Sell Used Items in Los Angeles
Sell used books, CDs, vinyl, phones and games in Los Angeles. Compare local buyback shops with online prices - often significantly more money with less effort.
Los Angeles is a treasure trove for secondhand culture. From the iconic Last Bookstore downtown to Amoeba Music on Hollywood Blvd - this city loves used goods. But between the traffic and the sprawl, is it worth driving across town to sell your stuff?
We compared local LA buyers with online platforms. The verdict: for most items, skip the drive and sell online. The exceptions? Rare vinyl and true vintage.
What do you want to sell?
Books
Local options in LA:
- The Last Bookstore (DTLA) - California’s largest used book and record store, buys and trades books
- Alias Books East (Atwater Village) - buys literature, arts, and film books; accepts whole collections
- Counterpoint Records and Books (Franklin Village) - cash or store credit since 1979
- The Iliad Bookshop (North Hollywood) - 150,000+ books but currently only accepts donations
The reality: LA’s bookstores are spread across a huge metro area. You could spend 2 hours in traffic to get $15 for a box of books. Most shops cherry-pick titles and reject the rest.
| Local | Online | |
|---|---|---|
| What they buy | Selective titles only | Mainstream too |
| Average price | $0-3 (if accepted) | $0.50-5 per book |
| Effort | Drive across LA, find parking | 30 min from home |
Skip the 405. Sell books online. Compare book prices →
CDs & Vinyl Records
Local options in LA:
- Amoeba Music (Hollywood Blvd) - the world-famous mega-store buys CDs, vinyl, and DVDs for cash or trade credit
- Permanent Records (Highland Park) - curated vinyl shop that buys select collections
- Record Surplus (West LA) - one of LA’s oldest record shops, buys vinyl and CDs
Amoeba is the big draw - they buy almost everything and the Hollywood location makes it a fun trip. But for common CDs, their offers can be underwhelming.
| Local (Amoeba) | Online | |
|---|---|---|
| What they buy | Almost everything | Everything |
| Average price | $0.10-1 per CD | $0.15-3 per CD |
| Vinyl records | Good for rare stuff | Standard prices |
CDs and DVDs: online. Compare CD prices →
Vinyl collectors: Amoeba is worth a visit. Compare vinyl prices →
Phones & Electronics
Local options in LA:
- Best Buy (multiple locations: Century City, Burbank, Hollywood) - trade-in for phones, tablets, laptops; pays in gift cards
- ecoATM kiosks - automated kiosks at malls like The Grove, Santa Monica Place, and Westfield Century City; instant cash for phones
- GameStop (multiple locations) - trades phones, gaming hardware
LA advantage: ecoATM kiosks are everywhere in LA malls. Walk up, insert your phone, get cash in minutes.
| Local | Online | |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone 13 | $170-210 (kiosk/trade-in) | $200-260 (cash) |
| Payout | Instant | 1-3 business days |
| Broken devices | ecoATM accepts them | Often accepted too |
Quick cash? ecoATM. Best price? Compare online. Compare phone prices →
Video Games
Local options in LA:
- GameStop (numerous locations across LA county) - trades games, consoles, and accessories
- Game Realms (Burbank) - independent game shop, good for retro
- Frank & Son Collectible Show (City of Industry, Wed & Sat) - massive collectibles market, great for retro games
Retro tip: Frank & Son is a hidden gem for selling retro gaming stuff to collectors who know what they’re paying for.
| Local | Online | |
|---|---|---|
| PS5 game | $15-25 | $20-35 |
| Retro games | Frank & Son for collectors | Standard prices |
| Consoles | GameStop is convenient | Often pays more |
Current games: online. Compare game prices →
Flea Markets in LA - Worth It?
LA has incredible flea markets, but for selling everyday items, the math is tough.
| Market | When | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Rose Bowl Flea Market | 2nd Sunday, 5am-3pm | Vintage, collectibles (vendor fee $75-175) |
| Melrose Trading Post | Sunday 10-5 | Fashion, vintage, handmade |
| Long Beach Antique Market | 3rd Sunday | Antiques, mid-century modern |
The math:
- Vendor fee: $75-175
- Gas + parking: $15-30
- Time: 6-10 hours (including load/unload)
- Typical revenue: $50-200
With Bonavendi, sell the same items in 30 minutes from your couch.
Nobody Buying? Donate
Not everything sells. For the rest:
- Goodwill - dozens of locations across LA county
- Out of the Closet - thrift stores benefiting AIDS Healthcare Foundation, throughout Hollywood and WeHo
- The Last Bookstore - accepts book donations
- Little Free Libraries - hundreds across LA neighborhoods
How Online Selling Works in LA
- Enter your item - ISBN, EAN or select your model
- Compare prices - All buyers at a glance
- Pack your box - From home, no traffic required
- Drop it off - USPS, UPS, or FedEx on your next errand run
LA perk: Most online buyers provide free shipping labels. Drop your box at any of 200+ UPS Stores in greater LA - probably one near your regular coffee shop.
College Semester Ending?
LA is home to UCLA, USC, Cal State LA, Loyola Marymount, and dozens more schools. End of semester means textbook prices spike online - especially for STEM and business textbooks.
Got textbooks? Sell them now. Compare textbook prices →
Compare Prices Now
Frequently asked questions
It depends on what you're selling. The Last Bookstore buys used books and records but is selective. For electronics, Best Buy trade-in and ecoATM kiosks are convenient. For the best overall price on books and media, online buyback services typically pay more because they compete nationally - no LA rent overhead to worry about.
Usually online. LA's used bookstores are selective and shelf space is expensive. Online buyers take mainstream titles and offer fixed prices. Exception: rare vinyl records at specialty shops and vintage items at flea markets can sometimes fetch more locally.
The Rose Bowl is legendary for buying vintage, but for selling everyday books or CDs, the math doesn't work. Vendor spaces cost $75-175, you need a car to haul everything, and you'll spend the whole day in the sun. For regular items, online buyback is faster and usually pays more.
LA has USPS post offices, UPS Stores, and FedEx locations throughout the city. Many CVS and Walgreens locations accept UPS packages too. The UPS Store alone has 200+ locations in the greater LA area. Since you're driving anyway, just add a stop on your next errand run.
Donate! Goodwill and Salvation Army have locations across LA. The Last Bookstore accepts book donations. Out of the Closet thrift stores (benefiting AIDS Healthcare Foundation) are throughout Hollywood and WeHo. For books, check Little Free Libraries in your neighborhood.