When managing an estate, executors often face the challenge of what to do with a home library — hundreds of volumes that carry emotional significance but limited financial value.
Whether the collection is academic, literary, or simply the lifelong accumulation of a devoted reader, selling estate books efficiently and ethically can be a delicate task.  For books with ISDN numbers, or UBS codes, a solution may be a handy book buy app.  For executors staring down a pile of books, bookcases of shelves, this tool may save some pain.

Two of the most reliable online options are the ThriftBooks BuyBack Program  (thriftbooks.com/buyback) and World of Books (Sell.WorldofBooks.com).  Both allow you to mail in books for cash (or store credit), provide free shipping, and emphasize sustainable reuse. However, their terms and processes differ — and those details matter when closing an estate responsibly.

Both programs provide convenient options to enter a book’s ISBN or scan a book’s UPC code and receive a purchase price offer.  This allows executors to move through a bookshelf of contemporary books and generate an actionable liquidation option.

The International Standard Book Numbering system (ISBN) was introduced in 1970, so books printed before that will not be eligible for either program.

1. ThriftBooks BuyBack: Eco-Conscious and Structured

The ThriftBooks BuyBack program, launched in 2024, offers an organized, environmentally responsible approach to selling used books online.  It’s ideal for executors managing smaller, modern libraries or collections in good condition.

How It Works

• Enter or scan ISBNs of books you wish to sell.
• ThriftBooks checks current market demand and inventory to determine which titles they’ll accept.
• Receive a conditional offer, valid for seven days.
• Ship all accepted books in one box only, using a prepaid shipping label.  Multiple boxes are allowed; however, each box will be a separate transaction.
• Once received and verified, payment is issued via PayPal or ThriftBooks store credit.

Processing can take up to 20 business days from the date you confirm your offer.  Payments are typically modest — often less than $1 per book — but the convenience and environmental benefits are significant.

Condition and Eligibility

To qualify, books must:

• Be complete and readable, with intact covers and pages.
• Be free from water damage, missing pages, and excessive markings.
• Match the ISBN you entered.
• Not be instructor editions, advanced reader copies, or “Not for resale” copies.
  

Rejected books are not returned, so accurate sorting is essential before shipping.

The main tradeoff is time: the process is deliberate, and turnaround can approach a month.
Still, for executors prioritizing sustainability and transparency, this is an excellent choice.

 

2. World of Books: Fast, Flexible, and Estate-Friendly

The World of Books buy-back program at Sell.WorldofBooks.com offers a quicker, more flexible way to sell not only books but also CDs, DVDs, and games — making it especially useful for mixed-media estate collections.

How It Works

• Enter or scan each ISBN/barcode to receive instant price offers.
• Accept the trade to lock in pricing for 28 days.
• Ship items free using a prepaid shipping label.
• Payment is made via PayPal, bank transfer, or check, typically within 3–5 business days of receipt.

This program’s simplicity and speed make it a practical choice when timelines are tight — for example, when an estate must be settled or a property cleared quickly.

Condition Guidelines

World of Books requires that:

• All pages and covers are intact and clean.
• No significant water damage, tears, or heavy annotations are present.
• Dust jackets (if issued) accompany hardcover titles.
• CDs/DVDs be playable, original, and unscratched.

There’s a $7.50 minimum trade value, and — as with ThriftBooks — rejected items are not returned.

Why Executors Might Choose World of Books

Executors often prefer World of Books when:

• They need faster turnaround and immediate payment.
• They’re handling large, mixed media estates (books, music, films).
• The focus is on speed and simplicity, not maximum resale value.

Offers are typically modest — usually under $3 per book — but payments are processed quickly and with minimal steps.

3. Key Differences: Executor Priorities and Timing

Feature	ThriftBooks BuyBack	World of Books
Accepted Items	Books, DVDs & Blu‑Ray	Books, CDs, DVDs, video games
Offer Validity	7 days	28 days
Payout Method	PayPal or store credit	PayPal, bank transfer, or check
Turnaround	~20 business days	3–7 business days
Condition Standards	Strict	Moderate
Best For	Smaller curated collections	Larger mixed-media estates

20 Book Sample Test

We entered about 20 books into both the World of Books and ThriftBooks apps.    It wasn’t uncommon to receive offers of 28¢, 34¢, 25¢, 39¢, etc. Often the apps would decline to make an offer.  In our test we kept going to accumulate 20 offers on 20 books. The best offer we received was $11.06 for a large coffee table book.

We found that each company had different offers for each book, sometimes significant differences. In some cases, one app would not make an offer for a book and the other would, and vice-a-versa.

Recommendation for Executors

Given the findings above, we found it useful to have both apps going at the same time, creating 2 piles each headed to different companies.  This way, we had an opportunity to maximize value and get the best return.

Both services are best viewed as liquidation tools, not profit opportunities.  They allow executors to complete their duties efficiently, clear estate spaces responsibly, and document proceeds for final accounting — all while preserving the literary legacy of the decedent in a thoughtful, sustainable way.

With Thriftbooks and World of Books Buyback apps, you probably won’t completely empty the shelves, but can liquidate a portion of the book library.  That’s moving forward.

 

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