We’ve all been at the point where we have a huge pile of books that we’re never going to read, but don’t want to throw them away. While some enjoy re-reading books again and again, most of the time one read is more than enough, and then you’re stuck with a big, bulky item that’s no longer of use.
Additionally, many of us book lovers find ourselves hesitating over paying premium prices for a good read. So, what if we told you there were a number of great apps that allow you to buy and sell books from the comfort of your home? Check out the list below of the best five Android and iOS apps for buying and selling books.
1. Ziffit
Ziffit can both identify and price your books quickly and easily by using the barcode scanning feature. Once it’s identified the book, the app will assign a price to it and add it to your trading basket. However, if you don’t think the app is offering a fair price, you can always edit your basket to remove books.
Keep in mind that the app doesn’t allow you to make trades under 10 items, or trades under fifteen dollars, so make sure you have enough books in order to make a trade.
Once you’ve got enough books in your trading basket, and you’ve confirmed your trade, Ziffit will provide you with a free postage label so that you can ship off your items.
Download: Ziffit for Android | iOS (Free)
2. Depop
Along with fashion and beauty products, Depop also has a wide range of books on sale from hundreds of individual sellers. These pre-owned books can be bought for a fraction of their original price, with most of them still being in great condition.
Depop allows you to communicate directly with sellers, where you can ask about the product, or get in touch if you have issues with your item. You can even negotiate on the price a little.
On the app, you can favorite items, or save them if you’re not looking to buy immediately, but transactions are quick and simple via PayPal if you’re looking to grab your find straight away.
Depop also makes it easy for you to sell your own books, be it textbooks, classics, cookbooks or anything else. The selling process is quick and simple, and you can connect your PayPal for easy payments.
Download: Depop for Android | iOS (Free)
3. ThriftBooks
ThriftBooks is a great app for finding some great second hand books easily. You can simply use the app’s search bar to find what you’re looking for, and you surely won’t be short for choice, with over 13 million titles available to buy. These titles also include vinyl records, video games, and DVDs, all of which come at a discounted price.
You can also gain points on the app for each purchase. If you accumulate enough of these points, you can even grab yourself some free books. You can also gain points by joining the rewards scheme, referring friends to the app, or even when it’s your birthday!
ThriftBooks has a blog that you can access via the app’s categories bar, where you can read about some interesting topics. Learn about the history of cookbooks, all about specific authors, like John Green, and find out about new releases in different book genres.
Download: ThriftBooks for Android | iOS (Free)
4. eBay
We all know that eBay is great for buying and selling any number of different products, including books. You can find a huge selection of pre-owned books on eBay for discounted prices. Many of these books are in great condition or even not used, and you can grab them quickly and easily via PayPal.
You can check reviews for sellers on eBay, and you can message sellers directly to discuss a product. And if you’re looking for a real bargain, you can change your product preferences to find slightly more worn books for a hugely discounted price.
eBay also makes it easy to sell your own books. You can simply type in your book title, and the app will give you a range of suggested products that may be identical to the item you’re selling. It will then suggest a selling price, and offer stock photos of your book if you’d rather not take your own pictures.
You will need to add in some specifics to sell your item, such as the condition, language, and delivery options. But eBay also makes this a quick and easy process. You’ll surely find a buyer looking for your exact item, so get selling!
Download: eBay for Android | iOS (Free)
5. Shpock
Shpock is similar to eBay, in that you can find a wide range of different pre-owned products for discounted prices. You can find hundreds of books on this app, including classics, thrillers, cookbooks, and more.
Shpock also allows you to message sellers directly, and check to see if a seller has a good or bad rating from previous sales. You can also negotiate a little with sellers if you’re looking to bring the price down.
You can sell your books easily on Shpock, however, unlike eBay, the app won’t suggest prices to you for your books, so you may have to check other similar products to make sure your prices aren’t too low or high. You also won’t be offered stock photos for your product, and so you’ll have to take your own pictures.
Download: Shpock for Android | iOS (Free)
Making Money From Unused Books Has Never Been Easier
It’s now simpler than ever to sell your preloved books online. There’s no longer any need to throw your books in the trash or leave them to collect dust on the shelf. You can make extra cash from the comfort of your home with these great apps.
