If you found a first edition hard copy anything would you buy it if it was like $3.00 ?
No, I wouldn't buy a general first edition if it was 25 cents, except as a reading copy. Almost all such hardcover books found in thriftstores are very common, printed in massive numbers, and there's very little market for them. Of course, there are exceptions, but they are few and far between, especially now that most people know they can look up values for books online. If a thrift store gets anything remotely interesting, that may have some value to a collector, they look it up and stick a high price on it. I think your money is better spent saving up all those small amounts and buying one truly interesting, truly rare book. If you're concerned with it holding its value or going up in value, Bukowski is a great choice. As is any other high interest "cult" writer. As for first editions of bestselling authors, you can't give them away -- bookstores won't touch them generally, unless they are early works, in good condition, with dust jackets. Then they might give you a few dollars each, maybe. Why clutter your life with junky books? Buy the best, rarest, most interesting books you can afford. You won't regret those purchases. I have given away to thrift stores thousands of books over the past few years. They were all stuff I had no chance of selling, yet I imagine people grabbed them, thinking they were getting a hell of a buy, because they looked valuable. The value of such books is mainly as reading copies. I wouldn't buy them as an investment. Go for the really good stuff. You won't find it in a thrift store.
