BWoz Daily

Do you wish you had your very own library of hard copy books for cheap? It’s taken me several years to build up mine. I probably have about a thousand books now. The way I did it is I found a couple of thrift shops with a very large selection of books for sale and I took the time to look at each one every time I visit. Anything that strikes me as interesting I’ll go ahead and buy. Prices vary. In my area books are sold anywhere from a dollar to $2.50 a piece. Even if you find out later that a book you purchased is un-readable, it doesn’t matter too much, because you’re buying way less than retail and even less than online used, because you’re not paying for shipping. Every couple of months I throw all of the clunkers into a box and donate them back.

Several of my favorite books were discovered randomly at thrift stores, including Kurt Vonnegut’s “Mother Night, Robert M. Pirsig’s “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance,” and authors like Augusten Burroughs.

The key is to go the the thrift store with an open mind. Unlike shopping at the big book chains, don’t go to a thrift store looking for a specific title, or you’re bound to be let down. Go the the thrift store looking for surprise, because that’s what’s bound to happen when you’re looking for books at the thrift store.

I’ve found that most books are in good condition, but if you’re anal retentive like me, you’ll probably remove any gummy price stickers as soon as you get home. Some of the books will have notes in the margins, and that’s okay. Isn’t it comforting to know that someone else has read what you’re reading and been engaged enough with the material to have left notes? I used to buy used online, but I really like to glance through a books first before I buy. If I have troubles reading through the copy, because the prose is poor, I’ll cast the book aside and look for the next one. That’s one of the main reason I miss my Kindle. With the Amazon reader you get to preview the first chapter of every book before you buy. The only reason I don’t just go to the library for books is that I like to keep all of the books I’ve read so I can easily reference them later and also because I like the sense of accomplishment I get by looking back at all of the books I’ve read.

Do you keep all your books? Why or why not?

(The photo is thanks to babblingdweeb.)