Best Used Bookstores?

[Santayana]

One of the great things about the used bookstore model is that people bring inventory to you.  I'm sorting through hundreds of books each week, selecting the ones that are the best fit. 

 

The problem with something like eBay is that you would mostly just be dealing with a single book each order which becomes a major time sink once you get to the volume we deal with, and whether I have to pay shipping, or it's baked into the sales price, it's pretty hard to find good enough deals that I would have any margins.

[John Hjorth]

3 hours ago, Santayana said:

One of the great things about the used bookstore model is that people bring inventory to you.  I'm sorting through hundreds of books each week, selecting the ones that are the best fit. 

 

The problem with something like eBay is that you would mostly just be dealing with a single book each order which becomes a major time sink once you get to the volume we deal with, and whether I have to pay shipping, or it's baked into the sales price, it's pretty hard to find good enough deals that I would have any margins.

 

 

@Santayana,

 

You must really have knack for it! - I mean daytrading second hand books for a living and at the same time owning a large pile of them. I'm pretty sure, I personally in such situation quite fast would end up very hungry. 

[DooDiligence]

4 hours ago, Santayana said:

One of the great things about the used bookstore model is that people bring inventory to you.  I'm sorting through hundreds of books each week, selecting the ones that are the best fit. 

 

The problem with something like eBay is that you would mostly just be dealing with a single book each order which becomes a major time sink once you get to the volume we deal with, and whether I have to pay shipping, or it's baked into the sales price, it's pretty hard to find good enough deals that I would have any margins.

 

[Santayana]

One of my cooler acquisitions last year.

 

[John Hjorth]

3 minutes ago, Santayana said:

One of my cooler acquisitions last year.

 

 

 Sold, I assume?

[Santayana]

1 minute ago, John Hjorth said:

Sold, I assume?

Added to the personal library

[John Hjorth]

Just now, Santayana said:

Added to the personal library

 

Naturally! - What was I thinking, if at all? 

[schin]

10 hours ago, Jaygo said:

 

This guy just had a clear bottle of the town special on a shelf behind his counter and offered it up in a little glass to try. I think you should get a globe that opens up into a small bar for the good customers. 

 

On another note I was told the best source of used books is to get in with the estate sales people and let them know you buy bulk lots. The hope is you get some stuff that can move and find the odd gem. The sad fact is most end up in a 20 yard bin in the driveway after someone passes away.

 

Books can be so much to some people that I hate the idea of them being thrown away. My dad had a collection of Spanish encyclopedias that was his treasure as a young man. He grew up desperately poor and was forced to leave school in grade 6 to start work, all earnings went towards the family but he saved bits and pieces back from the family pot and quietly bought an book at a time. Knowing he would never go to University he had to learn somehow and he figured the encyclopedia was his best chance. 

 

I have that somewhat incomplete but so meaningful collection on the bookshelf now and its basically a beacon for hard work no matter what the odds. Impressive man who despite never being formally educated could talk circles around most people in most subjects. When I die that collection will hopefully be cherished by my kids but the message will become foggy and I really hope they dont end up in a bin down the line. 

 

@Jaygo - I heard estate sales are great... but, the ones around DC are really picked over.  In major metropolitan cities, there are insiders that get an early preview. I saw this video on Amazon Prime where one seller did buy from an estate.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Booksellers-Fran-Lebowitz/dp/B0874HT3RC

 

My years ago when my grandmother passed away, I saw a lot of her books and possessions get picked over. I got one or two items.. but, the backstories on some of those items are loss. It made a huge impression on me. It made me sad.  I have a few books that are collector's items and I hope my kids just don't throw them away in haste. Again, who knows.. Odds are they'll sell in bulk versus going over them piece mail. 

[schin]

10 hours ago, DooDiligence said:

 

You're probably already aware of this, but eBay seems like it would be a goldmine for sourcing vintage iconic titles that would fit into a $10-30 retail slot.

@DooDiligence - I find items here and there on eBay.  But, comic books and baseball cards are so tainted by the grading culture. I'm just oft-put by it.

[schin]

42 minutes ago, Santayana said:

Added to the personal library

@Santayana - Pretty cool on the Intelligent Investor! What other books are you proud of? Or is there anything you're actively looking for?

[DooDiligence]

44 minutes ago, schin said:

@DooDiligence - I find items here and there on eBay.  But, comic books and baseball cards are so tainted by the grading culture. I'm just oft-put by it.

 

I collect old 1st edition hardbacks of titles that I really like. Still rounding out my Heinlein collection.

 

I've flipped a few titles for a nice profit. Most recently I sold a 1st/1st HB of Fast Times at Ridgemont High (unclipped dust jacket) that I paid around $40 for and got $500. I sold it because I'd rewatched the movie and the tragedy of Stacie Hamilton's character (played by Jennifer Jason Leigh) kind of ruined what I'd remembered as some really iconic comedy.

 

I also recently sold a 1st/1st HB of Clockwork Orange (also with an unclipped DJ) for $600 (no records of what I paid but it wasn't anywhere near what I got for it). Tried to read it on my Kindle and couldn't get past the first chapter so I made it go away.

 

It would certainly require a good bit of effort to make into a commercial endeavor.

 

edit: I really liked Kubrick's Clockwork Orange but it's super weird and I found out that it's a terrible movie to put on for a stay at home dinner date. I didn't realize how disturbing it was until I sat next to a woman on the sofa and watched it.

Edited May 29, 2025 by DooDiligence

[Blugolds]

As the son of mother who was a lifelong librarian I've always loved books, she had more than I can count and would often get to take home many that were withdrawn or duplicates that would otherwise get discarded. 

 

Libraries often have withdrawn sales. Estate sales are great, especially in our metro area, most sales have 50% off everything the last day (sunday usually) and you can also negotiate from there because its otherwise going in the dumpster or donated and they just want it gone. The beauty of that is sometimes you can find a home that the previous owner shared similar interests to you, and they have a decent collection of books/resources on a topic that you are interested in ie investing. 

 

Goodwill/ thrift stores used to be a good source, but those times have passed it seems like, they have gotten better over the years at identifying desirable names with value compared to decades ago. 

 

I've always loved the fact that without meeting someone, or knowing them personally, you can get a good feel for someones interests, almost a blueprint for their personality based off looking at their personal library, I think about that often at estate sales. The collection of books almost paints a picture of who the person was, what they were interested in, pursuits etc. They purchased the book, in theory read it, and felt it was worth keeping. I also prefer to hold a copy in my hand, my wife prefers her kindle and I get it, I understand the convenience of the kindle, but I cant help but think that "picture" or road map will be lost with a bunch of digital copies of books on a kindle years from now.

 

Long live hardcover books!

Edited May 29, 2025 by Blugolds

[schin]

8 minutes ago, DooDiligence said:

 

I collect old 1st edition hardbacks of titles that I really like. Still rounding out my Heinlein collection.

 

I've flipped a few titles for a nice profit. Most recently I sold a 1st/1st HB of Fast Times at Ridgemont High (unclipped dust jacket) that I paid around $40 for and got $500. I sold it because I'd rewatched the movie and the tragedy of Stacie Hamilton's character (played by Jennifer Jason Leigh) kind of ruined what I'd remembered as some really iconic comedy.

 

I also recently sold a 1st/1st HB of Clockwork Orange (also with an unclipped DJ) for $600 (no records of what I paid but it wasn't anywhere near what I got for it). Tried to read it on my Kindle and couldn't get past the first chapter so I made it go away.

 

It would certainly require a good bit of effort to make into a commercial endeavor.

 

Wow, you 12x the FT at RH investment... Nice... If you ever start a "film and rare books" hedge fund, I'll be your first investor! 

 

I have a few books that I want to sell on eBay. For high priced items like yours, do you send via FedEx or UPS with signature?  I heard horror stories that people received empty boxes -- so, they got signature confirmation, but the item was missing or not the right version. That is why I'm swaying for local used book dealers. 

[schin]

10 minutes ago, Blugolds said:

As the son of mother who was a lifelong librarian I've always loved books, she had more than I can count and would often get to take home many that were withdrawn or duplicates that would otherwise get discarded. 

 

Libraries often have withdrawn sales. Estate sales are great, especially in our metro area, most sales have 50% off everything the last day (sunday usually) and you can also negotiate from there because its otherwise going in the dumpster or donated and they just want it gone. The beauty of that is sometimes you can find a home that the previous owner shared similar interests to you, and they have a decent collection of books/resources on a topic that you are interested in ie investing. 

 

Goodwill/ thrift stores used to be a good source, but those times have passed it seems like, they have gotten better over the years at identifying desirable names with value compared to decades ago. 

 

I've always loved the fact that without meeting someone, or knowing them personally, you can get a good feel for someones interests, almost a blueprint for their personality based off looking at their personal library, I think about that often at estate sales. The collection of books almost paints a picture of who the person was, what they were interested in, pursuits etc. They purchased the book, in theory read it, and felt it was worth keeping. I also prefer to hold a copy in my hand, my wife prefers her kindle and I get it, I understand the convenience of the kindle, but I cant help but think that "picture" or road map will be lost with a bunch of digital copies of books on a kindle years from now.

 

Long live hardcover books!

 

@Blugolds - Definitely agree with you. I believe there was a post here of Charlie Munger's book shelf. Not complete, but I noticed a Eugene Myer book and purchased it.

 

I always like to see what they are reading or have read.  I am looking at my bookshelf now and I probably have more books than I can get to in my lifetime. I'm trying to donate as many to the Free Little Library, if I've read it and don't love it. Just pass it along to a local library or FLL.

[DooDiligence]

4 minutes ago, schin said:

 

Wow, you 12x the FT at RH investment... Nice... If you ever start a "film and rare books" hedge fund, I'll be your first investor! 

 

I have a few books that I want to sell on eBay. For high priced items like yours, do you send via FedEx or UPS with signature?  I heard horror stories that people received empty boxes -- so, they got signature confirmation, but the item was missing or not the right version. That is why I'm swaying for local used book dealers. 

 

I ship high value books via US Postal Service Media Mail + signature confirmation and insurance. Nearly all my listings use buyer paid shipping. I don't sell a lot of books on eBay but when I do they usually sit for a bit before a buyer comes along.

 

I started unloading junk from my house about 5 or 6 years ago. Used to run 100 to 200 listings at a time, but now that my place has been largely cleaned out and minimized (not Steve Jobs minimized but I like it), I've only been running 25 or 30 listings, and some of it is stuff I've found at thrift stores. It's a hobby that I use to finance my musical gear habit.

[Santayana]

15 hours ago, schin said:

Pretty cool on the Intelligent Investor! What other books are you proud of? Or is there anything you're actively looking for?

Nothing that I'm actively looking for, although I kind of regret selling my signed 1st edition of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy so would be happy to replace that.

 

Some other exciting books I currently have include a first edition of the AA big book, a signed copy of Dune, and a 1726 edition of Gulliver's Travels.

 

The most expensive item I've ever sold was one of these.  My copy was from the 2021 auction mentioned in the article.  Guess I should have held on to it for a few more years!

https://bleedingcool.com/comics/debut-of-tarzan-in-all-story-october-1912-goes-for-record-264000/

[pricingpower]

15 hours ago, schin said:

I noticed a Eugene Myer book and purchased i

Interesting missed that thx just bought a copy.  Will pair well with the Becoming Katharine Graham documentary I've been meaning to watch

[Xerxes]

Picked up this one for C$4 at Watson's Mill Used Book Store in Ottawa 

 

[schin]

I'm going to be in Los Angeles and Las Vegas at the end of the month. Does anyone have any used book store recommendations? I have kids, so I can not meander/browse as much, but I might be able to get 1-2 stores in.

 

I have been to the Last Bookstore in Downtown LA, which was cool. Not sure if I have time to visit again. But, anything similar?

[schin]

Just came back from a recent trip to Seattle and Vancouver... A few comments on the book scene relative to business/finance/econ books.

• Tacoma Book Barn - Supposedly has 1/2 million books and has a lot of different genres (history, sci-fi, etc.) They have 2-3 shelves dedicated to business and econ. Nothing noteworthy. 
• Half Priced Books (3-4 stores around Bellevue and Tacoma) - Good selection of business and finance books. Interesting to see the types of books that are bought in different areas. Bellevue seems to have a huge emphasis on management and design, which is close to Microsoft HQ.
• Twice Sold Tales and Magnus Books - nothing noteworthy. Small business section with general business textbooks.
• MacLeod's Books (Vancouver) - Definition of book hoarder. Smelled like urine when you enter. 1 shelf of business books.... Some older books, but all over priced. Nothing you couldn't find on AbeBooks or Amazon at a better price.

[schin]

For those around Baltimore, The Book Thing of Baltimore is pretty cool once a month event. The books are free and they have a good selection of everything. The business and biography sections are pretty expansive, which is a focal point to my collection.

 

https://bookthing.org

[John Hjorth]

1 hour ago, schin said:

For those around Baltimore, The Book Thing of Baltimore is pretty cool once a month event. The books are free and they have a good selection of everything. The business and biography sections are pretty expansive, which is a focal point to my collection.

 

https://bookthing.org

 

This is awesome concept!, @schin!

 

Thank you for sharing it. Personally, I've never heard or read about it before.

 

<John note taken.>