Lindsey Desmet
Short Answer — Books-A-Million has an in-store buyback program available during limited hours, which vary by location. It typically pays around $0.50 to $1 per book, with a limit of 50 books per sale unless you make an appointment.
Does Books-A-Million Buy Used Books?
Books-A-Million buys used books through its in-store BAM! Used Buyback program, which is available at participating locations.
To find out more about Books-A-Million’s policy on buying used books, we contacted the corporate customer service department and Books-A-Million stores in Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, South Dakota, and Tennessee.
About 30% of the stores we contacted said that they participate in the buyback program. The buyback program is only open at specific times, which vary by location, representatives told us.
To find out whether your local store buys used books, enter your city in the Books-A-Million store locator and check the “BAM! Used Buyback” box. Select “Store Info” to see the regular store hours and BAM! Used Buyback hours at your nearest location.
Of the stores we checked, the most common buyback hours were Sunday through Thursday from noon to 6 p.m.
Note that while Books-A-Million has a New & Used Marketplace on its website, you cannot sell books to BooksAMillion.com. The marketplace operates in partnership with select vendors.
2nd & Charles, a used book and media store owned by Books-A-Million, also buys books; see our related research for more information on the 2nd & Charles trade-in program.
Requirements
Sellers must be at least 18 years old and show a valid, government-issued photo ID (such as a driver’s license) to participate in the BAM! Used Buyback program.
Additionally, the books you bring must meet the following requirements for Books-A-Million to buy them:
Condition
Books-A-Million will not accept books that are marked up with highlights or margin notes. It also will not take books that are damaged, such as those that show signs of water damage, have loose bindings, or have torn or missing covers.
Genre
The only genre that the BAM! Used Buyback program explicitly does not accept is textbooks.
It will otherwise accept both fiction and nonfiction books but favors teen, young adult, and children’s books as well as graphic novels and recent releases.
Format, Edition, and Age
Books-A-Million prefers to buy hardcover books but will accept paperbacks if they are in good condition, and the title, author, or genre is in demand.
Exclusive editions are acceptable, but the books cannot be book club editions or condensed versions.
It also prefers recent releases and will not accept “dated” books, customer service representatives said, though they were unable to provide a specific book age limit.
Books-A-Million generally does not buy vintage, antique, or rare books but may accept a book that is several years old if the store believes it will sell.
Limits
Most stores have a limit of up to 50 books per transaction. If you want to sell a greater number of books, you can either bring in 50 books at a time or contact your local store to make an appraisal appointment.
There is no set limit on the maximum value of books that Books-A-Million will buy at one time; however, keep in mind that all books must meet the buyback condition requirements detailed above.
Payment
The BAM! Used Buyback program does not offer large payouts; you will usually receive an offer of around $0.50 to $1 per book in cash. (Note: Some Books-A-Million locations may also offer store credit, but the stores we contacted said that they pay cash.)
The store may be willing to pay more for very recent releases or those in like-new condition. Its pay scale is based on its ability to resell the book, considering its age, condition, and the demand for each particular title.
Buyback Process
When you drop off the books you want to sell, you’ll need to give the associate your phone number. Depending on how busy the buyback counter is and how many books you bring, you may be able to browse the store and get an offer on the same day.
You can also leave the store; you will receive a text message when the associate finishes processing your books.
When you return to the counter, the associate will give you an offer for your books, and you can choose whether to accept the offer or not. The associate will give you cash for any books the store buys and will return any books that it does not accept to you.
William Lipovsky
