Book Exchange

Hours | How Much? | What Do You Accept?Condition Guidelines | What is a BEC? | Donations

Trade Ins Book Exchange Sandman Books Punta Gorda Florida Used Bookstore Library Trade-in Trade in Credits BEC Sell New Books Tourist Vacation Spot

Book Exchange is by Appointment Only

We DO NOT pay cash for books, but we do accept certain books in trade. If your books are accepted at book exchange, you will receive a Book Exchange Coupon that may be applied towards the purchase of qualifying in stock used books. 

Donations

Do not want to hassle with the book exchange process? Sandman Books accepts book donations any time we are open, and will accept all genres.

Book Exchange Hours

At this time, book exchange is available by appointment only. (941) 505-1624

To qualify for a book exchange appointment, you must be a current customer - this means you have to have spent money in the store (either online or in person) within the last four to six months. Not a customer? That's easy to change! Visit us (or our website), and buy something awesome! Then you'll be able to schedule an appointment for book exchange. We will ONLY accept books in trade during designated trade-in appointments. During your appointment, our Book Specialist will review your offering and discuss it with you. After your trade has been processed (which can take up to an hour), your Book Exchange Coupon (BEC) will be ready for you at checkout. You will be able to use your BEC the same day or save it for later (it expires after one year). Remember, if your current balance is above $100, you must use some of it up before you trade in again.

What books do you accept?

We are looking for books we can re-sell in our brick and mortar store. What does this mean? Condition is a major factor, but this ultimately comes down to our current stock: hardcover vs. paperback, and the allocated shelf space for the genre. Publication date is also a major consideration; about 80% of our in-store sales for genre fiction are books published in the last three years. However, 80% of the books brought in are more than five years old. That is a huge discrepancy, and we have to strongly limit the exchange of books more than a few years old in order to balance it out. Before each trade in date, we publish a list of book genres we are seeking, and those we do not want. This list is fluid and changes based on our anticipated needs and shelf-pace. During the winter season, this list can change a couple of times per week. Cookbooks, Self-Published, Foreign Language, Textbooks, oversized books, and old reference books are rarely accepted.

What is the Exchange Rate?

The amount given in exchange for a book is dependent on its publication date and overall condition. Our exchange matrix for standard titles, which is based on the publication date, is updated before each scheduled trade-in date. Generally, books over a couple years old are under fifty cents and books over 20 years old are under twenty-five cents (if we accept them at all). Again, this matrix is for standard books (such as bestsellers like James Patterson) and does not cover rare, special editions, or unique titles.

What does excellent condition mean?

Only about 25% of the books we see are clean enough to qualify for our book exchange program. We are very picky about what we accept. Books with mold, smoke odor, water damage, missing or torn pages, foxing, mildew, tears, missing dust - jackets, and other blemishes will be rejected. Former library books, clearance returns, non-fiction books which are out of date, periodicals, and most textbooks will be rejected. If your book has ever been stored in a garage, shed, or other non air conditioned location, we probably don't want it. The Florida environment is very hard on books!

At a minimum, the following are not allowed:

 

• dirty, musty, moldy, smoky, mildewy or other vile smell

• critter bites (dog chewing, bookworms or other)

• no growths (mold, foxing, or other)

• no cracked, failed, discolored or unreadable spines or binding

• no loose or missing pages

• no water damage (including from humidity)

• no writing or highlighting

• no former library books

• no Book Club editions (smaller hardcover books)

• vermin or spiders

What can I get with my Book Exchange Coupon?

Book Exchange Coupon may be applied towards the purchase of select used books which are currently in stock. It will not work on items marked NO COUPONS or NO TRADE CREDIT which generally includes books in the following categories:

• New Arrivals

• Special Orders

• Rare Books

• Florida Books

• Textbooks

• Audiobooks

• Online purchases

• Items with yellow tags

• Items with blue tags

As a reminder, the following items are not used books and may not purchased with a coupon balance:

• Toys

• Puzzles

• Stationery (including greeting cards)

• Apparel

• Games

• Gifts

You can not stack your book exchange coupon with any other coupon, sale, or discount.

 

Speaking of discounts, join our mailing list for exclusive specials!

Trade Ins Book Exchange Sandman Books Punta Gorda Florida Used Bookstore Library Trade-in Trade in Credits BEC Sell