Monday, April 4, 2011

Economically Challenged Book Lovers

If you are a book lover then you already know that it's a bit of a challenge to keep your habit supplied. *Smile*  I've read that the library is a good source for those who are economically challenged but  I rarely find the books I'm looking for.

Enter PAPERBACKSWAP!




This is how it works. When you join you are given a few free credits to start. You can add to those credits by selling your own  books. Their system to sell your books  is very easy. You just enter the ISBN and it will bring up a picture of your book immediately.  They will ask if the book is in good selling condition and that's it. Once someone requests your book you are given a certain amount of time to mail it. Once the book is received they will go to the website and mark that it's been received. That is when you receive your credit. Now you're ready to purchase a book with your credit.  You receive 1 credit for each book or 2 credits for audio books.

It costs approximately $2.30 to mail a book using book rate so any book I choose through PS will end up only costing me that amount.

I have ordered a lot of books through PaperbackSwap over the past 5 years or so. I've never had a bad experience.  In fact this past month I received The Five Silent Years (about Corrie Ten Boon's last 5 years), Chicken Soup for Caregivers and the audio tapes for Pilgrim's Progress. Of course they do not have the newest books available so I put those on my Wish List. If the book becomes available then I am immediately notified before it's listed to the public. 

Do you have a favorite used book club? How do you support your book habit?

10 comments:

  1. I'm a member of Paperback Swap & BookXrossing but believe it or not, I've yet to use these services. I have so many books of my own that I have yet to read. I keep adding more from the thrift stores where I've managed to find many good books at a low price. I've noticed that the prices are going higher in the thrift store though. One drawback to me using Paperback Swap or any other book exchange is that we don't have book rates here at home and third class mail will take forever to get to its' destination.

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  2. Such a good idea. Storing books is a problem that you seem to have solved. I also love the library.
    Blessings,
    Carol

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  3. I use the library, check out thrift stores and yard sales. For me to send a book through the post office costs an arm and a leg. We have a wonderful library that brings in any book I want although I might have to wait a few months to get new books. Hugs

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  4. It sounds like a good idea. I've always wondered how those things work. Right now I can't aford to even mail a book to someone, but in the future I might try it. Fortunately I have a ton of books of my own to read and a great library. Linda

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  5. We have an excellent used book store and they buy back the books.....our Good Will store also has a good supply of books at reasonable prices..these are my favorite places.

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  6. i have used Paperback Swap for several years and i have received and shared many good books. i also shop thrift stores and garage sales.

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  7. I did not have good luck with PaperBack Swap - maybe it was the titles I was looking for, not sure. Since books are one of my favorite things, these days I get them for less by using Swagbucks. Lyn

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  8. Hi! I'm new to your blog, and I want to comment on an old post. When I saw the pic of you and your friend Pam standing at the foot of your bed, I knew it was not your "bedroom". How? Because I live in a storage building! Well, that's what it started as. A storage building located on seven beautiful acres that God gave us. We have a bedroom/dining room/kitchen combo also. We've added on and put a lot of work into it and get comments like "Wow, I'd have never guessed it looked like this on the inside." At one time we had a five bedroom home, but we weren't as happy as we are now. We are content and blessed and debt free. It's the only way to live. Our God is so good! Lynne

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  9. Wow thats a good idea. I use the library and I read free out of pub books from the internet too--but gosh--that looks good.

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  10. If you happen to have a Mac computer, you can download Amazon's Kindle application for free. Then do a search for "free books" in Amazon's Kindle store, and there are many classics that are in the public domain, all for free. I've downloaded a KJV Bible, Pilgrim's progress, Jane Eyre, and many others. Fun to have these at my fingertips, almost as though I own a Kindle!

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