Are you a bibliophile?
Are you a book hoarder?
Do you like buying and collecting books?
I'm assuming you are, and right now you are looking for places where you can buy cheap books. Well, you are right where you should be. In this blog we are going to talk about where to buy, hoard and get books - saving edition.
I've been into reading since 2016 and I can tell you that buying books is really expensive specially brand new books. But do you know , there are many ways where you can buy books at a lower price or even get one for free?
WHERE TO GET BOOKS - saving edition
Now let's talk about where we can buy and get books at a cheaper price together with it's pros and cons.
Starting from Number One:
BOOKSALE
I love buying at book sale it's my go to bookstore whenever I'm broke and I wanted to read something new. Here at book sale you can find interesting and underrated books in different genre at a very low price. Books here are literally cheap it ranges from 50- 200 and I can guarantee you that it's in good condition. If you like buying at ukay-ukay (thrifting )then you'll like buying at book sale too, it's like ukay-ukay but for books. You can find booksale at any SM or Malls nationwide.
Pros:
-You can buy cheap books and has many variations.
-There's a lot of books you can choose from
-You can find old and underrated books for a cheaper price
-You can also find books from famous authors like Sylvia Plath, Stephen King etc.
Cons:
- Time consuming. It takes time to find a book you like.
-Some books are old or has minor damage.
-Books are second hand, some have spine creases, brown pages, fold and etc.
Photos are from google, credits to the rightful owner.
SHOP ONLINE
Have you experience buying books through online websites like Shopee, Lazada or even national bookstore or fullybooked websites? Well, almost all of us have already experience buying online. Websites like Lazada or Shopee has different sellers which offers pre-loved or brand new books at low price. Here you need to find the perfect timing when buying books so you can catch great deals about free shipping or sales.
I usually buy at Lazada.com or Shoppe.ph but you can also find books that are on sale at nationalbookstore.com
Pros:
- There's a lot of sellers you can compare prices and go for the store that sells the cheapest.
- You can easily search the book you want to buy.
- You can negotiate price with the seller. (only if it's negotiable)
- Some sellers are giving freebies. (who doesn't love freebies?)
- Your book is one click away.
Cons:
- You need to wait for your book to arrived
- You missed the experience of shopping at an actual bookstore
- Shipping fee is expensive (I suggest you go to a shop that offers free shipping)
- Beware of scammers ( check the ratings first)
Photos are from google, credits to the rightful owner.
USED BOOKS
I usually buy Pre-love, second-hand or used books online, specifically on instagram. There's also a lot of shops here that sells cheap books. If you're lucky you'll even find books that are special edition. I suggest you buy books here that are sold in set it's much cheaper and maybe the seller will include freebies in your package. Try using this tags : #cheapbooksph #secondhandbooksph #prelovebooksph #booksforsaleph
Pros:
- You can find limited edition books that needs new home.
- Sellers are nice and the transaction is really fast.
- Some books are negotiable
- Freebies included.
- Lot's of genre you can choose from -including underrated books.
- Once you built trust between the seller you can ask for discounts.
Cons:
- Shipping fee is expensive
- Some sellers are unresponsive
- Payment first. No cash on delivery
- Beware of scammers
- The duration of transaction depends on the seller if she/he will ship it right away after you paid the payment or not. Some of them takes days before being shipped.
BOOKFAIR
Have you experience attending a book fair? I if you are I guess you know the feeling of going there and meeting some of known authors. Joining activities and winning prizes. Well here at book fair you can also buy a lot of books. This is a great place to hoard books. They are posting schedules months before the book fair so you have plenty of time to save money and make a list of books you want to buy. Here are some book fairs that bookworms love to go.
Manila International Book fair located at SMX Convention Center Manila, Mall of Asia. There's no exact date yet but it usually happens around September.
Big Bad Wolf Book Sale it will be held at world Trade Center, Pasay City on February 14- February 24. Admission is free and is open for 24 hours.
Philippine Academic Book Fair the only book fair that focuses on the education market. You can find different books here that are related to academics. It is scheduled on July 1 - July 3 at Megatrade Hall, Mandaluyong Philippines.
Pros:
- Enjoy fun activities, Win Prizes and Buy different books on sale.
- Meet other people who loves to read and be friends with them.
- Discover new genres and books.
- Meet and greet with some local and international authors.
Cons:
- Being at book fair is fun but also tiring at the same time.
- The place will be crowded
- There are many cheap books, you will get temp to buy more. Make sure to bring bags where you can put your books.
SAVE THE DATE!
Photos are from google, credits to the rightful owner.
GIVEAWAY
You can also get books by joining giveaways. If you have bookstagram or if you watch some booktuber some of them loves having a giveaway as a way of thanking their followers or to promote their platform more. Joining a giveaway is easy, all you have to do is follow the instructions given. If luck is with you then you get to have a new books on your shelves. There's no harm in trying.
Pros:
- Get free books
- Meet other Bibliophile
- Support other Bookworms
Cons:
- It's not guaranteed that you will win.
- You have to try your luck
- There's a lot of people entering and you have 1 percent chance of winning.
- It has a process.
AUCTION
I experience joining an auction once and I'm happy with the result. Though I didn't get the one I like but I at least I've got books for a very low price and I enjoy reading it. Also being at an auction is thrilling and satisfying for me. An auction is a public sale in which goods or property are sold to the highest bidder. The prize starts low then you have to add an amount for it to be yours if the another bidder bids higher then you have to add an amount again. If you're joining an auction make sure you have a budget so you know when to stop bidding. You can find some book- auctions at facebook groups and pages like A bookworm's closet , Second-hand books Philippines, Books buy and sell.
Pros:
- Book prizes starts low
- Books are interesting not overrated
- Joining an auction is a thrilling experience
Cons:
- The prize goes up depending on the bidder
- Shipping fee is expensive (if the auction is online)
ACTUAL STORE
Buying at an actual store means buying brand new books which in my case is expensive. But sometimes stores like National Bookstore, Fully booked are having sale which raise up to 80%. If you want to buy brand new books but in a low prize I suggest you wait for a sale to comes up. I haven't found any schedule on when this bookstores are having a sale. So we will just have to wait for an announcement few days before the sale comes out.
Pros:
- Brand new books, low prize
- Experience buying at an actual bookstore.
Cons:
- Limited books only
- Sales vary on the books
- Some items have minor defects
There you go! These are just from my experience and research and I hope that this article are helpful to you. If I missed or I got something wrong let me know by commenting at the comment section below.
" Remember to read more, Shop wise. "