Library sale vs thrift store for old sci fi, I almost paid triple

I hit the annual library sale in Portland last Saturday and grabbed a beat up 1970s Asimov paperback for 50 cents. Then I stopped by a Goodwill on my way home and saw the SAME book on the shelf for $4.50, no joke. I almost bought it out of habit before I checked my bag and realized I already had it. It was the exact same cover, same crease on the spine, even the same faded bookstore stamp inside. That got me thinking, libraries sell donations for pocket change because they want them GONE, thrift stores price by how cool the cover looks. Now I always check the library sale first when I'm chasing older paperbacks, it saves me like $3 a book and I find way more weird stuff. Anyone else notice thrift stores jacking up prices on anything pre-1980, or is it just my area?

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charlie_roberts8719d ago

Thrift stores near me do the same thing. Anything with a retro cover gets marked up like it's rare when it's really just a common mass market paperback. Library sales are way better for older sci fi since they're just trying to clear shelf space. Also check if your library has a yearly bag sale, mine does one where you fill a whole bag for five bucks at the end of the weekend.

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