BOOK LOVERS

March 22, 2010

HITTING THE STACKS

Public libraries are one of the biggest cultural bargains around.  Not only do they offer books, magazines, CDs, videos, and internet access, but they have lectures, exhibits, classes, and special events for kids.  Also, they have terrific book sales where the prices are low, low, low.  Plus, I’ve never met a librarian who wasn’t willing – even eager – to help with my stupid questions.

I take advantage of the library system right in my home office.  Let’s say I read a review of a novel that sounds interesting: this is usually a psychological mystery written by a woman that takes place in a gloomy English village. I just reserve it online, and my local branch contacts me when the book is available.  Easy as pie. (An expression I’ve never really understood: what’s so easy about pie? I think pie is difficult.)

 

BOOKS ON THE WEB

I just heard about a book site that functions like Netflix.  It’s called BookSwim.  You sign up for a certain number of books per month, keep them as long as you want, and postage is free.  Another popular site is PaperBack Swap.  You post books that you are offering.  When someone responds, you mail it to them and then your can choose any book on the site and it will be sent to you with free shipping.  They also list hardbacks and audiobooks.


THE USUAL SOURCES

I get most of my books where I get most of my everything-else: yard sales, thrift shops, and rummage sales.  I also borrow from friends.


GROUP READS

Many of my friends belong to book clubs.  This is a great and inexpensive way to combine intellectual stimulation with snacks.  It’s not for me, though, because some of the choices are non-fiction, and I have very little interest in the real world.

One day I’m going to organize a Shakespeare book club.  I’ve read and seen many of the plays, but always feel that I’m missing a lot of it – especially the jokes: there are too many puns based on unfamiliar words. I need help.

By Annie Korzen | Posted in Acquiring Stuff | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments (3)

BARGAINING: DOS AND DON’TS

March 18, 2010

I did a radio interview this week with Keith Lucas on Castles Team Radio.  The other guest was John Hamilton, who teaches people the finer points of negotiation.  His website is Keep Negotiating.com.  John is very smart and insightful: I know this because he enthusiastically agreed with all the points I made – and vice-versa.  Here are a few issues we discussed:

  • A lot of people are embarrassed to question the price of something because they’re afraid of looking Cheap.  As I’ve said before, there’s a big difference between being Cheap and Frugal.  There’s nothing shameful in trying to get the best price for something, but it is evil to have your house guests turn blue because you refuse to turn up the thermostat.
  • John correctly pointed out that negotiating is not only about the price of something.  There are often more personal elements that come into play.  My friend Laura was house-hunting and found the place of her dreams: a sprawling ‘60s home on a hill with a striking view.  The house was not in great condition, but Laura is passionate about mid-century architecture.  The competing buyers saw it as a teardown.  Laura was the only one who promised the elderly woman seller that she would respect the integrity of the design, and gradually restore it to its original glory.  She got the house even though the other offers were higher than hers.

I buy so much stuff that I’m forced to have a ginormous yard sale twice a year, with hundreds of tasty items. It’s a great opportunity to study people’s bargaining skills. Here are some approaches I do not recommend.

Read More »

By Annie Korzen | Posted in Acquiring Stuff | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (5)

AFFORDABLE ART

December 7, 2009

We take pride and pleasure in furnishing our home with unconventional treasures that we buy on the cheap.  A few years ago we picked up this weirdly interesting face at a yard sale for a few bucks.  My husband, Benni, got creative and added the peacenik hair-do, and we hung it on a wall as a quirky piece of found art.
hippie1
Last week, we were at a flea market and saw this hand-carved table that had a carved face that was identical to our hippie lady.  Read More »

By Annie Korzen | Posted in House and Garden | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

FASHIONISTA BARGAINISTA: PART FIVE

November 16, 2009

FLEA MARKETS

These are fun to browse, but the prices of professional dealers are usually too high for me. If I do go to a flea market, I try to get there for the last hour. That’s when the vendors are ready to make deals and clear out the inventory. By the way, I often see those same vendors picking through the goods at yard sales. And they can sometimes be a little arrogant.

Quite a while ago, I fell in love with Bakelite jewelry and started buying it cheaply on country weekends. I wandered into a fancy-dancy shop off Madison bakelite1Avenue and saw that they had duplicates of my pieces, so I offered to sell the owner some of my collection. He sneered at me like I was some kind of filthy rag peddler, “Sorry. I do not buy from the STREET!” I held on to my Bakelite, which is worth a lot more now than it was then. A little while ago, I sold a few pieces to a dealer, who told me that she is a “picker” for that very same shop. I was tempted to include a note, “Regards from the street!”

By Annie Korzen | Posted in Acquiring Stuff | Tagged , , , | Comments (0)