Used books survive digital age as affordable option

In an era dominated by digital resources, used books are emerging as a vital option for those seeking knowledge while giving existing copies a second life. While the school year drives peak demand, sellers report a consistent year-round market for used university texts, literary works, dictionaries, and calligraphy books that circulate among families.

The Paseo de la Lectura on Duarte Avenue in the National District is a hub for this trade, with numerous bookstores offering school and university texts alongside literary works. Bolívar Viola, owner of Librería Viola, explains that many of his books come from parents selling texts their children have finished with. Depending on their condition, these books are either purchased outright or acquired through a "cambiazo" system, where customers pay a difference to trade in a book from a previous grade for the next level's text.

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If you bring a fifth-grade book and want the sixth-grade one, I charge you 300 or 350 pesos for the exchange, depending on your book's condition.

"If you bring a fifth-grade book and want the sixth-grade one, I charge you 300 or 350 pesos for the exchange, depending on your book's condition," Viola illustrates. This system ensures books continue circulating, benefiting other families. He points to a sixth-grade math book that costs around 2,295 pesos new, but can be found used for 800 to 900 pesos. Through the "cambiazo," the cost can drop to as little as 350 pesos if the previous year's book is traded in.

A complete school list can include about 11 books, costing up to 20,000 pesos new. Purchasing them used can reduce this expense to approximately 4,000 pesos. This cost-saving approach isn't limited to schoolbooks; it also applies to literary works, university texts, and other publications. For José Veras, a father of three, buying second-hand storybooks has been a significant saving, allowing him to purchase more books for his children without the high cost of new ones. "New storybooks are usually 1,500 pesos, and here I get them for 200 and 300 pesos; it's a relief for my pocket," Veras says.

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New storybooks are usually 1,500 pesos, and here I get them for 200 and 300 pesos; it's a relief for my pocket.