Get Your Used Books While All the Condos Peek Into Their Homes
I’m sorry, but we’re still talking about Marie Kondo. The popularity of her Netflix show Tidying Up has sparked a spike in donations to thrift stores and bookstores, according to CNN , New Yorker and Seattle’s Stranger . Not every store has seen more books coming in, but many, including the New York’s Housing Works Bookstore Café , a two-story bookstore full of donated books. It’s time to take your “want to read” list to a used book store and stock up while everyone else is cleaning the house.
“We always see a surge in donations at the end of the year because this is the last chance to donate during tax season,” a Housing Works spokesman told Lifehacker by email. “However, with the appearance of the show, the surge continued into the new year. New inventory is being added to our bookshelves. “
Not every store has more books; For example, Detroit magazine John K. King Books tells Lifehacker that they haven’t noticed any changes. And don’t expect lower prices in bookstores, just large volumes of the same cheap copies. (Even Housing, which doesn’t pay for its shares, says they didn’t cut prices.)
For lower prices, check out Amazon, eBay, and AbeBooks , where sellers have to compete. Online sellers don’t just include people who get rid of books; Thrift stores like Housing Works and Better World Books also sell online, as do many commercial stores. (This is actually the main source of income for many conventional bookstores.)
The overflow should continue as long as people keep the Kondos – until everyone starts filling their empty houses with books again. So keep checking your bookstores and remember as Jezebel says, you are still in competition with all the other pakrats .