Start Here: What Kind of Collection Do You Have?
The right option depends less on the number of books and more on what kind of books they are.
A collection made up primarily of fiction, popular paperbacks, romance novels, or mass-market titles has limited resale value and is best handled through a thrift store, library book sale, or junk removal service. There is nothing wrong with that — it is the honest answer, and it saves you time.
A collection made up primarily of quality non-fiction — academic textbooks, theological and biblical studies, history, biography, professional reference, law, medicine, or science — is a different situation. These books often have meaningful resale value and deserve a more careful evaluation before they go to a donation bin.
Most large personal libraries contain a mix of both. The presence of some fiction or popular titles does not disqualify a collection from a more careful review.
The Realistic Options
1. Goodwill and Local Thrift Stores
Best for: Mixed collections, fiction-heavy collections, or situations where speed is the priority.
Goodwill and similar thrift stores process books quickly and put them on the shelf for $1–$3 each. This is the right option when the collection is primarily fiction, popular paperbacks, or heavily worn books — or when the family simply needs the space cleared quickly.
2. Library Book Sales
Best for: General non-fiction, hardcovers in good condition, donors who want the proceeds to support a local institution.
The Huntsville-Madison County Public Library Friends of the Library organization accepts book donations and sells them through their bookstore locations. Call ahead before bringing a large collection — they have limited storage capacity.
3. Independent and Chain Used Bookstores
Best for: Popular titles in very good condition, recent releases, donors who want store credit or cash.
Booklegger (Holmes Avenue) buys books for store credit and accepts donations of titles they cannot purchase. 2nd & Charles (Hwy 72W in Madison) buys books for cash, though offers tend to be low. It is worth scanning a sample of titles on BookScouter before visiting either store.
4. Specialized Used Book Dealers
Best for: Academic, theological, professional reference, and other quality non-fiction collections — especially those built by professors, preachers, attorneys, physicians, or serious lifelong readers.
North Alabama Book Exchange specializes in exactly this type of collection. Send a few photos of the book spines on the shelves, and we will review the collection and respond within a day. If it is a good fit, we arrange pickup at no cost. There is no obligation and no boxing required.
5. Online Selling (Amazon, eBay)
Best for: Families with one or two high-value items, or those willing to invest significant time for a higher return.
Selling books individually online is the highest-return option for truly valuable titles, but it is the most time-intensive. The exception is when the collection contains a small number of genuinely rare titles that sell for $100 or more — listing those 10–20 individually and handling the rest through a dealer is a reasonable hybrid approach.
6. Junk Removal
Best for: Collections that are heavily worn, water-damaged, moldy, or otherwise unsalvageable.
Junk removal is the right answer for books that are genuinely beyond donation. Companies like 1-800-GOT-JUNK and College Hunks operate in the Huntsville area and can clear a room quickly. If you are unsure, send photos to a dealer before calling junk removal.
If you have a large non-fiction collection and are not sure whether it warrants a closer look, the fastest answer is a few photos. Text a few photos of your book spines to (256) 585-6596 or email them to us after submitting. We'll respond within a day — if it's a collection we can help with, we'll tell you honestly.
Submit photos for a free collection reviewMatching Your Collection to the Right Option
The Most Common Mistake
The most common mistake families make is defaulting immediately to the nearest thrift store without evaluating whether the collection contains something worth a more careful look. A 400-volume library built by a professor, preacher, or attorney over 40 years of serious work may contain dozens of titles worth $50–$300 each. Five minutes of photo-taking before the donation run can make a meaningful difference.
The second most common mistake is the opposite: assuming that because the collection is large, it must be valuable. A thousand mass-market paperbacks are worth less than fifty well-chosen academic monographs. The content matters more than the count.
What Happens to the Books
When North Alabama Book Exchange acquires a collection, the books are evaluated, listed on Amazon's marketplace, and sold to readers across the country who are actively searching for them. A commentary set that sat on a shelf in Huntsville may end up in the hands of a Bible student in Georgia, a preacher in Ohio, or a scholar in Virginia. The books continue to serve readers — which is what the person who built the collection would have wanted.
If you have a large non-fiction collection and are not sure whether it warrants a closer look, the fastest answer is a few photos. Text a few photos of your book spines to (256) 585-6596 or email them to us after submitting. We'll respond within a day — if it's a collection we can help with, we'll tell you honestly.
Submit photos for a free collection reviewNorth Alabama Book Exchange serves Huntsville, Madison County, Athens, Decatur, Scottsboro, Florence, Cullman, Birmingham, and surrounding North Alabama communities.