National Savings Week: Popular Second-Hand Books That Could Save You Money

With National Savings Week taking place across the UK from the 18th September, many Brits will be looking for ways to save cash, and what better way to cut down on spending than second-hand buying?

With projections suggesting that the second-hand book market is expected to reach a staggering £35.71 billion by the end of 2032, The Knowledge Academy were eager to find out which popular second-hand books are the most and least expensive, based on their resale price.

To do so, they compared the new and used prices for popular novels, determining which books have retained the most value compared to their original price and which may deplete in value after reading.

The Knowledge Academy found that David Baldacci’s “Simply Lies” is the cheapest popular second-hand book based on resale price, retaining just 21.56% of its new price.

This crime and thriller novel was published in April 2023, entailing gripping twists and turns throughout its plot. With an average selling price of £16.00, the book only retains 21% of this price in used condition, with buyers getting their hands on copies for just £3.45 on average.

Curtis Sittenfeld’s romantic comedy ranks as the second cheapest second-hand book, retaining 25.48% of its new price.

This contemporary fiction receives fantastic reviews from the likes of the “Guardian” and “The Times”, with its humorous and appealing plot. It fails to retain much of its original price (£14.99), with book buyers able to purchase used copies for an average of just £3.82.

BookTok sensation Colleen Hoover ranks third with her book “Verity”, which retains 25.60% of its new price.

Published in January 2022, this book won The British Book Awards 2023, winning Page Turner Book of the Year. Despite its popularity and success, the book only retains 25% of its average new price (£15.00), with used titles costing book lovers just £3.84 on average.

The Knowledge Academy can reveal that Lucy Score’s “Things We Hide from the Light” is the most expensive second-hand book based on its resale price, retaining 90.52% of its new price.

If you own a used copy of “Things We Hide from the Light”, this novel sells for £6.78 on average, maintaining 90% of its average new price, £7.49.

The Romantic Fiction novel was published in February 2023 and is the sequel to the BookTok triumph ‘Things We Never Got Over’.

Ana Huang’s King of Pride ranks the second most expensive, retaining 85.39% of its new price upon resale.

This contemporary romance was published in May 2023 and is the second instalment in Ana Huang’s Kings of Sin series, another TikTok phenomenon in the book industry.

The book has an original selling price of £9.99 and retains an impressive 85% of this in used condition, with sellers earning £8.53 on average.

Ranking in third is New York Times bestselling author Carley Fortune, with “Meet Me at the Lake”, which retains 80.78% of its new price upon resale.

Also published in May 2023, this contemporary romance boasts its popularity and value, with an average new selling price of £9.99. It maintains 80% of this with its used copies, earning sellers an average of £8.07.