New Versus Second-Hand Books

I don't much like owning second-hand books. I'll make exceptions for some books—books that are out of print, say, and that can only be acquired second hand. Then there are those that have been given to me after being owned by someone I care about, such as my father's series of action books or the mini-library of medieval texts given to me by a professor I once worked with. But by and large I much prefer new books. I like to know that the books haven't been handled by a lot of other people, although not because I'm worried about germs. A large part of it is my enjoyment of the physical experience of new books. I love opening a new book, smelling the "fresh book" smell, and feeling the texture of the pages. Even after I've read a book often enough that the newness has faded from it, I still have memories of my enjoyment of it when it was new. I don't usually like the smell and texture of the pages of a used book, so that can detract from my enjoyment of the overall experience of reading it. It's not as if I refuse to handle second-hand books; after all, I use the library all the time. I just like the books I own to be new. I think I'm in the minority here, though. Many other book-lovers I know love second-hand books and love the feeling of getting a great bargain in second-hand bookstores. Now I've found an article by Thomas H. Benton in which he has written eloquently about his love of second-hand books and bookstores. However much I don't care for them, I'm certainly glad that there are people who are devoted to finding new homes for books that would otherwise be tossed (shudder).