Comments on: Criss-Cross

By: green LA girl

green LA girl — Thu, 02 Feb 2006 07:00:14 +0000

I’d like to nab The Road to Wellville — Can I just paypal you the shipping?

A grad student in lit must have books –

By: Amos the Poker Cat

Amos the Poker Cat — Wed, 01 Feb 2006 00:01:58 +0000

Will C, which location of Half Price Books is that? Not all the locations are listed on their web site.

By: benjamincerf

benjamincerf — Mon, 30 Jan 2006 18:46:48 +0000

Used book stores will only buy books that they think they can sell. After your 60 days are up, instead of just throwing your books away (which makes me uncomfortable, too), you might try donating them to Good Will or Salvation Army. They take pretty much anything, and you can write it off as a tax deductable donation.

By: Will C

Will C — Sun, 29 Jan 2006 10:09:40 +0000

I know Half Price Books pretty well, and the thing is, the selection varies widely from store to store. They get certain shipments of books, remainders, hardcovers of books now in paperback, trades, overstock, some academic titles and stock fed in from other locations.

But a given Half Price derives a lot of what is on the shelf from what is sold to the store. The one nearest me is close to a great private university and several medical schools. Their particular stock is quite good, in SF and medical texts, for example. But best stuff flies off the shelf, so you have to be lucky. A crappy fantasy series might linger on and on.

Also remember that these are the books someone decided to sell. I only sell books that I feel vaguely crappy about owning.

Yes, Half Price”ll pretty much take anything from you. You may not get much (at all) for some things, but they’ll take it away. Closely linked; they sell books by the foot.

A buddy of mine worked at their flagship store in Dallas, it was some time ago, so that’s my source for this.

By: Amos the Poker Cat

Amos the Poker Cat — Sun, 29 Jan 2006 02:41:58 +0000

Ok, so is there a free PeeCee clone version of Delicious Library? Buy software? Sacrilige.

My favorite used bookstore is Bookworm in Boulder, CO. I must be lucky, because when ever I do a used book run, they accept 95% of my books. (BW only gives you store credit when you sell books, which works for me.) Things like hardcover versions of released paperbacks are always a nonstarter.

Was it Half Priced Books, the Dallas based chain, that did not want your books? I never knew they bought stuff until I heard a commercial over the holidays. According to their FAQ, they actually quote you a prices for everything you bring in. You do not have to take anything back. I have only been in the store out in Robinson once. I was not impressed with the SF paperback selection.

By: Tim F

Tim F — Sun, 29 Jan 2006 00:51:44 +0000

I need those books. They provide the seed for the Tim Ferro Presidential Library.

By: XtinaS

XtinaS — Fri, 27 Jan 2006 14:51:08 +0000

I suppose it’d depend on the kind of book, for me. I like having certain reference books on-hand just in case, even if I don’t use them all the time, so that if I need it, I can just grab it and go. No trucking to the library to hope they have a copy of this one book I need right now.

On the other hand, I’m remembering some essay I read ages ago, where the writer was like, “Why in the hell do we display these things for everybody, instead of, yknow, putting them in drawers?” And I still want bookdrawers.

By: Jonathan Perret

Jonathan Perret — Fri, 27 Jan 2006 13:05:46 +0000

Ever heard of bookcrossing ? Sounds like a perfect way to “dispose” of your books.
(sorry, no link; the obvious site seems to be down at the moment).

By: Thomas

Thomas — Fri, 27 Jan 2006 04:49:30 +0000

The used bookstore wouldn’t take them? I thought that was the point of a used bookstore?

That’s the only way I can keep my collection under control, is to stay in a constant buy/sell churn cycle with McKay’s Books.