|
Browse Search Frugal Japan Family For Editors Contact |
Books-UsedGood Day Books sells used (and also new) books. And -- with certain rules -- they accept used books for credit. They're very near Ebisu Station on the JR Yamanote line in central Tokyo. Their phone number is (03) 5421-0957. (The (03) is the central Tokyo area code; no need to use it when in that area.) English is spoken (well), so you can ask whatever details you need to. You can bring in used books at certain times on certain days. For any book that is accepted, you're given credit (not cash). You can use part or all of this credit in paying for further used-book purchases there -- the same day, or within one year from that day. Also, this credit is transferable; you can give (or even sell) your credit to somebody else. The amount of credit per book is not large. I think the owner gives half of what she would sell it for, so this amounts to just a few hundred yen per book. But if you have a lot of books, and if you let your credit ride, you can end up with a good amount of credit for future purchases. You can carry your books to the store, but even if they're not busy it can take awhile for them to get around to checking them -- up to an hour. (They check for condition and for whether they already have enough copies of the same books.) Or you can just leave the books and your contact information and they'll e-mail you a credit notice. If you have a transport problem -- large quantity, too far, etc. -- you can send a boxload by takkyubin (courier), with your phone number and e-mail address inside. Since they keep a record of your credit balance, this would be a good strategy for people who don't live close to central Tokyo but could come into town within their credit year. They won't necessarily accept _all_ of your books, so you could be faced with having to tote some of them home again. (I used to leave them on train and subway car overhead racks.) But you can say you just plain don't want them and don't care what happens to them, and if they're not overloaded at the time you can leave them there. (They do _not_ end up selling these discards without giving you credit, because they've already ruled them out due to bad condition or oversupply.) They do not accept hardbacks in general. In paperbacks, they usually don't accept best sellers, because they almost always already have several copies, and there just isn't enough space. I think they are not keen on Japanese and English language study materials for the same reason, but check to be sure. They sell new books, including hardbacks, and can order books for you. Even the used books have a remarkable range of subject matter. I've found some treasures there. Most of the stock is in English, but other languages are there too (mostly European). -- ES The SWET (Society of Writers, Editors, and Translators) Book Fair is a good place to donate used books and magazines. This event comes very highly recommended! -- WJ Looking to trade or sell your books, CDs, DVDs, magazines, VHS movies, or other items? Look no further! You choose the time and date, and they show up. http://www.blueparrottokyo.com -- ES Don't forget the international schools in your area if you have extra books. Some of the international schools may be well-funded and able to buy everything they need, but others are not. -- CM#303 I have started selling books on http://www.amazon.co.jp. Some Japanese is required. Paperbacks I just give away, but more expensive books like cookbooks, financial books etc., I am selling, or trying to. If you have books to get rid of, and don't live in a large city this might an option for you. Go to Amazon.co.jp and then to Marketplace. If someone is selling, or has sold the same used book they suggest a price, if you are the first then you have to set the price yourself. There is a menu for selecting the condition of the book. I have only found it to be worthwhile if the books are somewhat expensive, as you have to pay for postage yourself. The person buying the book will transfer money to your bank account or credit card. -- KA It is actually much, much easier to sell used Japanese-language books in good condition. Book Off, or any other used book bookstore, should be able to give you around 10% of the cover price for your used books. If you have a large enough stack, they will even come out to your house and pick up the books for you. These companies make their money off of purchases from consumers, so they will usually welcome your sales. They take manga (comics), hard covers, paperbacks, maps, and almost any other kind of books in good condition. The homepage is in Japanese only, but they have a store location search function. They have 728 stores all over Japan, and there are similar chains as well. -- WJ Book Off won't come to your house, but you register on the site to have Pelican-bin (a delivery service company) come to your house at a time you specify. You send the books chakkyubarai (a type of shipping in which the receiver, i.e., the Book Off store, pays for shipping costs upon receipt) and Book Off deposits the appropriate amount of money into your bank account. It looks super easy, and you can do it from anywhere in Japan. You can use this service if you have 50 items or more (50 books, or 42 CDs and 8 books, or whatever). -- T There is a used English-language bookstore that specializes in fiction in Kichijoji. Here are the details: Bondi Books 1-28-3-110 Kichijoji Honcho, Musashino-shi 090-9211-1622 090-9211-1625 Open 11am-8pm (no days given) -- AN Go to the library or the used bookstore instead of regular bookstores. Bookstores use the comfy seating as a marketing technique. (As are the story times many now offer. Keep the kids amused and the parents will hang around, browse, and buy.) The longer they keep you there, the more likely it is that you will buy something. It's not so you can have a comfy place to browse. Bookstores are for buying; libraries are for browsing. -- CM << | Index | >> |