used books | BookScouter Blog https://bsblog.wpenginepowered.com Fri, 10 Jan 2025 12:33:05 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7.1 https://bsblog.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/favicon-master-150x150.png used books | BookScouter Blog https://bsblog.wpenginepowered.com 32 32 How to Get Used Books for Free (2025) https://bsblog.wpenginepowered.com/how-to-get-used-books-for-free/ Wed, 10 Apr 2024 09:43:29 +0000 https://bsblog.wpenginepowered.com/?p=8141

How to Get Used Books for Free

We’ve already written about how to scout books and book arbitrage in general, as well as about some ways to get books for free in your location if you’re reselling. Yet, we’ve decided to dedicate the entire post to free books. So, regardless of your goal—you’re looking for new reads, textbooks for your studies, or you’re a book scout and reseller—we’ve collected the information for you and compiled it into a neat article.

How to Get Used Books for Free

Let’s explore all possible options for obtaining physical books for free. Although you may already have some ideas, we’ll go over the list together.

oneBook Gifts from Friends and Family

One of the simplest ways to find books is by asking your friends and family if they have any books they don’t need and are willing to share. Perhaps you have older siblings or cousins who have just graduated and are happy to pass on their textbooks to you. Maybe your relatives are looking to downsize their library. You can simply ask them, and they might be more than happy to help.

Book Gifts from Friends and Family

twoFree Giveaways

The next great option is free giveaways. Look for local ads online or on bulletin boards that offer free books. Many people would rather give books away than sell or donate them. All you need to do is pick them up. Don’t overlook this option, as it’s not necessarily very old or used books that people give away; sometimes, you can find hidden gems among them.

threeLocal Sales and Fairs

Garage sales, estate sales, thrift stores, library book sales, auctions, and local markets are all prime destinations for finding literary treasures. You can often expect very cheap books, but chances are you can find free books there, too. Use BookSaleFinder to locate nearby events and find places where you can get books for free. Occasionally, you might even stumble upon entire packs of books ripe for the taking.

fourLiquidation Opportunities

If you’re a book scout, you can also check two key platforms for acquiring large quantities of books at low prices: Govdeals and Liquidation. While you probably won’t get books for free there, chances are you can find plenty of books as cheap as $2. Keep in mind that you’re usually expected to come and pick them up yourself.

fiveOnline Groups and Social Networks (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, etc.)

You can also join Facebook groups where members offer books they’re willing to give away, trade, or swap with others either at your location or through mail exchanges. Some book influencers, bloggers, and online book clubs sometimes host giveaways or distribute free copies of books on their Instagram or TikTok. Authors and publishers sometimes run social media contests, giveaways, or promotions, too. There, they offer free copies of books to followers on social media to build buzz around new releases. If you’re interested in a particular author, you can follow their social media page and maybe get a new book for free.

sixLocal Library Giveaways

Public libraries frequently clear out their book collections and offer them for sale at discounted prices or for free to the community. It’s a great way to find some great books while spending really little or nothing at all! To take advantage of this, keep an eye out for library book sales or inquire about their policies on donating or giving away books.

Local Library Giveaways

sevenOnline Book Swapping Sites

If you’re willing to give away a book before you take one, check websites like BookMooch, and PaperBackSwap. They allow you to trade books with other readers across the globe. Simply list the books you’re willing to give away, and you’ll earn credits to request books from others. It’s an excellent way to declutter your shelves and give used books a new life.

eightLittle Free Libraries

These tiny book exchanges have been popping up in neighborhoods worldwide. Little Free Libraries operate on a “take a book, leave a book” principle, allowing you to grab any book you like for free (provided that you leave something instead). Check if there’s one in your area, or you can start your own.

BookCrossing

Last on our today’s list is BookCrossing. Like Little Free Libraries and book swapping, this practice encourages readers to “release” their books into the wild by leaving them in public places for others to find, read, and hopefully continue the cycle. You can register your books on the BookCrossing website to track their journey, or you can start book exchange in a similar manner in your own location without any website at all.

Conclusion

By using the power of the internet, social media groups, and local initiatives like Little Free Libraries or simply visiting a local library giveaway, you can find used books for resale purposes, titles for your personal library, great reads for your kids, and whatnot— without breaking the bank.

We hope that one of the ways or resources we listed in this post will help you find what you want, be it another book from the Harry Potter series in your collection or a digital copy of a beautiful Guastavino Vaulting: The Art of Structural Tile.

]]>
Where to Buy Used Books Online in 2025: Top 5 Places to Buy Used Books Online https://bsblog.wpenginepowered.com/where-to-buy-used-books-online/ Tue, 02 Jan 2024 10:12:25 +0000 https://bsblog.wpenginepowered.com/?p=7446

where to buy used books online

It’s the holiday season, but it’s still a good time as any other to crack open a good book. It’s a time to relax and immerse yourself in another world through the pages of a new text.

Moreover, once the season is over, it’ll be time to hit the school books once again. The new session is around the corner, and you’ll need quite some textbooks to aid your studies.

Online Book Stores: The Gifts That Keep On Giving

Regardless of the reason or occasion, be it leisurely or for academic purposes, you’ll need a book. But the problem is that new textbooks are not getting any cheaper.

Added to the long queuing at the bookstores, there are some obstacles to getting a textbook. That’s why it’s advised you invest in used textbooks instead to save money.

That’s where online bookstores come in to save the day. What’s better is that you can purchase the less expensive but equally useful used books. So here’s a list of where to buy used books online in 2025:

1. BookScouter

Kicking off our list of where to buy used books online is the well-tested and highly-trusted BookScouter website. It’s a website known for its real-time price comparison job and a large set of useful features for those who buy or sell books regularly. In summary, it’s a great place for those looking to expand their search when looking for used books or textbooks.

BookScouter offers book lovers the opportunity to buy used books at affordable rates. That’s thanks to the large list of bookstores and marketplaces that BookScouter checks out for the offer on a book you want. That way, you can search for what you want and compare the prices instantly.

BookScouter, where to buy used books online

2. Amazon

Next on the list of where to buy used books online is the popular Amazon website. Everyone knows Amazon as a hub for all the things you could need, and used books are no exception.

If you perform a book search on Amazon, you’ll discover various sellers and their offers. You can choose from those sellers based on the price and condition of the book and information on delivery time.

What’s also great about Amazon is that visitors can look through different reviews of other buyers. Those reviews will serve as guides and word-of-mouth that will help you make a smart decision.

where to sell used books online

3. eBay

Everything you’ve ever wanted is just a few clicks away with the eBay website. It’s a website that houses all things, and books are no exception, new and used. So, whether you’re looking for the cheapest used textbooks or some used comics that you’ve been dreaming of, eBay has you covered.

All you have to do is use the search button to enter the book title or ISBN. Thanks to its expansive catalog of individual sellers, eBay provides a decent list of book products of different genres and in different conditions.

For easy access and better convenience, you can choose to download the eBay mobile app to make your purchases. There are also daily deals where book prices are slashed, so be sure to check back frequently to enjoy the best book deals. Besides, after finishing your readings, you can easily sell books on eBay to get part of your money back!

where to buy used books online

4. BetterWorldBooks

If you’re looking for where to buy used books online and save money while doing so, then the BetterWorldBooks website is the right place to look. What you’ll also discover is that this website helps readers connect to their literary side as well as the rest of the book-loving community.

Firstly, BetterWorldBooks is home to over 8 million new and used books. From novels to religious texts to academic textbooks, everything you need is right there, waiting for you to add to your cart. So you don’t have to worry about finding a particular book.

At the same time, just like its name, the website is dedicated to providing reading and literacy opportunities to the less privileged. That goal is achieved through you, the customer. That’s right, with every book you purchase, BetterWorldBooks matches that with a book donation.

It has also helped raise funds for schools and libraries across the UK and the US. Ultimately, BetterWorldBooks is more than a bookstore.

where to buy used books online

5. BookFinder

Finally, our list of where to buy used books online ends with a website that’s tailor-made to make book searches easier. Thanks to its user-friendly homepage, you can find exactly what you want without the stress of scanning through a plethora of textbooks or novels.

You can also refine your search by entering the ISBN, publication year, and author alongside the title to bring up the precise edition you’re looking for. In addition to that, you can search for original and signed editions of books through the BookFinder website.

It’s truly a great way to purchase books with savings in mind. At the same time, you can save time by entering the details of the book. That way, the results you see match what you want. Finally, BookFinder is a great shout for online bookstores because of its valuable price comparison feature.

where to buy used books online

Perks Of Buying Used Books Online

You might be wondering why you need a list of where to buy used books online. Well, here’s why:

  • It’s faster and easier to discover the exact books you need
  •  You can compare multiple vendors without having to drive to multiple stores
  • It’s a better means of saving costs on the rising cost of textbooks
  • It’s a more convenient process as you can buy cheap books from the comfort of your bed or couch
  • No need to wait in those long queues anymore!

Where to Buy Used Books Online: Conclusion

At the end of the day, there’s always a better and easier way to get things done. When it comes to purchasing second-hand books or buying used books in bulk, opting for online shopping can be an excellent way to save your precious time, energy, and money.

So, if you haven’t, visit any of the websites mentioned above today and get started on a book purchase.

]]>
6 Best Places to Buy Used Children’s Books https://bsblog.wpenginepowered.com/used-childrens-books/ Mon, 12 Jun 2023 08:16:26 +0000 https://bsblog.wpenginepowered.com/?p=6105

Used Children’s Books

In a world filled with digital distractions and increasingly short attention spans, undeniable magic resides between the pages of a well-loved children’s book. The tales of whimsy, lessons of resilience, and characters that capture young imaginations are the building blocks of a lifelong love for reading.

Unfortunately for parents and nostalgic readers alike, building an extensive collection of children’s books can be costly, especially as kids seem to outgrow their favorites in the blink of an eye.

The answer is simple: buying used children’s books.

Why Buy Used Children’s Books?

If you have a beloved little one in your life, you know that children can be germy and destructive, for lack of better words. If purchasing used books gives you pause for this reason, know that there are ways to safely purchase used children’s books, ensuring that the youngsters in your life can enjoy the tales between the pages without fear of any nastiness.

Buying used children’s books is not only an affordable solution for frugal parents, educators, and book lovers, but it also gives new life to stories that children have loved in the past. Recycling and reusing materials and stories by buying used rather than new ones is an excellent option for your wallet and the environment.

If you’re looking to add a bit of childlike wonder to your or a little one’s life, these are the six best places to buy used children’s books, as well as a few tips and tricks for getting the most out of your money.

Additionally, if you’re unsure which books would be best for your child, don’t worry, we’ve compiled lists of the best children’s books of all time, Сhristmas books for kids and the best Halloween books for kids.

Buy Used Children’s Books

1. Secondhand Bookstores

If you are lucky enough to have one or more secondhand book shops in your city, we recommend taking advantage of them, as they are one of the best (and most convenient) places to purchase used children’s books.

Though not every secondhand bookstore is the same, most of them buy and sell used books rather than simply accepting donations. Since a secondhand bookstore is, first and foremost, a business, they typically will only buy books that can be sold for a profit, no matter how slim the margin is.

As a result, secondhand bookstores have already done the hard work for you, selecting used children’s books that are in serviceable condition, making them safe (and fun!) reads for you or your little one to read.

2. Library Book Sales

The library is the best place to get books for free (albeit you still need to return them), but many libraries regularly hold book sales. Libraries frequently move titles in and out of circulation and receive donations from library patrons, meaning that there is often an excess of books that need to be moved out of the library. Library book sales offer used children’s books for reasonable prices.

Like secondhand bookstores, libraries take pride in offering the surrounding community the highest quality reading materials available to them. Librarians frequently dispose of books that have been damaged, as well as regularly sanitize all materials that go in and out of the library. The only downside is that used children’s books purchased from the library will often have a plastic dust jacket and stickers used for organization purposes that are difficult to take off.

If you’re not too worried about library packaging ruining the look of your book collection, ask your local librarian when they’re holding the next library book sale.

Library Book Sales

3. Thrift Shops and Charity Shops

By default, virtually every item sold in a thrift or charity shop, including children’s books, has been used. These shops survive by accepting donations from the community and selling them for a profit—whether in support of a charity or simply for profit’s sake—so they have the incentive to offer and sell as many items as possible.

Unfortunately, this can result in some items on the sale floor being in less than stellar condition. If you are searching the stacks at a thrift shop for used children’s books, be sure to closely inspect each book. If the book has torn pages, a broken spine, water damage, excessive doodling, suspicious stains left by a previous child’s sticky fingers, or similar imperfections that lead you to believe that the book is on its last legs, put it back on the shelf.

Though thrift and charity shops have been under fire for ludicrously high prices lately, books are one of the last reasonably priced items left at these stores. You can likely purchase a bevy of used children’s books and paperbacks for less than five dollars.

4. Online Bookstores

Surprisingly, Amazon started as an online bookstore, and it still honors its roots by offering numerous new and used books on the platform. If you search for any book on Amazon, there is usually an option to buy the book used, giving you multiple versions of the book and indicating every version’s condition. Other platforms, like ThriftBooks, are dedicated solely to buying and selling discounted books.

Though it depends on the site, most of these books are sold directly through the platform, meaning that you can buy books the site’s employees have vetted for damage. Earlier, we compiled a list of the top twelve websites to buy cheap books. Feel free to check it out as well.

Online Bookstores

5. Online Marketplaces

Shopping for used children’s books via massive marketplaces like eBay or Mercari can be a gamble, as the books are bought and sold between individuals without being inspected by a third party.

Online marketplaces can also be more expensive than some of the other options on this list, as you’ll likely need to pay for additional shipping and handling as well as the cost of the book. However, these are the places where rare book enthusiasts thrive, making them wonderful avenues to purchase rare or collector’s editions of your favorite used children’s books.

6. BookScouter

BookScouter simplifies the process of comparing prices and condition descriptions from various online bookstores and marketplaces. You can quickly assess the book’s condition, seller rating, and shipping options, allowing you to make an informed purchase decision.

used childrens book hungry catepillar

used childrens book hungry catepillar pricing

By buying used children’s books, you actively participate in sustainable practices. Reusing books instead of buying new ones helps reduce waste and promotes environmental conservation.

]]>
Used Books are Good for the Planet https://bsblog.wpenginepowered.com/used-books-are-good-for-the-planet/ https://bsblog.wpenginepowered.com/used-books-are-good-for-the-planet/#comments Wed, 15 Feb 2023 10:54:49 +0000 http://bsblog.wpengine.com/?p=26

Used Books are Good for the Planet

Used text books are good for the planet, right? Well that statement seems fairly easy to defend, but when you get down to the hard facts, it really becomes an interesting topic. When proving this hypothesis, the first question I wanted to answer was, “How many books come from one tree?” I soon realized this was not an easy question to answer because books and trees come in all different shapes and sizes. Determined not to give up on my quest for the tree book ratio, I dug deeper for some type of quantitative data to calculate how many average-sized books come from the average-sized tree. Eventually I stumbled across some interesting information. It turns out that most trees are not used for paper. In fact, only the unwanted parts are sent to make paper. The majority of paper is made from recycled materials.

So does the buying and selling of used books do much good for our tall green friends after all? Perhaps not as much as I had originally anticipated, but I still contend that used books are good for the planet, and here’s why. Do you remember the old saying “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle”? Well, when paper is recycled to create new paper, it goes through a process that requires a lot of energy and resources, including the use of some dangerous chemicals. Not to mention all of the energy and resources that are used to print a copy of a new book that could have been bought “USED” instead. So even if new books are made from recycled paper, far more energy and resources are expended in creating them if we simply reused the books we have now.

So perhaps buying and selling books on-line isn’t going to make you Captain Planet, but it does make a lot of sense. What makes even more sense is the economic impact buying and selling used books has. In a national, and even global time of economic uncertainty, buying and selling used books does more good than you might think. Selling your books on-line, especially text books, provides a low-cost alternative for students to buy the books they need for school. Many individuals lose their jobs during an economic downturn, and in an effort to make themselves marketable for new employment, they return to school to learn new skills. Very often these students cannot afford to pay full price for their books. Thus, by selling your books on-line, you are not only earning extra income for yourself and helping the environment, you’re making it easier for someone out there to get an education, which is definitely good for the planet.

So go ahead and round up all those old books and use http://bookscouter.com to find the best places to sell them. You’ll earn some money and help the planet!

@castanedastyles

Reply to @fastandsassynails check out Book Scouter. It’s free. It helps you find buyers for your particular book. #bookselling #booksforyoupage

♬ Monkeys Spinning Monkeys – Kevin MacLeod & Kevin The Monkey

]]>
https://bsblog.wpenginepowered.com/used-books-are-good-for-the-planet/feed/ 1
Top 10 Questions about Starting a Used Book Selling Business in 2025 https://bsblog.wpenginepowered.com/how-to-start-a-used-book-selling-business/ Tue, 22 Nov 2022 14:20:44 +0000 https://bsblog.wpenginepowered.com/?p=4189

An idea to build a used book selling business in 2025 can be a great start for a fresh year. It’s another source of income that allows you to make more money, and it doesn’t require much work.

It can be fun to find books to sell and even more fun when you make a profit. So here are the top 10 questions about starting a used book selling business or book arbitrage business this year.

Can you make money reselling books?

If you find the right niche, you can make money reselling books in 2025. Everyone reads, and if you can find a niche that isn’t saturated, you can make money reselling books. Whether you resell books you’ve read or find cheap, you can sell them for a higher price and make a profit.

The nice thing is that books are cheap to ship because you can send them via ‘media mail’ with USPS and save money, increasing your profits.

Why start a used book selling business in 2025?

There are many reasons to start a used book selling business in 2025, starting with income. It’s easy to make money selling used books because everyone reads; they are easy to sell, and you can store the books at home.

You don’t need special storage space, extra tools, or extensive knowledge about the industry. As long as you can source cheap books and sell them for a higher price, you’re already on your way to making good money.

Another good reason to sell used books is to help the environment. Since books are usually one-and-done, there’s no reason to keep producing new books when you can recycle old books repeatedly while making a profit.

Where can I source old and new books to sell online?

There are many places to sell books online. It takes a little creativity and time, but you can find great books to sell with consistent effort.

Check out thrift stores, garage sales, Facebook Marketplace, and Craigslist. You can even check sites like Freecycle or your local library. They often sell old books they don’t have room for any longer, letting residents buy them for less than a dollar.

If you’re looking for new books, look for sales at your local stores, especially clearances. Stores like Target and even Barnes and Noble run clearance sales that make it easy to get new books for cheap.

There’s a great blog post on book reselling and where to find books to sell. You can find even more ideas there.

What are the top 10 reselling books categories? 

There are many popular categories of books to resell, but here are the most popular for your used book selling business:

  • Science fiction
  • Fantasy
  • Romance
  • Adventure
  • Dystopian
  • Thriller
  • Horror
  • Mystery
  • Historical fiction
  • Young adult

Is it possible to make good money reselling books on Amazon?

Selling used books is a low-risk investment that usually becomes profitable for resellers. Most people turn to Amazon for books, and if you have the book they’re looking for at a price cheaper than a new book, you may win the sale.

The key to making it big selling books on Amazon is to provide great customer service. Amazon sellers rely on reviews; even one bad review can reduce sales. Show your customers that you care and will provide prompt service, and you can make good money selling books on Amazon.

@castanedastyles

Reply to @mariahbabe1 Sometimes it’s too competitive to sell everything through Amazon & sometimes you can make more through #Amazonfba #fbabooks it just depends 🤷

♬ You – Petit Biscuit

What is the best app for book scouting?

Book scouting or searching for the perfect book to resell is an art. When flipping books for profit, you need to find the perfect books at the price.

A couple of the best apps for book scouting include:

  • BookScouter
  • ScoutIQ
  • Amazon

There’s a detailed review of each of the app mentioned above in the Definitive Guide to Book Scouting.

Where should you sell used books online?

The best place to sell used books online is where you’ll have the largest audience. Think about what types of books you’re selling. Are they collectibles, textbooks, or general reading books?

Some good places to sell books include Amazon, BookScouter, and eBay. The key is to consider the audience on each site to determine where you’d make the most money for the type of book you’re selling.

How do I sell used books?

You can sell used books just about anywhere, from digital apps to a local yard sale or at local bookstores. However, before you try to start a used book selling business, consider these tips:

  • Clean books to free them of dust and debris
  • Check the condition of the book to ensure it doesn’t have ripped or bent corners, missing pages, or any other damage
  • Find your audience and determine where best to sell your books
  • List your books for sale at a competitive price
  • Sell your books on your favorite app
  • Ship the books in a timely manner
  • Provide great customer service

Ensure your listing includes details about how you’ll ship the books and your return policy. If you won’t accept returns, make sure that’s clear in the description to avoid unhappy customers and receiving bad reviews.

There’s a great blog post on how to sell used books with maximum profit. Feel free to check it out.

How should I ship used books?

It’s easy to ship used books with USPS. They offer media mail which is strictly for books and magazines. You can ship the books in an envelope provided by the USPS or wrapped in kraft paper.

If you want faster shipping, you can also ship via UPS or FedEx, but it costs more. However, most people buying used books want cheap shipping. So you can also give your customers options for shipping, allowing them to choose between USPS media mail and a faster option, such as UPS.

Are there any rules for reselling books?

The only rules for reselling books are that you are honest about the condition. Include all details about the book’s condition in your listing. If you aren’t honest about the condition, you could get bad reviews, making it hard to sell more books in the future.

Like any business, you want to provide great customer service to keep customers coming back to your used books store. The key is to be as courteous and helpful as possible, providing your customers with what they want.

]]>
How to Sell Used Books with Maximum Profit https://bsblog.wpenginepowered.com/how-to-sell-used-books/ Thu, 29 Sep 2022 10:52:57 +0000 https://bsblog.wpenginepowered.com/?p=3732

how to sell books

Let’s say you’ve decided to clean up a bit of space and decided to get rid of some old popular psychology books, some cookbooks you never really opened, your old Twilight copy (you definitely won’t read it again!), and a few anatomy textbooks that are simply collecting dust on your shelves. Great idea—you can make use of them to earn extra cash!
So, how do I sell my books for cash? In this guide, we’ve prepared six tips on how you can sell your used books to get the most profit.

Tip #1: Find the Best Places to Sell Used Books Online

BookScouter

The first thing you should do is go to BookScouter. Instead of manually checking every possible website with a buyback program, you can check only one. With 30+ vendors, BookScouter is the largest bookselling platform where you can see all the deals and find the most profitable offer for your books. You will also get a good idea of whether you should sell your books or just donate them. Perhaps, your Twilight copy won’t bring you a lot of cash (because buyback prices are not the same for all books), or your cookbooks might be of better use to friends and family. Textbooks, however, can be sold quite profitably. Besides, you can also use the Historic Buyback Price Lookup tool to see how much your copy of Foundations of Sport and Exercise Psychology cost in the past and choose the best time to sell it. Cool, isn’t it? BookScouter is an excellent online resource for selling old and second-hand books. Ok, once you’ve detected the best offer, you go to the vendor page and sell your book—it’s simple. That’s why we recommend starting with BookScouter first.

@bighausbri

Make money selling textbooks! #UltaBeautyatTarget #TalkCurlyToMe #SmartfoodClub #makemoney #sidehustle

♬ original sound – BigHausBry

Amazon

If you like more complicated ways, you can go directly to Amazon and try selling your books there. It’s an option; however, we warn you that it’s a lot more complicated, and if you just have a couple or a dozen books, it probably makes little sense. Yet, our job is to provide you with the information, and here it is. To sell your books on Amazon, you need to open an Amazon seller account and provide many personal and payment details. After that, you’ll need to select one of Amazon’s two fulfillment methods:

  • Fulfillment by Seller (FBS): You do all the storing, packing, and shipping yourself.
  • Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA): You ship all your books to Amazon, and Amazon does the rest.

Besides, you’ll also need to choose between the Individual plan (99 cents per unit sold) and the Professional plan ($39.99 per month). The latter is more advisable if you plan on selling more than 40 books a month. If you don’t, then the Individual plan and FBS are more obvious choices (with more work on your part, of course).

eBay

The same can be said for eBay. It is Amazon’s alternative; however, it comes with strings attached. It has a bidding system that will work exceptionally well if you sell niche, rare, or collectible books as well as textbooks. You will hardly likely get much for your Twilight copy here, yet again.

Etsy

Probably not an obvious choice of a platform to sell books, as we all know it as a place to shop for cute hand-made goods. However, people do sell books on Etsy. To try this option, you need to log in with your Facebook, Google, or Apple account. However, keep in mind that there are many fees associated with this selling method: listing fees (20 cents for each item ), transaction fees (6% of each listing price), advertising and promotional fees, and shipping fees. So before you go to Etsy with your dozen of used books, think again. Perhaps, you’d better recheck our #1 option.

Decluttr

Another possible venue to try and sell your books together with other used items is Decluttr. The website has a separate category: Sell Books. It’s pretty simple: you just enter your book’s ISBN and click “Add” to see the price offer. Mind that you can’t sell less than $5 worth of items; plus, you should include at least ten media items or one tech item. So, this option is perfect if you really want to declutter your house, not just from books. You get paid either by a direct deposit or via PayPal. Alternatively, you can donate your money to charity.

Tip #2: Find the Best Places to Sell Used Books in Person

Powell’s Books

Now, let’s move on to the places where you can sell your used books in person. We’ll start with Powell’s as the most popular option. You can bring your books to them for evaluation, or you can also sell your books online. Powell’s buys back a lot of books, really (see Powell’s reviews on BookScouter).

However, they only accept books in excellent condition. So if this is not the case with your books, you shouldn’t have your hopes high. Instead, check our second-place suggestion. 

Half Price Books

If your books are in different conditions, you can try selling them to Half Price Books. Just pack them and bring them for appraisal. Half Price Books are also known for their huge buyback potential; however, they may not offer much. So be prepared to get a few bucks. 

Local Bookstores and Book-Buying Markets

If you don’t want to bother packing and sending your books by mail, or if you are lucky to have a local bookstore that accepts used books, go there and ask for their offers. Perhaps, there is a thrift market at the place where you live or a local Facebook group—try selling your books there, too. The latter can be of great help if you have used kids’ books.

For more local options, consider exploring opportunities to sell books in Ashburn, Atlanta, San Diego, Denver, Boston, San Antonio and Florida.

Yard and Garage Sales

Arranging a garage or yard sale may be a cool idea if you want to earn extra cash and socialize at the same time. You won’t probably get much for your books, but we assure you that you’ll have a great time.

Tip #3: How to Prepare Books for Sale

Before you sell your used books, prepare them for sale. After all, you are trying to give them a second life, and other people will be using them after you. So, here are our recommendations:

  • Make sure your books are clean and in good (perfect, if possible) condition.
  • Be honest about the book’s condition. After all, if you claim that your book is like new and it arrives at a buyback company in good or acceptable condition, you may not get the money you expect. Remember that most vendors don’t accept damaged books or books with missing pages, etc. Such books can be rejected right away. So be thorough before you pack your books and ship them.
  • Be careful with book packaging. Make sure you’ve done everything to keep your book intact inside the packaging. Otherwise, it can be received by the vendor in poor condition, and it’ll be your responsibility.
  • Unless you ship to buyback vendors who offer free shipping, pay to ship your books.

Tip #4: Donate

If you’ve inspected your used books and decided that none of them are worth spending time packing and shipping, you can just give them away. There are plenty of options where you can donate books; here are some of them:

Libraries

First of all, check your local library. Indeed, libraries don’t accept every book people don’t need. But if you have kids’ books or some recent bestsellers that are likely to be in demand, your local library will be glad to accept your books. Alternatively, you can leave your books at a “little free library,” where people may take a book and leave wherever they like.

Children’s Hospitals

If you have many kids’ books you no longer need, donating them to children’s hospitals can be a good option. Some sick kids spend a lot of time in hospitals, so the books you donate may help them spend their time just a little bit more cheerfully.

Local Charities

Charity organizations like Goodwill and churches also accept donations from time to time. You can visit the Goodwill website to find the donation center near you or check your local charity for the next thrift store or market sale. You can also donate your books to Books to Prisoners—the website that allows you to donate books to local correctional facilities.

Tip #5: Recycle

Some of your old books don’t have value to be donated: they are either too old or in bad condition. You can recycle books; however, check the guidelines published by earth911 or Recyclenow to understand better how to recycle old books. The thing is that not all books can even be recycled. If you want to get rid of old paperbacks, it’s easier. Hardcovers, however, are more problematic to dispose of. Books, heavily damaged by water, can’t be recycled. Check the article on where to recycle your textbooks.

Tip #6: Learn the Answers to Major Bookselling FAQs

How can I find out the best price offers for my used books and textbooks?

On BookScouter, you can check the price offers from over 30 vendors and choose the best one.

What books should I sell?

Textbooks are the most popular and profitable books for reselling. Art books and cookbooks, together with some religious books and non-fiction books, have more chances to sell well, while popular fiction will unlikely bring you good profit.

What to do with the books I can’t sell?

As we’ve already mentioned, the books that are unlikely to be sold can be either donated or recycled. Unfortunately, books in deplorable conditions can only be disposed of with general waste.

What if I decide to sell books as a side hustle?

If you want to become a book reseller, BookScouter can help you navigate through the industry and maximize your profit with the help of Pro Tools. There is no need to do everything on Amazon only; with BookScouter, you can get access to the hot book flipping deals, historic pricing, bulk lookup, and so much more.

]]>