The Thrifting Tack: Why should we encourage book thrifting?

When you hear the word thrifting, the notion of buying old, used thingamajigs may come to mind. Not to mention, the stench that comes with them. Some people, however, are able to see past that and perceive the monument: the beauty, the history, and the various realms these items have traveled. And now, when I mention these ideas of worlds and realms, what do you think of them?

Books?

Well, books and thrifting combined, are the next step in being able to have something in your collection that lets your imagination run wild and, allows you to be the hero of Mother Earth all at once. 

Here are some reasons why we should encourage book thrifting.

It saves money: This isn’t new to anyone but it’s something that we should not overlook. With book thrifting, you are able to purchase your dream books at half the price that would cost you when you buy at a typical bookstore. There have been many times when readers or collectors wanted more than one book when they went shopping but had to resort to just one because it was way over their budget. Say goodbye to that with book thrifting. You can get each book for a little more or less than $5; it lets your wallet breathe.

It helps you explore genres: Not every city or country has a bookstore that resembles Belle’s library. Some bookstores merely stock the same books over and over, leaving other shelves as empty as they can be. That’s when we shift to thrifting. We can discover as many books as we please, open up to various genres, try new authors, and jump out of our comfort zones while avoiding overpaying.

You can obtain hidden gems: Sometimes, the rarest of the rarest books may be sitting in a corner of the thrift store down your street. If this rarity happens to be on your wishlist, this may give you the perfect chance to check it off! Not only that, you may stumble upon vintage editions of your favorite books to add to your collection. The possibilities are endless!

You can give back to your community: Not only can you buy books, but you can also actually sell the dust collectors on your bookshelves. This may include books you didn’t particularly enjoy or old books from kindergarten that you just don’t need anymore. They may not be beneficial or hold much sentimental value to you anymore but this can benefit your community and your neighborhood because this gives them the opportunity to find some use in your old pile of books. After all, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.

It gives you the chance to support a good cause: The money generated from some thrift stores go to charities or organizations that support and advocate for causes such as climate change and environmental sustainability. Even if you’re thrifting books for the thrill of it or any other reasons mentioned above, you may be doing a lot more good deeds and good change than you imagined.

We can help Mother Earth: Thrifting plays a huge role in reducing waste on our planet. When we are thrifting books, we are recycling and most importantly, we are promoting sustainability. Thrifting can also help decrease the number of trees cut down each year and help us take a step closer to preventing deforestation. 

Thrifting books is a chance for you to be a savior of Earth’s story, a chance for you to go to bed knowing that you’re gaining wisdom through reading but doing so sustainably.

So, what are you waiting for? Take that trip to your local thrift store and explore the endless realms of possibilities.