Source for used paper books?

I know it may be odd asking this question from this forum, but I figure it is populated with a lot of reading enthusiasts, paper books and/or ebooks. I am looking for a good source of multiple copies, about 10, of a book in used paperback form. This is not by any means a rare book, but neither was it a best seller (e.g. The Da Vinci Code) for which discarded paperback copies must abound. I can easily find 10 copies used for sale online, but with the situation being one copy per source. I am trying to do this on a tight budget, for my local library's monthly book club, and the shipping costs for obtaining 10 copies on this one per source basis is a killer. I guess what I am looking for is some sort of consolidation service that I could pay only once for shipping.

[anamardoll]

Have you not been able to find more copies from the new Half Price Books online store?

(What's the book? People will help you look! )

[ScalyFreak]

I used Bookmooch a lot last year. Haven't felt a need for paper backs since I got my eReader though.

Alternatively, try calling around to used book stores in your town. They're usually in the Yellow Pages.

[pidgeon92]

Check the used titles on Amazon.com. Some of the sellers may indeed have multiple copies.

[Blossom]

Ebay is where I get most of my books but you have to be ebay smart or you can get some really bad shape books.

The problem is I seen alot of sellers have 10+ copies of a book but these are usually new not used. Most sellers will combine shipping. I've gotten alot of great looking paperbacks through ebay and Amazon Market Place.

One thing I have learn is never buy anything below Very Good condition unless you want a copy in so bad of shape it's disgusting to touch. Look for sellers who post actually picture of the books not stock photos. Read their feedback. alot of time you will see books was worst then describe. Move on if you see that by more then one buyer. Buy only from merchants that are in your country. Try to buy from sellers who actually go into detail about the used condition the book is in.

Amazon Market Place you need to be more leery of. Alot of times the sellers are same ones who sell on Abebooks and you can either get rooked or receive books in really bad shape. I was once sent someone elses order. I got my money back because the seller never got back to me. I once got a book that was soaked because the seller didn't use plastic to wrap the book in and sent it in a paper mailer.

Never had an issue with Ebay sellers like Amazon sellers when it comes to books but you have to know what you are doing and who to buy from. Never buy books listed for a penny. I have and well they are usually library used books that are falling apart. These are the sellers to stay away from.

[booklurk]

/delurk
My normal source will be BetterWorldBooks.Main attraction is Free Shipping. If you are in US, I also heard Thriftbooks offer the same thing

edit: FetchBook and BookFinder are also awesome book search-engine sites as the result compiled from many sites

[moyogi2]

I use bookfinder.com when I need a paper book.

[elizilla]

I would try powells.com. You might not get ten copies of the same edition, but they often have a whole list of editions available. And they have free shipping for orders over $50.

Thanks to everyone who has responded for suggesting sources and for advice on what pitfalls to watch out for. Unfortunately I live in a very small rural town so the only source of used books is from a thrift shop operated by a local church. Understandably the selection there is very limited. In fact practically speaking all my book purchases must be done online.

The book I am looking for at the moment is Seven Japanese Tales by Junchiro Tanizaki, but the same issue comes up whenever our bookclub of approximately 10 members wishes to read a book that has fewer than the needed number of copies in our local library system. We then purchase copies for our use that month and after donate the books to the library, either to retain in the system or to sell at the semi-annual fund raiser for our Friends of the Library organization.

When I first started looking online at sources I was familiar with, e.g. Amazon, I had hopes based on the pricing I was seeing for the used book alone (excluding shipping) of somehow getting 10 copies for an average cost of $3-4 dollars (including shipping). Sounds like I may need to think more in terms of $5+. Blossom thank you much about the warnings regarding book condition listings.

[tomereader]

I use amazon as a poster above also mentioned

it's part of my cheapo strategy

I am fortunate to have 3 libraries (but they have 4 sources of books PLUS several resources for me as being legally blind, so I put holds on all my books as they are released, so I can read them, but I actually prefer owning my favorite 5 or 6 authors in book form so after 6 months or so I go to amazon when they have an "eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25" sale and go through the used books

I have sometimes gotten 30 books for close to $50 and all books were in great shape I actually rarely selected the cheapest book available...

[elemenoP]

For 10 copies of the same book you might try The Strand in New York. Besides used books they get their own sort of remaindered books (I don't actually know where they come from, but they have quite an interesting selection). I have no idea what their shipping costs are like.

http://www.strandbooks.com/

eP

[BrowseTheStacks]

Try http://www.edwardrhamilton.com Shipping is a flat $3.50.

[pidgeon92]

I saw several used copies on Amazon for 1¢ plus $3.99 shipping. I wager that a few of these sellers probably have a few copies, and would combine the shipping if you contact them directly.

I also noticed that Amazon has the Kindle edition for $3.95. Kindles for everybody!

[hemisphire]

I don't know how many copies are available, but at least one is from paperbackswap.com. I've used it quite frequently in the past year to get rid of some books I'm fine with only having as ebooks, and to get hard copies of books I've really liked.

[Blossom]

This is a not cheap or widely available book. It looks like you are going to pay a decent price for even a used one. You might have to buy a few copies then pass them around. The problem buying from different sellers is they might not all arrive at the same time and some might take weeks to get there.