Second-hand books in New York typically sells for $3 to $675. Edition and condition decide the value, and for most books condition decides it almost alone. A first printing in poor shape is usually worth less than a later one that is clean.
Buying books in New York
New York apartments are small and most people do not own a car, and those two facts decide the whole second-hand market here.
A shelf being cleared has to go somewhere in a hurry, and whoever can turn up with a car gets first refusal on the lot. Prices fall sharply with volume, so the buyer who takes the whole run pays a fraction of what the same titles cost singly.
What to check in person
Fan the pages under a light and watch for foxing, the brown speckling that comes from damp storage and never lifts. Check the spine has not been rolled or cracked, and on a set make sure the volumes actually match rather than merely resembling one another.
Collecting it in New York
It fits in a bag, so most people meet on the way to something else. A station or a high street works, and neither side needs a car.
Almost everything changes hands on the subway or on foot, so agree a station and a time rather than an address. For furniture, the question that decides the sale is which floor and whether there is an elevator — ask it before you agree a price, not when you arrive.
Selling your books in New York free
Leases turn over constantly and moving day here means whole apartments emptied at once. The supply of used furniture is effectively continuous rather than seasonal, which is why prices stay reasonable even for good pieces.
Give an honest count and a rough weight for a bulk lot, so the buyer brings a vehicle that can take it. Pack them into boxes that can actually be lifted, and say whether the boxes go with them. Textbooks move around the start of term; everything else is steady with a winter lift.
Peer-to-peer payment apps dominate private sales, and buyers will usually offer one before they offer cash. Sales tax does not apply to a private sale between individuals.
Books worth listing in New York
Same region (New York)
If nothing in New York suits, Buffalo, Rochester and Yonkers each have their own books page, and a seller will often meet part of the way for something worth the trip.
More in New York: everything second hand in New York, or Books across the United States.
Prices converted from sterling at the 2 August 2026 rate; sellers set their own price.