Our today’s destination for bookstores that buy used books is San Antonio.
If you read our previous post about Denver, you may remember Clever Real Estate’s report on The Best Book Places in the U.S. (2022 Data) we mentioned. Unlike Denver, which ranked favorably, San Antonio was listed among the ten least reader-friendly cities out of the 50 most populous. In fact, San Antonio ranked 8th in this category. With just 77 libraries per 100,000 residents and 13 indie bookstores, the city only offers about 0.5 indie bookstores per 100,000 residents.
This simply means that San Antonio has a different focus but still has a few places to sell books. In this post, we have compiled them all into one list.
- Where to Sell Books to Stores?
- Where to Sell Textbooks in San Antonio?
- Where to Sell Rare Books and Collections in San Antonio?
- How to Sell Books Online in San Antonio?
Where to Sell Books to Stores?
Nine Lives Books
📌 Address: 7959 Fredericksburg Rd Ste 119, San Antonio TX 78229-3431
Nine Lives Books moved to a new location in 2020. You can find them near “Dragon’s Lair Comics & Fantasy in the shopping center with Chase Bank.” The store accepts all sorts of merchandise for store credit, including books. You can bring your titles for evaluation to understand how much they can offer you. Mind that they might not accept your books if they don’t fit their condition requirements or depending on what they have in stock.
Half Price Books
📌 Address: HPB North Central, 125 NW Loop 410, San Antonio, TX 78216
Half Price Books offers the option to sell your books both locally to their stores and online through their website. Established in 1972, HPB is a well-known name in the industry and one of the largest family-owned bookstores in the U.S. They accept a broad variety of books and typically offer fair prices. In San Antonio, there are four HPB stores; you can come in person to any of these branches to get your books evaluated.
Nelco Comics
📌 Address: 1134 N Flores St, San Antonio, TX 78212-4909
If you have comic books to sell in San Antonio, check out Nelco Comics. To get a quote, fill out the form on their website or call them at (210) 863-0360. This place was founded and is run by people passionate about comics who are willing to gather like-minded fans in one place. They host comic signings and themed parties and have an unparalleled selection of comic books, including rare Silver and Bronze Age comics.
Crazy Lady Used Books & Emporium
📌 Address: 10660 W FM 78, Schertz, Texas 78154
Crazy Lady Used Books & Emporium is a real find for book lovers and collectors. The store itself is unique: it’s located inside a former 1940s church. There are plenty of real gems in the collection—from classics to genres like Texana, military history, science fiction, and fantasy. They also sell vinyl records, antiques, and other collectibles. We couldn’t find any specific information about their buyback policy (if there’s any), but we encourage you to check it out in person. The owners are helpful, and there are plenty of good reviews online.
BookCellar
📌 Address: The Friends Used Book Store is in the Central Library Basement—Central Library, 600 Soledad Street, San Antonio, TX 78205
BookCellar, part of The Friends Used Book Store, is located in the Central Library Basement. They have “thousands of new and recycled books,” and though they don’t buy stuff, they accept book donations. You can bring your titles and media from Monday to Thursday from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Alternatively, you can call them at (210) 227-9519 to schedule curbside pick-up.
Guadalupe Latino Bookstore & Gift Shop
📌 Address: 1301 Guadalupe St, San Antonio, TX 78207
Guadalupe Latino Bookstore & Gift Shop is a unique place where you can immerse yourself in the Latino culture. It’s not a commercial bookstore; however, you can check their book-buying policy. They “focus on Texas Latino writers, Mexican American Studies, Chicano Scholars, and Icons” and offer various events in the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center.
Where to Sell Textbooks in San Antonio?
The University of Texas at San Antonio—Rowdy Campus Store
📌 Address: 1 UTSA Circle, San Antonio, TX US 78249-1644
One of the first places that comes to mind when one wants to get rid of last-semester textbooks is a campus bookstore. For example, the Rowdy Campus Store of the University of Texas at San Antonio offers a buyback program that welcomes books in good or like-new condition and offers up to 50% of their original price. Mind that the demand and the offered depend a lot on the season.
San Antonio College Bookstore
📌 Address: 402 W Dewey Pl., Loftin Student Center, San Antonio, TX 78212
San Antonio College Bookstore also buys textbooks from students. The same terms apply here: items should be in good condition, and offers are up to 50% of the original book price. The demand is seasonal, so it’s best to bring your books when they are more likely to be accepted.
Barnes and Noble
📌 Address: 6065 NW Loop 410 #185, San Antonio, TX 78238
The store chain has a buyback program for used textbooks and trade books. However, they don’t promise to accept all books that might be brought to them. Use the online store locator to find the closest Barnes & Noble in San Antonio. You can also check the Sell Your Textbooks page to understand the demand and offers. Mind that you have to bring at least $10.00 worth of books to sell. Read more about selling textbooks with Barnes & Noble from one of our earlier posts.
St. Mary’s University Official Bookstore
📌 Address: One Camino Santa Maria, San Antonio, TX 78228-8540
St. Mary’s University Official Bookstore also has a buyback program for used books. They offer pretty much the same conditions as all other college bookstores.
San Antonio Homeschool Curriculum Buy/Sell/Trade (Facebook Group)
📌 Address: San Antonio
San Antonio Homeschool Curriculum Buy/Sell/Trade is a Facebook group where members can buy and sell new or gently used items that may be helpful to homeschoolers in the San Antonio area. If you have textbooks or study materials that you want to sell, you can join the group. Be ready to meet with the members interested in your items in person in San Antonio or ship them at the buyer’s cost.
Where to Sell Rare Books and Collections in San Antonio?
In this section, we’ve compiled a short list of appraisers and booksellers in San Antonio and nearby locations in Texas who can help you appraise your collection. There used to be more options for rare book appraisals (such as Dorothy Sloan Rare Books and Antiquarian Book Mart), but unfortunately, those are no longer available.
MacDonnell Rare Books
📌 Address: 9307 Glenlake Dr., Austin, TX, 78730. The store is open by appointment only. Contact them by email at any time: info@macdonnellrarebooks.com
🌐 Website: MacDonnell Rare Books
They specialize in books about books, first editions, and autographs of “tMark Twain, Henry David Thoreau, Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, the Brontes, Herman Melville, Walt Whitman, Edgar Allan Poe, Henry James, Emily Dickinson, William Faulkner, Ernest Hemingway, and other major authors.“
Cheever Books
📌 Address: 3940 Broadway St., San Antonio, TX 78209. Contact them at 210-824-2665 or directly by email: cheeverbooks@att.net
🌐 Website: Сheever Books
They specialize in used and rare books: “top quality used and rare books, including first editions and out-of-print titles.”
The History Shop
📌 Address: 713 E. Houston St., San Antonio, TX 78205, 210-229-9855. Email: jdg@thehistoryshop.com
🌐 Website: The History Shop
They specialize in Texas History, the Civil War era, WWI & WWII. They also offer research and repair services.
Michael Laird Rare Books LLC
📌 Address: PO Box 299, Lockhart, TX (917) 747-5953. Email: info@michaellaird.com.
🌐 Website: Michael Laird Rare Books
They specialize in rare and antiquarian printed books and manuscripts and accept visitors by appointment.
You can search for appraisers on theAppraisers Association of America website, where, for instance, a search in the San Antonio area returns the above-mentioned Mr. Michael Shane Laird, AAA, based in Lockhart, TX. Another option is the International Society of Appraisers, which currently lists five appraisers specializing in books as of 2024.
How to Sell Books Online in San Antonio?
Selling books online is another option you have whether you live in San Antonio or any other location. Here are a few of the most well-known online bookstores and marketplaces you can opt for:
- Facebook Groups
- Better World Books
- Amazon
- eBay
- ValoreBooks
- eCampus
- Sell Your Book Back
- ThriftBooks
- Chegg
- Etc.
BookScouter
However, as usual, we suggest you check BookScouter first. With over 30 vendors, you can easily compare price offers for your used books with just a few clicks. It doesn’t matter if you’re in San Antonio, Denver, Seattle, or Boston—the process works the same way.
For the sake of the experiment, let’s check how much you can get for your used meteorology textbooks. For instance, you’re looking to sell:
- Meteorology Today (ISBN-13: 9780357452073)
- Atmospheric Science, Second Edition (ISBN-13: 9780127329512)
- Midlatitude Synoptic Meteorology (ISBN-13: 9781878220103)
- Essentials of Meteorology (ISBN-13: 9780357857557)
- An Introduction to Dynamic Meteorology (Volume 88) (ISBN-13: 9780123848666)
- Practical Meteorology: An Algebra-based Survey of Atmospheric Science (ISBN-13: 9780888651761)
Method #1: Enter the book’s ISBN
You can check each of these ISBNs individually one by one. For instance, An Introduction to Dynamic Meteorology (Volume 88) (ISBN-13: 9780123848666) will bring you $30.50 (the best vendor offer). Not bad.
Method #2: Enter multiple ISNBs
You enter all these ISBNs in the search field.
That’s exactly where you see the whole picture.
Selling all textbooks to TextbookRush is more convenient and will earn you $137.22. However, since this vendor doesn’t have an offer for Practical Meteorology and there are more beneficial quotes for some items from other vendors, it might be wiser to sell them separately. Your maximum payout can be $148.03 if you do so.
Check each vendor’s shipping conditions to calculate the best buyback scenario.
Final Thoughts
We hope that our selection of San Antonio brick-and-mortar bookstores will be useful to you whether you’re looking to sell your old books or buy new reads.
If you need more information about bookstores that buy books in other locations, check out our other posts about Atlanta, San Diego, New York, Dallas, Los Angeles, Ashburn, Chicago. and Florida.
