How much to sell second hand books for?
Posted: Mon Apr 21, 2025 4:36 am
Typically, people are willing to buy used books at 50% of the original price if the book is in good condition.
This means that if you have a used book in good condition that you initially paid €20 for, you can resell it for €10.
If you decide to sell used books through a marketplace that will act as an intermediary, you need to consider their share. If the seller will sell the book at 50%, it is likely that by buying it from you they will not be willing to pay more than 20% or 30%.
This means that if your book has a cover price of €20, the retailer will buy it from you for €5 and then resell it to the end customer for €10.
Is it legal to sell used books online?
Selling used books is legal as long as they have the so-called “slip”, which germany email list indicates that it is not a free copy (usually found in one of the four corners of the back cover).
This is thanks to copyright law, which allows the buyer of a copyrighted good the right to resell it.
Ebooks are an exception, as they are not physical content.
From a tax perspective, it is possible to sell used books without any particular obligations if the activity does not generate capital gains or is of an absolutely occasional nature.
If, however, you have started selling books online as an intermediary, therefore starting a real business, you will have to comply with the same legal obligations as those who carry out an economic activity, such as opening a VAT number .
when to open a VAT number
How to Sell Used School Books Online Using School Listings
The Associazione Italiana Editori website provides its users with a list of books adopted by schools. Consulting these lists will allow you to check which books have been adopted by each school district, so you will know in advance which books you can sell.
This means that if you have a used book in good condition that you initially paid €20 for, you can resell it for €10.
If you decide to sell used books through a marketplace that will act as an intermediary, you need to consider their share. If the seller will sell the book at 50%, it is likely that by buying it from you they will not be willing to pay more than 20% or 30%.
This means that if your book has a cover price of €20, the retailer will buy it from you for €5 and then resell it to the end customer for €10.
Is it legal to sell used books online?
Selling used books is legal as long as they have the so-called “slip”, which germany email list indicates that it is not a free copy (usually found in one of the four corners of the back cover).
This is thanks to copyright law, which allows the buyer of a copyrighted good the right to resell it.
Ebooks are an exception, as they are not physical content.
From a tax perspective, it is possible to sell used books without any particular obligations if the activity does not generate capital gains or is of an absolutely occasional nature.
If, however, you have started selling books online as an intermediary, therefore starting a real business, you will have to comply with the same legal obligations as those who carry out an economic activity, such as opening a VAT number .
when to open a VAT number
How to Sell Used School Books Online Using School Listings
The Associazione Italiana Editori website provides its users with a list of books adopted by schools. Consulting these lists will allow you to check which books have been adopted by each school district, so you will know in advance which books you can sell.