Guide to Bargain Book Hunting Online
Sick of paying full prices for
books?
The following places sell what are collectively called bargain books. They may be publisher’s overstocks, books returned by customers with minor wear, and inventories sold off in bulk by closed bookstores. As a result, these books are discounted from 50% to 95%!
Be aware, some books have marker lines across the UPCs (which can be removed by acetone-based nail polish removers) or the bindings, unless otherwise noted, so I wouldn't recommend them as gifts.
This list was generated through ten years of dedicated bargain book hunting. If it's not listed here, then it doesn't exist or it stinks. It is maintained by me and is not affiliated with any companies. I'm constantly updating each store with the newest coupon codes and promotions, so bookmark this page and tell your friends!
Last Checked November 24, 2005.
BARGAIN BOOKSTORES
(price: 9/10, selection
9/10, ease of use 6/10) I've bought books from Edward R. Hamilton for over six
years, and it has become easier with their web catalog. The sub-categories are a bit confusing, but still better than searching with the slow engine. The best prices in the bunch! Some books are a dollar each. Most books are priced 3 to 5 bucks. Shipping is flat at $3.50 for mail order (web is much more expensive: $3.50 plus $0.40 per item), so print out your selection and mail it with a check. Request their free 100 page-plus newspaper catalogs, which might contain certain titles not listed on the web (the online company is a separate company that gets its inventory from Hamilton), but beware, titles are categorized but not alphabetized. The first link is the official Hamilton site so selection will be larger. Hamiltonbook.com gets its inventory from Edward R. Hamilton.
(price: 7/10, selection
9/10, ease of use 7/10) This site has the great selection in fiction (check out
their prize winners category), from Proust to Proulx. Searching is better than browsing since the latter brings up lists
in the thousands. Has a real time inventory (though not accurate with less than 5 books in stock). Prices are a bit higher than Hamilton, average 4-6 dollars. They also have some autographed books selling at less than regular prices. I recommend that you sign up for the wishlist, because your favorite books will arrive but they run out fast! Shipping is $4 for the first book, but becomes VERY reasonable as you buy more books (I added 3 more books and shipping only changed by 20 cents!).
Current Promotion(s):
A new Christmas Sale. A Large (>27000) selection; ends 12/24/05.
Code BOOKCLOSEOUTS and password BARGAINBOOKS
at checkout for $5 off $35. Expires 12/31/05.
Code FATWALLET and password BARGAINBOOKS
at checkout for $5 off $35. Expires 1/3/06.
(price 7/10, selection 8/10, ease of use 7/10) Click on
their Sales Annex for some 15,000 discounted books dedicated to the snobs in
all of us. They specialize in academic and scholarly books. An impressive discounted poetry selection. Shipping is $4.50 and $.50 for each additional book. Titles marked p/pub return
may be marked with a small line or dot on the top of the binding. Definitely worth a look if you like
“literary” books but don’t wish to buy them at regular prices. Request a free bi-monthly sales catalog while
you’re at it.
(price 6/10, selection 9/10, ease of use 8/10) Just like the name says. A whole lot of abstruse stuff that I can't even comprehend. Has an entire section dedicated to baseball, and another to military history. Books are discounted up to 70% but still pricey (most $10 or more) considering their high sticker prices. The Bargain Book section (linked above) has about two thousand books mostly under $10. Shipping is $4.95 if under $25, with incremental increases up to $12.95 for $100 or above Request a free catalog while you're at it.
(price 7/10, selection 7/10,
ease of use 7/10) Located in my hometown of Buffalo, NY. Pretty good selection and great prices. Unfortunately, there is a $200 minumum purchase requirement, but one copy of each title is allowed. Check out their specials for $1 and $2 books. A treasure of a find. Shipping is by weight from Buffalo.
(price 6/10, selection 5/10,
ease of use 7/10) Daedalus Books have some cheap books, from 3-6, imports
mostly, but they’re the same as the domestic. Shipping is $4.95 flat. Selection
is not great, but worth a look. Also,
the books I bought from them had no remainder marks. A nice free catalog is available upon request.
(price: 6/10, selection
7/10, ease of use 6/10) Looks pretty much like the website for bookcloseouts, with similar shipping policies.
(price 6/10, selection 5/10,
ease of use 7/10) Online site for the Harvard Book Store near Hahvahd Yahd. Prices between $6-10. Selection is minimal, mostly literary and scholarly and brilliant, but probably can't be found elsewhere discounted like this. Get ready for some serious reading. Shipping is $6.50 1st book and $0.95 for each additional. Sign up for the newsletter to be the first to know about new arrivals.
(price 6/10, selection 6/10,
ease of use 7/10). A lot of discounted contemporary literary fiction and an excellent discounted poetry selection, something you don’t see too often. But prices are between $6-$9. Free shipping over $50, otherwise $2.50+$1 per item.
Barne's and Noble: Bargain Books
(price 5/10, selection 6/10,
ease of use 8/10) I was pleasantly surprised by the Bargain Books selection at Barne's and Noble. Prices are higher than Hamilton, but you should definitely check it out since you get free shipping with $25 purchase, otherwise it's $3.99 for one book.
Amazon.com: Bargain Book Outlet
(price 5/10, selection 6/10,
ease of use 10/10) The URL is not a referral link, it's just very specific. Free shipping with $25 purchase, otherwise shipping is $3.00 per shipment plus $0.99 per book (which should've been committed to memory for a book lover such as yourself).
(prices 4/10, selection 6/10,
ease of use 7/10) Online store for the retail chain. Okay selection and prices in the fiction category. A nice selection of medical-related books at 50% off or more. Shipping is by weight from Michigan, about $5 for 3 books.
(price 5/10, selection 6/10,
ease of use 4/10) A very simple site with a good selection of art books and biographies, and some fiction. Prices start from $5. No search engines and only descriptions of books. You can only mail, phone, or fax your orders. Shipping is flat from $4.50 (eastern region)-$6.50 (western region).
(prices 4/10, selection 5/10,ease of use 6/10). Minimal selection and hard to browse. Free shipping over $49, other $2.99 per shipment plus $0.99 per item.
Overstock.com: Bargain Books Section
(price 6/10, selection 5/10,
ease of use 7/10) 27 Pages of bargain books, with some books at $1. Shipping is flat at $2.95. Worth a look. Sign up for Fatcash at Fatwallet.com for coupons for $10 off $100 or $15 off $150 as well as 4% cash back.
(price 4/10, selection 5/10,
ease of use 7/10) Another general bookstore that has a bargain book section, click on the Bargains tab on top. Prices are higher, and they list the out-of-stock books too which is pretty annoying. Shipping is $4 per order plus $1.95 per item. Join the Millionaire's Club for $5 a year to get 10% off everything with each order.
Current Promotion(s):
Code FREESHIP25 at checkout for free shipping over $25.
(prices 4/10, selection 5/10,
ease of use 6/10) Based in Ontario. Good selection in history, especially British. They also cater to US customers, just remember to buy under $200 or you have to pay duties. Shipping is 10 Canadian ($6.40) plus 1.50 Canadian per item.
(price 4/10, selection 6/10,
ease of use 6/10) A Canadian bookstore in Victoria. Started in 1963 by Alice Munro's ex-husband. Pretty good selection. You can display prices in American dollars. Shipping can be hefty at 8 Canadian for first book.
Northshire Bookstore Bargain Section
(price 4/10, selection 5/10,
ease of use 7/10) A new one I just found on google. Shipping is $3.50 for the first book and $0.50 each additional book.
(price 7/10, selection 6/10, ease of use 4/10) A new find. Company based in Ohio, has sold items on
Ebay and Half.com. A good selection of
fiction—new and used (labeled accordingly).
But the emphasis is on art-related books, including excellent prices on
a good variety of art theory books and even used CDs. Check out their Books A Buck section. There is no search ability, and the site is very amateur
looking. Online ordering doesn’t look
secure, so do it at your own risk, or mail them a check. Shipping is by weight. Join the mailing list and get 15% off on
every new book listed. I haven’t
ordered from them yet, so let me know how you fared shopping here.
(price 5/10, selection 5/10, ease of use 5/10) Okay
selection, but site is slow and the categories are messed up. But worth a look, especially the $1 books
and audio books. Shipping is based on
weight. The books I got were a bit
dirty and packaging was unimpressive.
Current Promotion(s):
Order any 10 or more books from the "Books for $1" interest group and get 1 free.
Buy 10 or more "$2 AUDIO BOOKS" and pay only $1 each.
(price 10/10, selection
10/10, ease of use 7/10). This has one of the best selections I’ve ever seen
for a bargain bookstore (it’s actually the B2B site for bookcloseouts.com). One
catch: to quote the company’s FAQ: “First, your order must exceed the $250.00
minimum to qualify for wholesale prices. Secondly, you must be a registered
business or some type of non-profit organization (i.e. library, hospital,
educational facility, etc.). If you represent a U.S. business we require you to
provide us with your Federal Tax ID number.” They told me that individuals
cannot buy from them even if they purchase over $250. Most books are between
two and three bucks. Shipping is determined by weight. The postman might kill
you though.
OTHER FAVORITE BOOKSTORES
Another general bookstore like Amazon with a great
selection, but cheaper—all books are 40% off, even paperbacks. Shipping is $2.80 plus $0.85 per book, or by
weight. Company based in
Tennessee. Shipping takes more time
because they don’t maintain their own inventory. Free shipping over $99.
The only catch is, most are used books (some remainders sold by small bookstores) and shipping costs $3 per hardcover, or $2.30 otherwise. You might even get lucky and receive a book that’s not been read. Check the seller’s ratings so you won’t get ripped off.
Current Promotion(s):
Join ebates and you
get 1% cash back!
Huge selection to choose from.
These are not bargain bookstores, but they deserve a listing because you can purchase rare and out-of-print books from dealers all over the world. I managed to find all seven books of poetry by my English professor Carl Dennis before he became famous by winning the Pulitzer. Definitely worth a look if you're looking for that special book.
Current Promotion(s):
Another "scholarly" bookstore. A huge selection of both used and new books. Most of the new books are discounted 50%. They also sell "Books by the Foot" for as low as $10 per foot, for decorative purposes. Shipping is $4.50+$0.50 per item.
The first books I bought when I came to the US were Dover Thrift Editions, which are classics for as little as $1, at most $2. They also have some really nice reproductions of classical music scores (e.g. Chopin's Piano Concertos). I recommend getting your dollar books directly because shipping is $5 under $19.99, up to $8 for $80 or more.
Sells remainder computer books, and a little bit of travel and health. Has some good specials. Shipping is $5.95 under $19.99, and $3.95 over $19.99.
Computer books discounted 50% or more. Shipping is $4 for first book, plus $1 each thereafer.
Discount technical books. Shipping is based on weight and destination from Massachusetts.
Current Promotion(s):
All O'Reilly trade books (over 700) at 47% off. Free shipping over $40.
21,000 deeply discounted Christian books in stock. Free shipping over $50.
PRICE COMPARISON SITES
Addall.com: A very comprehensive comparison site
including hamilton and bookcloseouts.
froogle.com: By google. Enough said.
Bookfinder.com: Good for used books.
Happy Hunting!
Please contact me if you know something I don’t or found an
expired coupon.
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