Weekend Poll: Where Do You Buy Your Books?
For the weekend, I am curious to know where is (or has been) the main place you have purchased books. Please take a moment to vote on this poll:
If you voted “other”, please specify in the comments where you buy your books. Thanks, everyone, for voting!
“Other” votes include:
* Cumberland Valley Books (3)
* Ebay (3)
* Heritage Books (2)
* Goodwill (2)
* Abebooks.com (2)
* Bookcloseouts.com (1)
* Half.com
* Fetchbook.info
* Local area used bookstores
* Seminary bookstores
Tags: Books, Bookstores, Online Polling
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December 21, 2008 at 9:01 am
My “other” bookstore is Cumberland Valley Bible Book Store (aka CVBBS). CVBBS and Amazon.com are my main book-buying sources.
December 21, 2008 at 9:23 am
I voted “other”: http://www.heritagebooks.org
December 21, 2008 at 11:48 am
Thanks, ladies, for your feedback. I imagine there would be others who would add CVBBS and Heritage Books as well. Merry Christmas!
December 21, 2008 at 12:46 pm
I buy mostly at other sources. The Goodwill store across the street from my office is one reliable source for interesting religious books. I also buys books by the box from the local library systems book sales. They usually have 6-9 bookcases of religious books, including shelves of Bibles.
I’m not much for bestsellers or following the latest hot authors. I’m still trying to read the best from the early Christians before the Great Schism of 1054. Personally, I wish more Christians would spend more time with Justin Martyr, Cyril of Jerusalem, and Ignatius than McArthur, Warren, and Osteen.
My last visit to Lifeway, I recall seeing Josephus, a Jew, but not anything by an early Christian. But, they did have advent candles and wreaths. Go figure.
December 21, 2008 at 1:10 pm
I voted “other” as well. I have several sources from where I purchase books. The local Goodwill Bookstore, several used bookstores, Bookcloseouts.com, AbeBooks, ebay and Amazon (rarely).
December 21, 2008 at 2:49 pm
I too voted “other.” Most of my books come from CVBBS. I have started buying from Westminster. I also buy from a small, local bookstore.
December 21, 2008 at 3:07 pm
Thanks for all the feedback. Keep ‘em coming!
Timothy,
As a Roman Catholic, I am inclined to cut you some slack with the comparison of MacArthur with Warren and Osteen. I agree that believers would be well-served to read the early church fathers, but I think you are way off the mark in your juxtapositions.
All,
I am going to update the post reflecting the places where you have marked as “other.” Thanks again for voting and responding.
December 21, 2008 at 3:12 pm
I just checked my 2008 buying records, and notice that:
WTS just beat out Amazon, which just beat out Monergism, which just beat out Reformation Heritage, which just beat out CBD, which just beat out Lifeway (not counting church literature, otherwise Lifeway would be #1).
I bought a bunch of books this year! Now I need to read all of them.
December 21, 2008 at 4:56 pm
i live near RTS Jackson, so i buy most of my books from their bookstore. You can’t beat a 20% discount on everything.
December 21, 2008 at 4:59 pm
Actually eBay tends to be where I buy most of my books. Much cheaper and actually in some good condition.
December 21, 2008 at 5:10 pm
I buy through fetchbook.info. It searches most booksellers including abebooks and amazon and gives me the cheapest – even searches ebay.
December 21, 2008 at 6:16 pm
For those of you in Southern California House of Bibles in Fullerton is AMAZING.. Two great Reformed guys run the place. In Pasadena, Archives is the place to go. A lot of Fulller’s textbooks are sold there. Plus both places take used books for store credit.
December 21, 2008 at 6:46 pm
ebay people ebay!!! I am all about used books, I bought a near mint original printing of Boyce’s Abstract of Systematic Theology of there a while ago for $8, including shipping.
Christian Book Nook in Louisville, KY is also a fantastic place for used commentaries and such.
December 21, 2008 at 6:57 pm
I compare prices on the websites listed (except Lifeway) and include eBay and Half.com Unless there is a coupon or free shipping offer, eBay and Half.com are usually the best for me since I don’t care if they’re gently used.
December 21, 2008 at 10:37 pm
I think some of this has to do with geography as well as price. Any seminary bookstore will worth buy books from. The thing about WTSbooks and Monergism books is that they have the seminary bookstore feel without being physically in a bookstore. Amazon is kind of like the big box bookstore.
When I was in Louisville, there was the LifeWay bookstore on campus where I bought several books for the accommodation/expediency factor. Now in SW Florida, there are NO good places to buy books, so everything I get is online (where was before it was 50/50).
Having said that, shipping and handling factors in as well. Amazon prime seems to be a good deal, but WTS also has a nice flat rate as well.
Anyone know the shipping and handling rates of other online bookstores?
December 21, 2008 at 11:07 pm
I buy my most of my books through my local Christian bookstore. They give pastors a 20% (or more) discount. I get free shipping, even if they have to order it in.
Keeps the money local, keeps a business in business, keeps the presence of a Christian bookstore in our community.
December 22, 2008 at 10:35 am
CVBBS
December 22, 2008 at 11:23 am
My secretary orders all my books. I have no idea. I should have her fill this out.
December 22, 2008 at 11:29 am
When I was living in Louisville, I would also use the LifeWay at SBTS and Christian Book Nook. I have found that most of the time when you buy a new book online the price of the book plus shipping in about the same as buying in a store. If there is some amount of saving via Internet, it is usually low enough for me to go ahead and have the immediacy of a store plus the benefit of examining the actual book I am buying and minimize any risk of buy online (whether it be credit/debit card issues, shipping issues, etc.). But I no longer live in the US. However, just before leaving, I purchased the ESV Study Bible at a LifeWay in Alabama with a minister’s discount.
If I buy through the Internet, I will search around for the best price. I usually begin with froogle.com, google’s retail search engine, and then go to any sites I know which I did not see come up with the froogle search. Now that I’m in Costa Rica, that is about the only way to get a good book, but the cost to ship is usually more than the book itself.
December 22, 2008 at 11:35 am
I usually get my books at Mardels Christian education/book store. They have a classics section where I can buy books written from purtian and reformation authors.
December 22, 2008 at 1:17 pm
Ohter….used to buy from Westminster the most, but now I am fortunate to have a bookstore at the church I serve.
December 22, 2008 at 5:39 pm
I voted “other” because a majority of the books I purchase are from the Bethlehem Baptist Church Bookstore.
Here’s their web page: http://www.hopeingod.org/Bookstore.aspx
Their selection is mostly of the “reformed” nature and if they don’t have something I am currently looking for, the store manager (Matt Lund) orders it for me and it usually arrives within a week or so.
December 23, 2008 at 12:23 pm
From http://aoimin.org
December 23, 2008 at 8:01 pm
ebay is a great source for finding out-of-print books for a good price while Amazon tends to be the opposite. Actually not Amazon itself but the dealers selling through Amazon. For example, I was looking for a book I used to have by Robert Bowman on the Word-Faith Movement that was originally published in 2001 but is out of print. Three copies were on sale from used book dealers for ridiculously high prices. Originally the book went for about $15-20. One dealer is asking $45.84, the second wants $59.00 and the third wants a whopping $77.74. I’ve got an ongoing search via ebay and I imagine that patience will be rewarding because it will show up eventually for a lot cheaper than those three sellers.
December 28, 2008 at 9:41 pm
used bookstores . . . wherever i can find good books, relatively inexpensive.
December 30, 2008 at 12:23 am
I voted CBD, because they are probably where I get the most, but Amazon would be up there too. If I added all my “reformed” and classic Christian book purchases together from the following places, they would outstrip CBD and Amazon – Vision Forum, Monergism Books, CVBBS, American Vision, Lamplighter Publishing, and directly from author/publisher. Also frequent used book sites – half.com, ebay, abebook, amazon marketplace, etc. I’m not too picky, just give me my books – at a good price.
December 30, 2008 at 8:55 am
We seem to get the majority of ours at the Desiring God conference each year…unless it’s just too far away and we really want it…then we’ll usually do Amazon.
January 5, 2009 at 10:59 am
I get most of mine from Bethlehem Baptist’s bookstore. And the DG conference. And the library (if that counts)