Since 1971 Powell’s Books has been a haven for bookworms. It grewing into one of the world’s largest bookstores. With a mix of new and gently-loved books, they cater to all tastes while championing eco-friendly practices through book reselling.
In this article, we’ll guide you on a journey to sell books to Powell’s, packed with nuggets of wisdom, advice, and resources to make the process a piece of cake.
Preparing Your Books for Sale
Powell’s seeks gently-used, tidy, and odor-free books. If your book has minimal marks, a strong binding, and light wear, you’re golden. They will offer good cash for your books in this case!
Avoid books with water damage, missing or torn pages, excessive marks, damaged spines. If the damage is tiny and repairable, its advisable to repair before heading to Powell’s bookstore.
Pricing Your Literary Treasures
Book value is a jigsaw puzzle of factors like edition, rarity, demand, and condition. Better conditions and higher demand means more cash in your pocket.
BookDeal.com is a lifesaver for determining your books’ worth, especially college textbooks. So, if you have lots of used college textbooks to sell, before heading to Powell’s, run a quick check on BookDeal.com. BookDeal will compare offers from multiple vendors and give you instant live quotes!
Organizing Your Bookish Affairs
Before plunging into selling, get your books in shipshape. List the books you want to sell, noting title, author, ISBN, and condition. This list streamlines submitting your sell order to Powell’s and helps you track sales like a pro.
Selling Your Books In-Store
To sell your books face-to-face, find the closest Powell’s store. With several locations across Portland, Oregon, there’s bound to be a store nearby.
At a Powell’s store, their staff will go through your books, checking quality and considering factors like demand, rarity, and market value.
If your books make the cut, Powell’s will make an offer. Remember, good things come to those who wait—book evaluations can take time.
Once you accept Powell’s offer, pick your payment—cash, store credit or a mix of both. Options are always a plus!
Selling Your Books Online
Selling your books on Powell’s is an option, but from what we’ve checked they don’t buy a whole lot of books. You can go to their website and enter ISBNs to see if they have any offers. Out of 7 books & textbooks I had submitted, I only got $7.20 offer for one of them. The rest they don’t buy.
Then I headed over to BookDeal.com to run the same books for search and got $358.30 worth of instant buyback offer!
Pro Tips for a Smooth Book-Selling Ride
Timing Your Sale Just Right: Maximize profits by watching trends and seasonal shifts. For example, college textbooks sell like hotcakes at semester starts.
Staying on Top of Market Swings: Monitor the book market to know what’s sizzling and what’s fizzling. This intel helps you make savvy selling choices with Powell’s.
Describing Your Books Accurately: Be meticulous and honest when detailing your books condition. This transparency avoids hiccups and ensures a seamless selling process.
Embracing Patience and Flexibility: The selling process can take time, and offers might differ. Keep calm and stay open to negotiations for a winning book-selling experience.