Ahira's Hangar

I will talk about my personal experience with two used bookstores that have gained my patronage.

Locally. In Palatine Illinois there is TopShelf Books. According to what I've been told they've been in business since about 1997 or so. According to their own information they are the biggest used store in the area. The owner who I've talked to frequently is very knowledgable. And as a bonus their SF and Fantasy section is very well stocked.

Not so local. Bookman in Tustin, California. One of the largest used bookstores in the US. HUGE inventory. Has a seperate massmarket pbk section. Their SF and F section is large and well stocked, but I would match it to the local store of TopShelf Books. taraswizard
Allan Rosewarne N9SQT/WDX6HQV
Chicago area
W/T forever, always
Plan C - http://planc.bravepages.com/main.html<i></i>

We have a couple of cool used book stores in the area, both in Ann Arbor. One is called Dave's Books, and the other is called the Dawntreader. I don't get to visit them very often, though, as the parking in the downtown/campus area is so very tight... ******************************************************

Our lives are the songs that sing the universe into existence.~David Zindell
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I really miss having a good used bookstore within a reasonable distance of my home.

*sigh* "Does the walker choose the path, or the path the walker?"<i></i>

In another thread I read where there's some opinion that even used prices on books are higher than expected (the opinion is from someone not in the U.S., so this could be a country based circumstance). However, my local used bookstore, Top Shelf Books in Palatine, IL, some times has a deal where you pay $25.00 and you get credit worth $50.00 in the store it's a good deal, and I have used the credit for all sorts of stuff like gifts for people I know.

Haha, that was me.

Yeah, for some ununderstandable reason, SA has a 100% import duty on books.

Now a decent (thick) 2nd book in reasonably good condition usually runs about the equivalent of $6-7. Which doesn't seem a lot, but in my currency, that's quite a bit that I really should be spending on things I need more. (Yes, it appers there are things I need more than books, but I'm not sure why yet. )

A new Terry Pratchett paperback for example, costs me the equivalent of $20 or so.

--A

I like chaos as long as its barely organised. I need the books to be split into categories at least. Hate those places weher everything is just lined up and you have to look at everything to see if there is anything decent. I need a sci-fi section, a fantasy one, etc etc.

--A

I haven't found a decent used bookstore here in Gator Town, although I'm sure there's one somewhere. However, our local Friends of the Library volunteer group holds a huge five day booksale twice a year. On the fourth day everything is half price (which ranges from about quarter to about $2.50, except for the rare works), and on the fifth day everything sells for a quarter each (the rare book section is closed off on that day). An attempt is made to categorize the offerings, but it is such a madhouse with flea market resellers coming in that items do get reshuffled.

But it is still worth going to.

Not my point to rain on Menolly's parade. Library book sales, great in theory, and I've even been known to donate items to the sale; IME, seldom has anything I'd care to take home, even for $1.00. In the States, there's a new national chain, based out of Texas, of used bookstores , there'll relatively new.