Bookends: Trade books for in-store credit!

Bookends~
A Used Bookstore

A Used Bookstore...

Featuring Quality Used and New Books, and Gifts for Booklovers!

A few frequently asked questions...

1. Where do you get all of your books?

From our customers! We take books on trade for store credit. We offer a credit of 20% of the publisher's retail price for paperbacks and 10% for hardcovers. Your store credit can then be used towards up to half of your purchase of used books. Whatever you don't use gets banked on your account for your next trip.

2. But I live out of state and only visit a few times a year - will my credit expire if I don't use it all?

We have lots of customers with credit accounts from all over the country and even around the world who visit us when they come to North Myrtle Beach. If there hasn't been any activity (purchases or credits) on your account for 2 years, we'll move you to an inactive file, but we can still access your credit if you come back in. After 3 years of inactivity, your credit account will expire.

3. Can I use my store credit on new books or merchandise like boookmarks and booklights?

Store credit can only be used on used books, but "Bookends Bucks" can now be used on new books! Merchandise can only be paid for in the normal way - cash or credit card.

4. What are "Bookends Bucks"?

"Bookends Bucks" are the certificates you receive when you bring back a book that was purchased NEW from Bookends. Unlike store credit, Bookends Bucks can be used towards the purchase of more new books! To receive Bookends Bucks, a Bookends sticker must be still be affixed to the book when you return it, and the book must be in GOOD condition (see question #5, or the definition posted in store).

Retail Price = $3.99 - 7.99 receives 1 Bookend Buck
Retail Price = $8.00 - $11.99 receives 2 Bookends Bucks
Retail Price = $$12.00 + receives 3 Bookends Bucks

5. What does a book in "GOOD" condition look like?

We are looking for books that are used, not abused! For the most part, the books you find at Bookends will be clean and odor free, and won't have any water or other liquid damage. They won't have any rips or tears larger than about 1/4 of an inch, and the bindings will be tight and unbroken. If they are hardcover and were originally issued with a dustjacket, it will be present and intact. There may be very minimal marking inside, such as a previous owner's name or initials. The exception to this will be if the book is one that was used for a class, in which case it may have minimal underlining or highlighting, but it will not obscure the text. We generally accept these books as demand for books on required reading lists is high.

6. My books are all in good condition, why don't you want them all?

Even if your books are in good condition, we may decline to accept them on trade. If the book is hardcover fiction published over 2 years ago, we have stopped accepting those due to low demand and lack of space. But if it's a paperback in good condition, it may be that we have too many of that particular book in stock at the time you are trying to trade. Or it just might be that we don't think it's a book that we will be able to resell in a timely manner. The bottom line is that we want books we know we can sell, because having a good inventory is what keeps our customers coming back to the store, and that's what keeps us in business!

7. What's my old book worth?

Now, that's a complicated question! There are a lot of factors that go into appraising rare and collectible books, and to get a fair and accurate idea of worth, you really need to take your book to someone who specializes in this area. We do not do appraisals, nor do we deal in rare and collectible books. Our expertise is in the area of putting the right books in the right hands of people who love to read, always at a great price. We can refer you to an online site to get you started, but if you're serious about getting an appraisal for insurance or other purposes, we recommend that you contact a specialist. This list should help get you started. Remember, an appraiser is a professional, who will charge appropriately for services provided, and a good appraiser will need to see your book or collection in person for an accurate appraisal.

8. Why can't I pay for my entire purchase with store credit?

Next time you pay your rent or electric bill, see what happens if you offer a couple of paperbacks in lieu of a check! Just kidding, of course, but that's really the reason we ask you to pay partially in cash or credit card. We designed our policy thoughtfully in order to give you the maximum bang for your dollar while still keeping us in business. By paying for half of your purchase with cash or credit card, we ensure that we have some daily cash flow and don't turn into a library! Remember that you're getting half off of the already reduced price, and in most cases, you can return that book once you've read it for more store credit. Here's one way to look at it:

Retail Price = $7.99

Bookends Price = $4.00

Your out of pocket price, using store credit = $2.00

After reading, return for store credit of $1.60

Net cost of book = .40

9. Will you hold a copy of "x" for me if it comes in?

Absolutely! If you let us know what's next on your to-be-read list, we'll flag it in your account and give you a call when it comes in!

10. Do you want to hear about my new (kindle, kobo, e-reader, ipad) and why I don't need to buy paper books anymore?

Seriously???

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