Book Buying Addicts Anonymous discussion

For example, the same title but a hardcover and a paperback copy? Or maybe two copies with different illustrators or different commentaries or different notes? If so, what sort do you have and why?

I have a few - most is probably three or four copies of The Hobbit. I have my original paperback that I read as a teenager, a couple more paperbacks that I picked up along the way thinking that my kids will take them when they leave home (they eventually do that, right?), and a beautiful new hardcover that my brother gave me last Christmas. I just can't bear to get rid of my old well-worn copy. I also have a couple of duplicates that I've bought because they aren't easy to find, with the idea of loaning or giving, or socked away toward the dream future bookstore.

I have intentional duplicates of Theo Colburn's Our Stolen Future, Gerald Durrell's My Family and Other Animals, Toby Hemenway's Gaia's Garden, and Edward R. Christophersen's Little People because these are books that I like to loan out to people, but I keep one copy unloaned to make sure I always have a copy to refer back to.

Then I have a few, like Hannah Hinchman's A Trail Through Leaves, that I have in both hardback and paperback.

Another type of duplicate title that I have is Anne Morrow Lindbergh's A Gift from the Sea, where I occasionally find nicely done editions and buy them because I love the book so much.

I also have duplicates of many of the Georgette Heyer romance novels, because I've worn out my original copies over the years (they are mental comfort food for me) and bought new ones to replace them, but I can't bring myself to throw away the old ones!

But my most common duplicates, by far, are my accidental duplicates - those books I buy more than one of simply because I've forgotten that I already own a copy! I usually try to give those away to friends, spreading the wealth so to speak....

My mom has a couple of copies of , the original copy from the 70's, not the reprint from a couple of years ago. Her original copy got misplaced when we put our furniture in storage when we moved to Phoenix in 1981. It's one of my mom's favorite books & she looked all over for it when we were in Phoenix, but no body had it. When we moved back to Michigan in 1987 she found the orginal & over the years I have found additional copies at library sales so she won't be able to loose the book again.

Jen, I love that story!

yes i got unfortunately some duplicates...

I'm a little sad to see that so few people seem to be crazy like me (and my husband). We have duplicates of a bunch of books, only a few of them are because we loan them out or we got the paperback after the hardback. We collect books so often we'll end up with 2 copies because we ran across a 1st edition (or just a really cool cover) while browsing used books stores.

Of the duplicates we have 2 copies of the complete Hitchhiker's Guide, one of them lives in the box of books in the car for reading emergencies.

I have a collection of Pride and Prejudice; the annotated edition, the collectors library edition, the paperback for reading while going places, the bad annotated version, the older hardback that a friend picked up for me, and the one with zombies in it.

We have a collection of LOTR books; the 7 book boxed set, the all in one volume set, the 5th edition US printing we got for one of our bridesmaids to carry in our wedding (we had 6 bridesmaids and each had a book), the old paperback set, the new paperback set.

Okay, and now that I've announced my crazy to everyone I think I'll go.

If I see a good deal on a book I already own and love, I can't resist buying it anyway. I figure then I can lend it out, or I can pass them on to my kids when they move out and want to start building their own collection. I dig what you said about Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth! I have certain authors, like Austen and Dickens, that I just like to collect, especially if I see a nice edition or one. Unfortunately, I can't afford to spend money on books right now, so I am limited to .50-$1.00 purchases from used book stores.

I have some duplicates, in a way. I may have the single book of a series and then get a collectors set that contains the entire series (in order to get the books of the series I'm missing). I used to read advances for a local bookstore before it closed, and those I really liked I bought when the book was released. One to read the finished product to see how it may have changed and secondly, to support the author's effort.

The only duplicate I have is The Silver Crown by Robert C. O'Brien and that's only because I bought one copy when I was little and then a few months ago my sister bought another copy to read because she didn't know I already had one stashed somewhere on the shelves. Other than that I have only one copy of every book because I have too many as it is and for me it's not the physical book that matters but the content. Though if a beloved book is planning on falling apart anytime soon I might consider buying a new one to replace it :)

I have duplicates of Bloody Bones (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter, #5) by Laurell K. Hamilton and Cry to Heaven by Anne Rice. I have them because I forgot that I already had them.

I have a few duplicates - Yes, I have three copies of Twilight and New Moon. I have the hard cover and the two soft covers of each of them. Wanted all the covers and people were borrowing my books and when I wanted to read them I had to wait! Was not okay with that. So, I will do the same with the other two books Eclipse and Breaking Dawn. I have had a few that I forgot I owned and bought, but I either took them back or gave them as gifts!

I totally have duplicates! I like to have them handy in case I want to give the extra copy to a friend- duplicates of mine include Cold Mountain (hardcover and paperback), Jewel by Bret Lott, Stones From the Water (which I am actually giving someone today), and Edward Sawtelle (one of them doesn't have a cover, so I figured that one I could take to the beach haha)

I love duplicates! Lol

I have 1 set of duplicates because a book I really like had a special edition after I bought the paperback.

I have two complete sets of the Harry Potter Series and four copies of the first book.

Yes - I just discovered I have two copies of Making A Good Script Great by Linda Seger so I'm giving away a copy to a friend. I need to go through the rest of my many books and make sure I don't have more of these.

I have some duplicates.....print and ebook copy of the same title, for example, and sometimes have an unintentional duplicate.

I have duplicates and they're intentional and sometimes completely irrational.
I have a duplicate of Blood Promise (Vampire Academy) cause they released it as a larger version (why?) than all the other books, so you can guess what i did when the smaller version came out.. I bought it too!
I have several copies of all the Twilight books.. movie covers, read version, not to be read versions and hard back versions. I am also trying to find any excuse to buy Fire (Kristin Cashore) in Hardback cause it's my fave and I already have it in paperback.. like I said irrational!!

I own duplicates of Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility but that was purely accidental.

Yes I have 4 or 5 books twice. It was accidental in all cases: I thought I lost them at some point and bought them again only to find the original after some time.

i think i may buy duplicates of the hunger games trilogy in the future
(maybe i'll buy all the uk versions and paperback when they come out)

I don't know if this counts, but I have second copies of some books in German along with my original English copies. I have the first two Wallander books in English and German, and I also have the translation of Good Omens.

Oh yes! My Harry Potter collection. I have the childrens editions 1-7 in hardback and paperback. I've got book 6 and 7 hardback in the adult editions and books 1,2,3,5 in the US paperback editions so far. I'm always searching the charity shops for my missing ones. I'd like the audio book collection but don't have the funds to buy it!

I have a duplicate of Pillars of the Earth. I had a nice copy and put it in my GoodReads To-Be-Read list. I failed to mark that I owned it. Then my daughter saw that I wanted to read it, and she got me a copy as a gift!

I also have duplicates of a couple of Diana Gabaldon books. I have a nice hardcover for my collection, and a paperback to loan out.

I have a couple of duplicates. The Harry Potter series - I have the US version in hardcover, which is what I read, and the UK Special Edition, that is just for collecting.

I also have multiple copies of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, most of them older editions, because a friend of mine knows I love the story and will keep an eye out for different editions. I've got about a dozen, all different.

The only other duplicating I do is to get Kindle copies of some books that I find I read a lot and have had to replace paperback copies a few times (I think I went through three copies of Ovid's Metamorphoses, or something I have in a collection (like the Complete Jane Austen or Shakespeare). It's a little more economical and easier than lugging a huge copy around.

Joseph wrote: "For example, the same title but a hardcover and a paperback copy? Or maybe two copies with different illustrators or different commentaries or different notes? If so, what sort do you have and why? "

Yes, because I am trying to get all the Norah Lofts books I bought boxes of them on eBay so I have many duplicates but that is OK. I read my old falling apart paperbacks and coddle my precious hardbacks.

The only books I own duplicates of are the Harry Potter books 1-4. One set of hardcovers, the others softcovers.

Some, I have two HP #6 one hardback, one paperback, but the paperback one is falling apart. Also a few doubles through out the Sweet valley high series and two copies of Eragon a paperback movie cover and a regular hardback. Probably there is some more I'm just not thinking about though.

The duplicates I have are mainly books my husband and I both love. Some are books we have had since childhood that are falling apart at the seams yet can't part with that I have bought a newer book to let our kids read.

Joseph wrote: "For example, the same title but a hardcover and a paperback copy? Or maybe two copies with different illustrators or different commentaries or different notes? If so, what sort do you have and why? "

I have a big pet peeve with the books that I own. I want to have a wonderful library when I get my own place, so I have almost two copies of every book that I want to own. I have never read a book that I didn't like, so my collection consists of every book I have read. I buy a paper back first for me to read and get banged up and then I buy a bran-new hardback for my collection. I have had many friends ask me to borrow books and they come back with the pages bent, corners bent, covers torn, and things of the like. That is one of my biggest pet peeves is seeing someone destroy a book like that. I like to look bran-new all the time, so shoving them in a book bag or dog earing them for a book mark makes my skin crawl. However, that is one of the main reasons I have this library idea for my home. I will have a library that consists of used and tattered old books for people and friends to borrow and bring back; while also having my own private library for my bran-new and in good condition books. That is the main reason I have two copies of every book I have read. Believe me it takes up a lot of room, but to me it is worth it.

Wow I feel kind of left out. I don't have duplicates of any of my books! lol

I have a duplicate of Harry Potters 1-5, And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie and A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

YES! I get really excited when the books I love have new covers or new type settings!

well go buy a book you already own!

The only time I have duplicates is because I'll buy a series and one of them will be in a different format. I hate it when publishing companies do that!

I have the american and english versions of harry potter i have 2 copies of the twilight saga and the Host. i also have two copies of memoires of a geisha bought one in germany and picked another up in iraq x

I have some duplicates of books on my kindle and hardback/paperback. Some books I just have to have the physical copy in my hands so I end up buying it at the store after paying $9.99 on kindle.

Sadly yes, because I forgot I already owned a copy. I did this about 3 times. That was when I tried to reign in this book buying addiction. If I don't even know what I have...

I have around three copies of each Harry Potter book.My first set,a hardback set,and a paperback set.Call me crazy if you will but I love it to bits and couldn't help myself.My friends all think I'm mad.I also have a couple of copies The Outsiders,Great Expectations and a few others.

Tracey21464 wrote: "YES! I get really excited when the books I love have new covers or new type settings!"

So do I! I recently purchased a few classic novels with cover art by fashion illustrator Ruben Toledo, some of which I already own.

Uhhh.. Does Harry Potter counts? I have multiple copy of each books -- One to read, one to look pretty on the shelf, one just in case...

And



I bought the copy by accident and haven't even read it yet hahah...

I have duplicates in the sense that they are different editions... I have several editions of Ayn Rand, Lord of the Rings and Dragonlance... all ranging from very old to brand new editions.

Hahahaha @ Jack that's exactly what I've done!! I only allow myself to read my first set,don't want to ruin the others.

Azza wrote: "Hahahaha @ Jack that's exactly what I've done!! I only allow myself to read my first set,don't want to ruin the others."

It's only right xD I'll only spend that much if I REALLY like the book anyway... Oh... I just realize I have two copies of...



when did that happen?

Yeah,true.I'm Harry Potter mad though,so that's ok.Lightening thief isn't an awful book,so be happy!

Jack wrote: "Azza wrote: "Hahahaha @ Jack that's exactly what I've done!! I only allow myself to read my first set,don't want to ruin the others."

It's only right xD I'll only spend that much if I REALLY like..."

I have been wanting to read that book too :D Yes, most of the time I know if I have bought two copies of the same book because I do it on purpose, but sometimes I will come across one that I don't remember buying. Most of the time I find out one of my little sisters picked out a book to read for school and it ends up being one I have bought. Especially the classics like Lord Of The Flies.

I have dups because I buy "lots" (bulk)and often it is cheaper to buy a "lot" and duplicate rather than buy individual books. Series can be rather expensive to complete.
I have hardcopy/paperback and sometimes cassettes and cds as well.
I am rather bad about getting rid of what I own :(.

LOL... It's not that having duplicates are bad. But, now I might just go out and buy duplicates of Percy Jackson series as well when I have too many books I'd really like to buy...

i have a couple mainly because i have a lot of books and when people go to buy me a book they get me something i already have, i nearly have two complete sets of harry potters two book thief's (this was because they sent me two in the mail and then apologized for doing so telling me i may keep the book or donate it to a library)two of shakespears complete works one from mum and one from my grandma and a couple others

I own two copies of:

-Little Women. I had a copy but then bought a three book set that included LW, The Secret Garden, and A Little Princess.
-Pride and Prejudice. The first time I read it, it was a Penguin paperback from the library with lots of good notes- it was my first Austen novel so those notes really helped me! So I bought a copy of the Penguin paperback. I later got another copy because I bought a three pack set of P&P, Jane Eyre, and Wuthering Heights. There are two more copies of P&P I want to get because of the gorgeous covers, plus one is hardback and I don't have a hardcover P&P yet. (I don't mind having multiple copies of this because it's my favorite book!)
-Several of the Narnia books. As a kid, I was buying them individually at yard sales until I came across a boxed set from the 70s. So now I've got duplicates of about 4 of the books.
-The Great Divorce and The Screwtape Letters, by C.S. Lewis. I bought these two individually but then bought a big volume of his books that includes them.
-Alice in Wonderland. One is a small, novel-like copy, another is a big gorgeous illustrated version.

That's it so far...but I'm planning on buying one of the Penguin clothbound hardcovers of Jane Eyre, because I only have it in paperback. I'm also planning on buying the new Penguin "embroidered" cover copy of Emma that comes out later this year.