How does it work?

Bring your books in, specify store credit or cash, and we will evaluate them for you

For Store Credit...

First you must bring in your books. We will check them for condition and also against what we already have in stock. We then give store credit for any of the books that we can use. If you would like to bring more than 2 bags or boxes at a time, you NEED to call us first to make sure that we have the space to accommodate your books.

We accept both fiction and nonfiction in hardcover and paperback. As a general rule, we do not take encyclopedia sets, Reader's Digest condensed books, or Book Club editions of hardcover fiction (unless they are current releases). We do not accept any books that have water damage, visible mold or musty smells.

Using store credit : Store credit is good for one year towards the purchase of any used books in the store. Any time you use any of your credit or bring in more books, your new store credit total will be good for one year from that new date.

Clearance items and books that are priced $1.00 or less, can be paid for in full with store credit.

On books that are priced $5.75 or less, you can pay for all but the first 50 cents per adult book or 25 cents per childrens book using store credit. Example#1; on a $5.00 adult book, a maximum of $4.50 store credit can be applied, making the out-of-pocket expense for that book 50 cents. Example #2; on a $2.50 childrens book, a maximum of $2.25 store credit can be applied, making the out-of-pocket expense 25 cents. This small (.25 - .50 cents) per book fee allows us to continue providing high quality used books at low prices, while still giving the maximum trade in amount to our customers.

On books that are priced $6.00 OR HIGHER, up to half of the cost of the book can be paid for using store credit; the other half must be paid for using another method, i.e. cash, check or charge.

Selling books for CASH:

If you would like to receive CASH instead of store credit for the books you bring in, you may need to drop off your books so the owner can evaluate them, or make an appointment to bring books in while the owner is in. The Cash value is is determined by factors such as condition, market supply and customer demand and is generally 1/3 of the store credit amount. We pay the most for new releases and out-of-print collectibles.

What about the books we can't use?

There will probably be some books that we cannot use. This may be because of condition, because we already have too many copies of that particular title, or because we feel that they will not be of interest to our customers. Concerning the books that we cannot use, you have two options:

1. We can donate them. *We donate the books we cannot use to Nonprofit groups like schools or libraries.

2. You can take them back. *We ask that you pick up the books we cannot use as soon as possible after we call, as we do not have space to store them for any length of time. If you cannot pick up the books to be returned within one month of our initial call, we will be forced to donate them for you.

If you have any further questions, please ask one of our helpful staff members! TOP SHELF BOOKS 2012