Rare and Used Book Stores

Not at New Book Stores

The chain book store at the mall has a long aisle of sci-fi and fantasy paperbacks, although no older hard-to-find titles, and the small independent book shop with its more diverse stock can’t help either. Both inform you the book is out of print.

Local Rare and Used Book Stores

Rare Book Stores

Going down the list of rare and used book stores in the telephone directory, you find your book at a fancy rare book store in town, only it’s the British hardcover that came out after the paperback original; therefore, it is the first hardcover edition but not the true first edition. That’s the paperback, so you’re not interested. You only want a nice, inexpensive copy.

Book Barns

The book barn somewhere off interstate exit 47 has not only rooms but stories full of old books, but you drove out their once and know their books are mainly nonfiction and sets like The Harvard Classics, so you skip this call.

Paperback Traders

On the other hand, the nearby paperback trader where your wife takes in romance paperbacks for credit towards more romances might have a cheap copy. Unfortunately, the best they can do is recommend a used book store that carries a larger selection of hardcovers. You were about to call them anyway.

General Used Book Stores

The general used book store’s ad states they sell used, rare and out-of-print books, hardcovers as well as paperbacks. You’re sure it’s the place to find The Mad Screaming Brain From Asteroid X, maybe a vintage paperback or a later-printing hardcover in their science fiction section, but you’re disappointed again.

Search Services

The owner then tells you all about his book search service. There’s a non-refundable fee of course, up front too, whether he finds the book or not. You suspected he wasn’t exactly a dim bulb when he immediately knew all about your author. This only confirms your suspicion.

Used Books on The Web

eBay

A neighbor across the street found a part for his table saw on eBay, so you try them next. They have more books than you thought, although you wouldn’t mind seeing more, like The Mad Screaming Brain From Asteroid X for instance. You also learn that they aren’t all sold at auction either because many have a little "Buy It Now" sign next to them.

A bidding war is going on for The Chessmen of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs, the creator of Tarzan. There’s a photo of the book in a dust jacket that looks pretty new. The bidding is up to $900, so you decide to check in the next day to find out who’s in the lead.

Amazon

As usual, Amazon has millions of great books. Several new titles by Theo G. Nash you never knew existed come up in a search along with a few out-of-print ones too, so you write them down for future reference. In addition, your daughter in Cincinnati has it in her head to send you self-help books about retirement from Amazon. You prefer she diversify.

One used paperback copy of The Mad Screaming Brain From Asteroid X turns out to be available by a dealer for $150, and it’s only in good condition, which couldn’t be too good because other books are rated very good and like new. Being a retired accountant, you know all about supply and demand. You also figure that since the books are sold on Amazon, they get a cut, so purchasing directly from the dealer is cheaper.

Specialist Book Stores

In the back of your grandson’s Harry Potter magazine that he lost on his last visit is an ad for a rare and used book store in West Hollywood that specializes in science fiction, fantasy and horror. You cruise over to their website, and it turns out they have nearly two dozen hard-to-find books by Theo G. Nance, a regular cornucopia, if you will, including an advance reading copy, whatever that is, and a trade-size softcover of the one they made into a movie illustrated with film stills.

Of course your title is still missing, so you break down and order a book club edition of its prequel in near fine condition for $10. This book club is an inexpensive hardcover, just like you now decide you’re after, because it’s easier to get hold of than a paperback, and the text is larger too. After all, you’re getting along in years and your eye sight isn’t what it used to be. It’s been a real learning experience though.

Important Secondhand Book Websites

By the time you need another bookcase for your growing science fiction collection, you’re an expert at finding used and rare books, and the best websites are saved in your browser.

Searchable Book Databases

Several websites list the stock of most rare and used book stores:

• AbeBooks: “AbeBooks is the world's largest online marketplace for books.”
• Alibris: "Over 60 million used, new, and out-of-print books!"
• Antiquebook is "Europe's Premier Antiquarian Booksite."
• Biblio.com is a “Booksearch and Marketplace.”
• Tom Folio is “An International Co-op of Independent Dealers.”

Multi-Site Searches

Many of the above databases can be searched simultaneously at AddALL and BookFinder.com. In addition, Bookfinder has the BookFinder Insider, which is a free mailing list to exchange information about second-hand books and bookselling.

Used and Rare Book Organizations

Used and rare book organizations have a great deal of information about used, rare and out-of-print books and bookdealers. Two of the most popular are:

• ABAA, The Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America
• IOBA, Independent Online Booksellers Association