January 2026
    M T W T F S S
     1234
    567891011
    12131415161718
    19202122232425
    262728293031  

    I saw in this subreddit or another someone post about a used bookstore haul asking if they got a good deal, someone said they use AbeBooks exclusively because it’s so cheap. Questions:

    Have you used AbeBooks and how do the “condition” ratings match up to what you received? I’m Leary of “Good” because I might get a marked-up/underlined/highlighted copy from previous owner (huge pet peeve) so I bought 1-2 “Very Good” but delivery is pretty distant, like 2 weeks from purchase online.

    Second, any other suggestions of websites for reliably good-conditioned, inexpensive used bookstore haul asking?

    Happy New Year & Happy Reading!!!

    by No_Device9450

    7 Comments

    1. Thriftbooks is my go-to. The 1 time I didn’t have a rating match, I reached out and they got me the condition I wanted. Can find some old gems on there, too.

    2. I’ve always had good luck with Alibris.com. The condition is usually better than advertised.

    3. ExitsPursuedByABear on

      eBay. You can find a lot of vendors selling used books on there with free shipping. For some vendors like SecondSale, I’ve found condition is usually one level below what is stated, IME. So “Very Good” = Good in reality. Sometimes I am pleasantly surprised though and the condition is better than expected. 

    4. Super_Direction498 on

      I check better world, abe, and thrift and get whatever is cheaper in the edition i want. Ime the conditions are fairly consistent and reliable, I’ve never gotten book that fell apart or anything even with books rated good or fair.

      I actually usually enjoy getting copies with notes all over them unless it makes it difficult to read.

    Leave A Reply