Selling to Second Story Books

Off-Site Purchasing


We'll come to your home, office or business for large collections. Contact Warren Wigutow at (301) 770-0477 ext. 16 or email warrenssb@outlook.com to make an appointment.
Please note: Large collections require advanced notice in order to schedule pick-up. Current estimate between the date of a home visit to review a collection and to the date we can return and pick-up the collection is 4-6 weeks.

In-Store Purchasing

 

Please note the buying hours at each store are different.

 

Dupont Buying Policies

This location only accepts books in excellent condition. For digital media, art, or antiques please contact our Rockville store.
We are always on the lookout for contemporary fiction, sci/fi, mysteries, and other genre fiction, as well as philosophy, history, classics, and collectable editions.

Limits per visit: 50 items. For larger quantities, please space your visits over 2 or more days or make an appointment at our Rockville store.
We are available for trading every day from 12pm to 2 pm. We give store credit for books that we accept. Cash offers are reserved for rare or valuable books, or for books published this calendar year in like new condition. If you have a rare book or collection and would like to set up an appointment for review, please email photos and a brief description to zachary@secondstorybooks.com.
 

Rockville Buying Policies

 

Please read the instructions for determining how to proceed with selling your collection below before visiting the store.

 

Walk-In Buying (No Appointment necessary)

Sellers are limited to 20 books per customer.

The store is permitted to close buying if walk-ins are over a daily capacity.

Walk-ins are closed on federal holidays.

Sellers may call ahead on the day they intend to visit to guarantee a slot during the walk-in hours, regardless of whether the daily cap has been reached.

Walk-In Hours 

Mon–Fri • 10am–12pm
Sat–Sun • 11am–2pm

Walk-in Buying in CLOSED on all federal holidays. Please instead arrange an appointment in accordance with the guidelines below. 

  

Medium Collections (20-100 books) 

Sellers need to make an appointment to either drop-off their books or meet with a buyer. 

Photo samples are required

Please, PLEASE, do not send a list. Lists are next to useless! Photos are easier and provide better information.

Appointments must be made by emailing dylan@secondstorybooks.com

Please note that we’re not able to schedule drop-offs until after we’ve reviewed photos and confirmed that the books are a good fit. Please wait for confirmation from a buyer before coming to the store.

Questions and inquiries may be directed to Dylan at 301-770-0477 Extension 18.

We cannot accommodate same-day walk-ins with over 20 books.

 

Large Collections (100+ books)

Photos are required to be scheduled.

Drop-offs are by appointment only.

Appointments must be made by emailing dylan@secondstorybooks.com

Please note that we’re not able to schedule drop-offs until after we’ve reviewed photos and confirmed that the books are a good fit. Please wait for confirmation from a buyer before coming to the store.

Review of drop-offs may take up to 3-4 business days. Not all collections receive an offer

Questions and inquiries may be directed to Dylan at 301-770-0477 Extension 18. Voicemails left over the weekend will be returned on Monday. Call the front desk for immediate inquires during the weekend: 301-770-0477 Ext 0

  

Please bring books in sturdy boxes (boxes are available for free from Montgomery County liquor stores or large wholesalers like Costco).

 

Thank you for understanding and for supporting Second Story Books.

 

What We Buy 

We do not buy any and all books indiscriminately. We buy according to our needs. We primarily look for books that will sell reliably, quickly, and at a good market price.

Books must be in saleable condition to be considered.

Please do not bring:

  • Broken or damaged books
  • Books with pen, highlighting, or marginalia
  • Books removed from Little Free Libraries or their equivalent
  • Computer books published before 2023.
  • Textbooks or test-prep materials
  • academic or trade journals, no conference materials. 
  • TIME/LIFE/National Geographic Magazines

We also buy media (LPs, CDs, DVDs, and Blu-Rays) but are highly selective.  Preference is given to unopened, shrink-wrapped CDs and DVDs and LPs in excellent condition, regardless of age. 

 

Here is a sample of what we are looking for:

Fiction Books: contemporary literature, classic literature (if in a recently published edition), graphic novels, science fiction & fantasy, horror

Non-fiction Books: history, philosophy, popular culture, modern music, occult and the paranormal

"Rare" Books: condition of the book is paramount, the  author or subject must have cultural or world-historic significance in order to sell

 

How to make an appointment 

 

Please do not send us a list of books and their condition or publication dates. A list is next to useless for our purposes.

Please instead send photo samples to the following email to determine if your books meet our buying criteria: dylan@secondstorybooks.com

 

If you are bringing books to the store to drop-off, please bring your own boxes or sturdy bags (no trash bags). 

 

Book Buying Questions and Answers:

Can I come in at any time to do a Book Buy?

Our book buying hours have recently changed:

Book Buying hours are Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday between 10am and 12pm.

Saturday and Sunday our buying hours are between 11am and 2pm.

This is for the Rockville location (12160 Parklawn Drive, Rockville, MD 20852).

What happens outside those times?

Customers may drop off up to 3-4 boxes of books after walk-in hours. The front desk will issue a receipt and a buyer will be in touch in approximately 3-4 business days. Offers in cash will be mailed as a check. Store credit offers are kept at the store and may be used at either location. 

How many books can I bring during a Walk-In Book Buy?

Our limit is 20 books. Please keep it 20 per visit, not per person.

What is store credit?

As of January 2026, purchases made with store credit at the Rockville Warehouse are now included in the 50% off discount. 

Store credit is a way to purchase books from Rockville stock at a 50% discount from our penciled price. Credit is usable at the Second Story Dupont Circle location as well, at no discount to the penciled price.

How do we determine your offer?

We make offers based on experience. Our buyers use wide-ranging knowledge on publishing houses, customer demand, and observations on the condition of the material. They select books and make offers based on how quickly a book will sell and at what retail price it will sell, after the our overhead costs. 

We primarily source our inventory through large volume collections. Our offers for smaller collections of common variety books are made with this in mind. 

What happens to media you do not want?

We take them to further reduced price markets, such as our flea market at the Dupont location or the nonprofit Friends of the Library, Montgomery County.

What if I don't want anything in return for my books?

We suggest taking your books to Friends of the Library (4886 Boiling Brook Parkway, Rockville, MD 20852).

I have more than 20 books. What should I do?

You must email a sample photo to dylan@secondstorybooks.com. A photo of book spines is sufficient for a sample. Call (301) 770-0477 extension 18 and leave a voicemail with questions. 

What if I have something that could be valuable?

Email a photo to dylan@secondstorybooks.com and we can advise you.

 

Second Story Books does not guarantee books held will be purchased or traded for credit. Upon notifying the owner and receiving confirmation from the owner of purchase, Second Story Books will send payment or apply credit.

Any items rejected by Second Story Books must be picked up within 30 days of notification or Second Story Books reserves the right to recycle the books.

Sorry, we cannot make any offers or estimates over email or phone. Photo samples are for verifying books are eligible for sale, not what we will sell them for, hence we cannot make offers until we have books in hand. 

Questions can be directed to 301-770-0477 Ext.18

Selling through Second Story Books

 
See CONSIGNMENTS for details on contracting with Second Story Books as your sales agent.