The Best Places to Buy Used Books Online
There's no single "best" place to buy used books — the right seller depends on whether you want the cheapest reading copy, a specific edition, or a collectible you can trust. Here's the honest landscape.
Quick comparison
| Seller | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| ThriftBooks | Cheap reading copies, bulk buying, free shipping thresholds | Industrial-scale grading; stock photos only — unsuitable for collectors |
| Biblio | Collectible and rare books from independent dealers | Prices vary widely between dealers for the same title |
| AbeBooks | Largest rare/used inventory anywhere; best search filters | Marketplace quality varies enormously by seller — check seller ratings |
| BetterWorldBooks | Mid-range used copies; free worldwide shipping; funds literacy programs | Many ex-library copies — read descriptions carefully |
| Bookshop.org | New books while supporting independent bookstores | New only — no used inventory |
| Powell's | Quality-controlled used stock from a legendary indie | Smaller online inventory than the marketplaces |
| eBay | Auctions, odd lots, and checking real sold prices | Zero condition standardization; photos are everything |
| Amazon | Convenience and speed for common titles | Weakest used-book experience of the group; third-party grading is inconsistent |
For cheap reading copies: ThriftBooks & BetterWorldBooks
ThriftBooks processes millions of donated and surplus books through automated warehouses. For a $5 paperback you plan to read on the beach, it's excellent — prices are unbeatable and shipping is fast. Just don't expect the "Very Good" grade to be evaluated by a bookseller's eye, and never buy collectibles from stock photos.
BetterWorldBooks operates similarly, sources heavily from library sales (funding literacy programs along the way), and ships free worldwide — which makes it the budget option for international buyers. Expect a high proportion of ex-library copies: fine for reading, poison for collecting.
For collectors: Biblio and AbeBooks
Biblio aggregates thousands of independent professional booksellers, including ABAA/ILAB-vetted antiquarian dealers. Listings tend to be described copy-by-copy — the way collectible books should be sold. It's our first stop for signed copies, first editions, and anything where condition matters. (New to firsts? Read our first edition guide.)
AbeBooks has the deepest inventory of rare and out-of-print books on the internet and the best search filters in the business (first edition, signed, dust jacket, "not print-on-demand"). It is also a marketplace of wildly varying seller quality — from world-class antiquarian dealers to mega-listers with generic descriptions. The filters are your friend; so is checking individual seller ratings before ordering anything expensive.
For new books with a conscience: Bookshop.org
When you want a new copy, Bookshop.org routes profit to independent bookstores — over $35 million distributed to local shops so far. Prices are close to list, but the money supports the bookstore ecosystem instead of a warehouse. A worthy default for new releases and gifts.
For price research: eBay sold listings
Here's a trick dealers use: asking prices on marketplaces are books that haven't sold. To find what a book actually sells for, search eBay, filter to Sold Items, and look at real transactions from the last 90 days. It's the best free price-discovery tool in the book world — even if you end up buying elsewhere.
The smart workflow
- Search once, compare everywhere. Look the book up on BookBurglar — we link every seller above for any title, so you can compare without opening eight tabs.
- Reading copy? Take the cheapest acceptable grade from ThriftBooks or BetterWorldBooks.
- Collectible? Shortlist copies on Biblio and AbeBooks with copy-specific descriptions, then ask sellers for photos.
- Sanity-check the price against eBay sold listings before paying a premium.
- Know your grades — "Good" means worn. Our condition grading guide explains the scale.