I feel so…used!
Used book stores (as opposed to used bookstores) are a great way of fueling your book addiction. Yeah, you have to pay more for the books than if you’d found them at a library sale or yard sale, generally speaking, but the selection is much better. Besides, unless you’re delving into the realm of rare books, you’re still paying less for a title at a used book store than you would at Barnes & Noble or Borders. If you’re looking for specific titles, and don’t feel like waiting until Fate drops said books into your lap, bite the bullet and go to a used book store.

Advantages: Used book stores offer the greatest consistency of selection, and many of them will offer you cash or store credit for your used books. This can be of particular value if you’re the sort of person who reads a lot of books but only hangs onto a select few. Also, if you cultivate a relationship with the folks who work at a used book store, they might start letting you know when a book comes in that they think you’d like.

Disadvantages: Not all used book stores are created equal. Used book stores that sell a lot of coffee-table books, fancy hardbacks, or rare books will often charge higher prices across the board. Your trashy romance novel might be rubbing covers with an Ansel Adams retrospective, but you’ll end up paying for that privilege. You’ll need to do a bit of comparison shopping to make sure you’re not getting fleeced.