If you are a book lover or a recent college graduate, you’re sure to have too many books that sometimes take up more space than your house can afford. But instead of letting them lie around in piles and collecting dust on your shelves, you can give them a new life and even get some of the money you spent on them in the past.
If you’ve never thought about it, selling used books can help you earn some money. You don’t necessarily have to sell rare book collections; college textbooks are always in great demand, and so are fiction and kids’ books. Surely enough, you won’t get filthy rich; however, by selling a few books you no longer need, you can get some extra cash and spend it on something nice, like gifts for your family and friends. In this guide, we’ll tell you about the five best ways to sell used books.
Sell to a Used Bookstore
You can check your local bookstores and thrift stores first. You are in luck if you live close to Half Price Books, but don’t neglect small local bookstores. Every city and town has a thrift bookstore; large cities have thousands of them. These stores may not take all of your books; however, you can come and check what type of books they accept and how much they are ready to pay. If you have books you are ready to part with without getting any cash, consider donating them to local libraries, hospitals, churches, and even prisons.
Sell to a College Bookstore
If you’re a recent college graduate or a college student, you can sell your textbooks at a college bookstore. Such bookstores usually accept used textbooks on different subjects (most commonly twice a year); however, you may refuse if they have filled their supply quota for this or that textbook. Besides, they never pay much even for books in like new condition. They will hardly accept a thickly highlighted or too worn-out used textbook. Yet, we encourage you to check your college bookstore nonetheless.
Sell on a Yard Sale
If you have time and inspiration, you can offer your used book collection at a yard sale. A yard sale or a garage sale is a fantastic place where you can find many exciting things, from old and antique furniture to books of all sorts and sizes. You can also sell everything you want, from clothes to silverware. You can participate in a local yard sale organized by your city’s or town’s authorities or by your local church or any organization. Alternatively, you can organize your own yard sale and sell the stuff from your house right from your doorstep—everything, not just your books.
Sell on eBay, Craiglist, or Facebook Marketplace
If you prefer to do most things online, you can list your books on eBay, Craiglist, or Facebook Marketplace. These platforms are relatively easy to use; you’ll be able to manage them pretty fast. However, you should keep in mind that each platform works differently and has its own rules (with eBay, you may have to list your books as an auction, for instance). Besides, you’ll have to ship the books yourself, pay for the shipping, get the payment from the platform, pay fees, etc. Therefore, selling like this may be time-consuming and not really worth the trouble. Though, if you have rare or old books, eBay may bring you a good bid.
Sell to a Book Buyback Site
Selling to a buyback site is a great alternative to all the aforementioned methods. Booksellers like BooksRun have great book buyback programs with great price offers and free shipping. You can enter the book’s ISBN and immediately check how much you can get for this or that book. You can sell both used textbooks and fiction books here. In case there is no good offer on BooksRun at the moment, you can check other online booksellers with buyback offers (e.g., TextbookRush, AbeBooks, etc.)—there are plenty of various options available nowadays. It’s easy, it’s convenient: you can pack and ship all your books at once. You also get paid really fast. Besides, you can usually rent and buy new and used books on such websites.
Conclusion
Now you know how to get rid of your used books most profitably and effectively. You can choose any method that you like best or that suits you at the moment. Remember that used books you’ve long rendered useless can be useful once more—with some of your second-hand books, you can even get half or more of their price back (this is especially true for textbooks). Also, keep in mind that the books that you can’t sell can find a new life if you donate them to people or charity organizations.
Originally posted 2022-12-28 15:03:16.
