The U.S. secondhand market, spanning categories including books, apparel, and general merchandise, is estimated to be worth $61 billion in 2026, up 8.2% from 2025, according to research compiled by Capital One Shopping. Traditional thrift and donation-based retail accounts for roughly $27 billion of that total, with resale platforms making up the remaining $34 billion.
The same research found thrift store foot traffic increased 39.5% between 2019 and 2025, and that resale broadly has grown 650% since 2018 — a far steeper trajectory than traditional donation-based thrifting, which grew a more modest 36.8% over the same period. Younger shoppers are disproportionately driving the shift: the report found 34% of Gen Z consumers say they always shop secondhand first.
Books are a small but stable category within this broader secondhand economy, and thrift and donation-based stores remain a genuine, if unpredictable, sourcing channel for readers hunting older or out-of-print titles at low prices, alongside dedicated used-book marketplaces.
Our thrift store book hunting field guide covers what experienced hunters look for and how to check a find's value on the spot.
Source: Capital One Shopping Research.