Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States. It’s a vibrant place with all sorts of cultural events and activities, including plenty of large and indie bookstores where book lovers can find true gems and sell their used copies.
Today, we’ll continue our series about cities and their bookstores. In this article, we’ll tell you about the best places in Houston where you can trade novels, textbooks, rare editions, and other items.
- Where to Sell to Brick-and-Mortar Stores in Houston
- Where to Sell Textbooks in Houston?
- Where to Buy Books in Houston?
- How to Sell Books Online in Houston?
Where to Sell to Brick-and-Mortar Stores in Houston
Kaboom Books
📌 Address: 3116 Houston Ave., Houston, TX 77009
Kaboom Books states, “We sell, buy and trade. (Books only).” The store offers an extensive collection of over 100,000 titles from 84 sections, mostly general-purpose books. They purchase gently used books in a wide range of genres, including fiction, history, and art.
Their buyback process is simple, though it’s always best to call ahead to confirm they’re accepting books and to learn their terms. They are open every day from noon to 6 p.m.
The Book Attic
📌 Address: 15222 FM 2920, Tomball, TX 77377Located just 3rd Light West of 249, The Book Attic is Tomball’s beloved local bookstore. They specialize in offering a wide range of new and used classics, school reading books, and vintage finds. While they don’t buy books for cash, they offer trade credit, where you can earn 25% of the selling price.
They also have a great selection of unique and handcrafted items, such as journals, tiny books, and fairy houses made by local artists.
Quarter Price Books
📌 Address: 3820 S Shepherd Dr., Houston, TX 77098As its name implies, Quarter Price Books offers discounted books and buys used books in good condition. They often have sales, and locals love them and often stop by to check for new reads.
They don’t seem to have a website; however, we recommend you contact them at (713) 520-5009 to understand what they can offer for your titles and when is the best time to bring them in.
Half Price Books
📌 Address: 10915 Westheimer Rd, Houston, TX 77042
Half Price Books has six stores in the Houston area. As usual, they buy books from the public in the stores and online. We’re positive you know the chain well, as it’s one of the oldest booksellers in the US. They accept various books and offer fair prices. Come in person to get your books evaluated. Also, check our top 16 questions about Half Price Book stores.
Katy Budget Books
📌 Address: 870 S. Mason Rd #101, Katy, TX, 77450
Katy Budget Books doesn’t buy used books for cash; however, they offer a trade credit, which is calculated as half the book’s original price and can be used for paperbacks, hardcovers, or audiobooks. Though, some restrictions may apply. If you need a book drop-off, please make an appointment.
Where to Sell Textbooks in Houston?
The University of Houston Campus Store
📌 Address: 4455 University Dr., Houston, TX 77004 University of Houston Campus Store offers textbook buybacks to students. You can expect fair buyback offers most of the season, particularly for books in good condition. Please check in person whether they are buying back at the moment.
The University of Houston Bookstore Downtown
📌 Address: 1 Main St Suite 351, Houston, TX US 77002-3651
To sell your books to the University of Houston Bookstore Downtown, make sure they are in good condition, without torn, missing, damaged, or marked pages. Book values depend on demand. You’ll get higher offers during peak buyback periods (up to 50% of the original price). Even outdated or less in-demand books might be accepted if they meet specific criteria.
Barnes and Noble—River Oaks
📌 Address: 2030 W. Gray St, Houston, TX 77019
Learn all about selling textbooks with Barnes & Noble before you go there. This bookstore chain buys used textbooks based on current demand, making it ideal for students, especially during finals or at the semester’s start. Not all books may be accepted, so check their online store locator for the nearest location in Houston and visit the Sell Your Textbooks page for current offers.
Houston Community College Bookstore
📌 Address: 1215 Holman Street, Ste 102, Houston, TX 77004
Houston Community College Bookstore offers a buyback program very much with the same conditions as all other college bookstores. Check their working hours on the website, bring your textbooks for appraisal, and get up to 50% back.
The Homeschool Store
📌 Address: 12315 Ann Ln., Houston, TX 77064
The Homeschool Store offers a wide selection of educational materials and personalized advice from experienced homeschool parents and consultants. You can sell your used curriculum and educational materials for cash or store credit year-round. Simply bring your items to the store for review and get an offer based on demand and condition.
The store typically offers 25% of the retail price; payment is on the same day. They purchase “current editions of curriculum across all school subjects plus various editions of classic novels, picture books, early readers, and phonics-based readers used in the programs we sell… educational games, flashcards, materials, and supplies and other non-curricular items.”
Where to Buy Books in Houston?
In this section, we’ve compiled a short list of booksellers in Houston where you can purchase books. While these stores don’t seem to have any buyback program (or they don’t mention it on their websites), we decided to include them in our list nonetheless. Perhaps some of your readers will find this list useful, too.
1. Out-of-Print Bookstore
📌 Address: 1500 Hadley St., Unit 3534, Houston, TX
📞 Phone: 713-526-8616
🌐 Website: Out-of-Print Bookstore
📙 They specialize in rare and antique books and state they can “find the book you need!”
2. Forgotten Lore
📌 Address: 628 S. Friendswood Drive, Friendswood, TX 77546
📞 Phone: 281- 993-8902
🌐 Website: Forgotten Lore
📙 They specialize in “rare and antiquarian, the occult, decorative bindings, literary first editions, Texas and the American West, signed books, and a few more.”
3. Becker’s Books
📌 Address: 7405 Westview, Houston, TX 77055
📞 Phone: 713-957-8088
🌐 Website: Becker’s Books
📙 They specialize in used and rare books and offer titles in over seventy genres.
4. Murder by the Book
📌 Address: 2342 Bissonnet St., Houston, TX
📞 Phone: 713-524-8597
🌐 Website: Murder by the Book
📙 They specialize in mysteries, from new and used books to first editions. It’s one of the largest mystery bookstores in the US.
5. The Paperback Shop
📌 Address: 1500 Hadley St., Unit 3534, Houston, TX
📞 Phone: 713-526-8616
🌐 Website: The Paperback Shop
📙 They specialize in general theme books and have been in the industry for fifty-four years. The store will be closing at the end of 2025; however, their website—IMailtoPrison—will remain active.
6. Basket Books & Art
📌 Address: 115 Hyde Park Blvd., Houston, TX
📞 Phone: 281-846-6017
🌐 Website: Basket Books & Art
📙 They specialize in books that reflect the intersection of literature and art. The store offers a unique experience for both book lovers and art enthusiasts.
7. Bookstore
📌 Address: 2421 Bissonnet St., Houston, TX
📞 Phone: 713-523-0701
🌐 Website: Brazos Bookstore
📙 They specialize in a curated selection of books across subjects like mathematics, pets, literature, and more, “a hub for the most creative, intelligent and engaged readers in Houston.”
8. Kindred Stories
📌 Address: 2304 Stuart St., Houston, TX
📞 Phone: 713-396-2396
🌐 Website: Kindred Stories
📙 They specialize in works by Black authors, including graphic novels, cookbooks, nonfiction, and YA fiction.
9. The Menil Collection Bookstore
📌 Address: 1520 Sul Ross St., Houston, TX
📞 Phone: 713-535-3180
🌐 Website: The Menil Collection Bookstore
📙 They specialize in rare and unique books on art, architecture, design, and children’s literature, often tied to the Menil Collection’s exhibitions.
10. Magick Cauldron
📌 Address: 2424 Montrose Blvd., Houston, TX
📞 Phone: 713-523-0069
🌐 Website: Magick Cauldron
📙 They specialize in books covering astrology, witchcraft, herbal sciences, and other magical subjects.
11. Tomfoolery Toys and Books
📌 Address: 4854 Beechnut St., Houston, TX
📞 Phone: 832-879-2461
🌐 Website: Tomfoolery Toys and Books
📙 They specialize in children’s books and toys and offer a wide range, from picture books for toddlers to elementary-age nonfiction.
How to Sell Books Online in Houston?
If you’re looking for a more convenient and often profitable way to sell books, doing it online is the best solution. Another benefit is that you don’t have to be located in a specific city or state, so this method offers more flexibility and freedom. If you don’t know any trusted online booksellers, we’re here to help you out.
- You may start with Amazon. We’ve got a ready-made map for you to check out: how to sell textbooks on Amazon.
- The same goes for eBay. Read our eBay: a short step-by-step guide to understand how to approach the platform.
- ThriftBooks is one of the largest independent online booksellers with a buyback program. Check our review on how to sell books on ThriftBooks: Q&As to understand their buyback policy.
- Chegg is a large textbook solutions provider with a textbook buyback program. For more information, go to our post about selling books and textbooks to Chegg.
- ValoreBooks and eCampus are also considered great alternatives, though we haven’t yet reviewed them separately.
BookScouter
Yet again, we suggest you check out BookScouter first.
This price comparison platform displays offers from 30 vendors (including the ones we’ve mentioned above), so you can easily choose the best one.
BookScouter is not location-specific. It’s an online service, so you can use it anywhere in the US, be it Philadelphia, Denver, Florida, New York, Ashburn, Boston, etc.
The platform also allows you to check one ISBN at a time or upload multiple ISBNs to view all offers in a single chart. To better understand how it works, let’s look at an example. Here is a collection of comic books and graphic novels that could be on your bookshelf:
- Absolute Watchmen (ISBN-13: 9781779524492)
- Maus I & II Paperback Box Set (ISBN-13: 9780241455166)
- The Book (ISBN-13: 9780578377452)
- Tomb Of Dracula (ISBN-13: 9780785134305)
- Tintin on the Moon(ISBN-13: 9780316494823)
- Dragon Ball (3-in-1 Edition), Vol. 7 (ISBN-13: 9781421564722)
- The Art of Star Wars Jedi: Survivor (Deluxe Edition) (ISBN-13: 9781506739618)
- Wicked Collector’s Edition (ISBN-13: 9780063391086)
Let’s find them a new home and calculate how much money you can get for these titles.
Method #1: Enter one ISBN
We’ll start with checking an individual ISBN. For instance, WoB offers you $26.26 for Absolute Watchmen (ISBN-13: 9781779524492). Other vendors are less generous, and if you click the link and proceed to all the available offers, you’ll see that the majority is lower than $11.00.
Method #2: Enter multiple ISNBs
Let’s now check all eight ISBNs by entering them in the search field (separated by return, space, or comma).
You can immediately see the best vendor offer and your total maximum payout. Quite convenient, isn’t it?
Currently, no vendor is interested in purchasing all of your books. However, you can earn $67.77 by selling four of your comics to BooksRun and the remaining books to WoB, which will give you a total of $72.12.
Alternatively, you can send six out of your eight books to WoB. While this option pays a slightly lower total, it requires only one shipping instead of two. Be sure to check each vendor’s shipping terms to choose the one that best suits your needs.
Final Thoughts
We hope our guide to Houston’s bookstores will help you find places to sell your used books. From local gems like The Homeschool Store, Katy Budget Books, or The Book Attic to Houston college shops and online options, we’ve done our best to research the places that have any sort of a buyback or trade-in program.
Since there are not as many as we expected, we also included the bookstores that don’t mention any buyback; nonetheless, we encourage you to check each place individually.
For more tips on selling books and exploring literary hotspots, check out our posts about other cities, including San Diego, Chicago, Dallas, San Antonio, Seattle, Atlanta, and Los Angeles, as well as our resources for selling books online through platforms like Amazon, eBay, and ThriftBooks.
