Textbooks you have finished with, exam guides from last year's attempt, the treadmill in the spare room, a guitar nobody plays — these sell quickly because there is always someone nearby who needs exactly that item. List yours free on Olditems and deal with the buyer directly.
This guide covers describing books so students can find them, preparing bulky equipment for sale, and handling the handover. The live price table below shows what similar items are currently listed for.
Show the cover and spine for books, and any wear on equipment. Grouping books into sets makes them easier to browse.
Look at current listings for similar titles or equipment. For books mention the edition; for equipment mention the brand, age and condition.
Add a clear title (brand + model helps), an honest description and your city. Your books and sports gear ad goes live immediately.
Reply to buyers, meet in a safe public place, and get paid in cash or UPI at handover.
Students search by edition. An ad without it does not get found.
One trip for a full subject list beats five separate purchases, for both of you.
Buyers price the transport before they message you. Give them the numbers.
List academic material around admissions and end of term, when demand peaks.
Live listings
36
Lowest asking price
₹250
Typical asking price
₹1,600
Highest asking price
₹18,000
| Price range | Live listings | Browse |
|---|---|---|
| Up to ₹500 | 8 | Browse |
| ₹500 – ₹1,000 | 8 | Browse |
| ₹1,000 – ₹5,000 | 12 | Browse |
| Above ₹5,000 | 8 |
Calculated automatically from 36 live listings on Olditems on 28 Oct 2026. "Typical" is the median asking price. Prices are set by individual sellers — Olditems is a listings platform and does not set, verify or guarantee prices, product condition or any seller’s claims.
Browse current ads to see how other sellers describe and price similar items.
Students search by title, author and edition, and an ad missing the edition will be skipped. Put all three in the title — "NCERT Class 12 Physics, 2023 edition" — and add the publication year in the description. Then state honestly how much highlighting and writing there is, whether any pages are missing or loose, and whether solution manuals, lab manuals or test series booklets are included.
Two things worth knowing: an online access code that came with the book has usually already been registered and will not work for a new owner, so do not promise one. And selling a full semester's or subject's set together almost always sells faster than listing books one at a time — buyers want the whole list in one trip.
Academic material sells hardest at the start and the end of the academic year, and right after exam seasons. Listing a month before admissions gets far more enquiries than listing in the middle of a term.
Heavy equipment needs planning. Agree who is arranging transport, and be clear about your floor and lift access before the buyer travels. Let the buyer test what they are buying: run a treadmill through its speeds, let them play the instrument, let them ride the cycle. Confirm payment has reached your own account before the item leaves.
More help: how to sell musical instruments online and the decluttering guide.
The title, author and edition in the title itself, plus the publication year, how much highlighting or writing there is, whether any pages are loose or missing, and whether solution or lab manuals are included. Students search by edition, so leaving it out costs you enquiries.
Sets usually sell faster. A student who needs a whole semester’s books would rather make one trip than five, and bundling often gets you a better total than listing each book separately.
Around admissions and at the start and end of the academic year, and just after exam seasons. Demand is strongly seasonal in this category, and listing in the middle of a term gets far fewer replies.
State the weight, dimensions and whether it dismantles, photograph it assembled and clean, and be clear about your floor and lift access. Agree who arranges transport before you settle the price, and let the buyer test it before paying.
Usually not in usable form, since access codes are single-use and are typically already registered. Do not advertise one unless you are certain it is unused, or the buyer will raise it at handover.
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