I recently acquired a large bookcase for my office after being without one for some time, and I just couldn't shake the vision of neat rows of books, their spines perfectly aligned with the edge of the shelf, from my mind. With that dream in mind, my wife and I scoured our storage room to unearth all the books we had boxed up and introduced them to their new home. There was just one problem: the bookshelf was only half full.

Now, I have an extensive eBook collection. Digital books are often more affordable and convenient, and I pride myself on finding great eBook deals. If there’s something I want to read, I usually wait for a flash sale—patience is a virtue when your TBR is already overflowing. However, this strategy has taken a toll on my bookshelf aesthetic.

Enter thrifting! We live in an era of overconsumption, where people constantly cycle through possessions, often discarding perfectly good items. Why not take advantage of this endless turnover and give these books a second home? People constantly acquire new things, and eventually, the surplus gets donated to thrift stores. My community seems to excel at overconsumption—I live within two miles of at least four thrift stores. It’s a secondhand nirvana!

The Thrifting Quest Begins

Stop One: Deseret Industries—The Treasure Hunt Begins

Deseret Industries, one of the largest and oldest thrift stores in my city, is operated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It doubles as a job training center for individuals with disabilities or those seeking job skills. This store is a prime dumping ground for unwanted clutter, and its book section is massive. If you’re in the market for 1980s and ’90s drugstore paperbacks—looking at you, Danielle Steel—and religious nonfiction, you’re in luck. But every now and then, a hidden gem appears. This time, I struck gold with a hardcover copy of The Great Gatsby and trade paperbacks of the great American classic Moby-Dick and John Green’s Paper Towns. I also found a like-new copy of Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go that I passed on because, unfortunately, someone carelessly wedged it between two books, creasing the cover and several pages. Heathens!

Total cost for three books: $4.

Stop Two: Goodwill—A Book Lover’s Jackpot

Goodwill, a cornerstone of the thrift store scene, boasts an impressive book collection, featuring a sprawling 24-foot, double-sided shelf—paperbacks on one side, hardcovers on the other. One (or many) of their donors must have been a huge James Patterson fan. So. Much. James. Patterson! Alas, that wasn’t what I was after, but I did find a like-new copy of The Maidens by Alex Michaelides, a couple of Stephen King novellas, and The Testaments by Margaret Atwood, all in pristine condition.

Total cost for four books: $9.

Stop Three: Watersprings Thrift Store—A Hidden Gem

I hadn’t been to this smaller, church-run thrift store before, but I’ll definitely be returning. Their book section, though small, was well-organized. Hardcovers were priced at $1.50, and paperbacks at $1.00. Here, I found a hardcover copy of Caste by Isabel Wilkerson, looking as though it had never been opened—except for a handwritten note on the endpaper. Someone’s unwanted gift was my gain. I also snagged a like-new paperback of Larry McMurtry’s Streets of Laredo. Since Lonesome Dove is on my reading list this year, this was a welcome find.

Total cost for two books: $2.50.

Stop Four: The Youth Ranch—A Mixed Bag of Surprises

This large thrift store supports underprivileged youth in the community. Shopping here is always a gamble—you never know what you’ll find. This time, my haul included a Barnes & Noble edition of Nietzsche’s Thus Spoke Zarathustra and a brand-new hardcover copy of All the Sinners Bleed by S.A. Cosby. I also picked up a lightly used office swivel chair.

Total cost for two books: $3.50.
Chair cost: $16.00.

The Grand Total

All in all, this thrifting adventure was a success, proving that the joy of the hunt is just as rewarding as the finds themselves. I picked up eleven books for just $19.00! While that won’t fill my bookcase, it’s a solid start. I had hoped to find more classics—timeless works that belong in every library—but it seems my community either isn’t big on classic literature or they’re hoarding them like Smaug hoarded gold.

Of course, shopping at indie bookstores—or even big chains like Barnes & Noble—is always a treat, but for avid readers, books can be an expensive hobby. While there’s something special about cracking open a brand-new book, sometimes it’s even more satisfying to save some cash and get more for your money. And there’s a unique thrill in finding a long-sought-after book hidden among the thrift store stacks.

And if you ever walk away empty-handed? No worries—you can always support your local library and borrow a book for free!