How book trade-in credit works at To Be Read
One of the most common questions we hear at the counter is simply: “How does the trade-in thing actually work?”It’s a fair question — most bookshops just sell books. At To Be Read, you can also bring the books you’ve finished and turn them into credit toward your next stack. Here’s the whole thing, start to finish.
The short version
Bring books in, we review them with you at the counter, and readable titles earn store credit you can spend the same day. One credit per paperback, two per hardcover. Mix credit and cash however you like.
A quick heads-up before you load up the car: we trade for store credit — we do not buy books for cash.
Step 1 — Bring your books in
Books cannot be dropped off, so you must wait while we review your stack due to limited storage capacity. So plan to browse a little while we look through your stack — most people use the time to start picking their next reads.
Step 2 — Earn store credit
Credit is straightforward: one credit per paperback, two per hardcover, for titles in readable, resale-ready shape. A few rules keep the system fair and the shelves healthy:
- Credit expires every year on Dec 31, so make sure to use it.
- Credit is capped at $200, and you must spend it down below $200 before accumulating more.
- If you already have credit, we stop accepting books for trade on Nov 1 each year so we can catch up on inventory and give people time to use their credit.
What we can and can’t take
We love fiction (paperback or hardcover), most non-fiction in good shape, kids’ books and YA, cookbooks, poetry, and graphic novels. Recent editions earn the best credit. We can’t take textbooks, encyclopedias, magazines, condensed editions, or anything water- or smoke-damaged, loose, unbound, or heavily marked.
Step 3 — Take home your next read
Spend your credit on whatever speaks to you, top it up with cash if you like, and walk out with a fresh stack the same afternoon. That’s the whole loop — and it’s how a lot of our regulars keep their shelves moving without their book budget ever leaving the neighborhood.
Want the step-by-step with photos and the full FAQ? See exactly how it works, or plan your visit— we’re at 7931 SE King Rd in Milwaukie, open Monday through Saturday, 10am–5pm.