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Because this is a site full of book collectors, I'm curious what everyone's feelings are on used versus new cookbooks.  Do you get a rush from opening up a pristine, shiny new book and smelling that new book smell?  Or, are you someone who gets excitement from finding the hidden gem at the book sale or on amazon?

Personally, I'm able to rationalize the acquisition of more books by picking up the bargains when I find them (yeah, I'm totally conscious of it), and I think I even appreciate the books more when I've managed to find value in something a former owner no longer did.  It's also cool to remember the time and place a book came from...I got my copies of Joy of Cooking at a garage sale in Ohio and I've bought many books at a library book sale that happens in a town in central New York every year.

This same library book sale is where my love of vintage and tacky retro cookbooks came from.  The oldest, most worn ones (like my 1926 copy of The Boston Cooking-School Cook Book) are the ones you open to find 60 year old newspaper clippings and hotel dinner menus bookmarking recipes like "clam canapes" and "Priscilla Cake".  Just inside the cover of that book is also taped a 1931 photo and obituary of the woman ("Mrs. Agnes Slater" how great is that) who gave the book to its previous owner.  This stuff makes me SO happy, like being given a window and some clues into another time!  Cookbook anthropology?

I also feel that if the words are the same and a book is in decent condition, I have a responsibility to reuse whenever possible.  It's a zen-like thing for me when it comes to reusing books in particular, but I'm not sure why.  I particularly like to buy the former library books sometimes sold used on Amazon.  Apart from the cool library stamps ("Mt. Pleasant Public Library, Pleasantville, NY"), they almost always come with their book jackets protected which ensures they'll stay in good condition for as long as I have them!

Alright, enough of me geeking out.  What do you prefer, new or used, and why?

I'm definitely one for the second-hand books.

I usually get mine at bookmooch, a book swap site. (Here are all the cookbooks I got through bookmooch.) I only get new books if I can't find them secondhand - I usually get a nice bundle from amazon / book depository just after my birthday. I think BookMooch was the point where my liking of cookbooks started to turn into an addiction. I went from under 50 to over 200 cookbooks in just over 3 years time!

I just love that feeling when I manage to snag a new or popular book, and even more if I discover a book I didn't really know about and it turns out to be brilliant. Finding old clippings in a (cook)book is good as well.

Being in a small country, swapping books also has the added benefit of easily getting a very international collection and not having to depend on what the book stores here decide to store.

Used books all the way.  I love the leftover things from previous owners, as jzanger said, and I also agree with the reusing thing (although since I buy a lot of them used on-line the shipping might counteract that).  Plus, it's not always the newest, most popular and trendy books I'm interested in.  I collect cookbooks as much for their historical significance and to fill holes in my collection (especially as far as region/country) as to cook from them. 

I've only recently started buying used cookbooks as I think I had a vision of food spattered pages but I've been really impressed with the quality.  Of course if I'm scouring second-hand bookstores for cookbooks I want (a recent obsession), I can check them out myself but those I order online are on trust.  And everything I've had has been really good quality.

Maybe once EYB gets established wester we could set up a bookmooch style cookbook swap.  There must be lots of people who have unused cookbooks they would willingly swap for ones they really want.  Or it could be done informally by posting what books you are looking for then a person who has it could look at your bookshelf and see if there is anything they would be interested in (hopefully not just books you want to keep).

I'm on the lookout for:

The Last Course by Claudia Fleming & Melissa Clark

Pure Dessert and Chocolate and the Art of Low-Fat Desserts by Alice Medrich

Sweet Spot by Pichet Ong

I'll be the odd woman out and say that I greatly prefer new books.  I love the new book smell and the feeling of new shiny pages.  It's not worth the chance of getting moldy or cigarette smelling books for me to purchase used books through the mail.  I am fond of a bargain, however, and am quite good at finding the books I want on sale.  I just bought One Big Table for $11!

I love that other people appreciate the cookbook "anthropology" in finding bits of other people's lives in their used books!  And what a shocker that we're all suckers for a good deal, right? Notsomuch.

Wester, what a cool idea for a website!  It does seem a little confusing, but I'm sure it's much simpler once you start into it.  What an awesome resource for finding books printed in other countries!  However, it seems to be much more affordable to be trading books within Europe than, say, from America or Australia.  Now I just need to be able to detach from some of my books in order to give it a try!

Yes, Jane, I second the idea of at least starting a forum section for book trading here!  Certainly the interface of EYB would be much friendlier to work with than the bookmooch site.  Maybe we can add bookmarks to identify those books we're willing to swap, and they then show up under a separate list on our profile page?  Of course, this would have to happen after the ability to send messages to each other is implemented.  On a separate note, if I find any of the books you mentioned around here, I'd be happy to send them your way.  I didn't realize The Last Course was such a rare book, but amazon seems to think so!  Yikes!

BethNH, I totally get the unease about buying used books--like a used car, you don't always know where it's been or the origin of the sticky stuff inside.  It's definitely a gamble to buy used books online sight unseen but what can I say, I like to live on the edge.  When I give cookbooks as gifts, I definitely prefer to give either a pristine used book or a new copy.  Um, also, where the heck did you find the new molly o'neill book for $11??

It's not for everyone but I enjoy the monthly bookclubs.  I'm a member of Crafter's Choice and in the last month I've bought the following cookbooks for $72 including shipping and handling.

High Flavor, Low Labor

Fat Witch Brownies

Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy Melt-in-Your-Mouth Cookies

One Big Table

Bon Appétit Desserts

In the Kitchen with a Good Appetite

The Essential New York Times Cookbook

Harvest To Heat

At Home with Madhur Jaffrey

Around My French Table

Not a bad deal, eh?

Not bad at all, especially Around My French Table.