How do Canadians get cheap books?

unclepercy

Electoral Member
Jun 4, 2005
821
15
18
Baja Canada
I just picked up a handful of new, hardback novels, 3 by Clive Cussler for 50 cents each. Yes, they were on sale, but I opened up the jacket, and the Canadian price was $35.00. That's ridiculous! I like real books, although I do have a Kindle Fire. Many times I pay $1.00 or less for nice hardbacks. The used book store has given me close to a thousand paperbacks, which I have catalogued. These were free. I have shared them with nursing homes and soldiers.

What's your secret for collecting books?

If I had to pay Canadian prices, I guess I'd have to go to the library.

Uncle
 

JLM

Hall of Fame Member
Nov 27, 2008
75,301
547
113
Vernon, B.C.
I just picked up a handful of new, hardback novels, 3 by Clive Cussler for 50 cents each. Yes, they were on sale, but I opened up the jacket, and the Canadian price was $35.00. That's ridiculous! I like real books, although I do have a Kindle Fire. Many times I pay $1.00 or less for nice hardbacks. The used book store has given me close to a thousand paperbacks, which I have catalogued. These were free. I have shared them with nursing homes and soldiers.

What's your secret for collecting books?

If I had to pay Canadian prices, I guess I'd have to go to the library.

Uncle

Yep books are getting way overpriced, not uncommon here to pay $30 for a 300 page novel. I only buy them at Xmas for gifts. I use the library a lot!
 

Bar Sinister

Executive Branch Member
Jan 17, 2010
8,252
19
38
Edmonton
I use the library. I've already got so many books that I am thinking of giving them away just to clear up some space in the house.
 

shadowshiv

Dark Overlord
May 29, 2007
17,545
120
63
50
Booka are dying-all the new bookstores in my hood are long gone and the the couple used places are soon to follow.

Maybe in your area they're dying, but not locally. Books will never disappear. I'm sorry, but I would rather read a book that's in my hand, than something that's on a screen. Much more comfortable to read.

Here are the places I get my books at:

Used book stores: 1. Clems 2. Book Brothers

Thrift Shops: 1. Goodwill 2. Value Village 3. Bibles For Missions 4. St. Vincent's De Paul's 5. Salvation Army

Lots of good books to be found. I have written down all the books I own, that way I don't accidentally get a double! I have picked up a lot of Choose Your Own Adventure books(I picked up about 75 of them at one time at Value Village a while back!), the Dark Tower novels, and a bunch of the books with newspaper comic strips in them(Dilbert, Garfield, For Better Or For Worse, etc.). I have hundreds of books. I love reading!
 

karrie

OogedyBoogedy
Jan 6, 2007
27,780
285
83
bliss
What's your secret for collecting books?

If I had to pay Canadian prices, I guess I'd have to go to the library.

Uncle

Second hand stores, garage sales, library sales, fundraisers.

Plus, I don't collect books... I buy and pass them along.

Mainly I use the library for environmental reasons.

Frankly, I'm not willing to pay the American price for books either.
 

Nuggler

kind and gentle
Feb 27, 2006
11,596
140
63
Backwater, Ontario.
:confused3:..........There are so many places it's un freakin believable.

..Sally Ann.
..second hand book store
..garage, yard, estate, sales
..local used everything store, supporting social programs, has a big selection
..flea markets
..hospital tuck shops
..some online book sellers have sales, specials, and free delivery, although the prices are generally higher than the above - but WAY less expensive than brand new off the shelf.

I keep favourite authors, and pass along the rest.

Books can be given TO hospitals, Sally, also. Good idea.

Friends and family run and hide when I show up with an armload.....................(maybe it's not the books?8O)




..
 

Ron in Regina

"Voice of the West" Party
Apr 9, 2008
23,172
8,025
113
Regina, Saskatchewan
I love to read, & read everyday. I do have several hundred at home, but the
really great books I pass along to friends and family 'cuz how can you not
share the experience of a truely great book?

I'd like to reduce my books on hand down to a few hundred, but I'm so hard
on books, that they look like hell by the time I've finished one...so a used
store is out. Maybe I'll donate them to the local hospital or seniors center,
I guess.
 

#juan

Hall of Fame Member
Aug 30, 2005
18,326
119
63
I read three or four books a week. I use the Vancouver Island Regional Library. If you
don't mind waiting for a week or so for best sellers, the library is a perfectly reasonable
choice. New authors usually take a while to get to the library while the publishers will
Immediately ship fifty copies of James Patterson's latest thriller.
 

JLM

Hall of Fame Member
Nov 27, 2008
75,301
547
113
Vernon, B.C.
I read three or four books a week. I use the Vancouver Island Regional Library. If you
don't mind waiting for a week or so for best sellers, the library is a perfectly reasonable
choice. New authors usually take a while to get to the library while the publishers will
Immediately ship fifty copies of James Patterson's latest thriller.

Yep, I'm pretty sure books are here to stay, I love books and I love reading, there is really nothing to replace reading. I remember years ago reading the Lance Horner, Kyle Onstott series about Mandingo and then finally a movie was made of one of the books, what a desecration that was. I doubt if there was ever a book written from which a better movie was made. I'm now into my second book by Harlan Coben, seems like an excellent author if you like things like murder! :smile:
 

Bar Sinister

Executive Branch Member
Jan 17, 2010
8,252
19
38
Edmonton
Booka are dying-all the new bookstores in my hood are long gone and the the couple used places are soon to follow.

I've got an ereader, but I haven't turned it on for several months. I use it for travel only because I can cram a dozen books into a device that weighs only a few grams. When I am at home I read traditional books.
 

unclepercy

Electoral Member
Jun 4, 2005
821
15
18
Baja Canada
I don't read Clive Cussler myself, but there is an old gentleman at the nursing home, and he loves Cussler. I got him 3 new ones for 50 cents at Big Lots. I plan to go back for more. I myself cannot part with a book, unless it is offensive, and then it goes straight in the trash can. Once I've read it, it's part of me and becomes a friend.

I started out at garage sales here 21 years ago. Before that, the library. But when I got acquainted with Half Price Books, they loaded me up good! One time I got 6,000 books. Plus, I won't let them alone - I have a stellar collection of Christmas music, although I don't like much music at all. They have music, games, movies, new books - such a great store. About 30 stores, family owned.
 

JLM

Hall of Fame Member
Nov 27, 2008
75,301
547
113
Vernon, B.C.
I don't read Clive Cussler myself, but there is an old gentleman at the nursing home, and he loves Cussler. I got him 3 new ones for 50 cents at Big Lots. I plan to go back for more. I myself cannot part with a book, unless it is offensive, and then it goes straight in the trash can. Once I've read it, it's part of me and becomes a friend.

I started out at garage sales here 21 years ago. Before that, the library. But when I got acquainted with Half Price Books, they loaded me up good! One time I got 6,000 books. Plus, I won't let them alone - I have a stellar collection of Christmas music, although I don't like much music at all. They have music, games, movies, new books - such a great store. About 30 stores, family owned.

It will be a sad day when digital "books" replace the real thing, but I doubt if that will ever happen. Too much "digital" crap in our lives already!