Buying & Selling: Selling Books to Us

One of the things that makes a book magical is that it can be passed from one person to the next, enriching the life of each new person who finds it in his or her hands. When you have finished with your books and are ready to pass them on, you can make an appointment to bring them to our shop and have one of our experienced buyers make you an offer of cash or store credit.

We're happy to buy a few books at a time, small collections-- or entire estates. We look for quality and our buying process is straightforward.

We are always interested in purchasing scholarly and fine books in all areas. We are only interested in books that are in excellent condition. We buy books by appointment. If you have books to sell, please email us at: anovelideabookstore@yahoo.com. We're looking for books that are a good fit for our shop, so please let us know what kind of books you'd like to sell. Cinnamon or Katherine will respond to you.

5/3 Note: We are taking appointments for in store buys. Right now, we're particularly looking for Philosophy, Art & Stephen King (in like-new condition only). However, we still look for a good variety of excellent quality books, particularly scholarly titles.

For more information about house calls and particulars, see the Frequently Asked Questions below - and feel free to call with additional questions! (402) 475-8663. 


Are you always buying books?
A steady influx of stock is the lifeblood of a good used, rare and out-of-print bookstore.   Please Note: Since August 2010, we have been buying books by appointment only. This has helped protect our time so that we can maintain good customer service - and price new arrivals.

Please don't bring books that are highlighted, marked, smell smoky or have cracked spines. Feel free to call if you have questions - or if you'd like to bring books in. We're happy to talk books with you, however, we'd like to avoid looking through multiple boxes of books that aren't a good fit for our store. Please schedule a time to bring your books in.∆

What kinds of books do you buy?
We buy hardcover and paperback books, both fiction and nonfiction. We do not buy romances, Reader's Digest Condensed Books, magazines, or most text books (with the exception of some math & physics texts). We are looking for books in excellent condition.  ∆

Do you take book club editions?
No. We make rare exceptions for hard-to-find authors and titles. If you have questions about how to identify book club editions, just ask.∆

What do you pay for books?
We evaluate each item based on condition, demand, and market price. Collectables are given special attention. Because so many things factor into a book's worth, we can't answer this question with a number. We assure you that you will be treated honestly and fairly.∆

What happens after you evaluate my books?
We prepare an offer for you and give you a choice between cash and store credit. The credit offer is generally about 35 percent higher than the cash offer, depending on the books you brought in. ∆

What if I would like some cash and some store credit?
We can do that easily. Just let us know what portion of the offer you'd like in cash, and we'll figure out how much credit you'll have in addition to the cash or vice versa. ∆

Do I have to use my credit that day?
No. We maintain credit accounts for our customers. You may use your credit at any time on anything in the shop. It never expires.∆

Do I have to remember to bring a credit slip in order to use my credit?
No. We maintain your credit account in our database so that your credit is always available to you.∆

Do I have to pay some cash when I use my credit?
No. As long as you have enough credit, you can shop until you drop without paying any cash.∆

Can my husband/wife/brother/sister/family friend/dog use my credit?
Yes to all but the dog. Just let us know that others have permission to use your account. We can easily add them to your account as "authorized users". ∆

Can I cash out my credit account?
No. Cash offers are only made at the time of purchase. However, store credit is transferable. If you are moving away from the area and no longer wish to use your credit balance, you may give your credit to someone else in the form of a gift certificate or an account set up in their name. ∆

Should I call ahead before bringing books in to sell? Absolutely. We will talk with you about your books to determine if they are a good fit for our store. If they are, we will schedule a time for you to bring them in and an experienced buyer will look at your books. ∆

What happens if you don't want some of my books?
We can pack them and return them to you or we can put them into our "free" boxes. Books in the "free" boxes find loving homes with readers, students, artists and charitable organizations. We never throw books away.  If you have "returns" to pick up, we ask that you do so within a week, as we have limited storage space.∆

What happens if I leave my books with you and forget about them?
We hope that you won't do this. However, we realize life gets hectic sometimes--especially if you are moving. We make attempts to contact you over a period of two weeks. If two weeks have passed and we cannot get in touch with you, we set up a credit account for you. The books we couldn't use in the shop (and did not include in the offer) go into our "free" boxes. We also keep a record in our "no show" file with the drop-off date and the date the books were "set free" to avoid any confusion. If you have forgotten books at our shop, just inquire about them the next time you stop in. ∆

If I take time to clean and prepare my books, will I get more for them?
YES, and we will be interested in dealing with you regularly -- especially if you take the time to learn about our shop and the demand we have for certain titles. ∆

Will you come to my house and look at my books?
Because we are a small business it is easier for us to evaluate your books at our store. However, we make house calls for very large collections. It is not uncommon for us to purchase entire estates. ∆

Can you give me an idea of what my books are worth before I decide to sell them to you?
If you are just looking for information about your books, please make that clear to us. We are happy to talk with you about your books and steer you toward some helpful information. However, evaluating books takes time and effort. Thank you for considering this.∆

When I bring my books to your shop, where can I park?
The alley just north of our shop is a loading zone. You may park there with your hazard lights on. We have a cart you can use and, unless we're short-staffed, someone from our shop will help you bring your books inside.  We will pay for your parking in the garage across the street while we evaluate your books!∆