After dropping a fortune on textbooks this semester, paying through the teeth to build a personal library takes the excitement out of an otherwise pleasurable transaction.

But savvy SF State students can employ a bit of strategy and do it on the cheap if they know where to find good deals on used books in the Bay Area.

"It is ridiculous to pay full price for a book at a big store like Borders or Barnes & Noble when people can get the same book somewhere else for a heck of a lot less," said avowed bargain hunter Martha Nelson of Sacramento as she perused the shelves at the Salvation Army in San Rafael, where books cost $3 in hardcover and $1 in softcover.

The Friends of the San Francisco Public Library peddles donated secondhand books via its Book Bay stores, located at both 30 Grove Street and Fort Mason.

Most titles fetch between $5 and $7 apiece on average, according to Rand Salwasser, manager of the Book Bay in the main library.

Book Bay hosts outdoor Steps Sales at 100 Larkin Street, April through October, on the first and third Wednesdays of the month.

Serviceable titles are available for $1 or less, allowing one to make off with volumes by the armload.

The Friends of the J. Paul Leonard Library also operates a book-sale room in HSS 113 on campus, meaning that SF State students do not need to leave campus to discover bargains.

Nearly all softcover titles are just $1 and hardcover versions are $2. As another perk, students receive a book of choice on their birthday gratis.

"I think students come in and get a lot of books for a cheap price," said Fauno Cordes, who regularly volunteers at the book-sale room.

In at least one particular case, her words could not be more true. A softcover copy of George Orwell's "1984" is $9.99 new at the SF State Bookstore, but only $1 used at the book-sale room, a leisurely five-minute walk away.

Thrift store inventory is never guaranteed, but it remains a reliable source for most popular books or commonplace titles that were either printed in large numbers or have endured through several editions.

It would not be difficult to acquire a New York Times Best Seller like Barack Obama's "The Audacity of Hope" or a classic work of literature like Emily Bronte's "Wuthering Heights" at the Salvation Army or Goodwill.

Scores of used booksellers nationwide have succumbed to Internet competition in recent years, yet such purveyors still exist in profusion in the Bay Area. These concerns tend to be refreshingly knowledgeable about their trade and boast a treasure trove of genres and out-of-print titles.

Kevin Hunsanger, co-owner and overseer of used book operations at the acclaimed Green Apple Books in San Francisco's Richmond District, has witnessed a remarkable development during tough economic times.

"Used book sales are actually trending a little bit up in the last year," Hunsanger said.

Green Apple Books has an astonishing collection of titles at reasonable prices and allows one to trade in unwanted books to get the credit necessary to acquire new ones.

Deals galore can also be found in the store's streetside bargain bins, too.

Yet more possibilities for this market exist.

A scan of advertisements on Craigslist or neighborhood bulletin boards reveals garage and rummage sales. Swapping books with family, friends and colleagues is another way to pad bookshelves. Some organizations and large apartment complexes feature book exchanges as well.

Secondhand books often possess more character than their newer counterparts. Interesting ephemera can be found tucked away between pages, including pictures, letters, newspaper clippings, bookmarks, money and even more bizarre items.

"In one book -- it was a hollow book -- inside was a complete set of false teeth," Salwasser said.

Adding to the mystique, numerous used books are adorned with inscriptions, author's signatures, notes in the margins or bookplates hinting at previous owners. The fortuitous browser may encounter a rare or first edition book for a fraction of its real value.

It might take several forays before a specific title is found, but therein lays the challenge and the adventure for the bookworm on a budget. Rest assured, patience and pocketbook alike are rewarded in the hunt for print treasure.