The Dusty Bookshelf discussion

So, just because I'm curious, I was wondering how many of the books you have are second hand? I'm not asking for exact numbers, more like a rough percentage.
Also, where do you normally pick them up from? Are they from charity bookshops, library sales or just given by friends/family?

I'd say about 50% of my books are second hand. There's a shelf in the office reception where all second hand books are 50p. Add on the fact my sister passes on books she doesn't like and there's the largest second hand book shop in England not far from me... well it gets a bit easy ;)

10%.... but have started buying old books more now.. i love the grungy feel they add to the reading experience and the fact that someone else had history with this book too... ! i often find notes and wishful messages in the books which give me a thrill that this book has traveled too..!! old books are cheaper..i really enjoy visiting old book stores at Neelkhet...a pretty big book market here in Dhaka where i can have plenty of choices altogether... ^^

They do have a whole different story in them when you first pick them up, don't they? I bought one of my copies of Count of Monte Cristo and it has a random message on the front page (will dig it up when I get home) and two or three of my books were given as prizes at a school, with name and date and school!

Another good find is when a book has underlinings at points that someone has found important to them, and notes scribbled in pencil in the side - not because it was a school book but just to show what someone else found relevant or important when they were reading it :)

The price of second hand books do help as well ;) There's the South Bank book market that's always a fab trip :) Nowhere near as gorgeous sounding as a book market in Dhaka though :P

Maybe 5% of my books are second hand. I used to go second hand first, but that was before there was an internet market for them. Now I find the cost is often similar for the ones at the second hand bookshops. Though I still get some from friends and family, and when I was at Uni, a prof gave a bunch of social science texts, which are massively expensive to buy. That was quite nice.
When I go abroad I tend to buy from second hand shops.

Probably 90%+ for me. I'm big on yard sales, used bookstores, Goodwill, handmedowns, whatever. And you're right, it adds a whole new level to the story :)

I would say about 98% of my books are second hand. I'm a thrift shop lover :) there are few that I favor more just because of the selection of books, but one in particular they sell all hard backs for a dollar... When I'm feeling down I tend to take a trip and usually spend any where from $10.00 to $20.00 and I'm cured... Lol, not really but it does help for a while!!!

I have recently discovered garage-selling and found I LOVE finding books there. They are the number one thing I look for. My collection of used book is not large but now growing because I can find books I've been wanting for 10-25 cents! I feel a lot less guilty about buy a new book when I know I did not pay very much for it :)

That's my favorite, Jimi-carol :) Although now I need to find a bookshelf at those yard sales...

I have actually gotten bookshelves and books at yard sales. I would say about 95% of my books are second hand. I love library books sales! That's where I get most of my books. I even picked up a copy of The Book Thief at the last book sale and I only paid $1 for it! I also find good deals at thrift stores. Occasionally I want a book that I just haven't been able to find and I'll splurge, but not often.

Hayley wrote: "Another good find is when a book has underlinings at points that someone has found important to them, and notes scribbled in pencil in the side - not because it was a school book but just to show what someone else found relevant or important when they were reading it :)"

The book I'm reading right now (Disgrace by J.M. Coetzee) is second-hand, and it has a lot of underlining in it, but I'm actually annoyed by all the markings. There's two reasons for this:

1. - They were not careful in their marking, so the lines and circles are all wobbly and cut into the actual text.
2. - There is nothing interesting about the stuff they chose to highlight.

I like markings when they tell me something about the book or about the person who did the marking, but mine has nothing but rote facts and entire paragraphs/pages underlined. Although I do have to admire the previous owner's determination; the markings have a steady frequency through the entire book. Usually markings are very heavy towards the beginning but taper off until they disappear (with the occasional resurgence in the last few chapters).