Any second hand bookshop addicts here?

[handpaper]

prand said:

I love any sort of bookshop, had a great nose around the Speaking Tree in Gloastonbury village when we were visiting last weekend (selling a lot of discount/remainders), and then someone told me to go and pay a visit to http://www.bookbarninternational.com/ just north of Wells. Oh my gosh what a place!

I drive past that place at least once a week, always wanted to poke my head in.
Is there room to park an artic for a short while?

[prand]

It's on a mini trading estate with a fair bit of parking so I'd imagine they'd be used to lorries dropping off there. You'd want to spend a couple of hours there, mind!

[vanordinaire]

I love second-hand book shops, but avoid most of the charity shops. Most of them seem to display only the 'bestsellers' and popular biographies, I don't know what they do with interesting books but I can never find them. Some of the charity shops charge more for a second hand trashy book than it was sold for originally in a supermarket.

[Flip Martian]

vanordinaire said:

I love second-hand book shops, but avoid most of the charity shops. Most of them seem to display only the 'bestsellers' and popular biographies, I don't know what they do with interesting books but I can never find them. Some of the charity shops charge more for a second hand trashy book than it was sold for originally in a supermarket.

Charity shops vary widely in the quality of their stock, I find. I have access to about 8 within 15 mins of where I live, in different towns - and after repeated visits, really only 3 are worth shopping in (and 2 of those are dedicated bookshops). Same with NT properties - a few have fantastic second hand bookshops, some are just pants.

[cherie171]

We've only got one charity shop (British Heart Foundation) in Corby town centre that has a half decent number of book, and I think I've only been in there once!

On the other hand, we used to live in St Neots, where there's at least half a dozen, and I'd regularly hop from one charity shop to the next.

[Flip Martian]

The charity shops got me again. Spent a relaxing morning trailing around them this morning and came back with 7, including 3 hardbacks for just under 8 quid. Two books by Laurence Rees, biogs on Rex Harrison, Joan Crawford, Ernest Borgnine and Gene Roddenberry and a book by Lynne Truss on her sports reporting.

The irony is I'd gone shopping for an old bookcase... :/

[droopsnoot]

I got caught by the library sale this morning, 3 paperbacks (Mo Hayder, Patricia Cornwell, something else) for 30p each, then Waterstones had a sale shelf outside so snared something (I've never heard of the author, but it sounds good) for £1.99, and finally Poundland now have a book rail, so snared a hardback Wilbur Smith book that I haven't read. My "to read" pile will never be exhausted.

[Flip Martian]

Those bargains can be so alluring...

[Chocmonster]

I'm lucky enough to have a free book shop within walking distance. You're allowed any 3 books each visit, over the couple of years I've been going there I've had everything from modern biographies to books over 100 years old!

Check this map to see if there is one near you:

https://beta.healthyplanet.org/what-we-do/sustaina...

[Flip Martian]

Chocmonster said:

I'm lucky enough to have a free book shop within walking distance. You're allowed any 3 books each visit, over the couple of years I've been going there I've had everything from modern biographies to books over 100 years old!

Check this map to see if there is one near you:

https://beta.healthyplanet.org/what-we-do/sustaina...

Great idea. Luton is my nearest and even that's some way off. I'll bookmark that though, cheers.

[Spiffing]

I picked this up today, pretty chuffed.

[cherie171]

Nice find!

[Flip Martian]

Nice price too!

[spikeyhead]

http://www.erictmoore.co.uk/bookshop.asp

[Flip Martian]

spikeyhead said:

http://www.erictmoore.co.uk/bookshop.asp

Ta for the link. Within an hour's drive I think.

[Roadster2]

Great fan of old bookshops, if you are in York there is a huge number of better quality places, especially in the Walmgate area, great coffee and bike shops down there too.

The only bad point about a day trip to York is the anti-car stance of the Council with London parking prices and slow pace of the traffic.

[Flip Martian]

Good to know, thanks!

[Voldemort]

Roadster2 said:

Great fan of old bookshops, if you are in York there is a huge number of better quality places, especially in the Walmgate area, great coffee and bike shops down there too.

The only bad point about a day trip to York is the anti-car stance of the Council with London parking prices and slow pace of the traffic.

To be fair to York the lads who layed out the streets hadn't anticipated quite how many fat americans would want to be delivered to the middle of the city in air conditioned coaches. Also the park and ride scheme in York is pretty damn good actually.

[Flip Martian]

I found a great guide to second hand book shops around the country (with reviews) - http://www.inprint.co.uk/thebookguide/index.php

I've visited Skoob twice this week http://www.skoob.com as its near work, and also Any Amount of Books http://www.anyamountofbooks.com while in London 3 days, and once again run out of shelf space at home despite buying a new bookcase recently. I really do need to take a break...

[cherie171]

Flip Martian said:

I found a great guide to second hand book shops around the country (with reviews) - http://www.inprint.co.uk/thebookguide/index.php

I've visited Skoob twice this week http://www.skoob.com as its near work, and also Any Amount of Books http://www.anyamountofbooks.com while in London 3 days, and once again run out of shelf space at home despite buying a new bookcase recently. I really do need to take a break...

I might have to pop in there the next time we're in London. It's less than a mile away from the Folio Society shop, and I [u]have[/u] to go there at some point!