Sell Used Books & Vinyl Records in Kingston, Ontario

Somewhere in your house there is a box of books you have not opened in ten years, and maybe a crate of records that belonged to someone who loved them. You know you should do something about them. You also suspect that one of them might be worth a lot, which is why the box has been sitting there. This guide helps you sort the box, find out what is worth money, and sell it in Kingston without giving away treasure or wasting your time on paperbacks.

Where to Sell Books and Records in Kingston

Store policies and stock change, so phone before you carry a crate through downtown. A good overview of Kingston's independent shops is Visit Kingston's guide to locally owned stores.

Step One: Sort the Box

Do this before you contact anyone. Make three piles: probably valuable, probably worth a few dollars and probably worthless.

• Probably valuable: vinyl in good condition, first editions, signed copies, books from before 1900, local history and Canadiana, and anything in a collectible series.
• A few dollars: popular paperbacks and hardcovers in good condition, cookbooks, children's books and recent bestsellers.
• Worthless to buyers: water-damaged books, old textbooks, encyclopedias, reader's digest condensed volumes and anything musty.

Be honest with yourself about the third pile, because bookstores will turn it away. Donate it or recycle it. Our guide to where to donate in Kingston covers drop-off places, and the public library often takes book donations for its sales; phone to confirm.

Selling Vinyl Records

Vinyl is the category where the box in your closet might surprise you. Records from the 1960s and 70s in good condition, original pressings, jazz, blues, classic rock and soul, and Canadian releases can sell well. Condition matters enormously: look at the vinyl in good light for scratches, check for warping and see whether the sleeve is in good shape. Many collectors grade records, so honest descriptions matter.

To find out what a record is worth, search for it on Discogs, which shows the pressing, the release year and recent sale prices. A common record in poor condition may be worth a dollar, and a rare pressing in excellent condition may be worth much more. If you have a large collection, take photographs of the best items and show them to a record shop before you sell.

Selling Books

Most books are worth less than people hope, but a few are worth a lot more. Look for first editions, particularly of well-known authors, with the dust jacket intact. Signed copies, limited editions and illustrated books are worth checking. Old maps, atlases and county histories can be valuable. Books about Kingston and Ontario history sometimes sell well locally.

• Check the copyright page for "first edition" or a number line that starts with 1.
• Look at the condition of the spine and the dust jacket, which can account for much of a collectible book's value.
• Search the title and author on online bookselling sites to see what similar copies sell for.
• For a large library, ask a used bookseller to look through it, and ask whether they buy outright or take it on consignment.

Pricing Books and Records

For bulk books, price by the bag or box: "Box of 30 thrillers, $20" sells faster than thirty listings. For individual collectibles, check recent sold prices, not asking prices. For records, compare similar pressings in similar condition on Discogs. Remember that a shop must pay less than it will sell for, so expect an offer that is a fraction of retail. If you want more, sell privately.

Photographs and Listings That Sell Collectibles

Collectors look closely, so give them detail. For records, photograph the front cover, the back cover, the label on the vinyl and the record itself in good light, and mention the catalogue number. For books, photograph the cover, the spine, the title page, the copyright page and any damage. In the description, state the title, author, edition, publisher, year, condition and anything unusual, such as an inscription. For bulk lots, lay the books or records out so the buyer can see the titles.

Inherited a Whole Library or Collection?

If you are dealing with a large inherited collection, take your time. Valuable pieces are often hidden among ordinary ones, and selling in a hurry usually means losing money. Set aside anything that looks old, signed or unusual, and ask a dealer or an appraiser to look before you sell or donate. For estate-sized collections, read estate sales in Kingston, antiques in Kingston and downsizing.

Textbooks, Comics and Other Collectibles

Not all books are alike. University textbooks lose value the moment a new edition is released, but current-edition textbooks can sell well to students at the start of term. If you have Queen's or St. Lawrence College textbooks, see our guide to selling textbooks in Kingston for the timing. Comics, graphic novels and magazines have their own collectors, and condition and edition decide the price. Board games, trading cards and puzzles belong in a similar category, and our guide to selling kids' toys covers many of them. Always check recent sold prices, because a comic that looks plain can be worth a lot, and a flashy one can be worthless.

Clean and Store Items Before You Sell

Condition drives the price of books and records, and a little care helps. Wipe book covers gently with a dry cloth, never a wet one, and leave the pages alone. Keep books upright and away from damp, because mildew ruins them quickly. For records, remove dust with a carbon fibre brush, handle them by the edges and keep them in clean inner sleeves, upright and out of the sun. Do not try to repair old items with tape or glue, as it lowers their value. If an item smells musty, air it out in a dry place before you take photographs.

Selling Locally or Online?

For bulk books and common records, local is easier: a bag at a charity shop or a box at a garage sale clears them. For anything valuable, wider exposure helps. Discogs reaches record collectors around the world, and bookselling sites reach people searching for a specific title. The trade-off is time and shipping. A good compromise is to sell the best few items online, and take the rest to a local shop or list them in a bundle on Fliku, Kijiji and Facebook Marketplace. If you are not sure, a quick conversation with a shop owner will tell you what is worth the trouble.

When it comes to meeting buyers for valuable books and records, the rules are the same as everywhere. Meet in daylight in a busy public place, bring a second person if the item is valuable, and take payment as cash or an e-transfer you can see in your own banking app before anything leaves your hands. Never send a deposit or a verification code to someone you have not met, and treat any buyer who offers more than your asking price as a scam attempt. Safe meetup spots in Kingston and how to avoid scams when selling locally go through the details, and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre lists the scams going around right now.

A Few Local Collecting Tips

Kingston has a long history, and that shows up in what collectors want. Books on local history, the Rideau Canal, the Thousand Islands, Fort Henry and the military college can be popular, as can older county atlases, maps and postcards. Records by Canadian artists, including limited local pressings, are worth checking. If you have a box of old programs, posters or ephemera from Kingston events, set it aside and ask a dealer before you throw it out, because things that look like paper clutter sometimes interest local collectors and archives.

Finally, keep a short list of what you sold and what you were paid. It helps you price the next box, and it is useful for your own records.

More Kingston Buy & Sell Guides

• Antiques in Kingston
• Estate sales in Kingston
• Downsizing in Kingston
• Where to donate in Kingston
• Sell used musical instruments in Kingston
• Kijiji vs Facebook Marketplace vs Fliku