Treasure Hunting! My Favorite Online Bookstores

Stack of BooksIf you’re book-obsessed like myself, then you find yourself continuously buying books even though your “To Be Read” pile just keeps getting bigger and bigger. I do love and utilize my local library, but there are certain books that I tend to buy instead of borrow. For instance, if an author I have consistently loved puts out something new, then sure, I’ll pick it up. It’s likely to be another great read, one that I can save and re-read again (yes, I do re-read books!) or read and then pass along to my mom or a friend. It’s really a win-win situation for everyone involved.

Then there are books that I buy because of sentimental value. These tend to be books that I have already read and that mean a lot to me. Usually it’s because of the time in my life when I read them. For example, I first met Harry Potter while I was homeless in an Atlanta bus station. Needless to say, Harry will always have a special place in my heart, and if you’d like to read the story of our acquaintance, you can read it here. Harry Potter will always have a prominent place on my bookshelf, and yes, I do own more than one copy.

The problem I often find is that many of my favorite books from childhood and adolescence, books that helped me find my love of reading, are out of print and hard to find…

Enter some amazing online retailers!

I have been so pleased to find rare and out of print books in excellent condition, and for very reasonable prices, through a couple of online bookstores that you may not have heard of. Or maybe you have but you were hesitating to give them a try. Well, here you go, my go-to list of online book sellers!

  1. Thriftbooks

You’ve got to love them already by their name alone. When I hear the words “thrift” or “thrifty,” I think of two things: rare and reasonably priced books. This store offers both! I did some treasure hunting on this site last year looking for some of my favorite R.L. Stine novels from my youth, and I was not disappointed. I was able to find out of print titles and even collector’s editions at low prices. They also offer great incentives for shopping with them:

  • Reading Rewards – sign up for reading rewards and you get a $5 coupon for every $50 you spend
  • Refer friends and get additional discounts
  • Spend just $10 to get free standard shipping on your order!

I love this online store and encourage you to check them out here!

  1. Wonder Book

This is another online store where I have had luck adding to my collection of nostalgia inducing books. Like Thriftbooks, their prices are reasonable, and they even offer free standard shipping within the U.S. Another thing I love about this store is their effort to be green. They recycle hundreds of thousands of pounds of paper, plastic, cardboard, and cans each year and make every effort to “recycle” books by finding new homes for them rather than (gasp!) throwing them away! All in all, I have been pleased when dealing with this online retailer, and I encourage you to give them a chance the next time you’re browsing for something old or new. You can visit them here!

  1. The third place I’m going to recommend is…wait for it…Amazon.

Yes, I said Amazon…the Amazon marketplace that is. I love supporting locally owned and small businesses and the Amazon marketplace provides an opportunity to do just that by giving small businesses an online presence. I have found some great deals on books – new, old, out of print – through the Amazon marketplace, and I’ve been able to support small businesses as well as organizations like the Goodwill through the process. So before you turn away from Amazon in an effort to stand united with the mom and pop shops of the world, give the mom and pop shops in the marketplace a browse. I have found it to be a great place to treasure hunt for old and out of print books.

I love visiting bookstores in person and browsing the aisles, but when it comes to rare and out of print books, sometimes the only option is to go online. Where is your favorite place to shop for books? Do you have a go-to website that’s not listed here? If so, please share it in the comments!

Happy Reading and Book Hunting!

-Kait

*Please note: I am in no way affiliated with Thriftbooks or Wonder Book nor do I make any guarantees as to shipping prices, discounts, or specials they may be offering.

 

2 thoughts on “Treasure Hunting! My Favorite Online Bookstores

  1. I’ve never been all that big on buying books online mainly because there seems to be something in the experience of walking row upon row of the aisles of my local B&N that online book shopping simply cannot beat. However, when it comes to books that are on my TBR that I still have yet to put on my shelf, online does sound like the go to. Other than Amazon I’ve had trouble finding the perfect platform to find books in good condition so your list definitely helps so thanks so much!
    I look forward to reading more from you in the future Kait… Happy Reading 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you for your comment! I am happy to hear that this post helped you out when it comes to online book shopping, though I agree that nothing tops the experience of browsing in a bookstore. Thanks for visiting my blog!

      Liked by 1 person

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