Why we only sell pre-loved fiction books
Since we launched in 2021, we have only ever sold pre-loved fiction books and despite the expansion of our business into Hey Booklover, we don't have any intention of changing that policy.
I’m so passionate about second-hand books so I thought I would jot down five reasons why I think they’re so great:
You can still get shiny new ones
I get such a thrill from sourcing the very best preloved books, with the aim being to find ones which look like new. These gems are everywhere, you just need to look for them. My top tip, if you’re buying second-hand books yourself, is to have a look at the spine of the book first – if there are no cracks or lines running down it then chances are the book may never have been opened before. Of course, there’s also a charm to those books which do appear a little more worn than others. For me personally, if I am buying a vintage book or a book that I loved in my childhood (I am on a constant hunt for ‘The Babysitters Club’) then I love them to look as old and battered as possible – I think it adds to the story!
It’s environmentally friendly
It’s incredibly eco-friendly to buy second-hand books. Every year in the UK around 200,000 new books are published (that’s just individual titles so multiple that number by millions for individual books) which is quite the footprint. While buying second-hand doesn’t stop new ones being produced, it gives as much life as possible to those which have already been printed. Plus, it stops the books ending up at landfill. We source all our books from charity shops who are frequently inundated with so many books that they end up having to throw them away.
The thrill of a second-hand book store
It is honestly my favourite way to spend a few hours – scanning the shelves of a second-hand bookshop for books I’ve heard of, books I’ve been wanting to read for a while or books I’ve never heard of before but which instantly catch my eye. One of the reasons I set up this business is because I wanted to find an excuse to buy books more often!
You can pass it on again
OK, bear with me on this one but if you’ve seen the Toy Story films then you’ll know that they talk about the toys fulfilling their life purpose, which is to be played with and bring joy to children. Well, I always think books are the same! They want to be read – they don’t want to just languish on someone’s shelf with the magic that they hold hidden away. If you love it, then pass it on. Press it into the hands of friends and family and urge them to give it a go.
Our pre-loved books are all sold as blind date books which means you tell us the genre you would like and we choose it for you. We sell them individually or in a five book bundle.