Selling second-hand books

onashoestring

Our library was closed by the council and is now run by volunteers. They appreciate donations of certain books . You could check your area for similar schemes . 

publicenemyno1

I used webuybooks last month and was pleasantly surprised...

1. They didn't reject a single book based on the barcodes, even when I was expecting this (for a few of the books barcodes didn't come up with the correct book, but the ISBN inside the cover did, and I was expecting 'computer says no' at the other end)
2. They didn't reject a single book based on condition (they were all pretty good but again based on my experiences with almost every other trade of this type I was expecting some 'well, they aren't quite what we'd expect' wiggling out)
3. They regularly give out 15% bonus codes, wait for these
4. Hermes came and collected them & delivered to webuybooks all without any issues. That's the most amazing bit of all!!
5. Literally paid the same day as delivery to them.

I promise I'm not a paid shill for them and was really surprised. Yes the money isn't amazing but I was at the stage I'd maybe have binned the ones the charity shop probably wouldn't have wanted (last-edition medical texts etc... which surprisingly WBB snapped up).

I have just realised though that 1. and 2. might just be because they simply don't have the staff to check every single book and they have to take every other box on trust!

gocurlygirl

I have found recently that many of my friends and family are now more interested in paper books.As my daughter said ' it is much better to read a real book .Our local library sells donated books etc, so maybe the uptake of sales of second hand books will improve.

geekrd

My local charity shops accept books. Thankfully. Though it does mean a kind of revolving door arrangement as we clear space and then I fill it back up.

Being able to sell books depends on the books. And from a typical personal library it's unusual to find much that is valuable enough to justify taking in what amounts to industrial waste that needs sorting through for the gems.

The University of Manchester library has information that might help identify some potential places to explore for donating books. www.library.manchester.ac.uk/using-the-library/students/books-and-resources/donating-books/alternative-recipients/

If you have recent professional test books (medicine, paramedical professions, engineering, ...) then there are charities that will accept them and ship them around the world to places where such books are less accessible. Some will contribute to shipping. On retiring, my SO recently donated a whole bunch psychiatry and neurology textbooks in this way.

brila

Momox used to be great, but not running in the UK at the moment.  Ziffit are ok, Music Magpie are dreadful (rejecting about 3/4 of each box in my experience). WeBuyBooks were ok, but didn't accept enough of mine to be worth sending.  Amazon used to have a trade in scheme that was pretty good (maybe too good, as it folded!).  Now everyone is clearing out andthe secondhand book market is a bit saturated, particularly for popular stuff.  Worth emailing local secondary school libraries (I send a photograh of the spines lined up) before attempting to donate to a charity shop.  Non-fiction we sometimes sell in job lots on ebay - £1 a book for a hundred, with £30 shipping and photographs of the spines.  I suspect the dealers only want a couple of them, but the whole lot is out of your hair!

mjm3346

our local Tesco has a book exchange where you can dump leave books and people donate to charity when they take any (raised over £1k in the last year I looked)

soolin

mjm3346 said:

our local Tesco has a book exchange where you can dump leave books and people donate to charity when they take any (raised over £1k in the last year I looked)

When I was faced with mountains of books and no where to take them I used to keep several bags in the car and whenever I saw a 'please take a book and leave a book' type of place I would casually drop a dozen or so off. I used to be careful what I dropped where,  good quality paperbacks and humourous books at the hospital 'Friends' site , more serious novels at the various supermarkets, large print and audio books at the various social centres etc.

I do remember one supermarket had a large book dump like the clothes recycling places. I used to load my car as much as the springs allowed and go there - I often met other dealers doing the same and we would often swap books, so if I had buyers for old Sci fi I would take theirs and they would take say my cookery ones - and we'd leave the rest. That was years ago and the book dump only lasted for a few months as it was often full to overflowing.

ellenvan

Recently sold some books to Webuybooks - a really simple process and they picked the books up. paying for postage.
Not a great sum about £12 , they took most of the books they had, just a couple  of rejects that were popular fiction. Great service, paid out for all books sent within the week.

Our local Tesco also has a set of bookshelves were you can leave books, they sell them for a donation to charity.

ladyholly

I have a large number of craft books which I have inherited which I list on ebay. You dont get much and it takes a long while for them to sell but they are gradually going.

Jenna_Appleseed

ladyholly said:

I have a large number of craft books which I have inherited which I list on ebay. You dont get much and it takes a long while for them to sell but they are gradually going.

Etsy also might be a good place for craft books.