Do you ever accidentally buy a book you already own?

[MsAmerica]

I often will pick up a cheap, pristine copy of a "good" book ... and then later find I have it.
I just had that happen, finding too late that I had two copies of Woolf's To the Lighthouse and Atwood's Lady Oracle. Adding insult to injury, I didn't even like them!

Yes. I've done it several times.

In term time, I'll read the book for my book club but struggle to find time to read much else. Sometimes, I see a good book, buy it to read in the holidays and then get home to find another copy already on the bookshelf.

I've never done it with books that I've read but have started doing it with books on my To Read pile.

Yes, especially when they sneakily not only change the cover but sneakily rename the book! It shouldn’t be allowed!

Yes. Lots of times. Always with books I've read.
I'll swear that I've never set eyes on such a book until DH insists I have it and shows me my original copy.
I've got three copies of some books.

All the time. I even added a book to a wishlist that my parents bought from for my birthday one year and when I went to put it away in the bookcase found the unread second hand copy I had bought months previously.

I have several duplicated books. The most copies I have of one book is 4 🤦🏻‍♀️.
I used to maintain a very detailed spreadsheet to avoid duplicates when ordering online but obviously didn’t help when buying in person. I now have an app on my phone I can check, still don’t bother 99% of the time though 😕

Not bought, but borrowed from the library. It very easy to do when the library buy a new edition with a snazzy new cover.

All the time, especially light ‘holiday’ reads. I think I’ve must have Marian Keyes’ entire catalogue twice, to the point where I’ll read the first chapter or two in the shop until I’m certain that it doesn’t ring any bells. Often I’m halfway through before those bells ring! 😂

I definitely have those ‘moments of recognition’ after being a keen reader for 50 years!
My problem is with Kindle and Audiobooks as you don’t get familiar with the title by picking it up from the cover every time you read. I am actually listening to House of Doors by Tan Tweng Eng at the moment on Audible and trying to work out if I read it before! It’s good though so that’s fine.

Yes!
I tend not to buy new books, so an extra second hand book is not the end of the world.

I have done and a colleague used to do this all the time which is why I ended up with a copy!

Oh god I do it all the time! 🤣 I'll see it and think I'll like it then get home and find it already on my bookshelf ❤️

Yes, all the time, but particularly due to buying the hardback and then not reading it before the paperback comes out and buying that, too!

I need to get one of those scanners and get libhub to record all the books i have 😂

Yes, and sometimes I’m a third of the way in before I realise

My favourite ever time was when I bought a second copy of ‘Overcoming Procrastination.’ I hadn’t got around to reading the first

Yes, I actually bought a special edition of one of my favourite classics last year, opened my bookcase and there it was 😳, same edition, year, the whole lot!

Far too often. I bought DH the same book for Christmas as his birthday and they are only a month apart.

Yes, and sometimes I’m a third of the way in before I realise

Yes! And like the previous poster, I can easily get part way through before I realise.

This is one of the many reasons I love my Kindle! If I go to buy a book, Amazon tells me if I already own it and if so, when it was purchased.

Yes, this. I have had this a few times. It tends to be by authors I like. I see a new title and don't read the back but just buy it. Thankfully my local bookshop is great and they normally warn you.

Nope. I have a book spreadsheet with three tabs named wishlist, read, waiting to read. If I see a book I fancy I search my spreadsheet before buying.

I can start reading a book and, sometimes, finish it before working out if I've read it before.

Yes, most ironic one was Marie Kondo’s Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up! I thought I’d given it to charity so rebought it only to find it in a cupboard rather than on the bookshelf where it was supposed to live. Hence needing to read it again!

I have done this so many times. I used to own a 2ndhand bookshop which in my mind gave me an excuse but actually made it worse.

For example I have multiple copies of Jackie Collins entire collection, ditto Jacqueline Susann. Including 1st editions of Hollywood Wives & Valley of the Dollls. You can't just have one!

Don't worry OP, maybe take your duplicates to a charity shop?

Yes a Bill Bryson book Notes from a Big Country. I didn't already own it but had borrowed from the library.
Took me a while to realise- worrying 🤣.

One advantage of a Kindle, it tells you if you already have a copy.