Reducing Your Home Library: Where to Sell Books
Every avid reader knows that their bookshelves need a bit of decluttering from time to time. There are books you buy and just don’t like, and there are those you outgrow and don’t need anymore. In that case, knowing where to sell books you no longer want or need can come in handy.
If you want to make some money and get rid of books you don’t need, read on. The article will tell you where to sell books based on your circumstances and needs.
Where to Sell Books: 12 Best Options
1. BookScouter
Image source: Bookscouter.com
If you’re looking for a place that will offer the most money for your used books, BookScouter is a great place to start. This site gathers pricing info from over 30 other book-selling websites. This info will tell you what each separate place would be willing to pay for any book you want to sell.
This site is a real-life-saver, as you don’t have to waste time browning individual sites and comparing the rates on your own. Everything will be listed for you, and you only have to find the best offer and go from there.
BookScouter is rather easy to use. All you have to do is type in the ISBN of the book you want to sell. Once you do, you will get a list of all the places that would want to buy it and what they’re offering. If any of the offers stick out, you simply click on the website of that bookstore and sell your books to them.
2. Amazon
Image source: Amazon.com
A few years back, Amazon used to have a book trade-in program that allowed users to trade books. Sadly, that is no longer an option. What you can do is to make a seller’s account on the platform and put your books up for sale that way.
You can either get an Individual seller’s account or a Professional one. For an Individual account, you will have to pay $0.99 to Amazon for every item you sell. In addition, you will have to give up a certain percentage of your listing price as well.
The rules are slightly different for a Pro account. If you make one of those, you will have to pay Amazon $39.99 every month, regardless of the number of books you sell. Apart from that, Amazon will still take a small percentage of the listing price as well.
The Individual account is the best choice if you have a few books you want to get rid of, but you know you won’t sell more than 40 of them a month. Otherwise, a Pro account is a better choice.
The only real downside of making an Amazon account is the fact that you will have to wait for a buyer to contact you. In some cases, that can take months. So, if you don’t mind waiting and don’t need cash right away, this site is truly one of the best places to sell used books online.
3. eBay
Image source: eBay.com
eBay is another great site where you can sell your used books. Just like with Amazon, you will need to create a seller’s account to be able to put your books up. Your next step is to just list the books you want to sell and wait for a potential buyer to contact you.
The great thing about eBay is that you do not have to pay any fee to the website as long as you do not list more than 200 books per month. If you do, you will have to pay for those that you list above the limit.
Thus, this site is the perfect place for you if you don’t have too many books you want to be free of. Once you sell a book, the site will take a percentage of the price. As of right now, the percentage for books is around 12%.
Just like with Amazon, you will have to wait for potential buyers on eBay. That means that the website is only a good choice if you are in no rush and can wait it all out. You will definitely get more money than you would on most trading websites, though, so it is worth giving it a shot.
4. AbeBooks
Image source: Abebooks.com
AbeBooks offers you two possible ways to sell your used books. One is to do it through the site’s buyback program or by making a professional seller’s account.
The buyback program is a great choice if you need your cash right away. All you have to do is type in the ISBN of your books, and the site will let you know how much it offers for them. If you decide to go through with the sale, the site will give you a free shipping label, and you’ll send the book to the company. You will then get your money, and you’ll be done!
If you have a lot of books (up to 500), it might be better to get a Pro seller’s account. You will have to pay $25 a month, as well as a certain percentage for every book you sell. However, the investment will pay off because the number of books you want to sell is so vast.
So, if you want to make a quick buck by selling a few books, the buyback program is the way to go. But if you have a lot of books you want to get rid of and you want to make a business out of it, it is best to make a seller’s account.
5. Alibris
Image source: Alibris.com
Just like with many other options on this list, you will need a seller’s account to be able to put your books up for sale on Alibris. The site offers you two possible options.
The Basic pricing option consists of an annual fee of $19.99. When you pay this fee, you will be able to list up to 1,000 books. You will have to pay a $1 fee for each sale, as well as an additional percentage of the price.
The second option you can go for is the Gold plan. To get it, you will have to pay a $20 fee each month for up to 2,000 book listings. Moreover, you will have to pay a set-up fee of $19.99 once you sign up. You won’t be charged for each sale, but the site will still take a percentage of each book’s price.
Alibris is a great choice only if you have a large number of books to sell. Otherwise, it is not a good investment and will only cost you money in the end. Thus, make sure you do the math and count your books before opting for any of the plans.
6. Decluttr
Image source: Decluttr.com
Decluttr is another great website to sell your books on if you want to get your money right away. It works rather simply. You type in the ISBNs of the books you want to sell, and the website then lets you know what it is willing to offer for them.
The only condition the site has is that you have to sell at least ten books at a time. Thus, Decluttr is only an option if you have a bundle of books to sell. The shipping is free, meaning that there are no added expenses for you.
7. Sell Back Your Book
Image source: Sellbackyourbook.com
Sell Back Your Book works similarly to Decluttr. The only difference is that you can only sell books on this site if you reach a threshold of at least $7.50, while on Decluttr you have to sell at least 10 books.
Once you have reached or passed the desired threshold, the company will sell you a free shipping label, and you’ll get your money. It is a quick and easy way to make money if you don’t have too many books to sell, but the bundle is still considerable.
8. Half Price Books
Image source: Hpb.com
Are you looking for a way to sell used books locally? If you have a Half Price Books (HPB) near you, all you have to do is pay it a visit. Go to the Buy Counter, and offer all the books you have and no longer need. The store will evaluate all you brought and give you an offer. If you like it, you will get your cash right away, and you’ll be good to go.
As with most trade or buyback programs, you will get less money by selling your books to HPB than you would by doing it yourself. Still, it is a great way to get your cash right away and free up space on your shelves quickly.
9. Local Used and Indie Bookstores
Another great way to sell your books locally is to hit up all the used or indie bookstores in your town. You won’t have to worry about paying for shipping, and you’ll get decent money right away.
Now, it is important to remember that not all stores have a buyback program that you can take advantage of. Thus, look for ones that do. You can do it online or by asking around.
Apart from money, some bookstores might also offer you store credit for the books you bring in. In other words, you will get a chance to get some books you actually want and like for the ones you give away. Most stores are also willing to negotiate everything, so make sure you talk through all your options with them.
10. Facebook Marketplace
If you have a big bundle of books that you want to sell in one go, putting the bundle up on Facebook Marketplace is another great option to consider. While you can definitely sell single books on the site as well, most offers are for bundles or boxes of books.
The people willing to buy books on there often like taking whole boxes of them. The genres or the number of books often do not matter. Thus, if you need a quick way to get rid of a lot of books at once, Facebook Marketplace is a good place to do so. You will be able to bargain with buyers and ensure that you get good money for the books you sell.
11. Craigslist
Image source: Craigslist.org
Craigslist is another place where you can put up books for sale. Both individual books and bundles are an option. Just like with Facebook Marketplace, you will find that bundles often sell much better than individual books.
The great thing about this site is that you can choose the price for your book yourself. Thus, if you are dissatisfied with all the offers you got on other sites, you can simply put your book up on Craigslist and list any price you want. That way, you will get the money you deserve if a buyer pops up.
12. Yard Sales
Finally, yard sales are another great way to sell used books, and they are most people’s favorite. In a yard sale, you have complete control over the pricing. Moreover, you can also bargain with buyers and figure out things as you go.
When people buy books at yard sales, they often expect the prices to be on the lower side. That is something you ought to consider when coming up with the prices. Still, you will be able to make decent money, especially if you have a big number of books to sell.
Of course, it is important to mention that setting up a yard sale is neither easy nor always manageable. You should only do it if you have other things you also want to sell besides books. Alternatively, you can do a combined yard sale with your friends. You can also include anyone else in town who might want to organize one.
It is essential that you advertise your sale well so that as many people hear about it as possible. Social media can help you a lot in that regard. That is especially the case if you are smart about the ads and you time your posts well.
If you live in a big city and don’t have too many books to sell, going for one of the other options on this list might be a better idea. In such cases, a yard sale might be more trouble than it is worth.
