  Around my suburb (high socio-economic) there many street libraries with free books and one of my family's project is to install one. People also give a lot of books on Marketplace, many brand new for free.

  Lifeline also has many near new/new books that haven't been read. If we now buy books, we mostly buy it here and then donate it back at the depot (one happens to be in my suburb).

  For more specialist books, maybe wait until there's an incentive with Amazon/Booktopia if you can (e.g. cashback stacked with Amex, etc.)

• 

  stuffandthat on 11/01/2024 - 10:49

  +1

  I buy a lot of books from Amazon, Target, or Big W. QBD are generally more expensive, and since they changed their loyalty program I haven't been very loyal.

  • 

    bargain huntress on 12/01/2024 - 17:30

    What did they change?

    • 

      stuffandthat on 12/01/2024 - 20:01

      +1

      They went to a system where you had to pay a yearly fee to be a member instead of accruing funds when you shopped there. Now it's either $25 or $40 a year.

      • 

        bargain huntress on 12/01/2024 - 21:53

        How many books a year do you need to buy for it to be worth it?

• 

  FezMonkey on 11/01/2024 - 10:51

  +2

  Although it might be an obvious answer I do want to emphasise the library as the first port of call to locate a book you want to read.

  If they or their network don't have a specific book then it gets hard. I've had some small success in a large local market (outer suburbs) where a lady had thousands of books and I found some old sci fi ones I was after, for about $5 each.

  Assuming you want hard copy rather than e-book.