With the “renaissance of readers” induced by the likes of the pandemic and BookTok, books are back in. But they can get pretty expensive. 

Yes, libraries exist, but for bibliophiles who like to own the titles they read, buying used books has proven to make things easier economically. And fortunately, Long Beach has a few remaining havens for buying books second-hand: Planet Books, Once Read Books and Gatsby Books. 

Buying second-hand goods has its pros other than the price though the reduced charge does prove to be its most attractive quality. 

“You can buy a small paperback, and it’ll cost you a dollar,” said James Rappaport, co-owner of Planet Books.

It’s also better for the environment because it is more sustainable and reduces pollution, but some, like Rappaport, love the fun of the hunt.

“You just never know what you can find… It can be a treasure,” he added.

While there are no solid rules when it comes to buying a used book, here are some helpful things to keep in mind–straight from the employees and owners of the final few used bookstores in Long Beach.

Be patient

Used bookstores like Gatsby Books have sections on almost every topic with a massive array of authors. Danny Turner, an employee at Gatsby, says that some authors such as Joan Didion or Haruki Murakami, however, are more difficult to find. They’ll get very few donations of particular authors that get buried in the stacks, and when they do get them, they get bought very quickly. With specific books often being so hard to find, it can be helpful to take your time, really look through the shelves or keep checking back into the store if you don’t find what you’re looking for the first time.

Flip through it 

Don’t expect a book in perfect, pristine condition. Some will look nicer than others, but prices of used books are largely marked down because they have been worn. So, there is a chance books will have annotations from the previous owner (which may be something you’d enjoy) or even missing pages. Be wary and look through a work before purchasing to make sure the book is something you really want.

Thrift the classics

You should reserve getting newer books from authors that are still able to make commission off of their work. Try purchasing used classic titles by Charles Dickens or Jane Austen. Buying used books can be better for getting older works anyway because odds are, they’ll be more readily available. 

“A lot of books go out of print, and there’s no place else to get them other than a used market, especially with modern fiction. They only do a certain number of prints,” said Roger Grunke, owner of Once Read Books. In some cases, used bookstores may be the only chance to grab a certain edition of a more dated work.

Be open-minded

You never know what you might find in the packed shelves of used bookstores. You might get so focused on finding one certain edition or one author that you might surpass a great book that was right in front of you. Enjoy the hunt. Take your time looking through everything until something catches your eye. Be open to picking up something random. 

“Sometimes you get a gem. You luck into something really great,” said Rappaport. Chances are, even if you don’t end up liking the book you took a risk buying, it won’t set you back that far economically. 

Know your genre

The first thing Roger Grunke will ask anyone when they walk into his store is, “What are you looking for in particular?” Depending on how quickly you want to be in and out of the store, know how to answer that question. He’ll also ask the genre of the last book they loved. More than anything, knowing the genres you like helps to ensure you’ll find a book you’ll enjoy since most used bookstores are organized by them. 

Also note: Some stores will completely rule out some genres of books. Grunke says book club fiction and self-help books are not often in his inventory while Rappaport shies away from romance novels with his. 

Don’t be afraid to ask for help

Used bookstores can get pretty overwhelming. Shelves and boxes suffocate from the extensive inventory of books a shop may have. Searching through all the piles and different sections can get intimidating, especially when there’s usually only one copy of each book in these shops. 

“I’ve had very few books that I’ve seen more than once, and I have 60,000 books in the store,” Grunke said. When looking for something specific in a used bookstore, don’t be afraid to ask the owner or employee for assistance. No one knows the inventory better, and local owners or employees like Grunke, Rappaport or Turner are more than happy to help.

This story was previously published by DIG Magazine.