books

Old is definitely gold, used books still preferred by Malaysians

March 29, 2015

Ardent book collectors prefer old books for its high sentimental value. – The Malaysian Insider pic, March 29, 2015.Old is definitely gold. Used books still remain a preferred choice for Malaysians to enrich knowledge despite the variety of gadgets available in the market nowadays.

A Bernama survey came across ardent book collectors who choose to maintain a "manual" lifestyle because for them, old books have very high sentimental value.

For Ahmad Tajuddin Abdullah, 25, who is pursuing his master's degree in engineering at the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), although the old books appeared shabby and brownish with scribbles here and there, the content remained relevant.

"Old books have a unique sentimental value. Besides their content, the distinct smell and the cover make it take on a classic appearance, and the price is cheaper than new books in the market," the owner of 500 used-books told Bernama recently.

Ahmad Tajuddin, who started collecting used books since he was 19, prefers to read books, flipping through page after page rather than reading via modern devices.

"Imagine that the book has the authors signature, or a small note written by the previous reader (the owner), it makes the book even more valuable. If the previous owner was a well-known figure... it is exciting to have that book," he said.

Muhamad Hafifi Mokhtar, 25, a master's student from Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI), who also has immense love for used books, said most books were purchased online.

Muhamad Hafifi, who has a collection of nearly 200 copies of used-books said he owned an "expensive" book titled "Atheism" by Indonesian author, Achdiat Karta Mihardja, printed in 1973 and bought for just RM10.

A used book or secondhand book is a book which has been read and owned before by an owner, then sold to a bookseller or a new owner.

While a rare book is defined as one which is no longer re-printed, some define it as a book printed before 1900.

Warehouse sales such as Pay Less Books at Ampang Point Shopping Centre, Junk Book Store at Jalan Tun H. S. Lee, Book Xcess at Amcorp Mall, Novel Hut in Ipoh and Shah Alam and secondhand book stalls at the Chowrasta Bazaar in Penang are among the best places for collectors to look for such treasures.

Meanwhile, for secondhand book seller Nik Li Raja Deraman, 44, he chooses to go online in selling those books because it was more economical as he did not have to pay rental.

"The most expensive used book that I managed to sell is Hamkas' 'Tenggelamnya Kapal Van Der Wijck' for RM70. It was published by Pustaka Antara in the 1960s. The most expensive used book I bought was 'Hang Tuah' published by Balai Pustaka Indonesia and printed in 1958 for RM200," he said.

Nik Li said the books were acquired from various sources, including disposed library collections, old stocks from bookshops and individuals.

The auditing manager for a private company and also administrator for a Facebook page, 'Kolektor Buku2 Semalaysia', he said currently, there were about 4,000 members for that page.

Nik Li uses the Facebook page as a platform to exchange views with other members, as well as sell used books.

For Rosmawati Abdul Manaf, 30, a manager at a secondhand bookshop, Books Premier League, her customers are not only locals but also those from Thailand and even Italy.

Having begun selling used books since 2013, she said customers not only purchased books from her shop but also online. – Bernama, March 29, 2015.