If you're after a dozen used copies without breaking the bank, I've found it's totally doable with a mix of patience and a few clever tricks.
I usually start by searching marketplaces that specialize in lots — eBay is an obvious one, but don't sleep on Etsy, Facebook Marketplace, and Craigslist where sellers list ‘‘lot of books’’ or ‘‘bulk books’’. Sites like
ThriftBooks, Better World Books, and Alibris sometimes have multiple copies of the same title at steep discounts, and they occasionally run coupon codes or free shipping thresholds that make buying twelve at once much cheaper per book. I also keep an eye on library discard sales (many libraries post lists or photos online), university surplus pages, and local used bookstores that will sometimes accept an offer if you take the whole stack off their hands.
A few practical tips: always check shipping math — twelve paperbacks can end up costing more in postage than the books themselves — so prioritize sellers offering flat-rate or free shipping. Ask sellers for condition photos and clarify edition/ISBN if matching copies matters. Negotiate: a polite message saying you’ll buy the whole lot immediately for X price often works. Finally, consider remainders and surplus/new-old-stock sellers if you need
Identical covers; they can be amazingly cheap but usually won’t be ‘‘used.’’ I once grabbed a dozen well-loved fantasy paperbacks for less than the price of two new ones, and that thrill still makes me
smile.