Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliate sites.
If you’ve been around my blog, you know that I used to sell used books on Amazon.com. I had my sources for finding and buying used books to resell. One of my sources were library book sales.
I once visited a small library that was having a sale. That particular day they were only charging $2 for a bag of books. Most libraries end their sales by doing a fixed amount for a bag of books on their last day of the sale.
I normally used my internet-ready cell phone to check the price of used books on Amazon.com before I bought them, but when I could load up a bag for only $2, I didn’t bother. I found books for my personal library, books for my kids, and books I guessed were worth something if I resold them on Amazon.
Anyway, library book sales are a great way to find used books for dirt cheap to fill up your own library, and to resell if you’re trying to make some extra cash. You can visit www.booksalefinder.com to find library sales in your area.
If you do want to resell used books, you might want to consider joining your local library’s “Friends of The Library” program. For a small fee, you can be one of the first people to view the books, usually the night before the sale, and have first crack at finding books that are resale worthy.
Selling used books is a great way of making a bit of extra cash, particularly for college students who don’t need their old textbooks. You bring up an interesting idea with used library sales; I’ve been toa few myself, and they always offer books for very little, often about a dollar each.
Hi Steve, I heard about a college student who hung out at the dumpster on the last day of school and fished out all the textbooks the students were throwing away. He made a couple of thousand dollars by selling those textbooks. That was his summer job!
Yes, i think library sales are a good way for students to get books dirt cheap. You can maybe also sell the used books that you do not want on Amazon.com. This will be a nice way to earn some money.
I love this post! Now I have an excuse to hang out at the library sales. My husband thinks I’m just wasting time. It is really amazing the types of deals you can get when they let you stuff a bag for a set fee. Good luck with the batch you haven’t checked on Amazon yet, I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you.
I always re-sell my books after using them. This way I get some money back…It’s great!
I never thought of doing this with anything other than text books, this is a good idea. It would be great if your article included some actual examples of what you paid and what you sold it for. I’m not sure I would spend the time doing this unless it was profitable enough, going to the post office is quite a pain. Good luck to you, this is a good idea for those that have the extra time to invest.
I’ll agree on this! We do this now and as long as you put your books for sell at the end of a semester/beginning of a semester you really can make a good deal of money.
Another good place to sell them is half.com 🙂
I sold my textbooks through amazon marketplace and was very happy with the results. I hadn’t considered selling other used books, or even looking for them at library book sales until reading this. Thanks for the reminder and the extra ideas!
When selling your books, try looking them up on BookScouter.com to see how much some companies are willing to buy from you directly. You get paid quickly (compared to 2-3 months from Amazon), and the prices are usually close to what you would make from selling on amazon (minus 15-20% in fees).
It’s true, I have recently gotten some very good deal on books at my local library. A complete copy of all the Chronicles of Narnia for a dollar. I also got a Young Ones VHS tape for a buck, but both of those I am keeping 🙂
I wanted to ask you, do you feel that Amazon is a better place to sell books than half.com, and if so, what are the advantages. When I am buying used books, I often check both places for the best price, and then buy. I am not sure what is the better deal for selling though, as I am just starting out. Thanks!
Hi Talin,
Honestly, I don’t sell on half.com. However, I think you can get more for your books on Amazon.com (from what I’ve seen). I think there’s a whole bunch of people that are “amazon” people–not eBay people or half.com people. I know for a fact that some items are cheaper on eBay for instance, but people would rather buy it on Amazon–probably because of their excellent customer service. People who sell on their marketplace are held to high standards so I think that commands a little bit of a higher price for your items.
Thanks, Brandon. I’ll check out bookscouter.com. However, Amazon pays immediately. For instance, I just sold an item today and “sweeped” the money to my bank account just a couple of hours later. It only takes a couple of days to get your money, not 2-3 months. Thanks for the bookscouter info!
Great idea! I love to search for books at yard sales and my on my local freecycle group people give away books too. I’ve sold books on Amazon and my experience has been that they sell for more than other places.
That is a great idea! I also sell books on half and amazon, so finding new books is a priority. Do you know where we can find out about upcoming library sales?
I sold my used textbooks back in college, but never “regular” books. This is a good idea. I have shelves and shelves of a variety of books for both adults and kids. I will need to look into this new money source!