The short version
- Typical range: £5 – £35
- Biggest single factor: condition — see the table below
- Category: Books
- Cost to sell on WishThrift: nothing, at any price
What a used textbooks is worth by condition
Condition does more to the price than anything else. These figures are worked from the top of the range for textbookss, so treat them as a starting point and adjust for the specifics of yours.
| Condition | Typical price | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| New with Tags | £35 | Unused, tags or seals intact |
| Like New | £29 | Barely used, no visible wear |
| Good | £22 | Light signs of use, complete and working |
| Fair | £15 | Heavily used, or a described fault or missing part |
| For Parts | £8 | Not working or incomplete, sold as seen |
These are the five grades WishThrift listings use, and sellers set the grade themselves — see what each condition grade means. Figures are shown in pounds as a reference point. On WishThrift prices display in your own currency, and sellers set their own asking price.
What raises the value of a textbooks
- 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
What lowers it
- Superseded editions, which lose most of their value overnight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
How to work out what yours is worth
- 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
Once you have those three answers you can place your own textbooks on the table above with reasonable confidence. If it sits between two rows, price it toward the lower one — items priced honestly sell faster than items priced hopefully.
Ready to sell it? Listing on WishThrift is free, there is no commission, and you keep the full amount you agree with the buyer — see how selling works or create a free account.
Frequently asked questions
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.
Does highlighting reduce the value?
Yes, noticeably. Clean copies sell for meaningfully more, so describe the marking honestly rather than letting buyers discover it.
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 value guides: books guides · all value guides · browse live books listings.