Used textbooks in Canada typically sell for C$9 to C$66 (about $7 to $47). Textbook value collapses the moment a new edition appears, which makes timing more important here than condition.
What textbooks are worth in Canada
| Condition | Typical | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| New with Tags | C$66 | Unused, tags or seals intact |
| Like New | C$56 | Barely used, no visible wear |
| Good | C$43 | Light signs of use, complete and working |
| Fair | C$30 | Heavily used, or a described fault or missing part |
| For Parts | C$17 | Not working or incomplete, sold as seen |
Guide ranges converted from sterling at the 2 August 2026 rate, not quotes — sellers set their own price. Grades are seller-declared; WishThrift does not inspect or verify them.
What lifts the price
- Unmarked pages with no highlighting
- Access codes unused where bundled
What pulls it down
- Superseded editions, which lose most of their value overnight
- Heavy highlighting and margin notes
Selling textbooks in Canada
Interac e-Transfer is the norm and is instant and traceable, which suits a private sale well. It is what most buyers will suggest before anything else.
Canada Post, Purolator and UPS cover the country, but rates change sharply between provinces and remote postcodes carry surcharges.
Shipping cost is the single commonest reason a Canadian listing stalls. Decide collection versus courier before you price it, and say which you are offering.
Winter clothing and sports equipment move from October, and the spring thaw brings the strongest few weeks for furniture, bikes and garden items.
Working out what yours is worth
- Check the edition number against the current one
- Flick through for highlighting and note it honestly
Getting it ready
- Find the ISBN on the back cover or copyright page, and note the edition number and year.
- Check whether any access code or online component was included, and whether it has been redeemed.
Photograph
- The front cover straight on
- The copyright page showing edition and ISBN
- The spine and corners, plus any water damage or loose binding
Put in the description
- 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.
Heavy for their size, so weigh before quoting postage. Media rates where available make textbooks much cheaper to send.
It costs nothing to list
There is no listing fee, no selling fee and no commission, so the C$66 a buyer pays is the C$66 you keep. You and the buyer settle up and arrange the handover between yourselves; WishThrift does not hold the money or ship the item.
Where in Canada
Canada is a big place and what sells well moves with it. These are the parts of Canada with their own page for textbooks.
- Toronto
- Montreal
- Calgary
- Ottawa
- Edmonton
- Winnipeg
- Vancouver
- Brampton
- Hamilton
- Surrey
- Quebec City
- Halifax
- Laval
- London
Common questions
Where can I sell textbooks in Canada?
List it free on WishThrift and deal with the buyer direct. There is no selling fee, so the whole amount stays with you. Interac e-Transfer is the norm and is instant and traceable, which suits a private sale well. It is what most buyers will suggest before anything else.
Which edition is it?
Read it from the copyright page. A course requiring the 12th edition has no use for the 11th, whatever the price.
When should I sell textbooks?
At the start of an academic term, when demand peaks. Value also collapses when a new edition is published, so do not hold them too long.
Are access codes worth including?
Only if unused. Codes are single-use, so an already-redeemed one is worth nothing and should not be advertised.
More: how to sell textbooks, what textbooks are worth, or Books across Canada.