The most wonderful shopping weekend of the year is almost here. Not because of the crowded stores or the race to find the lowest price, but because it offers a good reason to visit the independent booksellers who spend their days putting interesting books into readers’ hands.
Thanksgiving weekend is a fine time to buy a book. You may be looking for a new novel for someone who reads every evening, an illustrated children’s classic, or an old volume whose worn cover and handwritten inscription make it unlike anything you could buy new.
Make Small Business Saturday a Bookshop Saturday
This year, Small Business Saturday falls on November 28, 2026, the day after Black Friday. Independent bookstores also celebrate Indies First, an initiative of the American Booksellers Association that encourages readers to support the shops and people who keep bookselling personal.
There is plenty to appreciate about a good independent bookshop. Someone has chosen what goes on the shelves. A bookseller can recommend an unfamiliar writer, track down a title you have been trying to remember, or point you toward a book you might never have found on your own.
And every purchase helps keep another place for readers to browse, discover, and talk about books.
Give an Old Book a New Christmas
New books make wonderful gifts, but old books offer something different. Their covers, illustrations, typography, and even their paper tell us about the time in which they were made.
A vintage gardening book might contain hand-drawn botanical plates. An old volume of poetry might have a dedication written on its first page in 1932. A children’s book may have illustrations that have not appeared in an edition for decades.
Some books are collectible because of their edition or rarity. Others are valuable simply because they are exactly the book a particular person would love to own.
When shopping for older books, look carefully at the description and photographs. Check for missing pages, loose bindings, foxing, water damage, or writing inside. A little wear can add character, but the condition should always be clear before you buy.
Find the Gift That Could Not Have Come From Anywhere Else
Think about the person who will receive the book. A birdwatcher might enjoy an early field guide. A gardener could appreciate an illustrated horticultural volume. Someone interested in local history might treasure a long-out-of-print account of a familiar town. A reader who loves Christmas stories might enjoy a vintage holiday collection with its original illustrations.
There are gifts beyond books, too. Independent bookshops often carry bookmarks, journals, stationery, puzzles, prints, and small handmade goods. A carefully chosen book paired with a handwritten note can be a particularly memorable Christmas present.
A Visit to the Uncommon Bookshop
If you enjoy looking for rare, unusual, and vintage books, I invite you to browse the Uncommon Bookshop on eBay. It is an online shop for readers who like the unexpected discovery: a book with an unusual subject, an older edition, or a title worth rescuing from obscurity.
Because secondhand and collectible books are often one of a kind, the selection can change. Browsing is part of the pleasure, and you never know what you might find.
A Different Way to Spend the Holiday Weekend
You do not have to give up the convenience of online shopping to support independent sellers. Visit a neighborhood bookstore if you have one nearby. Order directly from an independent shop. Browse the listings of a small bookseller online. Ask for recommendations. Buy a gift certificate for the reader who prefers to choose for themselves.
And when you find a book you love, tell someone where you bought it. A personal recommendation can mean a great deal to a small business.
Black Friday and Cyber Monday will bring plenty of promotions and urgent messages. The books will still be there when the noise settles. But this Thanksgiving weekend, it might be worth making time for a bookseller, a quiet shelf, and the possibility of finding something you did not know you were looking for.
For more about the event, see the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Small Business Saturday page and the American Booksellers Association’s Indies First program.
