The Books Britain Gives Up On first? Self-help

Self-improvement is the genre Britons most often sell back. At least 30% of the books arriving at WeBuyBooks are in near-new or barely-read condition.

New analysis of almost five million books reveals what the nation buys with good intentions, and what it quietly gives up on.

Analysis by WeBuyBooks. Based on 4,947,788 books bought from the UK public over 12 months.

A nation of good intentions

Britain buys books to become a better version of itself. More often than not though, it then sells them on unread.

Analysis of nearly five million books bought from the public over the past 12 months shows that self-help, self-improvement and wellbeing titles are the most commonly sold-back category in the country. Crime and mystery follows in second place, then psychology, then mysticism.

What makes the finding sharper is the condition those books arrive in. At least 30% of all books received are in near-new or unread condition, with spines uncracked and pages unturned. These are not well-thumbed favourites being passed on. In many cases they are books that were never started.

That figure lands almost exactly alongside national research. The Reading Agency’s 2025 study of 4,000 UK adults found that 31% say they struggle to finish what they start reading. Among 16 to 34-year-olds, that rises to 43%. Roughly a third of us struggle to finish a book, and roughly a third of the books we sell back look barely touched.

Britain earned over £4m clearing its shelves

Over the same 12 months, WeBuyBooks paid out £4,052,539 to people selling books from their own shelves. That was spread across 67,068 individual sellers, plus some charities and libraries. The average payout per order was £24.94. The single biggest earner made £2,700 in a year. This is not a get-rich scheme, and the numbers make that plain. The typical clear-out is around 25 books, so the value lies in volume and in the space reclaimed. Across the country, though, it adds up to millions of pounds returning to households from books that were otherwise gathering dust.

“What’s particularly encouraging is that more people are recognising the value sitting on their own bookshelves. Rather than letting books gather dust, they’re discovering they can earn extra cash while helping someone else enjoy the same book.”

Mike Lane, CEO and co-founder, WeBuyBooks

Why we clear our shelves, and when

January is the peak period for selling books back, driven largely by unwanted Christmas gifts and abandoned new years resolutions. The bigger triggers, though, are the turning points in people’s lives.

Moving in with a partner, a new baby arriving, and a spare room being converted are all consistent drivers. So are divorce, house moves, downsizing in later life and inheriting a relative’s collection.

The spring clean accounts for another seasonal spike.

There is a clear gender pattern too, with 65% of sellers being women. Sellers span every age group, though over-65s are slightly over-represented and 18 to 24-year-olds slightly under.

The books that double in value overnight

The second-hand market moves faster than most people expect, and it moves with the news.

“The second-hand book market reacts remarkably quickly to what’s capturing the public’s attention. We’ve seen books double in value almost overnight. When England are doing well in a major tournament, football biographies suddenly become much more sought after. The same happens when an author wins an award, a celebrity passes away or a TV adaptation is released.”

Mike Lane, CEO and co-founder, WeBuyBooks

There are counter-intuitive rules to value, too. A handsome leather binding is not automatically a sign of worth.

“One of the biggest surprises for customers is that a beautiful leather binding isn’t necessarily valuable. In fact, books that have been rebound can be worth less than original copies, because elements might have been removed or lost, and because collectors generally prize originality over appearance.”

Mike Lane, CEO and co-founder, WeBuyBooks

One of the world’s biggest second-hand book markets

Britain’s appetite for used books stands out internationally. Research by the European and International Booksellers Federation covered 19 countries and compared how people buy.

It found that 51% of UK book buyers had bought second-hand in the previous 12 months. That is well above the 35% average across all countries surveyed, and among the highest of any market studied.

Price is a large part of it. A second-hand copy typically costs around 40% less than a new one, putting books within reach for readers who would otherwise go without.

“Britain has always had a strong printing and second-hand book culture, from independent bookshops to charity shops. The internet and apps like ours have transformed it into a truly nationwide marketplace. People can now easily buy and sell books from anywhere in the country, and it’s a win-win. They save money, give books a second life, and make a more sustainable choice.”

Mike Lane, CEO and co-founder, WeBuyBooks

Reading more than we think

The wider picture from national research suggests Britons are reading more than they give themselves credit for. It is just not always in the way they imagine.

The Reading Agency found that 47% of UK adults reject the label of “regular reader”. Yet 82% read something, in some format, at least once a week.

The average adult spends around 195 hours a year reading social media posts. That compares with 143 hours a year reading print books.

Print, meanwhile, remains the format people buy, keep and pass on. It is also the only one with a resale value.

A digital file cannot be sold, lent or handed to someone else once it is finished. Or, as this data suggests, once it never quite got started.

For interview requests, further data or regional breakdowns, contact the WeBuyBooks press office. Spokesperson: Mike Lane, CEO and co-founder, who has spent more than 18 years working in recommerce and the circular economy.