I have the same problem. The last time I tried to sell some of my books to a local used book store, I brought in about 25 hard cover books including every Jeff Shaara novel published up to that time and got only $20. Now, I just give them to the local thrift store. The market for used books must be at a lull right now, which is why we get so little for them.
I had the same experience with Half Price Books a while back. So I said "forget it". I'd rather turn them into the library or my Boys and Girls thrift store. Long Knives got my attention. I always wonder how people justify the horrible things they can do, and are able to lay their head down and sleep at night. You always have a choice. Young Bloomsbury also sounds good. (Maybe because I'm a child of the 60's. Lol) Would love a video on Irish books, yes please.
I find that isopropyl alcohol ("rubbing alcohol") is great for dissolving sticker-glue (also works for removing pen-ink off glossy covers): it's what I use to clean up all the used LOA books I get (most are ex-Library books so have various stickers on the dust-jackets).
I have difficulty in the UK even giving hardbacks to charity's. They refuse them and say that they only take paperbacks. I spent forty minutes scribbling down the titles I don't already own. You and John are great resources, along with Vin and Justin. You guys are so in line with the books I love, that I'd take a recommend from any of you. You are my people! Thanks.
We don’t have 2nd & Charles where I live, but Half Price Books is the same way about buyback. Last year, I sold them 80 books for $35. Later, when I saw my old books on their shelves, they had priced them all at around $10 - even some crappy William Faulkner mass market paperbacks that they believed were “vintage” but were actually just trash lol. It’s kind of infuriating.
I have heard other Booktubers express similar “sentiments” about 2nd& C this year. We don’t have that store, but our Half-Priced Books folded up last year 😏
Years ago a friend of mine (who is now in Heaven) who owned a Used Bookstore that primarily sold Christian books looked at my library and said it was worthless. I was surprised because I thought my library was priceless. I have now come to see that books are not prized by most people. Used bookstores want books that will not stay on a shelf but go out the door. Last year my wife and I visited a used books store I had been going to for many years. This used books store was sold to a couple and I was disappointed that they had basically got rid of any used books that would not sale. The couple bought this used books store to make a living not sale books to book lovers like me. I volunteered for years at our local library used books store and the lady who ran it only kept books in the store that would sell. If she saw a book or set of books that would not sale she would ask me if I wanted it Cheap? I basically buy used books at thrift stores and the used books I like I can find all the time. But I am not into popular literature-the New York Times best seller list. I realize my library is worthless. I took yesterday five boxes of used books to a local Used and New bookstore and I know I will not get much in-store credit for the books-but all those books I bought used from thrift stores-to me I support Salvation Army and Goodwill-Animal Rescue etc. . . I support libraries by buying used books at library used books sales. The NEW books I buy from Amazon I would never sale/get rid of. When I die I told my wife to give my library/Christian library to a local seminary because even Baker Book House that has a huge Christian used books store would give her little money for my books. The point of this ramble is that we book lovers see our books are rare gems whereas some folks-used books store owners see dollars-profit-money. In buying books New or Used I urge urge folks to buy wisely-buy the best books which are not always the newest books-do research-cultivate a literary taste that knows what is bad and what is good-And use your local library. There are a lot of solid used books at thrift stores. When it comes to visiting a Used Books store I will not spend over six dollars for a used book. I usually spent on a used book around here a dollar for a hardback and fifty cents for a paper back sometimes more. I know a lot about literature so I always find something to buy (which you can see from my videos). My problem is that I always find too many cheap books to buy-need room! Yes it is disappointing to take a bag of gold to a Used books store and they give you in return a bag of crumbs.
Very true, Jonny. It's nice to hear your thoughts and experiences on this, since you are very experienced with used book thrift shopping. For my next set of discards, I'll go to the library. Hope you are well, good sir!
I have never been to a 2nd and Charles, and only occasionally at Half Price Books. I always shop the ongoing book sales at the local libraries. I was lucky enough to snag Shelby Foote's the three-volume set 'The Civil War: A Narrative', as well as Jeff Shaara's 'Gods and Generals', Michael Shaara's 'The Killer Angels', as well as Edward Rutherfurd's historical novels 'Sarum, the Novel of England', and 'London'...right next to my copy of Isaac Asimov's 'The Shaping of England'. These, as well as many others, have all come from the withdrawn book sale. Will I ever read them? I'd like to think so, but it's getting harder and harder for these eyes...why I do love me a good audiobook.
Another disappearing comment... Earlier, I chimed in that a hairdryer on high will reactivate the adhesive and allow you to sloooooooowly remove the gunk and/or the paper, if there is any. Now wait for that earlier comment to reappear so that the thread looks deranged.
we don't have 2nd & Charles here, just Half Price Books. They don't do store credit, just cash sales. However, it's pretty much as you described with them too. I took a huge load of stuff in to sell a few weeks ago that would have gotten me around $100 in the past. This time I only got $30. In the meantime, I am in the shelves and see a paperback copy of The Tempest with a worn cover and someone's highlights all over the inside...and they wanted $13 for it. I love some Shakespeare, but...hell no!
That really sucks about 2nd & Charles. I live in NYC and we have a lot of used book store but the prices are high, minimum $8 for a used book. I prefer library book sales for buying books.
Great finds, Peggy! I don't know how you do it. Very interested in the Mailer novel. I've only read The Naked and The Dead (which I didn't really like LOL!!) Apart from his regular spats with Gore Vidal and Mailer's stabbing of his wife, I haven't read much of him.
King book in detroit buys back based on what their customers are looking for, michigan authors etc. They want my old "Conan" paperbacks, I was reading that crap as a teenager.
Woops! The Executioners Dong is about Gary Gilmore and the death penalty. I thought when you spoke, "I read that and I've never read about Lee Harvey .." 😊
St. Patrick's Day ... aside from flying the Irish flag, do you two eat corn beef and cabbage for the holiday?? We most certainly do! Yum! That is too bad about Second and Charles. I was planning to visit the store again in the future, but now we'll have to find a different one. Let me know what you find for used book shopping. Thanks for the video Peg. Hello Martine!
When I was younger, we always had corned beef and cabbage at my grandmother's house. I enjoyed it! Martine says that no one in Ireland eats that for St. Patrick's Day (or at all?). She says there are cultural differences between Irish and Irish-Americans, with corned beef and cabbage being one of those differences. Fascinating!
Lemme jump in. My mother insisted on eating two vegetables with dinner, so it was potatoes + ... I used to turn up my nose at parsnips and turnips, so it would be cabbage. Every day, cabbage. Every. Single. Day. Cabbage. Corned beef and cabbage is obviously a traditional meal. Do we eat it on Paddy's Day? Nope. We eat whatever's going. Most of us also don't wear green that day (see: Martine's Surefire Way of Annoying Her Mother, Pt. 2443) or go to the parades. You get the day off so you SLEEP IN! The way the day has become an Americanized celebration of boozing it up is sad and, if I may say, just a wee bit racist. Also, St. Patrick was Welsh so really, everyone should be eating pieces of coal that day and going off on Maggie Thatcher. Whoo! 🎉
@@TheHistoryShelf Interesting! I didn't know that. Thanks for the heads up ... nonetheless, I will continue to eat it on St. Patrick's Day! You can't get rid of favorite meals. Have a great day Peg!
@@martineokeeffe9326 This is why I love BookTube! I learn all kinds of things on here because of it being a global. I love that. This is good stuff and now I can share it with my classroom. Thanks Martine. And I agree with you, it's sad that drinking is side-saddled with the holiday. FYI - If it was up to me, Cornbeef and cabbage would be one of those staple-once-a-week type meals in my house. Cornbeef is just too high priced a meat! Don't get me started on food prices ... Have a great weekend. I look forward to your next Christie video with Peg.
Lovin it Peg, standouts for me the Spandau book and especially the Young Bloomsbury. Btw, Julia Strachey's novel with Bloomsbury press is republished in our times by Persephone press so even the less well-promoted ones are still being read by new generations, but that's fiction.. Re the secondhand bookshops, I took three fairly current books in excellent condition to one place where he offered me £3 for all three. I said no. These books were worth way more than that, but 'times is hard.' Standard practice for years here (GB) was 25% of purchase price or current listed price, but I think that's gone to the wall as booksellers struggle to survive.. 😮😢
Soooooo... I'm sorry that happened, but I'm okay with you not walking away with fifty gazillion new books. Getting robbed on pricey books when it comes to buy-back (I'm looking at you, Powell Books) is a crappy feeling. I had to buy a $90 book for a class as an undergraduate (not a text book), and Powell's offered me maybe $2.50 back. That's just damn rude - ESPECIALLY knowing that Powell's were fine selling it second hand for $80 to students taking the same class the following year. It's like getting gouged twice. No bueno.
My reading tastes are extremely different from yours but I love watching other people discuss what they are passionate about. It's truly wonderful! I wish I could downvote the "Marriage is between a man and a woman" comment down there more but I promise I hit the dislike button *really* hard lol
