Trade-In Policy FAQ
What Are Trade-Ins?
If you have books that you have already read, you can bring them to Swift Books and see if we need any of them. In exchange for any books that we accept, we give a store credit that is good for anything in our store. Store credit does not expire and can be used to pay for your entire purchase, including sales tax.
How Much Credit Will I Get?
For Store Credit:
- Mass Market Size (small paperbacks) $.75
- Trade Paper Size (large paperbacks) $1.25
- Hardcover $2.00
- All other book formats are at the store’s discretion
Can I Get Cash Instead of Store Credit?
We can pay cash for books, but only 50% of the above store credit prices. We reserve the right to not purchase any book for any reason. See below for more detail.
When Can I Bring My Books? Do I Need an Appointment?
We're happy to look at one grocery bag of books per customer at any time during our regular store hours: Mon-Sat, 10am-6pm. If you have more books than that, you will need to call for an appointment. Or, if you want us to donate the books that we cannot use, then you can drop your books off at any time and we'll look through them at our leisure and call you with your credit balance when we're done.
How Many Books Can I Bring? Do You Have a Limit?
We're happy to look at one grocery bag of books per customer at any time during our regular store hours: Mon-Sat, 10am-6pm. If you have more books than that, you can call us for an appointment. Or, if you want us to donate the books that we cannot use, then you can drop your books off at any time and we'll look through them at our leisure and call you with your credit balance when we're done.
Can I Bring Books That I Didn't Buy From You?
Yes.
What Can I Spend My Credit On?
Store credit is good for anything in our store -- new books, used books, gift merchandise -- including special orders. Store credit does not expire
and can be used to pay for your entire purchase, including sales tax.
I Bought This Book from You -- Why Won't You Take It Back?
If we bought back every book that we sold, all we would have in our store would be books that our customers had already read. In order to keep our
inventory fresh and have room for new releases, we cannot guarantee to take back a book that you bought from us.
What Should I Do With the Books You Don't Take?
If you are simply trying to clean out and de-clutter, you may wish to donate your books. We are a collection point for The Oaks. We cannot provide a tax receipt for your donation. Otherwise, you are welcome to take your books back and try them again in a month.
Is There Any Type of Book That You Don't Take?
We do not take the following:
- paperbacks with clipped corners
- books with loose or torn pages
- books that smell strongly of smoke
- books with mildew
- books that are brought in boxes containing bugs or rodents
- Reader's Digest Condensed Books
- Videos (DVD or VHS)
- Computer games
- individual comic books (we DO take graphic novels)
We rarely take the following:
- dirty or water-stained books
- category romances (i.e., thin Harlequins, Silhouettes, etc.)
- men's series action/adventure (i.e., Mack Bolan)
- hardcovers that are missing their dust jackets
- ex-library books
- books that have been laminated
- bookclub editions
- Advance Reading Copies or Uncorrected Proofs
- encyclopedias, almanacs, etc.
- audiobooks in cassette form (we DO take CD audiobooks)
What Books Are You Looking For?
Our needs change on a daily basis depending on what's selling and what's already been trade in, but here are a few things we usually need:
- books released within the past 3 months
- books on school reading lists
- books that we've selected as store picks
- Children's Caldecott Medal winners & honorees
- Dr. Seuss, Curious George & Magic School Bus books
- My First Step Into Reading books (the level before Level 1)
