Click
here to search our current online used book inventory*
(hosted
by abebooks.com)
*Our online
selections reflect only a fraction
of our 100,000 volume in-store used book inventory!
WE BUY
BOOKS…but not all books…
We offer a check (over $20 only)
or store credit (25% more) for books we think we can resell. If
our Used Book manager is available, he will usually be able to look at
your books while you wait, or you may leave them after filling out our
drop-off form. In order to collect your check or credit, you will need
to retrieve any books that are rejected.
We are
selective in our book choices.
Our offer is based on condition,
desirability, market value, printing history, how a particular title or
subject sells in our store, and current stock levels. Neither you nor I
can know whether we will purchase your books until you bring them in.
What We Like
to Buy
We look for books in excellent
condition. Hardcover books issued with a dust jacket should have one. We
favor classic literature, philosophy, local interest, theology, history
& children’s books in good condition. We buy some non-fiction and
specialized titles. Author signed books, first editions, & collections
are of special interest. Good condition Mass Market paperbacks
are taken for trade ONLY (2 for 1 of the same price)
What We
Don’t Buy
It is impossible
to list our exact needs, but we can describe the kinds of books we are
not interested in.
*Damaged books
(including those with underlining or highlighting)
*Book club editions
(including Readers Digest Condensed Books)
*Computer & software
books (including users manuals)
*Travel guides and
textbooks (current textbooks are bought separately)
*Romance books
(Harlequin, etc.)
*Encyclopedias
*Ex-Library books
- Magazines
Some
Hints for Selling Your Books
It is impossible to evaluate a book over
the phone.
Please don't even ask.
(Well, sometimes we could tell you if it isn't worth anything... but
that requires more questions and time than a worthless book is worth...)
If you have more
than a couple of dozen books to sell,
it is often worth phoning to make sure we are interested in looking at
them, when we can look at them, or if you will have to leave them and
come back.
Many stores don't
pay cash for books
– they only give credit. Some stores, like ours, will offer 2 prices –
you might be offered $25 cash or $31.25 credit.
How much is it
worth? We might
offer you $10 for a book because we know someone who wants it. If we
didn't have that customer, we might offer $1 - or nothing. Many - if not
most - of our books will never sell. For the most part, we don't know
which ones. Out of the ones that do sell (for money, not credit) we have
to pay rent, heat, light, and wages.
****************************************************************************************************
There are books that
almost no-one will buy:
No matter how old,
rare, or meaningful a book
might be, if no one wants to buy it, it has no dollar value.
Really Old Books: Most old
books are not saleable. There are exceptions, but they must be in very
good condition. When they get back before 1800 or so, they start to get
more interesting.
First editions: People
often forget that every book has a first edition - and
most never have a second. Stephen King firsts in near mint condition
might sell for $5. Find a 'first' of Stephen King's first book
and that's a different matter.
When
it was published, they didn't know how it would do, so the first
printing was small. And no-one was collecting his books. A few years
later, his first editions are printed in huge quantities and thousands
of people save them. They will never be worth much.
There are also a dozen other 'types' of
'firsts' that are not 'true firsts' and usually of no
interest.
Condition is
everything! Not
quite, but it's critical. With 'collectable' books, a missing or torn
dust jacket might make the book unsalable. With older and rarer books
allowances are made. So…don’t be surprised or too disappointed
if your books are rejected, and please don’t take it personally…
