Queue on 11/8/2009 at 14:39
As if the shitty music collection of mine weren't depressing enough...
So how many books do you own?
These are just the books that I've personally purchased and are stacked nicely on shelfs (this does not include the boxes upon boxes of old books packed away in the attic, various books given to me, or ones found in miscellaneous locations throughout the property): 766.
If you figure an average price of $18.00, that's $13,788.00 I've spent on just these books.
Fuck.
Starrfall on 11/8/2009 at 15:13
I've got about $4k in law books lying around, and then counting only the books that fit here in a two bedroom apartment (and not the ones being stored elsewhere) and giving an average price of about 12 bucks (I almost always buy paperbacks) adds another $3500-4000.
Do you buy a shit ton of hardbound books? An average of $18 seems really high to me.
There are things like this (
http://bookmooch.com/) floating around these days but I haven't tried any of them yet
Queue on 11/8/2009 at 17:43
Quote Posted by Starrfall
... Do you buy a shit ton of hardbound books? An average of $18 seems really high to me.
About half and half. Most of the paperbacks are around $8.00 new and the hardbacks are around $28.00 new--so an average of $18.00.
A few of the specialty books range anywhere from $40.00 to $100 a pop.
Renzatic on 11/8/2009 at 18:46
Looking on my little shelf, I see a copy of Black's Law Dictionary, Grey's Anatomy, and a ton of art and old architectural books. Down below that, I've got a few hardbacks by Stephen King and Peter Straub, the collected works of Poe, some Arthur Conan Doyle, The Plague, Pornografika (not porno), the Funk and Wagnall's New Encyclopedia of Science books I used to get at the grocery store when I was a kid, books 2, 3 & 4 of the Hitchhikers Guide trilogy...and an Anne Rice book? How the hell did that get there?
That's just what's right in front of me. It doesn't even begin to cover all the stuff I've got packed away around the house.
As for what I want to buy, I've been scouring old bookstores and the internet for old first edition John Bellairs books. The ones with the full cover Edward Gorey art. I used to love his books when I was a kid, and want to bequeath them to my future 'lil yard sprog.
I've been looking for about 4 years now, and have only dug up two of his books in good condition:
Inline Image:
http://users.chartertn.net/greymatt/book1.jpgInline Image:
http://users.chartertn.net/greymatt/book2.jpgStill got, I think, like 12 more to go.
Xenith on 11/8/2009 at 19:05
I've got a lot of books that were left from my grandparents days. Though old they have a certain charm to them and the literature works within them is the same whether the paper is old or new. They're mostly classic stuff from my countries writers, but I do have some translations from other masters works (E.A. Poe is definitely a fav :D). I've been trying to move them out of view though since they don't really look good on modern furniture, but I do keep part of them, which look good, on an open shelf. I haven't really bought anything new except a few things, but I do borrow from time to time stuff from friends to help me pass white nights.
Oh, among those old things, I found one day a very very ancient La Rousse dictionary with very intricate and beautiful illustrations. you can imagine I spent that whole day turning its pages with care so as to not break the whole thing.
SD on 11/8/2009 at 20:05
I love buying books, but I hate spending money. So 75% of the books I buy come from discount stores. Fortunately, we have some of the best discount stores in the world here.
Some examples from the last few months because I like collages. I have paid just £1 (about $1.70) for each of the following books at the chain
Poundland, brand new and unread:
Inline Image:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v216/DannyClein/tot/bookssssss.jpgAnd that's only a fraction. It's just as well I hardly buy fiction because there's easily as much of that about.
Of course, I now have the problem of no free shelf space.
PeeperStorm on 12/8/2009 at 02:46
Let me put it this way: Not counting the comic books and books that belong to other family members, I have more than were in the inventory of the bookstore that a friend of mine used to own. Been buying them since I was 10. At least 95% of them are paperbacks.
The used bookstore is my friend.
Serious Callers Only on 12/8/2009 at 03:43
Arrrr. Mate i don't buy books.
Even more douche like than pirating games, but i wonder... before discovering irc and usenet i bought & read about 5 fiction books in my life (not counting family books spread around off course).
Now I've read some thousands.
There is no shrug emoticon.
fett on 12/8/2009 at 03:52
@Renz: Kudos on the John Bellairs books. Horribly underrated chap.
