Despite the growing popularity of e-books and digital publications, traditional printed books are still not exactly cheap.
Buying affordable, second-hand books online is, therefore, a great way for regular readers to save a pile of money.
And now thanks to the proliferation of the internet, taking second-hand books online is that much easier.
Recent years have seen a mushrooming of websites that sell such old books, magazines and publications in good condition at a fraction of their printed cost.
And if you happening to be looking for diversity, then most of these sites also offer a great selection of second-hand books online across a range of genres.
This covers textbooks, entrance exam guides, vocational courses, fiction books, non-fiction, business & economics, self-help and personality development, biographies and children’s books to name a few.
So if you’re looking for the best places to buy second-hand books online – you have come to the right spot.
18 Best Online Places to Buy Second Hand Books
Below is a discreetly curated list of the 18 best places to get used books online in good condition– to satiate your appetite for reading without burning a hole in your pocket.
1. BetterWorldBooks
This US-based website offers a large collection of new and second-hand books online – which includes bestsellers from top authors like Jeffrey Archer and Mario Puzo (author of the Godfather series), travel books, textbooks and storybooks for kids.
Looking for a good bargain? Check out their Bargain Bin section for an outstanding selection of used books online and avail of steep discounts – like 20% off if you buy 4 or more second-hand books. And did we mention, they also send orders to India – for free.
2. Pustakkosh
Students can save up to 70% of their costs on books on this site which allows them to rent, buy and sell second-hand books online and avail themselves of the added convenience of a cash-on-delivery system.
Pustakkosh.com stocks books on a variety of subjects from children’s books to academic books on – Mathematics, Biotechnology, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, chemistry and electronics communications among others.
3. Amazon.in
In addition to a huge collection of new books and best sellers available here, Amazon also offers a part called – Local Finds – where you can easily buy and/or sell used books online.
The books cover a host of genres including; textbooks and examination books (MBA, medical, civil services, banking, engineering), in extension to books on business & economics, self-help, romance, literature and fiction and crime thrillers.
What’s more, you will also receive a full refund if you’re not satisfied with the books delivered to your doorstep.
4. BooksByKilo
This popular site markets second-hand books online by their weight and not by their printed cost. You get to choose from three main categories – the premium collection, classic collection and the standard collection.
Though not new, the site claims that all books are thoroughly checked for nature and are dispatched in good condition.
It also gives free shipping (in Mumbai) for orders above INR 1000 and special discounts on bulk orders.
5. AllBooksOnline
This website enables you to buy, sell and exchange books at fair prices.
The featured listings on this site add books on academics (arts, management, school & computer science), magazines (lifestyle, health & fitness, business and humour), tutorials & skill enhancements (certification courseware, dummies guides, entrance exam prep and foreign language patterns).
For lovers of fiction, it also offers a great collection of novels & best-sellers (crime, horror, fantasy) and non-fiction books (biographies, autobiographies, crafts & hobbies, cooking & food).
6. Quikr
Quikr, the popular online marketplace also has a section for buying and selling old/used books.
You get to choose from second handbooks which have been – heavily used, gently used and almost like new.
The selection carries an assortment of books ranging from used children’s books, academic textbooks and study materials, fiction & non-fiction titles and other varieties of heavily discounted used books, across various price points.
7. OLX
You can also get lucky in your quest to see a special title or textbook in the second-hand books category on this online marketplace.
Frequent discoveries here include used school textbooks, engineering & medical course books and study material for NEET and other competing examinations, posted by individual sellers.
8. SaveBooks
This online bookstore tries to save trees by encouraging the purchasing of second-hand books online at low prices near to your location, school/college or class.
Here books are just a tick away and are available across multiple categories which include school (NCERT, entrance, science, language, commerce, computer, mathematics), college (bachelor, master degree, PhD, BCA, MCA, MBA, B.Sc and M.Sc) and My Place – a section which admits you to search for books closest to your location/campus.
9. BooksYaari
If you’re on the lookout for good quality, second-hand books at reasonable costs delivered to your doorstep, then this is the place you need to be.
It stocks utilised books across various academic (school, graduate & post-graduate) levels.
Some of the other popular options add books on fiction, non-fiction, engineering & management, biographies and autobiographies.
Lovers of fiction are fit for a further 5% discount for buying books INR 499 & above and a 10% discount for deals worth INR 799 and more.
You can also buy preferred books listed in their – Sale at 60 – section for just INR 60 per piece.
10. BuySecondHandbook
Second-hand books across popular categories including; romance, fiction, travel, photography, short stories, children, experiences and non-fiction are up for sale on this site.
All purchases come with a 100% money-back guarantee while orders above INR 500 are also eligible for free shipping.
As an added incentive this Guruguram-based site also gives additional discounts of between 10-20% on the use of special promo codes (listed on site) and discount coupons.
11. BuyUsedBooks
This online marketplace for books is the ideal place to find millions of rare books, used books and even out-of-print books from across the world – on sale.
From books dating back to the 15th century to new and used textbooks for students and unique titles that are sure to excite book collectors – this site has something for everyone.
12. Chegg.com
An educational hub for today’s students, Chegg is a longstanding online retailer that specializes in all things college. Students can explore by author, title or ISBN number for textbooks and ebooks.
With students at the vanguard of everything they do, Chegg provides a free online copy of textbooks while your book ships. They also offer 24/7 online tutoring, internship programs and contracts with local vendors near your college campus.
13. Textbooks.com
This home of over 10 million textbooks markets itself as the most comprehensive selection of used textbooks online. With free shipping on orders over $25 and up to 90% off the cover price, Textbooks.com also provides a hassle-free 30 day return period.
The company sells new and used books as well as ebooks, and a guaranteed 50% buyback if you’re in the market to sell them your before owned books.
14. Abebooks.com
More than just a used textbooks site, the Abebooks marketplace has millions of affordable secondhand books, including affordable options for students.
Students have been using Abebooks for years to get discounts of up to 75% off the cover price, helping them minimize the increasing costs of a college education. Abebooks offers rates so low they rival the rental costs of major sites like Chegg and Campusbookrentals.com.
Most options are the International edition – so they may contain somewhat different examples compared to the U.S versions – but there are not usually major differences.
15. Bookfinder.com
While mostly known for their capacity to find rare or out of print books, Bookfinder.com also offers students the option to search for required texts using ISBN, author or title names.
Though they do not store books themselves, the site has a powerful search engine that will point students in the right administration of the best quality books available online.
16. Sellbackyourbook.com
A registered Better Business Bureau company, SellBackYourBook.com is a committed online resource where students can resell their purchased books and buy/rent previously used textbooks. Simply enter your ISBN into the search bar and you will instantly find results for the books in stock.
If you’ve already bought textbooks, SellBackYourBook.com offers some of the highest bids for buying them back. Depending on where you live, the turnaround from mailing your book to accepting the funds can range from five to 21 days.
17. ecampus.com
Save $5 off your first buying by texting BOOK to 87955 and receive free shipping on orders over $35 with this long time retailer of used textbooks.
Unlike most of the sites on this list, ecampus.com has a loyalty program that supports students to collect points to put towards future purchases, saving you even more money in the long term.
The site also features a marketplace where users can buy books directly from the seller and ebook options in case you waited a little too long to order your book and need it right away.
18. ValoreBooks.com
The last entry on this list is a great resource for older textbooks. Though their selection of more modern textbooks is limited compared to others on this list, their pricing for the books they do carry is low enough that we chose to include them.
They also feature some of the lowest shipping prices around, with most items costing $3.95 to ship.
ValoreBooks.com also has a fair rental program and return policy, so you can feel confident doing business with this smaller retail site.
Conclusion
As someone once put it beautifully – A reader lives a thousand life’s before he dies. The man who never ever reads leads only one. It’s also been scientifically proved that reading regularly comes with several health benefits – like relieving stress, improving IQ and keeping degenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s at bay.
But above all, it’s a exellent way to stay updated and increase your knowledge on a variety of subjects. So now that we have given you the tools to search for how some great reading material online – without requirement to spend a king’s ransom – it’s time you reignite your passion for books.