Donating books to TCB

Last updated: 4/15/2023

  • Books are accepted 12pm-4pm daily. This ensures that we have time at the beginning and end of the day to price and shelve donated books.
  • We have parking! The parking lot behind our building has five spots dedicated to bookstore customers, numbered 6 by the building, and 41-44 around the recycling bin.
  • We offer store credit for donated books. In general, we give $1 credit for small (mass market) paperbacks, $2 for larger (trade) paperbacks, and $3 for hardcover books. These amounts are reduced for kids’ books and we may adjust them for other factors, like the book’s condition.
  • Please only bring us two medium-sized bags or boxes at a time, so that we have time to process other customers’ donations too.
  • Whether or not you plan to claim store credit, we ask that you stay in the store while while we look through your donation—this generally takes 10-20 minutes.
  • We do not accept books with writing or highlighting in them, ex-library books, or hardcover books missing their dust jacket. Books do need to be in good condition (gently loved is okay). See below for a more detailed list of of some types of book we’re generally looking for and some types we can’t use. This is subject to change as we figure out what works in the store.
  • If you want to donate a book that does not appear on the list, check with us! It may be something we can use, while not being something we’re specifically looking for in large quantities.

WE USUALLY NEED THESE TYPES OF BOOKS (although we can’t use every book):

  • Art
  • Literature (including Children’s/YA)
  • Collectibles
  • History
  • Local interest (VA and DC)
  • Military history
  • Philosophy
  • Prize-winning titles
  • Science fiction and fantasy
  • Vintage (pre-1961) fiction paperbacks

WE GENERALLY CAN’T USE:

  • Audiobooks on tape/CDs, music CDs, DVDs (although we do currently have some for sale, we are not looking to expand at present)
  • Computer programming and software books
  • Diet books
  • Encyclopedias
  • Large print books
  • Magazines
  • Political memoirs
  • Reader’s Digest Condensed books
  • Textbooks
  • Hardcover mysteries and thrillers
  • Literary fiction in mass market (small) paperback (SF/fantasy/horror/mysteries/thrillers in this format are fine)