Where can I sell my old books?

Jlawson118

I've been trying to get rid of my old children's books for the past year or two now. I've tried using eBay and these apps where you scan barcodes, but nobody seems interested.

If I can't shift them, then I will just donate them to a local school or library. But I'd like to try and at least get some money for them, even if it's just a few quid, as there's a lot and a lot of money was once spent on them.

I'm just currently having a huge clear-out and they need to go. One idea I've had is just offering an entire box full of them on eBay and seeing if it helps to sell in bulk.

Does anyone know of places that'll buy old books?

littleredhen

Are they in good condition?
You could offer them to a local school but say you would like to sell them to them. My school recently spent quite a lot of money on new books but would probably have bought some good quality second hand ones locally if offered.
Depends on what the books are too, time has moved on and children want to read different things to when I was a child

Tom99

Are any of them in sets? If so have you tried selling them on Ebay by set. I bought 26 Noddy books on Ebay last year for £26.

soolin

Jlawson118 wrote: »

I've been trying to get rid of my old children's books for the past year or two now. I've tried using eBay and these apps where you scan barcodes, but nobody seems interested.

If I can't shift them, then I will just donate them to a local school or library. But I'd like to try and at least get some money for them, even if it's just a few quid, as there's a lot and a lot of money was once spent on them.

I'm just currently having a huge clear-out and they need to go. One idea I've had is just offering an entire box full of them on eBay and seeing if it helps to sell in bulk.

Does anyone know of places that'll buy old books?

Books are a poor market at the moment and you seem to have tried all the usual places. All I can think of now is to batch them up and try local Facebook marketplace or sites like SHpock or Gumtree.

I suspect you'll end up donating them though as children's boooks are even harder than adult books to shift.

Jlawson118

littleredhen wrote: »

Are they in good condition?
You could offer them to a local school but say you would like to sell them to them. My school recently spent quite a lot of money on new books but would probably have bought some good quality second hand ones locally if offered.
Depends on what the books are too, time has moved on and children want to read different things to when I was a child

They are in quite good condition, some better than others. The only thing that may be wrong with one or two would be that the cover is a bit bent, but that's the worst case scenario. I remember WHSmiths even giving us discount because of the cover being like that, so I bought it.

But most of them are like new. I bought a new shelf about two years ago and didn't realise it was as lot smaller than my old one, I remember my ex girlfriend spent all day putting everything onto this new shelf and she put all my books right at the top which looked good but now these few years later they're just collecting dust and looking untidy

Tealblue

I know exactly how you feel because I've been there - spent a lot/took up storage space/now want to get back some of the cash. Having tried various avenues to sell the books, I then realised my time was more valuable than the few pounds profit I might make selling the wretched things. A day centre for disadvantaged children was thrilled with them. I got rid of what had become unwanted clutter and saw it as a charitable donation of goods in kind rather than cash, which made me feel a bit better about not getting any financial return!

CGG

I used to buy the odd book or two off ebay, but then discovered one of the local Charity shops sells all the books for 20p sotfback and 30p all hardbacks.

pinkshoes

Sell them 3 for £1 on local Facebook group.

Februarycat

Have you got a book shop that buys books off you? We have one in my town, when I cleared my parent's house I took a box full of books to the shop and he gave me some money for them, was not a huge amount, but was glad to pass them on rather than chuck them away.

Jlawson118

I think my mum's friend's daughter is interested in buying quite a few of them, but last week shortly after I saw the responses here then I placed them into the British Heart Foundation donation box

I ended up making a few trips to the local tip to get rid of a load of rubbish and they have the donation boxes there for old Books & Films and things so I just placed some books into there

soolin

Jlawson118 wrote: »

I think my mum's friend's daughter is interested in buying quite a few of them, but last week shortly after I saw the responses here then I placed them into the British Heart Foundation donation box

I ended up making a few trips to the local tip to get rid of a load of rubbish and they have the donation boxes there for old Books & Films and things so I just placed some books into there

I was one of the local dealers who got first dibs on those books , the various charities would get bag loads delivered or donated individually and I would go once a fortnight or so and open the bags and take what I wanted- all for 2p a book. That and auctions where I bought books by the crate load were mainly where I got my books.