I found City of Lost Souls for paperback in Very Good condition for $4. Sounds too good to be true? Just wait: I found City of Fallen Angels, also in Very Good condition, in hardback for $4.20! To make the deal even sweeter, Thriftbooks offers free shipping on orders over $10. I also ordered a Ranger Apprentice book I wanted (another one of my favorites), which brought my order to $12. And because I downloaded the app, I got a 15% off coupon, so I spent just over $10 for three books. Perfect.
But the real question is: in what condition will the books arrive? For reference, here's the guide Thriftbooks provides for their rating system. Each book is rated in person by a Thriftbooks employee.
* New: Just like it sounds. A brand-new, unused, unread copy in perfect condition.
* Like New: An apparently unread copy in perfect condition. Dust cover is intact; pages are clean and are not marred by notes or folds of any kind.
* Very Good: A copy that has been read, but remains in excellent condition. Pages are intact and are not marred by notes or highlighting, but may contain a neat previous owner name. The spine remains undamaged.
* Good: A copy that has been read, but remains in clean condition. All pages are intact, and the cover is intact. The spine may show signs of wear. Pages can include limited notes and highlighting, and the copy can include "From the library of" labels or previous owner inscriptions.
* Acceptable: A readable copy. All pages are intact, and the cover is intact (the dust cover may be missing). Pages can include considerable notes--in pen or highlighter--but the notes cannot obscure the text.
* Thrift Deal: Items with a Thrift Deal tag are rated in at least 'Acceptable' condition (a readable copy, intact, and may include notes that do not obscure the text).
Both of my Mortal Instruments books were rated as Very Good. I was super impressed when they arrived.
They arrived in this nice teal package that, according to the website, is made of recycled paper, which is always nice. I can see why some people would be worried about books getting damaged, especially some of the more high-end books they sell (signed copies, rare books) because the packaging isn't much more than an envelope. My Mortal Instrument books and Ranger Apprentice book shipped separately, presumably because they were sold by different people. So keep in mind that if you're buying a lot of books, especially ones from different series, they could all ship separately. The Mortal Instruments books took 5 days to ship, which I think is pretty good for free shipping.
I would recommend Thriftbooks for anyone who doesn't mind slightly worn books for super cheap prices. Of course, it has it's downsides. Obviously not every book is available, and you won't find a perfect deal for every book. I'm not sure if I would buy a book in Acceptable condition, just because I'd prefer it to not have highlighting or notes inside. But for me, finding three books for $10 is a deal any day. Another plus is that if your favorite series has a redesigned cover that you hate (like with the Mortal Instruments), it can be hard to find the books anywhere with the old cover. Thriftbooks is likely to have the older version. Overall, I was really happy with my experience with Thriftbooks. The books were super cheap, there was free shipping, and they arrived in almost perfect condition. I willl definitely be using Thriftbooks again.
Keep reading!
Colleen