Wondering how to start a book collection without spending much? Begin with books you love, buy secondhand from charity shops and library sales, and add new titles slowly from local shops.
This guide is part of our look at independent bookshops, and it focuses on the first steps.
| Item | Key fact |
|---|---|
| Where to start | Start with the kinds of books you love |
| Charity shops | “The place to be” for a home collection, per one school librarian |
| Public library sales | Ask if the library has an area where it sells books |
| Example library sale price | $1 book sales |
These points come from Book Riot’s guide to building a book collection. Advice and prices change, so check the source before you rely on them.
How to start a book collection around what you love
A collection is not a pile of books you feel you ought to own. It is a shelf that says something about you.
Book Riot puts it simply: “start with the kinds of books you love, start simple, and don’t over-complicate things.” That means no grand theme is needed on day one.
Try this quick exercise:
- List the five books you have reread or pressed on friends.
- Look for what they share: an author, a genre, a place, a period, a mood.
- Use that pattern as your loose guide when browsing.
Your focus can change later. Early on, its job is only to stop impulse buying of things you will never open.
Where to find cheap books
Price is the main worry for most beginners, and secondhand is the answer. A few places to try:
- Charity shops: Book Riot’s author calls them “the place to be” if you are building a home collection.
- Library sales: libraries often sell surplus or donated stock, and your money goes back to the library.
- Secondhand bookshops: stock turns over, so regular visits pay off.
- Friends and neighbours: people clearing shelves often prefer a good home to a bin.
Book Riot notes that its author’s library held “a ton of $1 book sales”, and suggests you ask your local library whether it has an area where books are for sale. Policies differ from place to place, so simply ask.
Borrow first, buy the ones you keep
The cheapest way to know what belongs in your collection is to read it first. Borrow from the library, then buy only the books you finish and want to see again.
This turns your shelf into a record of real reading. Book Riot’s author describes loving to “see the books, pull them off the shelves, and remind myself of where and who I was when I read them.”
Why independent bookshops still belong in a budget plan
Budget does not mean never buying new. A local shop can help you find a title you would never have searched for, and many stock secondhand shelves as well.
Think of an independent shop as the place for the books you want to celebrate rather than just own: a favourite author’s new release, a gift, a book recommended by a bookseller who knows your taste.
Set a small monthly amount for this. One new book a month, bought deliberately, does more for a collection than a bargain bin crammed with books you will not read.
Habits that keep a budget collection tidy
A small collection stays enjoyable when you edit it as you go. Space is the real limit for most readers, more than money.
Give yourself one rule: when a shelf is full, a book must leave before another arrives. Pass on the ones you did not enjoy, and donate them so the cycle continues for the next reader.
- Keep a wishlist: a note on your phone stops you buying duplicates when you are standing in a shop.
- Check condition: open the book, look for loose pages, damp smell or heavy marks.
- Skip what you will not read: a bargain is only a bargain if it ends up read.
- Note where you found it: a pencilled date and shop name inside the cover becomes part of the book’s story.
These habits cost nothing. They also make the collection feel like yours rather than an accident of what was cheap.
Common beginner mistakes
Most early mistakes come from treating collecting as a race. Slow down, and the collection improves.
- Buying by the box: bulk lots look cheap but often hold titles you do not want.
- Chasing value too soon: reading copies teach you more than a fragile, expensive one you are afraid to open.
- Ignoring condition: a clean, sturdy copy is better than a battered one at the same price.
- Collecting what is fashionable: trends move on, but your taste is a steadier guide.
None of these is a disaster. Each is a cheap lesson, and secondhand prices make them easy to recover from.
Making the most of a bookshop visit
Booksellers know their stock, and most are glad to talk. Tell them what you have loved lately and ask what they would hand to you next.
Browse the secondhand and remainder shelves first, then the new tables. You may leave with something you did not go in for, which is half the pleasure.
If you are travelling, make a shop visit part of the trip. A book bought in a particular town carries that memory with it, which no online order can quite match.
Looking after what you buy
Cheap books still deserve care. Keep them upright, out of direct sunlight and away from damp.
Shelve books snugly so they support each other, but do not cram them so tightly that spines tear when you pull one out. Dust the tops of the pages now and then with a soft, dry cloth.
Avoid sticky tape for repairs, since it yellows and damages paper over time. If a book is truly special and falling apart, a professional binder is a better route than a quick fix at home.
Think, too, about how your collection is arranged. Some readers shelve by author, others by subject, and others by colour or by the order they read them. Pick the system that helps you find a book quickly, because a collection you cannot browse is a collection you will not use.
It also helps to keep a simple list, even a spreadsheet or notebook, of what you own. It prevents duplicates, helps you remember lent books, and gives you a record if you ever need to insure the shelf.
If you later become curious about value, learn the basics of book collecting before spending more. A good first skill is knowing how to identify a first edition, because a bargain copy may be worth checking.
Do not worry about rarity at the start. Reading copies are perfectly good foundations.
A simple starter plan
- Write a wishlist of books you want to own, and keep it on your phone.
- Choose a small monthly budget and stick to it.
- Visit one charity shop or library sale each month.
- Borrow before you buy when a book is uncertain.
- Treat a new independent-shop purchase as a monthly reward.
Over a year, this gives you a shelf with a clear character and no big outlay.
Frequently asked questions
How many books make a collection?
Show answer
There is no set number. A shelf of books chosen with care already counts as a collection.
Should I buy only first editions?
Show answer
No. Most beginners are better off with readable copies of books they love. Learn about editions later if the interest grows.
Are charity shops really worth checking?
Show answer
Yes. Book Riot’s author calls them “the place to be” for a home collection, though stock varies from shop to shop.
Can I start with ebooks or library loans?
Show answer
Yes, as a way to try books before buying. Physical copies you keep are what make up the shelf, so buy the ones you want to own.
