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People used to say that reading is the cheapest hobby. You can be anybody you want to be and travel to different places in just one sitting and for free. It’s not surprising then that even if there are more and newer forms of entertainment innovated every now and then, a lot of people still stick to their good ol’ books for fun. However, over the years, reading has become a costly hobby as book prices continue to rise alongside basic commodities. In turn, readers are turning to used books as a good alternative.

Some people usually think of used books as scraps to fuel the fireplace during winter or as tattered paperbacks sold in bulks in a garage sale. Indeed, there might be some people who have pretty heavy hands in handling delicate books but there are still some who shelter their books neatly on shelves like priced collections.

These are the kinds of books that you want: in mint condition but in second-hand price. Now, if you know where to find them, imagine how much money you’ll save. If you’re too much into how a book looks, skip yard sales and head on to school and church bazaars. You’ll be buying well-kept books and most likely, contributing to a good cause.

Usually, books sold in these events are not tattered paperbacks. You might even find hardbound books on almost all subjects. Back in college, we used to fundraise for our organization by donating our used books, which we only read for a semester or less (1-3 months), and selling them for less than half their original price.

If you’re not into haggling and crowd-beating, going online is a better option. BarnesandNoble.com, under their Used Book tab and Out of Print tab, offers second hand books which even some book worms might consider as myths and legends—books that are hard to find to the point that you stopped believing they exist. Aside from rare titles, this site also offers used paper backs in mint condition. Sellers use this site to advertise their items.

The sellers rate their books and include notes on the book’s good points (e.g. plot, story, fresh physical condition, etc.) or possible defects (e.g. torn pages, etc.). Feedbacks from previous buyers back-up the credibility of the seller and the quality of the items he sell online.

Most sellers put an actual picture of the book they’re selling. A lot of my friends have bought books this way, and so far, none of them are disappointed since most of the time, from the photos and seller’s descriptions, they already know what they’re buying. Some books have library stamps at the back or a few folded pages but usually, the seller would include this in the item’s description. If you aren’t sure, you can always drop the seller a short e-mail to inquire.

The downside of a book is that there is only one way to read it so once you’ve finished the whole book, you feel you have no use for it anymore. You either keep it ‘til you forget you have it or put it away. However, at the same time, it’s one of the book’s main advantages. Since most likely, you read it only once, if you take care of it, it can still pass as new for the next reader.

Used books save you money with the same content that new books have. If you know where to look and if you have the patience to go looking, you will find that a lot of used books being sold are in mint condition. You can build your own library with a reasonable budget—or you can even sell your own used books to grow your book budget.