Where Do You Sell Your Used Books?

One of Seattlest's major accomplishments this weekend -- other than surviving a fever, thanks -- was a preliminary round of spring cleaning/babyproofing. One result: 100+ books we're going to get rid of.

We usually sell our used books to Elliott Bay. It's a good place to have store credit, and they'll just donate books they don't want to the Friends of the Seattle Public Library. Handy.

We've also sold books to Third Place Books in Ravenna. And once in a blue moon, when a visit to relatives works out with a cleaning fit, we'll take a load of used books to Powell's, the best place to have a big wad of store credit burning a hole in your wallet.

But we're in the mood to experiment, so we're turning to you, our dear readers: where do you take your dead-tree media when it's taking up too much shelf space? Are we missing a great local resource for bookselling?

Contact the author of this article or email tips@seattlest.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By James in Arts & Events, News on May 30, 2006 11:23 AM

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Allie

I recently had a good experience with Epilogue Books in Ballard. They "pay" with store credit rather than cash but it has been by far the highest rate of return. They also keep your credit on file for you so you don't have to worry about losing a potentially valuable slip of paper. (This is a real plus for me!) Their address is 2005 NW Market Street, Seattle, WA 98107

I've been burned so often leaving a store with $20 in exchange for what felt like 200 pounds of books - at Epilogue I felt like both the store and I got good deal and a fair shake.

matt Westervelt

I take my books to Twice Sold Tales on Broadway. They have a lot of cats (always a plus) and a pretty eclectic collection of stuff. It's a good place for trades. I don't know about selling for cash.

James Callan

I'll donate cars, but books are too valuable not to try and sell first. Because when you sell books for store credit, you can turn those books into other books.

McDonald's in Redmond, eh? That's nowhere near to convenient for me, but it's closer than Powell's...

kerrizor

I've got that same fear!

"no... no.... no.... who would want htis crap, lady?!?"

Jake of 8bitjoystick.com

I have a fear of rejection with my book selection being picked through by the sales staff at used book stores so I would rather just box up my used books and hand it off to Goodwill or my local library.

Anita Rowland

Half Price? no way! They will pay you a mere pittance for your books.

I usually trade in my books to MacDonald Book Exchange in Redmond. They have a great credit policy, so I can get more books very inexpensively.

Matt Silvie

I always check amazon first to see what the going rate is for used copies of books I no longer want. If the low price is more than $10 then it justifies mailing. Failing that, I've always had good luck selling to Half Price both on Roosevelt and on the Hill.