Have you ever walked into an old bookstore, browsed through the second-hand books, and happened upon a read that you had been searching for, for ages? That’s the beauty of these old troves – you can find anything from work that has since gone out of print to books you’ve always wanted to read but never managed to find.
On the other hand, if you’re as bookish as we are, your collection grows until you absolutely have to find a resolve. Rather than letting them collect dust, you can drop them off at a secondhand bookstore, and perhaps make a random stranger incredibly happy when they happen across a book they’d been searching far and wide for…
Looking for a place that’ll welcome your old books, or a quaint spot to browse others? We’ve rounded up four secondhand bookstores across Joburg and Cape Town to accommodate your needs.
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Books Galore
With shops across both Cape Town and Joburg, Books Galore has a wide variety of books ranging from used, collectables, remainders and new children’s books. Following a specific criteria, they also buy over secondhand books (apart from hard cover fiction, sale books, books on special, remainders, text books, Mills&Boon titles, or historical romance). Books Galore also welcomes donations.
Collector’s Treasury
Based on Commissioner street in Joburg, Collector’s Treasury has one of the largest selections of books in South Africa, reaching up to 2 million copies! Although the business doesn’t take donations, they do buy over secondhand books (apart from textbooks). Pop in for a visit and you’ll spot all kinds of collector’s trinkets, too.
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Blank Books
Blank Books, based in Woodstock, Cape Town, has a great second-hand offering (you can order from them online, too, and they ship nationwide). While they do buy over books and accept donations, the best time to pop in (if you’re looking to drop off your old books) is on Wednesdays.
Clarke’s Bookshop
Based in Long Street, Cape Town, Clarke’s Bookshop carry new, second-hand and out of print books in Southern Africa, and a large selection of general second-hand books. While they don’t accept donations, they do buy over books based on their specific criteria.
ALSO SEE: The Best Books For Winter Reading
Compiled by Features Writer Savanna Douglas
