Powell's Experience

I recently ordered books at Powells.com for the first time. If you don't know what Powell's is, it's basically a bookshop that sells both new and used books. The used books are super cheap, and the new books are in pretty good condition as well. This is just going to be me talking to you about my experience ordering at Powell's. It's actually my first time ordering a relatively large amount of books online, so I was really nervous about it.

Condition/Quality of Books

I ordered a few used books among the new books that I ordered, mainly because they were so cheap that I couldn't resist. I got a used hardback copy of Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell for $8.99 when the marketing price is $18.99. Also, before ordering, I checked out the terms and conditions Powell's has when accepting used books to market. The conditions for used books were all really reasonable, so I decided to give it a shot. The quality and condition of the new books that I ordered was great. Due to the sturdy packaging (I'll get to that in a bit), there weren't any rips, tears, or bent pages. The used copies were also great quality. There was nothing that significantly bothered me about the used books, although they had a scuff mark here and there, or a broken spine, it was nothing that wouldn't have had happened to them eventually with diligent read! Basically, I think that the idea of buying used books at Powell's is a pretty good one.

Condition of Packaging

The packaging was really great. The books came in a big box, and inside that box they were in another box, with a ton of packaging paper inside the box to ensure quality packaging. The books arrived in great condition, no bent pages or covers or anything out of place.

Delivery

I ordered standard shipping, and the books arrived in about a week. So, considering that Powell's is a smaller book chain compared to, say, Barnes & Noble, and has to contact their limited amount of warehouses to ship out the books, I'd say that a week is pretty good time. When ordering online, they provide you a tracking number, so you have the ability to track your order, and it arrives on the projected delivery date that they provide you with.

Prices of Books

Honestly, for the condition of the books, I think that the prices were phenomenal. When comparing the same exact book at Barnes and Noble to the book at Powell's, I found that Powell's has an average $2-5 compared to the B&N price. The used books are amazingly cheap. I got a copy of Ender's Game for $4.50. When purchasing $50 worth of books, they also give you free shipping.

Basically, although shopping at B&N or Amazon may be more convenient, you should definitely check out the books at Powell's as well. I was thoroughly satisfied with my purchase, and I plan on ordering from them again soon.