I am offering what I know about obtaining books on guns as cheaply as possible. Perhaps this information is too basic and obvious but I will share it for what it is worth because I have collected books of many kinds for many years. So, let's say that you are looking for a certain title of gun reference to read. Here are the steps I would take:
1. See if your library has it. If your library does not have the book ask the librarian to do an interl-library search for you. Many libraries do this. My local libraries charge nothing. They find the book at another library in the State of Iowa and it is sent for me to have for two weeks. If this is a title I do not want to buy then I have read the book and saved the cost of buying it. Some of these reference books are not cheap either as you all know.
2.If you want to purchase the book then I suggest that you check your local used book store first. Then if you have no luck go to the internet. Most of you probably know about Amazon.com. Definitely do a check. Often there will be choices of new and used copies at various prices.
3. Also, many of you probably know that there are book search sites. The best one I have found is AddALL Used and Out of Print book Search. Use those last 8 words for your browser search and it will bring this site up. You simply put in the title and author or whatever information you have about the book and search to see if there are copies for sale. AddAll, by the way, has about 10 other search sites incorporated into AddAll so it is pretty darn inclusive. (It has been recently estimated that there 40 million books for sale on the internet.)
4. I am suggesting that you try your local gun dealer and/or gun shows last. It has been my experience, that generally, gun reference books cost the most when sold by gun dealers or book dealers selling this specialized line of books and other references at gun shows. Many of the people selling books on the internet sell books on all subjects and an old Gun Digest or Colt reference may not mean as much to them as it does to a specialist. Gun Digests are typically much more expensive (the older ones) at gun shows than they are on the internet in my experience.
5. If you are want to spend the time go to some of the larger book sales sponsored by your local Friends of the Library organization or other groups who sponsor a periodic book sale as a fund raiser. If the book sale is fairly large then the books will be categorized and there is always a guns/hunting/camping category. Bear in mind you need to get there at opening time because many of the people selling books on the internet get much of their stock at such sales.
I will give an example of what I did today regarding a gun reference book I wanted. I do not think it is necessary to give the title here. Anyway, I had seen this book for sale on the internet earlier in the year for around $70 I think. I could not find it for less than that and I think at the time it may have been out of print. So, I had not bought it. Then today I noticed that a gun dealer in Illinois with a web site has the book for sale for $95. So, I started searching for the book on AddAll. Amazon.com sells some books through AddAll also. There were something like 8 copies for sale. The least expensive copy was $26 and other copies were quite a bit more than that. So, then I clicked on "Buy it" for the Amazon copy and got their website. Amazon web site stated they had three new copies of this book in hardcover for $26 each plus $4 shipping. I ordered it after I found the author's web site. Apparently the cover price is $40 and the latter web site was offering it for sale at this price plus, I am assuming, some postage. So, I bought this book for $30 delivered.
I was at a gun show last weekend and saw a Winchester reference book for about $60. I had purchased a new one at a Half Price Books store ( a chain) a few months ago for half cover price minus another 20% plus Iowa sales tax. Total was like $25.50.
So, enough said. I encourage you to price shop as there loads of books out there and one can often get a good buy on a much desired gun reference.
1. See if your library has it. If your library does not have the book ask the librarian to do an interl-library search for you. Many libraries do this. My local libraries charge nothing. They find the book at another library in the State of Iowa and it is sent for me to have for two weeks. If this is a title I do not want to buy then I have read the book and saved the cost of buying it. Some of these reference books are not cheap either as you all know.
2.If you want to purchase the book then I suggest that you check your local used book store first. Then if you have no luck go to the internet. Most of you probably know about Amazon.com. Definitely do a check. Often there will be choices of new and used copies at various prices.
3. Also, many of you probably know that there are book search sites. The best one I have found is AddALL Used and Out of Print book Search. Use those last 8 words for your browser search and it will bring this site up. You simply put in the title and author or whatever information you have about the book and search to see if there are copies for sale. AddAll, by the way, has about 10 other search sites incorporated into AddAll so it is pretty darn inclusive. (It has been recently estimated that there 40 million books for sale on the internet.)
4. I am suggesting that you try your local gun dealer and/or gun shows last. It has been my experience, that generally, gun reference books cost the most when sold by gun dealers or book dealers selling this specialized line of books and other references at gun shows. Many of the people selling books on the internet sell books on all subjects and an old Gun Digest or Colt reference may not mean as much to them as it does to a specialist. Gun Digests are typically much more expensive (the older ones) at gun shows than they are on the internet in my experience.
5. If you are want to spend the time go to some of the larger book sales sponsored by your local Friends of the Library organization or other groups who sponsor a periodic book sale as a fund raiser. If the book sale is fairly large then the books will be categorized and there is always a guns/hunting/camping category. Bear in mind you need to get there at opening time because many of the people selling books on the internet get much of their stock at such sales.
I will give an example of what I did today regarding a gun reference book I wanted. I do not think it is necessary to give the title here. Anyway, I had seen this book for sale on the internet earlier in the year for around $70 I think. I could not find it for less than that and I think at the time it may have been out of print. So, I had not bought it. Then today I noticed that a gun dealer in Illinois with a web site has the book for sale for $95. So, I started searching for the book on AddAll. Amazon.com sells some books through AddAll also. There were something like 8 copies for sale. The least expensive copy was $26 and other copies were quite a bit more than that. So, then I clicked on "Buy it" for the Amazon copy and got their website. Amazon web site stated they had three new copies of this book in hardcover for $26 each plus $4 shipping. I ordered it after I found the author's web site. Apparently the cover price is $40 and the latter web site was offering it for sale at this price plus, I am assuming, some postage. So, I bought this book for $30 delivered.
I was at a gun show last weekend and saw a Winchester reference book for about $60. I had purchased a new one at a Half Price Books store ( a chain) a few months ago for half cover price minus another 20% plus Iowa sales tax. Total was like $25.50.
So, enough said. I encourage you to price shop as there loads of books out there and one can often get a good buy on a much desired gun reference.
