Few weeks back, I was trying to get rid of some old books. Not really old, just second hand. My books are still in good condition, no matter how many years I have had them! So I called a few second hand book stores to ask if they would take my books.
Guess what? All said they do not accept second hand books! Now what is the purpose of a second hand book store if it does not take in second hand books? I was told their books are all new, and the reason it is called a second hand bookstore is because they rent the books, then the customers return the books and others rent them again. Or else the customers can have the option of buying the book at a lower price.
Hmmmm... is there no market for second hand books here? It is not like America or England, where second hand books can be sold to online retailers like Amazon. Even the local online bookstores do not take in second hand books! Is that why people here do not read and buy books per se, because they find no value in them and cannot be encashed?
Then it is a sad thing, is it not, if people count everything in dollars and cents. Reading should be an enjoyment, and not because of whether it can be encashed later. Having said that, I do feel the "second hand" bookstores are being a tad inflexible in not buying second hand books, even those in good condition.
Why is it they can buy new books and rent them out, yet they are not willing to buy second hand books and rent them out? Some of the books I have seen in those bookstores are in even worse condition than my old books! All come back dog eared and with some pages folded! I do not even treat my books this way!
Guess what? All said they do not accept second hand books! Now what is the purpose of a second hand book store if it does not take in second hand books? I was told their books are all new, and the reason it is called a second hand bookstore is because they rent the books, then the customers return the books and others rent them again. Or else the customers can have the option of buying the book at a lower price.
Hmmmm... is there no market for second hand books here? It is not like America or England, where second hand books can be sold to online retailers like Amazon. Even the local online bookstores do not take in second hand books! Is that why people here do not read and buy books per se, because they find no value in them and cannot be encashed?
Then it is a sad thing, is it not, if people count everything in dollars and cents. Reading should be an enjoyment, and not because of whether it can be encashed later. Having said that, I do feel the "second hand" bookstores are being a tad inflexible in not buying second hand books, even those in good condition.
Why is it they can buy new books and rent them out, yet they are not willing to buy second hand books and rent them out? Some of the books I have seen in those bookstores are in even worse condition than my old books! All come back dog eared and with some pages folded! I do not even treat my books this way!
3 comments:
I always try to maintain my books in as near mint condition as possible. I, now, rarely lend them out, because I have had too many experiences where people tried to return them in shambles (ripped, dog-eared. coffee stained) - in the end, I just told them to keep it and bought new copies.
That is an odd concept for a second hand bookstore. In Canada, the few times I have tried to sell my books to them, Iwas either told they weren't buying those types of books or they give a mere pittance for the book (usually less than 10% of the cover price).
Have you tried selling them on e-bay or through Amazon? Earlier this year, I tried giving away a bunch of books on my website, but there were no takers.
Shipping books can be expensive. I just sent a paperback to a friend in HK and it cost me 7.90 Euros. That was more than I paid for the book (CDN $5.20 second hand).
But, you know, this could be a business opportunity. Open up a real second hand bookstore (you can always get lots of books at church bazaars - I sometimes walked away with armfuls of books for $2 or $3.
At the second hand bookstore I frequented most often in Canada (The Book Market), newer books tended to be around 50-75% of the cover price. Older books were sometimes more expensive than the cover price (but, what can you expect when a book published in the 60s originally sold for 60 cents?).
Maybe you could donate your books to a library or charitable home. And if you still can't find anyone who want your book, drop me a note and I'll come collect 'em, hahahah.
Richard : I know how you feel. I take pretty good care of my books, so I don't appreciate that when I lend my books to others, they were returned folded or dog-eared, perhaps due to the way people read, especially for paperbacks. For hardcovers, the book jacket can be torn and tattered even! I seriously have no idea how people read!
I have tried selling on Amazon but was told they do not take in international books, only for America and UK, and some selected countries with amazon websites. I haven't tried ebay, but according to a friend, it is quite a hassle trying to sell things there. Hence for now I can only either donate or sell to whoever who wants.
Julie : Haha... will keep you informed the next time I want to give away some books! :-)
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