What a fair price looks like
Condition on WishThrift is described by the seller against five grades, and nobody inspects them on your behalf — so the description and the photographs are what you are buying on.
| Condition | Typical | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| New with Tags | £15 (~$20) | Unused, tags or seals intact |
| Like New | £13 (~$17) | Barely used, no visible wear |
| Good | £10 (~$13) | Light signs of use, complete and working |
| Fair | £7 (~$9) | Heavily used, or a described fault or missing part |
| For Parts | £4 (~$5) | Not working or incomplete, sold as seen |
Sterling guide ranges with an approximate US dollar equivalent at £1 ≈ $1.33 (July 2026). Sellers set their own asking price; these are a starting point for judging an offer. All five grades explained.
The checklist before you pay
Damp, which spreads to whatever you shelve beside it and cannot be reversed. Then edition — a later printing described loosely as a first.
Run through these before money changes hands — they are the things that decide whether cookbooks is worth what is being asked:
- Kitchen staining and splatter marks
- Cracked spines from lying open
- Mass-market titles printed in huge numbers
- Ex-library copies
And the things worth paying more for, because they hold their value:
- Out-of-print titles from significant authors
- First editions with dust jackets
- Signed copies with provenance
- Clean pages with no kitchen staining
Common faults and fakes
Book-club editions and later printings sold as firsts, usually without intent. The copyright page settles it.
Ask for a photograph of the copyright page and the spine, and ask directly whether there is any musty smell. An honest seller will say.
WishThrift does not authenticate, inspect or grade anything, and no marketplace check replaces your own. If a seller will not answer a direct question about condition or origin, that is the answer.
Questions to ask the seller
These are the three that get asked most often about cookbooks, and the answers tell you most of what you need:
Check around the most-used recipes and say. Splashes are extremely common on cookbooks and buyers accept them; discovering them is the problem.
Photograph the title page. Signed copies from well-known chefs are worth considerably more and it is easily overlooked.
Check the copyright page. Recipes and photography change between editions and buyers often want a specific one.
Also worth establishing before you commit:
- Check the copyright page for the edition
- Flick through for staining and note it honestly
- Search sold listings for that exact title and edition
Photographs to ask for
If the listing does not already show these, ask — a seller who has the item will send them in minutes:
- The cover face on, whole
- The spine, showing any cracking
- A representative page spread
- The title page with edition and year, plus any splash, tear or inscription
Details to confirm before you commit
- Author, title, publisher and year
- Hardback or paperback, and edition
- Whether signed or inscribed
- Page and spine condition, including any cooking splashes
Live cookbooks listings
Nothing matching is listed at the moment. Browse books for what is live now, or everything on the site — stock changes daily and new listings are free to post, so it is worth checking back.
When to buy
Lifts before Christmas as gifts and in January. Named chef titles sell within a fortnight; general cookbooks do better bundled by cuisine.
Prices move against that cycle for a buyer: the cheapest time to buy is when sellers are listing most, not when demand peaks.
Paying and collecting safely
WishThrift does not process payments, hold funds or offer buyer protection — you agree the price and the method with the seller directly, which is what keeps the platform free on both sides. Meet somewhere public where you can, inspect before you pay, and keep the conversation on the site so there is a record of what was agreed. Be wary of any seller who wants to move the conversation elsewhere before you have agreed anything.
Selling one instead?
If you already have cookbooks sitting unused, it is free to list and there is no commission — the price you agree is the amount you keep. Read how to sell cookbooks for what to photograph and how to price, or what cookbooks are worth at each condition grade.
Frequently asked questions
What should I pay for used cookbooks?
Around £2 to £10 in good condition, more for barely-used examples and less for anything with a described fault. Compare against the seller’s photographs rather than the grade alone.
How do I check cookbooks before buying?
Ask for a photograph of the copyright page and the spine, and ask directly whether there is any musty smell. An honest seller will say.
Is buying cookbooks second hand safe?
Yes, with the ordinary care any private sale needs. WishThrift does not authenticate, inspect or hold funds, so inspect before you pay where you can, meet somewhere public, and keep the conversation on the site. Damp, which spreads to whatever you shelve beside it and cannot be reversed. Then edition — a later printing described loosely as a first.
See also: all buying guides · cookbooks value guide · selling cookbooks · Books · condition grades.