Hot take: library sales are way better than thrift stores for finding hidden gems

Got burned last weekend at Goodwill when I found a book I'd been hunting for months, only to realize someone had ripped out the last 20 pages. $3 down the drain. Then I hit the local library sale on Sunday and walked out with a first edition Stephen King for $2 that was in perfect shape. I don't know why I keep wasting time at thrift stores when libraries price things to move and actually check the condition. Anyone else notice library sales are way more consistent?

2 comments

2 Comments

christopher_west115d ago

I heard about a study that said library sales move like 80% of their inventory within the first few hours, which explains why you can actually find stuff in good shape. Thrift stores sit on damaged junk forever because they price it too high and don't care about condition. My buddy who works at a library told me they inspect every single book before putting it out, and if pages are missing it goes straight to recycling. Meanwhile Goodwill is just taking in garbage bags of stuff and slapping price tags on it without looking. The library sale near me even has a dedicated table for signed copies they find, which is insane. I honestly think thrift stores have gotten too greedy with their pricing and it shows in the quality of what ends up on the shelves.

phoenixh7415d ago

Goodwill near me has a whole shelf of clearly water-damaged books they're still trying to sell for $2.99 each. Library sales usually price paperbacks at a dollar or less but actually check for mold and tears first. Hit up the last hour of a library sale and you can often grab a whole box for five bucks, way better than digging through dusty boxes at a thrift store.