Well, here’s a “novel” idea: how about selling them to a second-hand bookstore so they can end up in the hands of readers who will love them as much as you have?
One great place to start is LearnINC x Buku, located in KL Eco City Mall on Jalan Bangsar. Speaking with FMT Lifestyle, proprietor Philip Yong shared that he wanted to start a business that would be meaningful for many.
“Through Buku, I can give books another chance to live, instead of just becoming trash,” the 34-year-old said.
Being an avid reader himself, Yong hopes to cultivate sustainability and get people into the habit of recycling and repurposing books. Since its inception in 2022, Buku has saved more than 100,000 volumes from ending up in landfills.
Yong buys most of them from the Salvation Army and other organisations that receive books as a form of donation. “They usually sell them for about four sen a book, so we buy from them at a higher price,” he said.
He has also placed two donation boxes at his store for the public to drop books in. “Sometimes, customers put the books back in the box after they have finished reading” – thereby allowing the pre-loved books to be loved over and over!
As for how he came up with the idea for Buku, Yong said he had wanted to find cheaper books to fulfil his reading habit, and new ones were just too expensive.
Having found several groups on social media that sold used books, he began buying from them – first in small numbers, then in bulk. The members of these groups were very receptive to the idea.
“I was shocked at how many books some people would keep,” Yong recalled. “They’d say they had 50, but it could be more than 100 when I went to collect them!”
Buku started as a fully online business, but Yong eventually opened a store in Petaling Jaya upon the encouragement of his customers. When KL Eco City Mall invited him to set up a shop in its premises, he closed the original store and settled into his current space last April.
Today, Buku carries more than 5,000 books of all genres. “I want Buku to be a place where people can come in after work to sit, read and relax,” Yong said, adding that he hopes to set up a café in the store someday.
Indeed, tucked away in a quiet corner of the mall, Buku certainly fits the bill: with comfortable chairs and a calm atmosphere, it’s easy to lose yourself among the shelves.
Going back to his goal of wanting his business to be “meaningful”, Yong also collaborates with orphanages and Orang Asli groups. “They need books for their libraries, so they come to Buku and pick out the ones they want,” he explained.
He has also channelled some of his sales proceeds to social enterprises such as Bondfire Malaysia, a peer-mentorship programme for Malaysian students.
Finally, here’s a fun fact about Buku: the store is largely unmanned as customers pay for their purchases online! So, is Yong worried about theft? Not at all.
“I don’t think people will steal old, used books,” he said with a laugh. “Plus, I’m sure people who love books will know how to appreciate them.”
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LearnINC x Buku
Lot L3-21, Level, 3,
KL Eco City, Jalan Bangsar,
59200 Kuala Lumpur
Business hours: 10am-10pm daily
Contact: 018-27 20168