Used books are one of the few ways to buy books cheaply in Germany. New books, in German but also in English and other languages, here are sold at a fixed price set by the publisher, so you won’t find a bestseller discounted on Amazon or in a bookshop. Second-hand books are exempt from that rule – which is why platforms like Medimops, Rebuy and Booklooker are so popular. This guide shows you where to buy, which tricks actually save money, how to read German condition labels and what your return rights are.
Key facts at a glance
- Fixed prices: New books cost the same everywhere – used books and Mängelexemplare are the legal exceptions.
- Popular titles: Medimops and Rebuy are usually cheapest; Medimops ships free from €19.
- Rare or specific editions: Booklooker, ZVAB and AbeBooks connect you with thousands of sellers.
- Almost free: Kleinanzeigen bundles, flea markets and public book exchange shelves.
- Returns: 14-day withdrawal right only with commercial sellers – not with private ones.
Where to Buy English Used Books Online in Germany
Online platforms fall into two groups: re-commerce shops that buy books in bulk, check them and resell them at fixed prices, and marketplaces where independent dealers and private people list their own stock.
| Platform | Type | Best for | Shipping (Germany) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medimops | Re-commerce shop | Bestsellers, popular fiction and non-fiction | €1.99 per order, free from €19 |
| Rebuy | Re-commerce shop | Popular titles, regular book promotions | Flat fee; free mainly during promotions |
| Booklooker | Marketplace | Specific editions, out-of-print and niche titles | Set by each seller |
| ZVAB | Antiquarian marketplace | Rare books, first editions, collectibles | Set by each seller |
| AbeBooks | International marketplace | English-language and foreign books | Set by each seller, often from UK/US |
| Amazon (used) | Marketplace | Comparing many sellers in one place | Usually charged per item |
| eBay / Kleinanzeigen | Marketplace (often private) | Bundles, series, textbooks, local pickup | Set by seller; pickup free |
Shipping conditions as of October 2026. Shops change them regularly – check the shipping page before ordering.
👍 Re-commerce shops (Medimops, Rebuy)
- Checked condition, standardised grades
- One shipping fee for the whole order
- 14-day withdrawal right
👎 Their limits
- Little choice for rare or older titles
- You often can’t choose the exact edition or cover
- Small English-language selection
ℹ️ Medimops vs. Momox
Both belong to the same company. On momox.de you sell your old books; the books then reappear for sale on medimops.de, where you buy.
10 Practical Tips to Pay Less for Used Books
Most guides stop at “compare prices”. These tips go further and work with how German platforms actually operate.
- Search by ISBN, not title. The ISBN (10 or 13 digits, on the back cover or imprint page) identifies one exact edition. Enter it on a price comparison site like Eurobuch.de, which lists offers from many platforms including shipping.
- Use the wish list and wait. Medimops prices are set by an algorithm and drop when a title sits in stock for a long time. Add books you don’t need urgently to your wish list (Merkzettel) and check back after a few weeks.
- Buy single books on eBay, several directly in the shop. Medimops and Rebuy also sell via eBay and Amazon. For one cheap book, the eBay offer with free shipping can beat the shop’s €1.99 fee. From around four or five books, ordering directly is cheaper.
- Wait for Rebuy’s book promotions. Rebuy regularly runs codes with 15 to 20 % off used books plus free shipping above a minimum order value. Signing up for the newsletter is the easiest way to catch them.
- Ask marketplace sellers for combined shipping. On Booklooker and eBay, many dealers have dozens of books in stock. If you find two or three titles from the same seller, ask for “Kombiversand” – one parcel instead of three shipping fees.
- Search for “Bücherpaket” on Kleinanzeigen. People clearing out shelves sell whole boxes by genre or author, often for €10 to €20. Search terms like “Bücherpaket Fantasy”, “Bücherkiste Krimi” or the author’s name. Check the “Zu verschenken” (free) category too.
- Look for “Modernes Antiquariat” and Mängelexemplare. Many bookshops have a remainder table near the entrance with new books at half price or less. Online, filter for “Mängelexemplar” in shop search.
- Choose “good” for reading copies. For a book you’ll read once, “good” condition is usually perfectly fine. Pay for “very good” only for gifts or books you want to keep.
- Swap books instead of buying. Sell finished books to Momox and take the payout as a Medimops voucher, or leave them in a public book exchange shelf and take something new.
- Textbooks: check the edition and ask students. An older edition (Auflage) often costs a fraction of the current one. University student councils (Fachschaften) and notice boards are a good source at the start of each semester.
⚠️ Avoid scams on Kleinanzeigen
If you can’t pick up in person, use the platform’s built-in payment with buyer protection (“Sicher bezahlen”). Never pay via PayPal “Friends and Family” or bank transfer to strangers – you’ll have no protection if the book never arrives. Be suspicious of sellers who push you to move the chat to WhatsApp or email.
Why Used Books Matter in Germany: Fixed Book Prices
Germany has a fixed book price law (Buchpreisbindungsgesetz). Every shop – online or offline – must sell a new book for the German market at exactly the price the publisher sets. No discounts, no Black Friday deals, no “20 % off” on new German books.
The law has a few exceptions you can use to your advantage:
| Exception | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| Used books | Any book already sold once to a customer can be resold at any price – regardless of its condition. |
| Mängelexemplare | New books with a visible defect, marked with a stamp. Often the stamp or a dented corner is the only flaw. |
| Imported books | Books from countries without fixed prices (e.g. UK, US) are generally not bound – English originals can be cheaper than German translations. |
| Lifted prices | Publishers can lift the fixed price after 18 months. These titles appear as “Modernes Antiquariat” or remainders. |
Where to Find Used Books Offline
Offline sources are often the cheapest – and the most fun if you like browsing.
- Antiquariate: Second-hand and antiquarian bookshops exist in almost every German city. Many also list their stock on ZVAB or Booklooker, so you can check online before visiting.
- Flea markets (Flohmärkte): Paperbacks often cost €0.50 to €2. Go early for the best choice or late for the best deals – many sellers don’t want to carry books home.
- Library sales: Public libraries (Stadtbibliotheken) regularly sell discarded books for small amounts. Ask at your local branch when the next “Bücherflohmarkt” takes place.
- Charity shops: Oxfam runs dedicated book shops in several German cities, and many social department stores (Sozialkaufhäuser) have book sections.
- Public book exchange shelves (öffentliche Bücherschränke): Converted phone booths or wooden cabinets where anyone can take or leave books for free. Search “Bücherschrank” plus your city name to find the nearest one.
Buying Used English Books in Germany
Expats and English readers often struggle here: German shops stock English books, but the selection is much smaller than for German titles. These options work best:
- Medimops and Rebuy: Filter by language (“Englisch”). Good for popular titles and BookTok favourites.
- AbeBooks and eBay: UK used booksellers ship to Germany. Check delivery time and shipping costs first; orders from outside the EU may involve customs handling.
- Kleinanzeigen and Vinted: Search “englische Bücher” or “English books”. Expats leaving Germany often sell entire collections.
- Expat communities: Larger cities like Berlin, Munich, Hamburg and Frankfurt have English-language bookshops, some with second-hand sections, plus local groups for swapping books.
🎯 Tip for English readers
Check new prices too: imported English books are not covered by the German fixed price, so a new English paperback is sometimes barely more expensive than a used German translation.
German Condition Labels Explained
Condition descriptions vary between platforms, but most use these German terms:
| German term | English | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Wie neu / Neuwertig | Like new | No visible signs of use |
| Sehr gut | Very good | Minimal wear, clean pages |
| Gut | Good | Visible use, e.g. creased spine or worn cover |
| Akzeptabel / Gebrauchsspuren | Acceptable / signs of use | Clear wear; possibly notes, underlining or a name inside |
| Mängelexemplar | Damaged copy (new) | Unread, with a stamp and usually a minor defect |
| Ex-Bibliotheksexemplar | Ex-library copy | Stamps, stickers or a protective film cover |
Your Return Rights When Buying Used Books
Your rights depend mainly on who sells the book: a business or a private person. On Booklooker, eBay and ZVAB, each listing shows whether the seller is commercial (“gewerblich”) or private.
| Commercial seller | Private seller | |
|---|---|---|
| Examples | Medimops, Rebuy, antiquarian dealers | Kleinanzeigen, private eBay sellers |
| 14-day withdrawal | ✅ Yes, for online purchases | ❌ No |
| Warranty for defects | ✅ Yes (can be shortened to one year for used goods) | ⚠️ Can be excluded |
| Your safety net | Statutory consumer rights | Platform buyer protection or PayPal Goods & Services |
How the withdrawal works with commercial sellers:
- The 14-day period starts when you receive the book.
- Notify the seller clearly – by email, online form or the shop’s return portal. Simply not collecting the parcel is not a valid withdrawal.
- Send the book back within 14 days of your notification. Who pays return shipping depends on the seller’s terms; Medimops, for example, offers free returns.
- The seller must refund you within 14 days of receiving your withdrawal, but may wait until the book arrives or you show proof of shipment. Keep your receipt.
This section gives a general overview, not legal advice. For specific disputes, contact a consumer advice centre (Verbraucherzentrale).
Selling Your Own Books in Germany
The fastest options are Momox and Rebuy: scan the barcode in their app, get an instant offer and ship for free. The catch: many books earn only a few cents, and books without an ISBN are usually rejected. Check the offer per book – and sell the rest yourself.
You’ll get more on Booklooker, eBay or Kleinanzeigen, but you handle listings and shipping yourself. Older, rare or signed books belong with an antiquarian dealer – ask for a valuation before you sell them for cents. Books nobody wants can go to a public book exchange shelf or a charity shop.
🎯 Which platform suits you?
- You want a popular book cheaply: Medimops or Rebuy
- You need a specific or out-of-print edition: Booklooker or ZVAB
- You read in English: AbeBooks, plus the language filter at Medimops
- You want lots of books for little money: Kleinanzeigen bundles and flea markets
FAQ: Used Books in Germany
Why can’t I find discounts on new books in Germany?
Because of the fixed book price law. New German books cost the same everywhere. Discounts are only legal on used books, Mängelexemplare, certain imports and titles whose fixed price the publisher has lifted.
Is Medimops the same as Momox?
Both belong to the same company. Momox buys used books from private people; Medimops sells them on.
Which is cheaper: Medimops or Rebuy?
It depends on the title. Medimops is often cheaper for single popular books, while Rebuy can win during its book promotions. Always compare the total price including shipping.
What is a Mängelexemplar, and is it worth buying?
A new book with a minor defect, marked with a stamp and sold below the fixed price. For reading copies it’s usually a good deal; for gifts, check the condition first.
Can I return a used book bought from a private seller?
Usually not. The 14-day withdrawal right only applies to purchases from businesses. With private sellers, only platform buyer protection or PayPal Goods & Services may help if the book doesn’t match its description.
Where can I buy used English books in Germany?
Medimops and Rebuy (filter by language), AbeBooks and eBay for UK sellers, Kleinanzeigen and Vinted, plus English-language bookshops and expat groups in larger cities.
Do German used book shops ship abroad?
Many do, including Medimops, but international shipping costs more and free-shipping thresholds usually apply only within Germany. Marketplace sellers decide individually.
Tom is the chief wordsmith at beachtenswert.org and welcomes feedback with open arms. He’s been crafting stories since 2012, dabbles in book authoring, and has a profound love for meandering around the globe (emphasis on ‘meandering’).