The following organizations are great places to buy used books in the Seattle-Tacoma metropolitan region. Some also hold book fairs or book sales throughout the year–look for these in the calendar list below.
It’s a great way to donate or trade books you no longer want to the local economy. If the host group is a non-profit organization, your donations may be tax-deductible–so be sure to inquire.
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Find great used book stores throughout the Seattle-Tacoma metro area – DepositPhotos.com
Used Book Stores
These popular, long-running used booked stores are located in nook, crannies, neighborhoods towns, and cities throughout the Puget Sound region.
Check with each book store by phone, email, or through their website for up-to-date information about service changes in 2020. Some are open for in-person browsing, visits by appointment, or curbside pickup. Many offer online ordering 24/7.
BLMF Literary Saloon in Pike Place Market, Seattle
BLMF Literary Salon, located in Seattle’s Pike Place Market “down under” has a well-curated selection of used books in classics, history, literature, travel, popular and historical genres.
Eagle Harbor Book Company, Winslow
Eagle Harbor Book Company on Bainbridge Island near the ferry terminal is a full service independent bookstore offering new and used books, including a local author section, journals, cards, and gifts, plus book groups, author readings, and community events.
Eagle Harbor Book Company (EHBC) Summer Reading Challenge
Diversify Your Summer! Read diverse and #ownvoices books this summer, complete the EHBC Summer Reading Challenge form, and support #blacklivesmatter! While the challenge is for children entering grades 3-12 in fall 2020, adults could take this on as well. Check out suggested titles from this racial awareness book list. More info: https://www.facebook.com/EagleHarborBookCo/
Estelita’s Library
Estelita’s Library is a curated community bookstore and lending library with books focused on social justice, ethnic studies, and liberation movements. They offer book talks, classes, meetings, history lessons, and much more to strengthen and develop our collective analysis for justice. Estelita’s Library is open to everyone and has a membership model to borrow books. Yearly Memberships are on a sliding scale, no one will be denied membership due to lack of funds. You ad visit them in person on Seattle’s Beacon Hill or buy books from Estelita’s online bookshop.
King’s Books, Tacoma
King’s Books, located near Tacoma’s Wright Park is a large bustling independent bookstore offering reader book clubs, author events, community gatherings, and the annual Wayzgoose letterpress and book arts festival. They offer popular genres along with comic books and often neglected themes like nature, science, travel, and history.
L.E.M.S. (Life Enrichment) Bookstore
L.E.M.S. is the only Black-owned bookstore focused on the African diaspora in the Pacific Northwest. Last time we checked, they do not have a website or sell books online. You can visit them in the historic Columbia City neighborhood at 5023 Rainier Ave S, Seattle, WA 98118. There are nearby restaurants, music venues, coffee shops, and ice cream stores–so make an afternoon of it!
Left Bank Books at Pike Place Market, Seattle
Left Bank Books Collective, located at the entrance of Seattle’s Pike Place Market is owned and operated by it’s staff. They offer new and used books, specializing in anti-authoritarian, anarchist, independent, radical and small-press titles in over 70 sections, among them fiction, feminism, immigration studies, race & culture, “dis”ability, deafness, poetry, graphic novels, parenting, labor history, science fiction, sexuality, environmentalism, and native studies.
Lion Heart Book Store in Pike Place Market, Seattle
Lion Heart Book Store, located in Seattle’s Pike Place Market next to the gum wall in Post Alley, Lion Heart has a diverse selection of new and used books, including many great children’s titles. They also carry calendars, stationary, postcards and greeting cards.
Magus Books, Seattle
Magus Books, located in Seattle’s University District, is one of the oldest and largest independent used bookstores in the city. Friendly, knowledgeable literary staff and great prices keep many people coming back to Magus for years as satisfied customers. They don’t typically hold used book sales. However they have over 80,000 books in-store for browsing and buying, plus 12,000 titles online. The offer books in all fields and hundreds of carefully selected new arrivals every day, specializing in many hard to find, out of print, used, and rare books.
Open Books A Poem Emporium, Seattle
Open Books in Seattle’s Wallingford neighborhood specializes in new, used, and out-of-print poetry books and other titles about poetry, plus readings, workshops, and discussions.
Ophelia’s Books, Seattle
Ophelia’s Books in Seattle’s Fremont neighborhood provides an eclectic selection of reading materials dating back to the 1800s for the bibliophile or light reader. Genres include YA, classic literature, history, mystery, true crime, science fiction, non fiction, sports, and new titles.
Park Avenue Books, Tacoma
Park Avenue Books (or https://www.yelp.com/biz/park-avenue-books-tacoma) women-owned store located in Tacoma’s Fern Hill Historic Business District has new and used hardback and paperback books, including hard-to-find and out-of-print titles.
Tacoma Book Center
Tacoma Book Center (or https://www.yelp.com/biz/tacoma-book-center-tacoma), located near the Tacoma Dome is the city’s largest used book store offers fiction and non-fiction titles in every genre: literature, poetry, mystery, science fiction, suspense, children’s, westerns, military, history, science, transportation, gardening, home remodeling, religion, crafts, philosophy, self help, and metaphysics.
ThriftBooks
ThriftBooks was started in 2003 by two entrepreneurs in Seattle who wrote the first version of the software to list and price books on Amazon.com. In 2006, they moved into a large warehouse in Auburn. By 2016, they had added facilities in Portland, Atlanta, Dallas, Phoenix, St. Louis, Baltimore, Reno, and Chicago. Today, the company is a global enterprise serving millions of customers worldwide with a team of over 900 dedicated employees. They sell books on ThriftBooks.com, via a mobile app, and internationally through Amazon. They save millions of books every year from being destroyed and make them accessible to readers for the chance to shape another mind, share another story, and teach a bit of wisdom. Save 10% instantly on titles with red ThriftBooks Deals tags. No minimum purchase required, but don’t forget US shipping is free with orders over $10.
Twice Sold Tales, Seattle
Twice Sold Tales, located in the heart of Capitol Hill specializes in books about plays, poetry, literature, sci-fi, horror, gardening, children’s books, and rare and collector’s editions. Browse in the store during happy hour from 6-9PM when all of books are 25% off. Or shop online via Amazon or ABE Books–TST books sold online are higher-end and collectible; the online inventory differs from what’s in the store.
Find great new reads at a local second-hand bookstore – DepsoitPhotos.com
Book Fairs & Book Sales
Seattle Book Fair
Seattle Antiquarian Book Fair has been the premier Pacific Northwest old, rare, and second-hand book event since 1987. Whether you are an avid reader, artist, book collector, or just plain curious, you will find thousands of unique, collectible, and unusual books, prints, maps, photographs, and related memorabilia (such as cover art, posters, and postcards) for sale.
Seattle Antiquarian Book Fair
The Pacific Northwest’s Biggest Book Event. Dealers from across North America and beyond offering for sale thousands of collectible books, prints, maps, autographs, photographs, posters, postcards, ephemera, manuscripts, broadsides, fine bindings and more. Come tour the aisles of this most literate city’s beloved event. Meet with specialists from all over the world. Browse this veritable museum of cultural and historical artifacts. There is something interesting and unique to take home for all attendees on any budget.
- When: October 2021.
- Where: Seattle Center Exhibition Hall
- Tickets: $5.00 at the door, good for both Saturday and Sunday entries. More info: http://www.seattlebookfair.com/
Friends of Seattle Public Library
Friends of The Seattle Public Library (FSPL) is a non-profit, grassroots, volunteer organization dedicated to supporting Seattle libraries. All funds raised by FSPL go towards Seattle Public Library needs that aren’t met in the city-funded operating budget, which includes the free community outreach events.
As of June 2020, FSPL has ended their book sale operation, including the annual HUGE Book Sale. This was a very difficult decision as it has been a much beloved event since 1971. You will continue to see the work of FSPL supporting Library programs and services, including FriendShop gift store online and at the Central Library.
But wait, there’s more!
- Best used clothing and consignment stores
- Flea markets, swap meets, and antique malls
- Garage sale finder map and calendar
- Surplus stores, auctions, salvage, and recycled materials
- JBF consignment sales of children’s & maternity
- Get CASH for used books, music, movies, and games
- Find free and cheap things to do every day on the Greater Seattle on the Cheap calendar.
- And here’s a list of 101+ always free things to do for fun.
- Visit the Greater Seattle on the Cheap home page and choose from a menu of free and cheap activities in the Puget Sound region.
Our calendar of free and cheap things to do
Listed below are all the upcoming events on our calendar for the next 30 days.
