How and Where to Sell Used Books: 14 Best Platforms in January 2026

As with new books, used hardbacks usually sell for more than paperback books. You can sell most used hardcovers for around $5–$10 per book, whereas paperback books are often worth as little as a few cents.

However, if you have special, antique, or limited edition copies, they may be worth a lot more—potentially hundreds of dollars, regardless of whether they’re hardback or paperback. In practice, they might still be difficult to actually sell for that much (even rare books can be difficult assets to move), but at least on paper, they may be quite valuable.

What affects the value of a used book?

The value of a used book is determined by quite a few factors, including:

• The condition it’s in: The better the condition your books are in, the more you’ll get for them. Tears, discoloration of the pages, or the absence of a book jacket means you’ll get less.
• What edition it is: Again, some limited, early, or first edition books can fetch better prices. Signed books are also much more valuable.
• Whether it’s part of a collection: It’s usually easier and more lucrative to sell books that are part of a set when you have the full collection.
• What type of book it is: All other things being equal, nonfiction books are typically worth more than novels, with textbooks being especially pricey.

How to use your book’s ISBN to determine its value

Most book-selling sites will let you search your book’s International Standard Book Number (ISBN) and see how much it’s worth. Prices vary between vendors, but this will give you at least some idea of what you can get for any given book, which you can use as a jumping-off point for your own research.

There are many online marketplaces that you can sell used books on. We’ve listed some of the most popular sites below:

1. BookScouter

BookScouter is an aggregator that will connect you with over 30 major vendors integrated into the platform. This ensures you get plenty of options and a fair price for your book.

It’s still the best and most popular tool for finding the highest price, and that convenience, combined with the ease of use and fast payout times (usually a few days), makes it our top choice for selling your used books this month.

It’s worth noting that although BookScouter’s main focus is on textbooks, they do accept other kinds of used books as long as they have ISBNs. If your books don’t, you won’t be able to sell them through BookScouter.

Selling on BookScouter is generally free if it’s for personal use and you’re selling at a low volume. The site may limit the number of requests you can make within a certain timeframe. If you wish to sell in bulk and access special tools, such as your full buyback price history, consider subscribing to BookScouter Pro.

How to get started

To sell your books through BookScouter, follow these steps:

1. Go to BookScouter’s homepage and click “Sign up.”
2. Enter your email address and create a password, then click “Sign up” again.
3. Once you’ve created your account, use the site’s search tool to look up your book’s ISBN and click “Scout.” You’ll see a list of vendors, along with ratings showing whether most sellers have had good experiences with them.
4. Select a vendor, then follow the instructions to sell your book.

2. Biblio

Biblio is another book-selling marketplace for independent sellers and small businesses. It’s more niche than BookScouter, hence its number two spot this month, but it’s still a pretty good platform.

This platform is best if you have specialized or vintage books, and its unlimited listings and flexible fee structure can accommodate both occasional and frequent sellers without breaking the bank—a major contributing factor to this platform’s second place ranking.

While Biblio doesn’t have as many users as some of the other marketplaces on this list, it reportedly provides solid customer support to both buyers and sellers.

As you can see above, you’ll be paid on the 10th or the 25th, based on when the order is placed. If the payment date falls on a weekend or holiday, Biblio will send your payment on the next business day.

Check out the fee structures of the two plans Biblio offers:

How to get started

To sell on Biblio, follow the steps below:

1. Go to Biblio’s homepage, scroll to the bottom and find “Resources,” then click “Sell Books on BIBLIO.”
2. Create your Biblio account by entering your name (or your business’s name), contact information, address, and password.
3. Select your commission plan, accept the terms and conditions, and click “Begin selling.”

3. AbeBooks

AbeBooks is another online platform (owned by Amazon) that you can sell used books on.

As our third pick, AbeBooks is legit and reliable for sellers and buyers alike. Its fees are admittedly a little pricey, but the platform tends to attract more serious book collectors and bibliophiles looking for rare or niche titles. This means you can ensure that your book is going to a good home (and get a decent chunk of change for it, too).

Since AbeBooks is an open marketplace, what books you can sell comes down to what the buyers on the platform are looking for, and not AbeBooks’ own policies. That said, you’ll be able to use the site to offload most types of books, even though the site has a particular focus on rare and antique books (as well as fine art and other non-book collectibles, such as posters).

Their basic subscription plan, which starts at $25 per month, allows 0–500 listings. If you want to create more listings, you can upgrade your plan (the highest $500 plan allows 500,001+ listings). Visit AbeBooks’s Seller Help Center page to check the details of all their available plans.

Note that the standard 8% selling fee comes with a $0.50 minimum and $40 maximum per book. In addition, AbeBooks may charge an external payment service fee (usually 3.5% or 5.5% of the total item amount, depending on your location and number of listings).

How to get started

To sell on AbeBooks, follow these steps:

1. Go to AbeBooks’ homepage and click “Start Selling.”
2. Log in with your Amazon account (if you have one) or click “Sign up now” to create your account.
3. If you’re creating a new account, enter your name and email address, then create a password and click “Create your AbeBooks account.”
4. Use AbeBooks’ search bar to look up the ISBN for your book and see how much it’s worth.

4. BookDeal

BookDeal is another online book marketplace that accepts a wide range of used books (as long as they have ISBNs and are in good condition) with a focus on textbooks.

Before selling on BookDeal, take a moment to review their book condition guidelines for their full requirements.

Their prices are determined by:

• Their estimation of each book’s future value
• The book’s popularity
• The number of copies they already have
• The current demand for the book

The price you’re quoted may be different from what you actually get, since BookDeal examines books for quality issues when they arrive and may adjust their appraisal accordingly.

How to get started

To sell your books on BookDeal, follow these steps:

1. Go to BookDeal’s homepage and click “Login/Register.”
2. Click “Sign Up.”
3. Enter your name and email address, then create a password and click “Sign Up.”
4. Once you’ve set up your account, enter your book’s ISBN in the search bar on BookDeal’s homepage to see how much you’ll get.

5. Powell’s Books

Powell’s Books, a Portland-based independent bookstore, operates an online store where you can sell your used books. If you’re based in Portland, you can also just drop your books off at Powell’s outlets directly.

Be aware that Powell’s is very strict about the condition of books it accepts. You’ll need to refer to the condition guidelines in Powell’s FAQ to see if your books are eligible.

If all is well with your books, Powell’s will pay you a percentage of what they believe they can sell them for.

How to get started

To sell your books to Powell’s, follow these steps:

1. Go to the Powell’s Books homepage and click “Sell Books.”
2. Assuming you want to sell online, click “Sell your books online” in the right column.
3. Enter your item’s ISBN and click “Submit.” You’ll see an offer for your book.

6. Textbooks.com

If you have textbooks from your college days lying around, you can sell them on Textbooks.com, another book-selling marketplace that specializes in used textbooks (as the name suggests).

This site is narrower in scope than the other marketplaces on this list, but it reportedly pays out promptly and will cover your shipping costs.

How to get started

To get rid of your unwanted textbooks, follow these steps:

1. Go to Textbook.com’s homepage and click “Sell textbooks.”
2. Enter your book’s ISBN in the search bar and click the arrow.
3. Review the quote the site gives you; this will be valid for 30 days.

Note that quotes are approximations, and your final payout might be less than you expected if Textbooks.com finds your item has quality issues (such as missing pages or water damage) when they receive it.

7. Barnes and Noble

You’re probably familiar with Barnes and Noble, and if you’re a book person, there’s a good chance you’ve visited one of their physical bookstores. What you might not know is that the company has a “Textbook Buyback” program you can use to sell certain used textbooks.

Selling via Barnes and Noble’s Textbook Buyback program is very standard and straightforward (as you can see below), and you should be able to sell your textbooks to them smoothly without any issues.

How to get started

To participate in Barnes and Noble’s buyback program, follow these steps:

1. Go to the Barnes and Noble homepage, hover over the “Books” icon, then go to “Departments” and click “Textbooks.”
2. Click “Textbook Buy Back” on the right.
3. Enter your book’s ISBN and click “Get Quote.”
4. You’ll see your book displayed alongside the quote; if you want to accept it (and have reached the $10 minimum), click “Continue.”
5. Enter your name, address, and email address, choose your payment method, accept the terms of use, and click “Submit.”

8. World of Books

Formerly known as SellBackYourBook.com or Ziffit, World of Books is another platform that buys used books.

You can sell either individually or in bulk to the platform. They accept a wide range of books, including fiction, nonfiction, and textbooks.

Check World of Books’s Condition Guidelines page to see if your books are eligible.

How to get started

Follow the steps below:

1. Go to World of Books’s homepage, enter your book’s ISBN in the search bar, and click “Sell.”
2. You’ll see your book displayed alongside the quote; if you’re satisfied, click “Complete order.”
3. Enter your email and create a password, then enter your name, address, and select your preferred payment method. Click “Complete Sale.”

9. ValoreBooks

ValoreBooks is a service that both rents and sells textbooks. You can also sell your own used textbooks to the platform. Like with most other book-selling platforms, you can get instant quotes for your books by looking up their ISBNs, and you’ll have access to free shipping.

Your books need to be in good condition for ValoreBooks to accept them, although they aren’t as strict as some of the other book-selling platforms on this list. After you ship your books, ValoreBooks will evaluate them and let you know if they’re eligible; if they aren’t, they’ll send them back to you.

How to get started

To sell your textbooks to ValoreBooks, follow these steps:

1. Go to Valore’s homepage and click “Sell Textbooks.”
2. Enter your book’s ISBN in the search bar and click “Get price quote.”
3. Once you’ve added your books, click “Proceed to checkout.”
4. Review your list and click “Payment info,” then choose your payment method.

10. BooksRun

Similar to ValoreBooks, BooksRun offers buying, renting, and selling services. The main difference is that BooksRun isn’t limited to textbooks; you can sell other types of used books on the platform.

You can check BooksRun’s Buyback Condition Guide beforehand to minimize the chances of your books being rejected by them.

In addition to their buyback program for individual sellers, BooksRun also operates BooksRun Marketplace, a B2B platform designed for businesses to sell books in bulk. The marketplace doesn’t have a monthly subscription fee, but it comes with a 15% selling fee.

How to get started

Follow these steps to sell your books to BooksRun:

1. Go to BooksRun’s homepage and click “Sell books.”
2. Enter your book’s ISBN in the search bar and click “Get quote.”
3. Search for the title of the book you want to sell and click “Sell.”
4. Select the condition and quantity of your book(s), and you’ll see a quote displayed beside it; if you want to accept their quote (and have reached the $10 minimum), click “Sell this book.”
5. Enter your email and create a password to register with them and complete your order.

Selling on a book-specific online marketplace isn’t your only option. It’s also possible to offload used books on general marketplaces that accept all sorts of secondhand items, such as:

11. Amazon

You almost certainly know about Amazon, but you might not know that the company originally started out as a marketplace for books. You can still sell them on the platform, even though it’s expanded its focus greatly since its early days.

Amazon’s massive audience (and nearly universal name recognition) makes it a viable option for selling books directly to customers. You’re free to set your prices, which gives you more freedom than many of the other reselling markets we’ve listed (which will lock you into the quote they give you).

However, there’s a lot of competition on Amazon, so depending on the condition of your books and your prices, it might not be the quickest way of selling them. Moreover, you’ll have to pay for shipping yourself, alongside Amazon’s selling and referral fees.

How to get started

To start listing and selling on Amazon, follow these steps:

1. Go to Amazon’s homepage and click “Sell.”
2. If you don’t already have one, create an Amazon Seller account by clicking “Sign up.”
3. Enter your email and password.
4. Make sure you have the required documents, then click “Begin.”
5. Enter your location, business type (individual seller), your full name, and check the box to confirm your details, then click “Agree and continue.”

12. eBay

Another e-commerce giant, eBay is one of the most recognized online marketplaces in the world, second only to Amazon. You can list items on it with fixed prices or create auction-style listings that people can bid on.

Unlike Amazon, eBay is specifically meant for secondhand items, and if you’re willing to be flexible with your prices, you can make sales relatively quickly.

However, eBay will take a relatively high commission from each transaction. You’ll also need to account for shipping costs. All of this means that eBay may be a more worthwhile option if you’re looking to sell your books as a collection rather than individually.

How to get started

Follow these steps:

1. Go to eBay’s homepage and create an account if you don’t already have one.
2. On the homepage, click “Sell.”
3. Click “List an item” in the taskbar on the right.
4. Enter your book’s title and/or ISBN, then click the search icon.
5. If there’s a match (meaning eBay recognizes your item), enter its condition, then click “Continue to listing.” If there isn’t a match, follow eBay’s instructions to create your listing from scratch.

13. Craigslist

Craigslist is a community message board you can use to sell items to your neighbors and other people in your area. It currently has two apps you can download—the original app and CPlus Classifieds, which offers additional features.

Selling on Craigslist is a quick and low-cost way to get rid of books; because most sales are local, you don’t have to pay shipping fees, and you get to keep all of your profits.

However, the local nature of the platform also limits your customer base, and meeting customers in person can be risky. This is a viable selling method, but make sure you understand what you’re getting into.

How to get started

To post a listing on Craigslist, follow these steps:

1. Go to Craigslist’s homepage and find your location.
2. Navigate to the taskbar and click “post.”
3. Choose “for sale by owner” and click “continue.”
4. Choose the category “books & magazines” and click “continue.”
5. Enter the details of your listing and click “continue.”

14. Facebook Marketplace

If you have a Facebook account, you can use the site’s selling platform to get rid of your used books. As with Craigslist, most sales on Facebook Marketplace are local, although shipping is allowed.

You’ll communicate directly with customers and have total control over your listings. However, this service has the same downsides that Craigslist does—namely that you’ll have to coordinate with buyers and arrange the transaction (handing over the items, etc.) on your own.

How to get started

To sell on Facebook Marketplace, follow these steps:

1. Go to Facebook and log in to your account (or create one if you don’t have one).
2. Click “Marketplace” on the right.
3. Click “Create new listing” on the right.
4. Select “Item for sale.”
5. Follow the instructions to create your listing.

You don’t have to rely on e-commerce marketplaces to sell your used books—if you aren’t much of a computer person, there are plenty of offline selling options, too. These include:

• Local bookstores: If you want to quickly sell books, reach out to local used bookstores. Many of these buy books in exchange for store credit or cash. Be aware that they might not accept books that they already have a lot of copies of or that they don’t think there will be much demand for.
• Garage sales: If you have a lot of other unwanted items you’d like to get rid of, consider hosting a garage sale. You can advertise it on Nextdoor or Craigslist, as well as by putting up flyers around your neighborhood.
• Pawn shops: Selling to pawn shops means you can get an instant valuation and sell quickly. However, pawn shops aren’t known for their generosity, so going with this option will probably mean accepting less than you could get elsewhere.
• College bookstores: If you’re a student looking to get rid of old textbooks, try your campus bookstore, as they often buy back used textbooks. Don’t be afraid to shop around at other local bookstores and see which one gives you the best quote.