How to Buy Used Books Online
Avid readers know the cost of a new hardback bestseller can run as high as $35 per book brand new. Purchasing used books online can reduce the cost per book by more than half, if not more.Online bookstores are very much like an auction. Gently used books are offered at low prices by small businesses and independent booksellers. These vendors must follow guidelines established by the book sale site. The sale site functions as a moderator between sellers and buyers. As with any online shopping, be aware that your research makes the difference in their online shopping experience. Used book sites are no different except that the consumer is buying directly from an individual bookseller.Buyers searching for limited edition, out of print books, or collectible books have so many more options using online used bookstores. Consumers are no longer limited to local shops or ordering copies from the large bookstores in their areas.
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Things You'll Need
- A love of reading
- Internet access
- Payment method (credit card, Paypal account)
- A good play to curl up to read your new books
Instructions
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How to Buy Used Books Online
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Research used book sites on the Internet. Reputable used booksellers such as Amazon, Half, and Allbookstores offer used books for many titles, even the most recent best sellers. Compare costs between these sites. In addition, Barnes and Noble booksellers has even gotten into the online book selling game. These 4 sites are not the only used booksellers available on the Internet.
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Read the vendor reviews before you buy. Make sure to check out multiple customer reviews (including ratings) for the vendor you will be purchasing from. If you’re ordering multiple books, you will most likely be receiving packages from multiple vendors. Never purchase used books without reading the seller reviews.
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Learn what different book conditions mean. Many vendors have specific comment fields for each book for sale. Here’s where you’ll find out the condition of the used book. Is it dog-eared, missing it’s book jacket, or coffee-stained? Read this section outlining the general condition of the used book. Other sites list their books by conditions such as brand new, like new, very good, good, and acceptable. Prices for each used book should be commensurate with the category.
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Be prepared to pay shipping. The advertised price of the book does not include shipping costs. Many vendors use media mail for affordable shipping at flat rates based on item weight. Delivery is typically within 7-10 days. Some sites offer free or reduced-rate shipping so check their offers closely.
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Make sure the shopping site is secure. Your purchases should be protected by a secure purchasing system that protects your credit card information. Be wary if you don’t see a secure notation somewhere on the purchasing page indicating that you are protected.
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Make your purchases! You just might find you’re in book heaven having so many choices at your fingertips. With purchases prices sometimes half the original cost, you’re sure to have a stack of reading material appearing at your door in no time.
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Make sure you return to the bookseller’s site to submit your feedback. Vendor’s rely on consumers good reviews to fuel more purchases.
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Tips & Warnings
Some recommended sites:
Amazon is well known for being a premier bookseller on the Web. Unless you look at all the features on the book sale pages, it might not be clear that they also sell used books. Buyers can recognize significant savings by purchasing used books for the latest titles. Amazon lists in-depth seller ratings and shows various used book prices including condition descriptions so the buyer can make an educated choice.
Half is the used book, CD, and DVD portion of ebay. This site divides their used books into categories by condition and features feedback scores from buyers on various sellers. Half.com requires membership to make purchases.
Barnesandnoble works very much like Amazon, functioning as an intermediary between buyers and sellers.
Allbookstores is a wonderful site that compares prices for a given book title at two dozen different online bookstores. This site allows you to see an overview of sites offering the used book for purchase to make your decision. Allbookstores generates a “compare” list that shows availability, item price, shipping charges with days, and computes the total cost for the customer, all before any purchase is made.
