Second Hand Book Shops

Good for you
I don't know about any second hand book shop in Inverness-I know there's one in Fort William but it's a bit too far to me.I love going to charity shops-sometimes you can find some real treasures over there.So far my best bargain catch was "Cooking in Provence"-hardback book bought at the charity stall in Ullapool for £1.Book is absolutely brilliant-recipies are easy to follow and most of the ingredients are available here(especially in the summertime).

I LOVE second hand books!!!!...ummm...you telling us you actually LEFT some bargin gardening books in there for other peeps???I'd have cleared the shelf!!!

We love second hand bookshops too, there's something about the smell of them, and you can find some real gems to boot. I think my OH would give his right arm to own a second hand book shop.

Had a message on a French Forum a couple of weeks ago, somebody offering 1000 books to a new home including some gardening and cookery books.

I've got first dibs on those and somebody else has the remainder of the books, I'm going to pick mine up tomorrow - it's a bit of a drive but for 50 plus books, have to make an effort I think.

Mr. G and I can't resist second-hand bookshops either. Whenever we're away exploring with the Caravan, and we find one, we just have to go in...

This is our total favourite - Scarthin Books in Cromford, just down the road from my mum's house. I can spend hours in there. They have a tiny courtyard where you can have a cup of tea and homemade cake. The book shelves are big and old, and some are moveable, so you can pull them around you, or one will glide away, and you'll suddenly find someone standing right next to you. Magical!

http://www.scarthinbooks.com/images/...shopDam600.jpg

Baggins Book Bazaar Ltd

Is my fave.

I love that shop Rhona I can spend hours in there.

Well I love my 2 local charity shops - both support good and worthy causes but one a little 'greedier' than the other although I do buy bits from them if really appealing.

Today from my fave of the 2 I bought

The Container Gardener - Jackie Bennell - 1994/5

Essential Plants for the Garden - Richard Bird - 2004 (v.posh coffee table type!)

Complete Book of Gardening - Michael Wright - 1978 - (quirky as it references UK, NZ, Aus & S.Afr where some parts of the seasons match ours at opposite ends of year)

In Your Garden - week by week - Percy Thrower - 1981 11th reprint! This has to be the gold star purchase today! I think what I like best about it is the diagramatic form when taking cuttings, separating crowded root/tuber plants. Whilst photos of doing this are great they are often muddied - literally - by clods of earth and other distractions - the illustrator goes for the essential bits only. I could even hear Percy's distinctive voice I thumbed through this just now.

I also picked up a nice warm fleece.

Total Cost - a 'hugely' extortionate £5 the lot!

Now that's why I love my local charity shops.

If you have them close at hand go back as often as poss as stock is always churning and there's always something new and, dare I say, unique. And should grow tired, simply hand it on to someone who would love it or return for them to sell on again. Everyone wins!

One of mine will even take rags (do ask first before leaving) - literally - old sheets which can no longer even be used for pets, holey socks, worn out jumpers etc. I know some use to protect crops but any others can be taken (clean) and generate £4 per bag as waste textile. Bit off the book point - but just thought I'd add. Even battered old handbags are turned into wall insulation - don't ask me how.

I scour our local charity shops for books, also car-boot sales. I got the River Cafe Green cookbook for a pound at a boot sale! My son bought a first edition Harry Potter book for 50p. at the re-cycling centre and finds it is worth £200!!

I wouldn't dream of calling Mrs BM a handbag...............

Think I've said this before on here somewhere but I buy most of my clothes from the local "op shops" (charity shops). Why spend a mint on say a Marks & Spencer outfit when you can buy the same thing for less that a fiver? Means I can have more of a change - I just take back to the shop what I've got fed up with.

You mention some shops taking rags - ours don't which is a shame because I've just started making my own "clippie" rugs and need loads of reasonable material but don't want to pay the full shop price for a garment.

Some clothes might just have the knees worn but the rest is in good nick - the shop can't sell them but I could use the material.

I've now got all my friends saving stuff for me!

But you can get some amazing bargains in the op shops - the winter of 2008 I bought a black leather full length coat for £7.99 and the only thing I could see wrong with it was the lining in one of the pockets needed stitching up. I am still wearing it regularly.

Hope these shops never close down - I love recycling everything.

Ladylottie, if you don't mind me asking, what is a "clippie" rug?

I just love books and book shops and second hand ones too.
You really could chuck me in and lock the door.

Best bargain by far which I know I've mentioned before was a book on the Para's written just after the second world war, which has a handwritten note inside by Bernard Law Montgomery. I paid a poorly cephalapod for that, which has to be a Bertram bargain in anyones book.

For those of you wot know these things, Farnham in Surrey is quite poshe, last time I was back seeing the kids I popped into a charity shop, and they had a locked glass case with books in. Having a peek, they were first editions and even an original copy of various books, think the cheapest one was well over 600 quid.
Would love to buy one for the kids but far too skint.