Are you wondering where you can sell used books? Look no further!
We all need to dwindle down on our clutter, and can benefit from that frugal lifestyle of owning less stuff- and we can’t skip the bookshelves when we get our spring cleaning on!
Selling books and items to make money back is a fantastic way to make some extra money when your children or family outgrow stuff.
Go through the books scattered here and there, and decide which can go- but where will they go?
Why not make money off of your used books? Check out our top places where to sell used books!
17 Smart Places Where To Sell Used Books
1. sellbackyourBook.com
sellbackyourBook.com is a website that will buy back any book, usually at the most competitive rates. They take anything from textbooks, fiction, and encyclopedias.
Perfect for college students who need to sell textbooks for quick cash!
No time-consuming auctions or complex book value calculations are required; instead, the site allows individuals to sell books immediately.
You simply type in the ISBN on your books or scan them using the sellbackyourBook app (Android and iPhone), which provides an instant quote and a free shipping label to send them in for fast payment.
sellbackyourBook.com is free to use, but you must have a minimum book sale of $7.50 to qualify your sale.
2. Decluttr
If you are looking for ways to make money fast, Decluttr is the place for you if you want to sell books.
Adding your items to sell on Decluttr is easy. Click the “Sell Books” tab and either enter the ISBN of the book you wish to sell or download the app and scan the ISBN to get an instant offer.
After you’ve met the criteria (10 media items or one tech item), you’ll pick one of three options to get paid: direct deposit, PayPal, or check.
Finally, the offer free shipping, so just print the shipping label, pack the items in a box, and send them to Decluttr.
3. SecondSale.com
SecondSale.com was founded in 2018 as a marketplace for people to locate low-cost, high-quality used books. Today, they provide millions of titles every day at the lowest prices on the internet.
SecondSale is dedicated as a place to sell books and recycle over a million pounds of paper goods each year.
A recent survey of 2,000 Americans conducted by SecondSale.com found that “54% still prefer to read a printed copy of a book despite the accessibility of ebooks and audiobooks in a shift away from technology.”
4. Amazon
There are a couple of ways to sell used books on Amazon, but it’s all in your hands to make money as an Amazon seller.
You pay to be an Amazon seller, usually an “individual” plan or a “professional” plan, which have different fees and benefits.
You can choose to ship the books yourself (FBM), or you can pay Amazon to send them for you (FBA). Amazon has guidelines that you must follow if you choose to ship the books yourself.
Amazon used to have a textbook trade-in program but looks like they closed it sometime around April 2020. If you’re interested in a trade-in program or want to trade books, you may have to look elsewhere now.
5. eBay
Selling your books on eBay can be a very profitable way to get rid of your old books.
The best way to sell books on eBay is by using the auction format. The auction will allow you to get the most money for your book as people bid the price up for more desirable items.
You can also just set a flat price for a book and someone can either pay it or try to negotiate your price.
Make sure that you take pictures of your book and write a good description. The more information you provide, the more likely someone will buy your book.
Be sure to ship the books using tracking numbers and insurance to protect you if the book gets lost or damaged during shipping.
6. Bookscouter.com
Bookscouter.com is a site that searches dozens of other book buyback sites to find the best deal for you and you can get paid the most money on your sale!
Rather than going to individual sites, you have an easy one-stop website that can give you 30+ quotes for your books!
Enter your book’s ISBN, and Bookscouter will give you a list of all of the sites that are willing to buy them. You automatically get a list of offers, and can pick the highest one to sell your book to!
7. Half Price Books
Half Price Books is an excellent option to sell your books to a physical store. They’re always looking for new books to add to their inventory.
They pay cash and only buy merchandise in person at one of their local Half Price Books stores. Just bring in your books, some ID, and something else to read while you wait, and they’ll give you a price quote during your visit.
The one drawback, despite the quick sale, is that some physical shops can mean smaller quotes for your books and less money in your pocket. But it can be an easy, quick sale with no shipping hassles!
8. Powell’s Books
Powell’s Books is a bookstore that buys used books at their three Portland, Oregon locations and online.
They buy for all their sections and stores, but they don’t always buy the same thing from everyone- because really, who needs so many copies of one book on hand?
They recently changed their payment policy to sell books with them. They only offer store credit and no longer offer cash payments.
9. Bookdeal
Bookdeal is a site dedicated to selling textbooks. They have several guidelines on their site to help determine book conditions, selling guides, and packaging guides.
Shipping is free for all orders, but if you choose not to use their shipping label or use a different carrier, you are responsible for the shipping.
When the book is sold, sellers get paid by PayPal, Venmo, or Zelle.
10. Abebooks
Abebooks has been around for over ten years, and are the place to go if you have some out there and interesting books to sell.
They are a website for books, fine art, and collectibles and connect sellers with buyers worldwide. Because they handle a lot of fine items, they have monthly membership fees starting at $25 a month.
The sellers on Abebooks describe, store, and ship the books themselves. They also set their shipping rates and speeds.
11. Bookstores.com
Bookstores.com is another excellent option to sell books, plus they pay for the shipping costs for sales over $35!
And trust this once sad college student, textbooks are very heavy and you don’t want to get stuck with the shipping bill!
This site offers some of the best prices on the internet, so it’s worth checking out if you have books that are hard to find or unique in some way! You can get paid by store credit, check, or PayPal.
12. Facebook Marketplace
You can use your social media accounts for fun and for selling your clutter online! You can create a post and sell your books locally to people in your area.
Facebook Marketplace is a great place to sell books, but you’re sure to find a lot of them on there to buy and sell easily.
13. Cash4Books.net
Cash4Books.net is a buyback website dedicated to textbooks.
They buy practically any textbook with a publication date of 2018 and newer that you might have and give you your payment after they receive the books in the form of a check or PayPal into your account.
14. TextbookRush
TextbookRush has been around since 1994 and is an online textbook store.
Sellers can enter the ISBN in the search bar and get an estimate on how much the book is worth. Then you can choose to accept the offer and select how you want to be paid.
Next, print the free shipping label and ship the book to TextBookRush.
15. Chegg
Chegg is another online textbook retailer. They too will buy your books and offer you money for them after receiving them.
The website provides free shipping labels so sellers can send books quickly and easily if you choose to sell your books to Chegg.
16. Barnes & Noble
Barnes & Noble is another option for selling used textbooks- not just buying! To sell books, you must have at least $10 in inventory. They offer prices based on demand for the book and current stock availability.
Type the book’s ISBN and submit it. Then accept the quote, and Barnes & Noble will provide you with a prepaid label. After they’ve received your book, they’ll send you a check for the total amount if it is in good condition.
17. Textbooks.com
Textbooks.com is like the other online bookstores for you to buy and sell textbooks from. The process of selling books to Textbooks.com is similar to those of the other textbook buyers on the list.
Tips To Sell Books
If you’re looking for a way to make money, you can sell books as an easy solution. Here are some tips to help you maximize your profits and ensure that you get the best deal possible!
1) Search Multiple Websites
Try using websites like Bookscouter or Abebooks to search multiple sites at once. These sites will also show you all of the details about each site and how much they’ll pay for your books – so it’s easy to compare offers.
2) Sell Your Books To Secondhand Stores
You can also consider taking your books to a local secondhand dealer. Don’t forget local places! Selling your books is an easy way to get rid of books you don’t want, and selling in person goes a lot quicker!
3) Get Organized
If you want to maximize your profits, be organized when you sell books. You should also take photos or scans of the books to sell to add them easily when selling online.
4) Sell At A Yard Sale
If you want to make a little extra money, hold a garage sale. You can put the books you want to sell and other household items to make some extra cash.
Smart Shipping
If you’re looking to maximize your profits when selling books online, it’s essential to ship your books carefully. Here are some tips for smartly packaging your books to arrive in a suitable condition.
1) When shipping your books, you’ll want to keep them as flat as possible to prevent them from being damaged in transit.
2) Bubble wrap is a great way to protect your books from any potential damage. You can either use bubble wrap sheets or place each book in its bubble wrap envelope.
3) It’s best to pack your books into a cardboard box that has some cushioning to protect your books from any potential damage.
4 Places To Donate Used Books
Consider donating your books when you’re struggling to sell books online. Here are four places where you can donate your used books!
1. Local Libraries & Schools
Libraries are always in need of donations, and they’ll typically take any book. Donations are appreciated during the summer months, so consider taking them a box around this time!
2. Books For Africa
Books For Africa is a charity organization that collects and distributes books to every country in Africa. They have a list of the types of books they’re currently in need of and the books they are not accepting at this time, so be sure to check before donating.
3. Goodwill
Goodwill will take any used book to sell in their stores. They make the proceeds from the sales, which helps them fund job training programs for people who need it most.
They’ll even pick up your donations for free! You can also sometimes get store credit or discount coupons when you donate items, which is a great offer.
4. Donation Town
Donation Town has a list of charities that need books. They have a wide variety of charities. There is possibly one in a city close to you. So there’s likely one that’s close to your heart!
Key Takeaways
Selling used stuff makes your house cleaner and fits an easy minimalistic lifestyle, but it also puts money back in the bank!
Used books are great items to sell as there is always a high demand for books online.
Remember that selling used items can take time, so be patient and creative when you sell books online on these sites.
If you’re looking for the best price, try using one of these places to sell listed above, and soon you’ll sell used books like a pro!
Happy selling!
