Where to buy 2nd hand

[Eminado]

Am finding our library disappointing
Am quite happy with used books and am working to a list - where do you buy yours?

My DD is nearly 3, book recs also welcome

[Dvallin]

eBay, Amazon, or AbeBooks generally.

Charity shops here seem to stock crime thrillers and Mills & Boon, so are not much good.

Oxfam is outrageously expensive.

There don't seem to be many secondhand bookshops in this next of the woods.

[HowardsEnd]

Oh, you've just reminded me, I had a dream about a children's library last night. So wonderful, and so unlike our local one...
Charity shops are best for books, or jumble sales, school sales etc. Ask on free cycle?
Or abebooks/amazon if you have a list.

[Madcats]

On the basis that I've done this in Somerset and London libraries, it must be pretty common for library members to be able to go online and ask for books in a wider county/multi-county catalogue to be reserved/delivered to your local library.
I do this a lot for DD if she has found a series of books or for audiobooks. Reservations for kids are usually free (or certainly unlikely to be too pricey).

I seem to end up buying a lot of boxed sets from the likes of the Works or Book People (not unusual for a set to end up costing £1/book). The Book Depository has been pretty good source for us too (they advertise on Amazon - new and secondhand).

[Eminado]

Thank you all! Will look into all these great suggestions.

[Madcats]

Just had another thought; we are heading into school fete season now (if it ever stops raining). Maybe google local school websites/newsletters as most fetes seem to have book and toy stalls. It might possibly be a good way to get a feel of a school without the formality of an open day (though all older children seem a bit boisterous when you are only used to 3 year olds!).

[BlueBalloonEmma]

I live in a really busy area of Birmingham and on our highstreet there are about 10 charity shops - takes ages to visit all of them in one go! But there are always lots of children's books. I think you have a good eye to sift out the poorer quality books - we have an Oxfam which is specifically books and music, so they have categorised everything, and they only put out good quality books, hence the price may be more than other charity shops.

We once bought a joblot of about 50 books for £10 off a local Facebook selling page. It was good value but there were quite a few that weren't to our tastes. However there were a couple that we would never have normally bought but we now love! So I would maybe go for the pot-luck element again.

[CeriClark]

Theu are not second hand but TheBookPeople.co.uk might as well be they are so cheap. I used to be a school librarian and bought complete box set series' from them as they ere so cheap.