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BOOKS | 5 Places to Visit for Secondhand Book Philippines



Last year I became such a hoarder for books. My collection grew in an instant. I will finish one book but end up buying another three as a reserve. I search a lot of books to read this 2015 post and I hunt for each book. Thankfully there are common places that made my hunting easy. Last year I discovered stores that sell secondhand books that will definitely satisfy your craving as a bibliophile without hurting your thrifty side.


If you know other place to buy secondhand and/or cheap books then please let me know. I will be very much thankful to you.

BOOK SALE

If not National Bookstore then you will probably spot me on a Book Sale area of a mall. Book Sale has been so favorable to people who are in the hunt for books within the budget. They have branches in SM Stores, Ayala Malls and other malls in the Philippines.

My favorite branch is SM MOA for the store is huge and they have A LOT of stocks. All the famous and most searched books were piled on the entrance and side of cashier. All the other were arranged by author and by category. It's heaven I swear. 

Another favorite branch for me is SM Bicutan because its near to our home. I got all of my devotional books in this branch.

One branch that I will never forget is the Market! Market! because it was the most unexpected place that I spotted spotted Sarah Youngs Jesus Calling. It was a book I've been hunting during the holidays and imagine my shock when I saw it. The price is 195pesos which is half of its retail price. READ: Goodbye December, Hello January 2016

BOOKS FOR LESS

This is like Book Sale though I believe they have limited branches and they don't have  a permanent physical store. I only visited their stall in Glorietta, Market! Market! and Trinoma. What I love about Book for Less is they have a Buy 1 Take 1 for 99pesos. This is the promo when I bought my Eat, Pray and Love by Elizabeth Gilbert and The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold. Both books I love so much. 

You can also check out their main store in Centris Station Quezon Ave and SM Manila.
This year I will definitely go to their Warehouse Sale. All books will be sold for 10pesos only. I hope the dates this year will be release early though it will most likely be July or August.

MANILA CITY HALL UNDERPASS

I found out about Books from Underground in Manila City Hall Underpass during my college years. After I go to SM Manila to stall I will pass along the underpass of Manila City Hall to ride an Sucat FX back home. I saw this stall with books from floor-to-ceiling. You will literally be amazed by the fiction and non-fiction novels, textbooks and others that this shop provide. The person-in-charge, Kuya AJ is actually a silent bibliophile. He surely has something to say to any book you ask. You can also ask him to reserve you if ever its out of stock. 

There's also a store above the underpass as you turn the corner going to SM Manila that will impress you with best-selling books, though this "latag" shop doesn't sell secondhand books but rather new ones in much lower price compared to famous bookstores.

RECTO

Recto is a place near my heart for I've spent most of my college years looking for textbooks, going to St. Thomas Square Victory Ubelt and spotting cheap printing shops. But Recto is also famous as the busiest part of Manila when it comes to books. You'll see store after store selling new and secondhand books of all kinds. I am actually thinking of going here to buy the 7-Book Set of Harry Potter because I heard its being sold for less than 2,000pesos. 

INSTAGRAM SHOPS

You can easily spot your favorite book and a seller in Instagram. Most transaction goes via Viber but each shop also have testimonials from others who have already bought and received their book. I have never bought a secondhand book via Instagram but some on my wishlist like Forrest Gump and Silver Lining Playbook were easily seen on Instagram. Below are the stores I recommend: 
@cheapbooks.ph @vanillabooksph @bookforless_ph @murangbooks

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