Want To Sell Used Textbooks In Los Angeles? Here Are Your 7 Best Options

By Author: Natalie
Total Articles: 1
Comment this article

Where to sell used textbooks in Los Angeles?
Here is a list of a few bookstores and online vendors who offer buybacks for used books. Mind that not all of them will accept textbooks, so check the specific guidelines if you have a varied collection of books for sale. It might also matter when you sell — check this article to learn about the tricks for maximizing your income from selling textbooks.

Angel City Books & Records
218 Pier Avenue, Santa Monica, CA 90405

It’s probably the last indie bookstore in town! You’ll get not only a great atmosphere but also good chances of selling some of your books. This bookstore is interested primarily in classics and fiction, and you should contact them for further details. You can also sell vinyl records at the store if you have any!

UCLA Store – BookZone
308 Westwood Plz, Los Angeles, CA 90024

Here is an independent university bookstore with a great selection! They offer in-store textbook buyback for textbooks; check out the exact locations.

BooksRun
Selling textbooks online is also an option that saves you time and ...
... effort. With BooksRun, you will instantly know the buyback for your books (no need to contact a bookstore or drive somewhere to have your collection evaluated). You’ll get your money paid by check or PayPal after your order has been processed.

Moreover, you’ll get a prepaid shipping label, so all you need to do is pack and drop off the books at the post office. It doesn’t really matter where in the US you are! The buybacks are usually higher than in an average campus bookstore.

Last Bookstore
453 S Spring St – Ground Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90013

Last Bookstore is one of the largest new and used books stores in Los Angeles. Luckily, they also accept books for sale and donations! Currently, Last Bookstore encourages everybody to donate since they cannot process the buyback orders because of Covid-19 and the lack of stuff. Schedule an appointment if you are sure that some of your books are of great value to the store.

The Iliad Bookshop
5400 Cahuenga Boulevard, North Hollywood, CA 91601

Usually, The Iliad Bookshop accepts books for sale, but now their policies have temporarily changed, and they only accept donations. Moreover, note that they won’t buy textbooks while mainly being interested in fiction. Indeed it’s an excellent place to drop some of your book collection, but not your first choice if you have plenty of textbooks for sale.

BookMonster Santa Monica
212 Santa Monica Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90401

BookMonster offers in-store and online buyback options. It’s a great service (and you can also sell used CDs and DVDs), but their condition guidelines are pretty strict. For example, textbooks with highlighting on more than 10 pages are not accepted at all. Can you find used textbooks devoid of any highlights and marginal notes? Rarely. So check the conditions carefully before selling textbooks to avoid surprises!

Counterpoint Records and Books
5911 Franklin Ave. Hollywood, CA 90028

Counterpoint has been around since 1979! This bookstore offers a great variety, a treasure for a bookworm. You can also sell your used book collection, together with vinyl records, but the store does not have a set policy for pricing. You should make an appointment, and maybe you’ll have luck earning some cash on your used textbooks!

It might happen that you don’t get a great buyback for your books (or none at all, if there is no demand for it whatsoever). In this case, you’d instead donate or recycle — here are some tips and recommendations!

How to Recycle Used Textbooks in Los Angeles
If you can’t find a lucrative buyback for your textbooks, magazines, and comic books, don’t just immediately trash them. Follow the recycling guidelines of your community that you can find here!

We recommend you donate first. Many companies sort out the books and take care of recycling those that can’t be donated. However, they do their best to find a home for each and every book.

Where to Donate Used Books in LA
The Public Library
The Public Library accepts book donations, so check their info page.

American Book Drive
All used books are redistributed — to underfunded schools, small libraries, hospitals, and other communities.

Here is an exhaustive article about the drop-off locations in Los Angeles and other details about the organization.

Bookstores in LA
Most of the bookshops mentioned above in Los Angeles accept book donations. However, always mind their guidelines — some books are not accepted by one store but would be welcomed by another! The Last Bookstore has even set up a separate initiative for redistributing donated books — Re-Book It. Check all the info about the accepted items and how to arrange a pick-up.

Selling textbooks in LA: your takeaway
Many on-site bookstores offer to buy books from you, sometimes for a good price. You will probably get some cash, especially if you think your collection is valuable — this article will help you define the value of your old books.

So what’s left to do? Pick the store closest to you, schedule an appointment, talk, describe your books, maybe send an inventory with ISBNs… This process might be quite enduring!

Since BooksRun is an online vendor, you’d be saved from all these errands. They have a transparent pricing policy — you’ll know your buyback offer immediately, you don’t need to drive somewhere to have your books evaluated. Handling your textbook selling project online might also be a better option, given the pandemics. Finally, there are multiple options for donating and recycling if you can’t find a suitable venue to sell your books.

Good luck, and always give used books a second chance!