Can you sell textbooks that are damaged?
Yes. Damaged stock has its own buyers: people who repair and restore, people who want the material rather than the object, and people who want a cheaper one and do not mind a flaw. Nobody should be surprised when it arrives.
The damage buyers look for on textbooks
These are the flaws that move textbooks down the grades, and the ones a buyer will check first:
- Superseded editions, which lose most of their value overnight
- Heavy highlighting and margin notes
- Used access codes, which cannot be reused
- Selling mid-term when demand has passed
Grading it honestly
Fair covers something heavily used, or with a described fault or missing part: around £2 to £16. For Parts covers something not working or incomplete, sold as seen: roughly £1 to £9. Grades are seller-declared and nobody inspects them for you, so grading up does not raise what you get — it produces a buyer who arrives expecting something else. All five grades explained.
Working out what you actually have
Establish the flaw properly rather than guessing at it:
- Check the edition number against the current one
- Flick through for highlighting and note it honestly
- List at the start of a term rather than the end
Photographing the flaw
Photograph the damage directly and in focus — it is the evidence that the rest of the description is honest:
- The front cover straight on
- The copyright page showing edition and ISBN
- A typical interior page, showing any highlighting
- The spine and corners, plus any water damage or loose binding
What to state in the listing
Alongside the flaw itself, buyers of damaged textbooks want these confirmed:
- Title, author, edition number and ISBN
- Extent of highlighting or annotation, honestly described
- Whether any access code was included and whether it is unused
- Binding condition, and whether any pages are loose or missing
Title, author, edition and ISBN: “Campbell Biology, 12th Edition, Urry, ISBN 9780135188743”. Edition is critical because courses specify one. Include the ISBN — students search by it directly and it removes all ambiguity in one string.
What buyers will ask
Answer these in the listing rather than waiting to be asked:
Check and answer honestly. Access codes are single-use and often worth more than the book; claiming an unused one that has been redeemed is a guaranteed dispute.
Flick through and photograph a representative page. Some students prefer annotated copies, so honesty here does not cost you the sale.
Read it from the copyright page. A course requiring the 12th edition has no use for the 11th, whatever the price.
Is it worth repairing first?
Only where it is cheap and visibly well done — a clumsy repair costs more than the flaw it hides. What lifts the price:
- Current editions still set on reading lists
- Unmarked pages with no highlighting
- Access codes unused where bundled
- Selling at the start of an academic term
If the work would cost more than the gap between £9 and what sound ones fetch, sell them as they are damaged and let the buyer decide.
When to list it
Sharply seasonal, peaking in late August, September and January as terms begin. Selling mid-term means waiting or discounting heavily.
Getting it to the buyer
Heavy for their size, so weigh before quoting postage. Media rates where available make textbooks much cheaper to send.
WishThrift does not process payments, arrange delivery or hold funds. Confirm the money has cleared before the item leaves your hands, and keep the conversation on the site so there is a record of what was agreed.
Ready to list them? Free to list, no commission, and neither side pays a buyer-protection fee — create a free account, or read the full textbooks selling guide if yours turns out to be sound.
Frequently asked questions
Can you sell damaged textbooks?
Yes. Damaged textbooks typically are worth £1 to £9 against £5 to £35 undamaged, and there is a real market in repair, restoration and craft stock. Superseded editions, which lose most of their value overnight
Is it worth repairing first?
Only where the repair is cheap and visibly done well. What buyers pay for is current editions still set on reading lists — a repair that draws attention to the flaw can leave you worse off.
How should I describe the damage?
Precisely, with a photograph of the flaw itself. Check and answer honestly. Access codes are single-use and often worth more than the book; claiming an unused one that has been redeemed is a guaranteed dispute. Vague wording is what produces the message asking for a refund.
See also: what textbooks are worth by condition · how to sell textbooks · condition grades explained · all broken & damaged guides · all selling guides.