Chas Newkey-Burden wrote in his Guardian article 'Why I hate second-hand books' of the 'perils' of buying pre-owned literature. He can't stand 'those stains, thumbprints and creases' that come as an added extra when purchasing second hand, but while I do admit that bogeys aren't a favourite freebie of mine either, I can't help but think he's missing a trick. Here are my top five reasons for buying 'pre-loved':
- Price
*If you need books within a specific time frame, make sure you pay attention to the shipping details, books from overseas can often take weeks to arrive.
2. Cool-factor
Who could resist turning up for a seminar or book group with a super-cool, old-school and (ideally) psychedelic book under their arm? On the first day of term you could be that person, who breaks the ice with a discussion of your uniquely designed edition, with the response 'its vintage.'*
*Make sure you check your pre-loved goods are the real deal. Avoid with particular caution the abridged, 'kiddy' versions of your set texts - apparently not as cool as vintage I hear? I had to learn the hard way that Puffin was in fact Penguin's younger publishing sibling - oops.
3. Study-aids
What could be more helpful than a previous owner when it comes to studying, or blagging your way through a discussion? Notes left in margins are a godsend, and while I don't condone blindly trusting this stranger's intellectual theories, it can't hurt to have them there.
4. Making history
Ok, so perhaps this is a bit misleading, its unlikely you will actually make history with your purchase from the second-hand bookshop down the road. You will, however, be a part of history (the book's). Your name will go up in a figurative hall of fame among the previous owners of the book, handed down from generation to generation, soon it will be your turn to pass it on to a fresh young thing, like you once were. You can annotate the edition and leave your mark, maybe your academic insights will be helpful in years to come, or maybe you'd like to play a trans-generational practical joke on an unsuspecting student ripping off your notes as you once did another's. The possibilities are endless.
5. The 'Freebies'
Following on from no.4, buying second-hand automatically enters you into a game of historical pot-luck. Photographs, receipts, and whatever else people use for bookmarks (beside actual bookmarks which are the most boring kind of freebie) are an ideal way of satisfying your nosey streak. Postcards are another recurring freebie I seem to attract, the first time this happened was two years ago, the postcard from the 80s was a discoloured off-white with a black and white image of a cherub on the front. The text is almost completely faded by now, but I can still just about make out the words New York - and as a place I've never been, there's something quite nice about having this little postcard in my hands. Yesterday I had a bundle of books delivered for my course next semester. Upon opening up The Scarlet Letter another postcard fell out. This time the writing was extremely clear, in fact I felt a bit rude and invasive reading it - but I soon got over that. Without giving too much away, what I read was a deep declaration of love and appreciation - fantastic reading with a cup of tea. And for a nosey person like myself, and a definite perk of buying second hand.
There you have it, five legitimate reasons why second hand books are just way more satisfying than any pristine new book or god forbid e-book could ever be.
What are your reasons for buying second hand? Whats the best 'freebie' you've received?
