Sell Used Items in Chicago
Sell used books, CDs, vinyl, phones and games in Chicago. Compare local buyback shops with online prices - often significantly more money with less effort.
Chicago is a city that takes its bookstores and record shops seriously. From Myopic Books in Wicker Park to Reckless Records on Milwaukee Ave, the options are real. But do local shops actually pay well, or are you better off shipping it?
We compared Chicago’s local buyers with online platforms. The answer: online usually pays more for everyday items - but Chicago’s specialty shops shine for rare finds.
What do you want to sell?
Books
Local options in Chicago:
- Myopic Books (Wicker Park) - 80,000+ titles, buys used books but is selective about condition and genre
- Powell’s Books (Hyde Park) - the most professionally run used bookstore in the city, buys quality titles
- Bookleggers (Lakeview) - classic used bookstore with tall shelves and skinny aisles, buys select titles
- Half Price Books (suburban locations) - buys almost anything, but pays accordingly
The reality: Myopic and Powell’s are great stores, but they cherry-pick. Your stack of airport paperbacks won’t get offers. Half Price Books takes everything but pays pennies.
| Local | Online | |
|---|---|---|
| What they buy | Quality titles only | Mainstream too |
| Average price | $0-2 (if accepted) | $0.50-5 per book |
| Effort | CTA + walk + wait | 30 min from home |
For everyday books, online wins. Compare book prices →
CDs & Vinyl Records
Local options in Chicago:
- Reckless Records (Wicker Park, Loop, Lakeview) - Chicago institution, buys CDs and vinyl for cash or trade credit
- Dave’s Records (Lincoln Park) - vinyl specialist, strong on jazz, soul, and rock
- Dusty Groove (Wicker Park) - legendary for soul, jazz, funk, and world music vinyl
Reckless Records is the go-to - three locations, they buy most things, and they’re fair. For rare jazz or soul vinyl, Dusty Groove is world-renowned and pays accordingly.
| Local (Reckless) | Online | |
|---|---|---|
| What they buy | Most genres | Everything |
| Average price | $0.25-2 per CD | $0.15-3 per CD |
| Vinyl records | Great for rare stuff | Standard prices |
CDs: sell online for better prices. Compare CD prices →
Rare vinyl: Dusty Groove or Reckless. Compare vinyl prices →
Phones & Electronics
Local options in Chicago:
- Best Buy (multiple locations: Magnificent Mile, Lincoln Park, South Loop) - trade-in for phones, tablets, laptops; pays in gift cards
- ecoATM kiosks - automated kiosks at Water Tower Place, Woodfield Mall, and other locations; instant cash for phones
- GameStop (multiple locations) - trades phones and gaming hardware
| Local | Online | |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone 13 | $170-210 (trade-in credit) | $200-260 (cash) |
| Payout | Instant | 1-3 business days |
| Broken devices | ecoATM accepts them | Often accepted too |
Instant cash? ecoATM or Best Buy. Best price? Compare online. Compare phone prices →
Video Games
Local options in Chicago:
- GameStop (numerous Chicagoland locations) - trades games, consoles, and accessories
- Exchange - buys games, movies, and more
- Dice Dojo (Edgewater) - board games and tabletop specialist
| Local | Online | |
|---|---|---|
| PS5 game | $15-25 | $20-35 |
| Retro games | Check specialty shops | Standard prices |
| Consoles | GameStop is convenient | Often pays more |
Current games: sell online. Compare game prices →
Flea Markets in Chicago - Worth It?
Chicago has solid flea market culture, but for selling books and media, the numbers don’t add up.
| Market | When | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Randolph Street Market | Last weekend of month | Vintage, antiques, design |
| Maxwell Street Market | Every Sunday, 7am-3pm | General goods, food |
| Wolff’s Flea Market (suburban) | Weekends | Everything, high volume |
The math:
- Vendor fee: $30-100
- Time: 5-8 hours
- Typical revenue: $40-120
Online buyback: 30 minutes, often better returns.
Nobody Buying? Donate
Not everything sells. For the rest:
- Open Books (West Loop) - 100% of proceeds fund children’s literacy programs
- Goodwill - dozens of Chicagoland locations
- Salvation Army - multiple Chicago locations
- Little Free Libraries - all across Chicago neighborhoods
How Online Selling Works in Chicago
- Enter your item - ISBN, EAN or select your model
- Compare prices - All buyers at a glance
- Pack your box - From your apartment
- Drop it off - USPS, UPS, or FedEx on your commute
Chicago perk: Combine your drop-off with your CTA commute. Most UPS Stores and post offices are near L stations.
College Semester Ending?
Chicago has Northwestern, UChicago, DePaul, Loyola, UIC, Columbia College, and many more. Semester’s end means textbook demand spikes - sell yours before prices drop.
Compare Prices Now
Frequently asked questions
For books, Myopic Books in Wicker Park and Powell's in Hyde Park both buy used titles, though they're selective. For electronics, Best Buy and GameStop have multiple Chicago locations. For the best overall price on books and media, online buyback usually wins because national buyers compete for your items.
Usually online. Chicago's independent bookstores are picky - they want titles they know will sell. Online buyers accept mainstream paperbacks and pay fixed prices without negotiation. Exception: rare books, first editions, and collectible vinyl can fetch more at the right local shop.
Randolph Street Market is great for vintage and antiques, but for regular books or CDs, the vendor fees and time investment don't pencil out. You'll spend a full day for maybe $50-100 in sales. Online buyback gets you the same or more in 30 minutes.
Chicago has USPS post offices throughout the city, UPS Stores on most commercial streets, and FedEx locations in every neighborhood. The Loop alone has dozens of drop-off points. CTA makes it easy to combine a drop-off with your commute.
Donate! Open Books in West Loop accepts books and funds children's literacy programs. Goodwill and Salvation Army have locations across Chicagoland. For books specifically, check out Chicago's Little Free Library network or leave them at your local CTA station book exchange.