Cheap book finds.

I have mixed feelings about book "hauls." I love seeing them on blogs or YouTube videos. I love a good bargain, especially when it comes to books. And I have this weird fascination with seeing what books other people find for cheap prices!

But when I share pictures of books that I've bought myself, somehow I'm afraid of coming across as materialistic or like I'm bragging. I hope I don't seem that way. Here's the thing: I don't work a public job. I do child care a few days a week for family members and have a small Etsy shop. I don't make much money, but living at home, I also don't have too many expenses. Though I occasionally splurge on things like pretty yarn or handmade brooches on Etsy, I consider myself a pretty thrifty person. As far as books, DVDs, and craft supplies go, I never pay full price if I can help it. I love coupons, sales, and thrift stores. :)

I've found some really good books at various places over the past month. So I thought I'd give you guys a peek and maybe inspire you to find places that sell cheap books! {By the way, these are in random order, not in the order I purchased them.}

First up I have some books I found at a local Goodwill. This isn't the Goodwill I usually visit, but it's near the library, so when me and Mom were there recently we stopped in. I've found some neat children's books there before, and this time was no exception.

I found The Story of Doctor Dolittle, by Hugh Lofting, which I've never read. I think I've seen the remake of the film but not the original one. I also found Eva Ibbotson's The Secret of Platform 13. Yes, my mind did connect Platform 13 with Platform 9 3/4. :) But I've heard good things about this author. And the thing that really drew me in was the fact that I think there's a knitting needle-wielding villain in this book. You know I couldn't resist that. {I'm fairly certain this is the book, but I could be wrong. Also, this was one of my library books that I hadn't been able to read yet. Now I'm glad to have my own copy.}

These books cost 50 cents each.

Also, at that same Goodwill, I found this sewing book. It's from 1959, and seems to be sort of like a textbook. I don't know anything about the Bishop Method, but I love the illustrations inside and the way they explain how to fix many common fitting problems! This one was $1.50, which brought my grand total to $2.50 plus tax.

Last week while returning and renewing some library books, I just happen to glance at the little table just inside the library where they have books for sale. I found these two...

Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict, by Laurie Viera Rigler. I didn't realize that another book comes before this one, but apparently this one is sort of parallel story rather than a sequel. So hopefully it won't matter that I haven't read the other one yet. :) I also found the second Nancy Drew book (I have the first one but haven't read it yet). The Austen book was $1.00 and the Nancy Drew one was 25 cents. They're not former library books- they're both hardcover and in perfect condition...basically brand new!

I've already shared these in a Project 360 post, I think, but I'll share them again. :) Have you guys ever heard of Ollie's Bargain Outlet? They have very good prices on certain things, but I generally never make it out of the book section. The book part is amazing, you guys!

At our Ollie's, they have general categories, but when they get new books they basically just seem to put them wherever there's room. Shelf after shelf and whole tables packed with books. It's a magical place. :) The thing is...you have to be willing to look and dig. If you just skim, you probably won't find anything.  But if you take the time to shift books around and look through stacks, you can find some amazing bargains. I can't even begin to tell you some of the finds I've had in there...books that I've been looking for forever. There have also been instances when I've paid $10-$15 for certain hardcover books only to have them appear in Ollie's several months later for like $3. That part's kind of sickening. :) Sometimes I'll go a month or two without seeing anything new, and then sometimes I'll find something I've been looking for every time I stop in. They have picture books, children's books, YA, cookbooks, and tons and tons of Christian fiction/historical fiction (our local one does, anyway). They're all new, though they're bargain books and sometimes have scuffs or bent edges.

I found Summer and Bird, by Katherine Catmull (in hardcover) for $2.99. Blue Skies Tomorrow was $4.99...most of the Christian novels are. I got the previous two books in this series at Ollie's, too. Five bucks isn't bad, but I don't see why the paperbacks cost more than most hardcovers when it comes to religious fiction. The Rise and Fall of Mount Majestic was $3.99 (it's illustrated by the same man who illustrated the Series of Unfortunate Events books).

A couple of weeks ago they were having a big group yard sale at the farmers' market. I bought a 1940s copy of Misty of Chincoteague. I used to be obsessed with horse stories, and I loved Marguerite Henry's books. I remember loving this one especially, but I only owned Brighty of the Grand Canyon, so I was so happy to find this one. :) I also found a book that contains two of Agatha Christie's mysteries: the first and last of Poirot's career, I think. I've read The Mysterious Affair at Styles, and I just love Agatha Christie's stories. And then there's the book about Sinatra. Let me add this to the pile of other Sinatra-related memoirs and books I own and haven't read yet. I have a love-hate relationship with celebrity memoirs and biographies.

Since this was the second week of the sale, everything was 50% off. I can't remember exact amounts, but I think these three books came to $2.00 or maybe $2.25.

My last two additions were also from Ollie's. :) I've already mentioned this gorgeous copy of The Adventures of Robin Hood. I also got Scumble, which is the sequel to a fun children's book called Savvy (which I also found at Ollie's a couple of years ago). These were both $1.99 each, but since they were on sale the total was $3.63.

So...over the past month or so, I've found 13 cheap books, for a total of approx. $21. Not bad at all, considering you would pay that much for 2 new paperbacks on Amazon. The only bad thing about inexpensive books is that I can justify buying more of them. :)

Until next time,