Which online bookstore will actually ship me books in good condition?

>>8923317
>not supporting your local used bookstore

JUST

>>8923317
I've never received a book from Amazon that wasn't packaged with some kind of packing material. The problem is that they make no effort to ensure the book is protected. The book is on one side of the box and the packing material on the other.

>>8923322
>implying I even have a local used bookstore
>implying even if I did have one, it wouldn't be rife with useless normie garbage

>>8923330
Well I have. I think they thought that because the box is filled with books, it means they cushion each other or something, but it doesn't work that way.

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>>8923333

>>8923322
I can rarely find what I want in a physical store.

Amazon used to actually pack books. They would secure them with plastic wrapping to a piece of cardboard which would then be placed in the box, rendering the books immobile. I guess that costs too much.

>>8923317
I use bookdepository, which I'm pretty sure is actually run by amazon. although several of the books they have delivered to me (and I live across the world on an island in the pacific) have been ever so slightly damaged, none have been significantly so. Maybe they take more care with international deliveries though.

>>8924042
Guam?

>>8923322
>go to the physical bookstore
>do you guys have x?
>"who wrote it?"
>well it was y
>"how do you spell it?"
>w-h-y
>"no, we don't have this book here sir"
>ok, so, do you have the book a by the author b?
>"one minute, let me check... uhh, sorry, we don't have it"
>ok, do you have DON QUIXOTE?
>"never heard of this author before"
every time

>>8923322
>Keeping a dead business model alive so that you can have a smaller selection.

>>8924080
Holy shit, this.

Also, they're almost never stocked up on literary fiction, classics or philosophical books, but they're always, ALWAYS overflowing with YA, Murakami and all kinds of self-help bullshit.

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>>8923333

>tfw there is a used bookstore close to my house
>tfw I can get 4-5 classics for 10$ (or less) and in good condition

Anyone know any sites to get cheap books?

>>8924663
DealOz
Half.com
ThirftBooks
AbeBooks
Ebay

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>>8924286
It's basic supply and demand, faggot. Try not living in flyover country, where plebs roam in abundance.

>>8924243
>Keeping a dead business model alive so that you can have a smaller selection.

Enjoy your desolate corporate future, devoid of all human interaction and quirks, friend.

I remember going to a Bookland (Books-a-Million) years ago, and I wanted to buy a volume of the Sandman trade paperbacks. They didn't have it so I asked them to order it for me. I think it was volume 4, but it's not important. Point being, they could only look it up on their computer by title and not by volume number. I didn't know the title off the top of my head so I just had to leave and order it from Amazon.

>>8923317
Amazed sometimes has some really terrible packaging. It all depends. Once I bought a toy for a kid's birthday only for it to arrive practically folded in half to fit in a box that was obviously too small.

Other times I get things that are carefully wrapped in air packs. Usually books arrive in just fine condition. I mean, they're books. Not china.

>>8924754
>Enjoy your desolate corporate future, devoid of all human interaction and quirks, friend.
The time and money I save by purchasing books online goes towards real human interaction with friends and family, not subsidising some hipster's obsolete job.

>tfw you don't order something from Amazon and it reminds you why you always order shit from Amazon
Why does everyone else suck at shipping?

>>8924300
Fuck you, all I have is a few charity shops that are absolutely filled with tat. All I managed to find was a copy of Gravity's Rainbow.

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>>8923322
All of our local bookstores have closed and we're stuck with Barnes & Noble and BAM

just so long as i can read the words and there isn't annoying stuff written or underlined, i literally don't care about the condition of my books

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>mfw Brighton has multiple used book stores and charity shops that have good quality inventories

I don't even have plan what books I want before I go to town, just browse until I see something good.

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OP here. I guess no one actually knows which stores will package books well? Please help me.

Have this cute autism in return.

>>8925828
I really don't. I've just accepted that most books will come with some shipping and handling wear and occasionally I get lucky. If I really want to make sure it is mint, then I'll go pay more at B&N if I am feeling so desirous.

>>8923317
>buying from Amazon
Why the hell would you do that? They're not even cheap anymore. You actually end up paying extra to support the massive competition-killing corporate beast.

>>8925880
What is cheaper for new books?

Any sites with free international shipping besides bookdepository?

>>8925885
Off the top of my head... Hive, bookdepository, A Great Read, WH Smith, countless ebay sellers... I thinkeven high street bookshops can be with buy-two-get-one-free-type deals.

Obviously Google Shopping helps although lately it seems to have gone a bit shit.

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>>8925880
Depends what you buy. Hardcovers, especially illustrated ones, often go for 30-40% than cover price or less, and the chain bookstores charge top dollar. Besides, if you actually follow the price fluctuations (I have about 200 books in my cart "saved for later" and check the price changes daily) you can get great deals. I get Calla editions for $5-15 this way, and they cost $30-60 usually.

Was comparing some prices on different US sites and the cheapest was actually Walmart.

>>8925906
That all sounds great... If you're in the UK...

>>8925972
BookDepository has free shipping worldwide. And many books are cheaper there than Amazon. And that's even before having to deal with getting free shipping from Amazon.

>>8926468
I'll give it another look. I've just really come to like the free 2 day shipping. Especially if it's something I want to read right away and can't find it locally.

>not using http://bookfinder.com to find the cheapest books

folio society

>>8925885
What I do is find the copy I want and google the IBSN and it will give me the cheapest site. Usually end up being Wordery or Books Please.

>>8927138
>booksplea.se
>Wordery

Thanks. They both seem more expensive than Amazon or BookDepository at least for someone from the States.

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>>8925880
>>8925906
bookdepository is owned by amazon

>>8927414
whoah. I didn't know that. well, fuck. fuck amazon.

>>8927414
>>8927471
abebooks, too

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>>8923317
There's a great bookshop in my town that has recently opened up. I'm scared the insane rents will push it out like the two bookshops that existed years ago here, so I try to buy books there as much as can. They order books in for you within a couple days, often within one day.

Used books are a great option. Living in Paris, I completely miss the oxfam bookshops of England. So cosy and often with a good selection of books. Last time I was there I bought a whole bunch of penguin classics for 2 quid each.

Support your bookshops if you can.

Any independent online booksellers in the US? Used or New.

>>8927481
>>8927414

I go to value village if I want any kind of classic. It's exciting because sometimes you find neat, unexpected stuff.

I use amazion if I want a certain translation

>>8923424
I just got some books like that the other day

>>8929838
I wonder if they have different procedures at different shipping facilities.

>>8929785

Powell's Books powells.com maybe

>>8923317
I just got fired from Amazon,I worked as a picker and would ship books all day

The books get crushed and worn because the pickers are desperately trying to meet their productivity targets, I have personally damaged books due to time constraints

they just get thrown into a container with 20 other items, if your new books come unscathed it's just a tossup

if it makes it to the packaging section without being damaged its just luck

>>8930898
It sounds like they're firing the incompetent people who can't place things into a box without damaging them, though.

>>8930920
they never even check tttt

I got released with a bunch of others, was only there on temp for xmas but the work just falls off a cliff this time of year

>>8930960
Maybe now is the safe time to buy books then. People will pack them better.