You've got a stack of books you don't want anymore. The first question is always: "Can I get money for these?" Fair question. Here's an honest breakdown of your options in Albuquerque, from someone who handles thousands of donated books.
Last verified May 2026 · Original research by Josh Eldred
When Selling Makes Sense
Let's be honest: some books ARE worth selling. If you've got recent bestsellers in good condition, collectible or first editions, current-edition textbooks (within 1–2 years of publication), or vintage and rare books, there's a market for those. If you're not sure whether you're sitting on a first edition, our first edition identification guide covers the key markers to look for. The question is whether the effort matches the payoff.
Here are your realistic options in Albuquerque:
eBay — Best prices, but requires real effort: photos, detailed listings, shipping arrangements, and tracking. If you've got the time and patience, this usually nets the highest per-book price. Fun fact: NMLP has an eBay store too, so you're competing with folks who do this professionally.
Facebook Marketplace — Good for local sales. No shipping hassle, meet people locally, and often faster sales. If you're in ABQ, this can be painless and profitable, especially for books people actively want.
Half Price Books — They've got locations in Albuquerque. Quick cash, zero effort — just walk in. But here's the catch: they pay pennies on the dollar. You'll walk out faster than you walk in, but your pocket will be lighter than you'd hope.
Amazon Trade-In — Limited selection but easy. Get an Amazon credit, ship books for free, and move on. Not the highest payouts, but straightforward.
When Donating Makes More Sense
Be practical. Donating makes sense when the effort of selling isn't worth the return. Older editions of anything (textbooks, guides, tech books), mass market paperbacks (worth pennies–pennies on resale platforms), highlighted or annotated copies, large collections where listing each one isn't realistic — these are donation candidates. And honestly? Sometimes you just want them gone TODAY.
Here's the real math: If you have 100 books and only 5 are worth selling, sell those 5 and donate the other 95. Don't let the 5 valuable ones prevent you from dealing with the 95 that are taking up space in your bedroom.
The Time vs. Money Calculation
Here's where most people get stuck. Let's break down the actual economics. Listing a book on eBay takes 10–15 minutes — photos, description, pricing research. The average used book sells for a few dollars–8 on eBay. After fees (eBay, PayPal), packing materials, and shipping, your net is maybe a few dollars–5. So you're making roughly modest value–20/hour IF the book actually sells. For a pennies paperback? That's absolutely not worth anyone's time.
You've got other things to do. If selling books gets you modest value/hour after accounting for everything, and you could spend that time earning or doing anything else you'd rather be doing, it's not a good deal.
What Happens When You Donate to Us
Full transparency: I'm a for-profit business — no grants, no tax burden, no bureaucracy. When you donate books to NMLP, books in demand get resold. That funds my operations, free pickups, and the 24/7 drop box. Donations are not tax-deductible. But here's what actually happens to your books:
Children's books are donated free to UNM Children's Hospital pediatric ward, residential care homes for adults with developmental disabilities, school libraries in small communities across the state, and hospice family-room shelves in the metro. Books in demand get resold through my shop and online. Damaged books get recycled — not landfilled. Your donation takes 5 minutes. No listing, no shipping, no haggling. Done.
The Best of Both Worlds
Here's my honest advice: Cherry-pick the valuable ones to sell yourself. If you need help figuring out which ones have value, try our library valuation tool. Snap a few photos, list them on eBay or Facebook Marketplace, and let them sell. It'll take a few hours of effort and you'll make real money on books that are actually worth it. Then donate the rest. Don't let perfect be the enemy of done. Your books will find new readers, and you'll finally have your space back.
Ready to deal with your book pile? Check out all the ways I can help, read about alternatives to Goodwill in Albuquerque, or learn how to get rid of old books. And if you're doing a big year-end cleanout, our year-end book donation guide covers the timing and logistics.