Love thrifting? Earn money while you're at the thrift store as a Bookfox Scout.
We buy valuable used books, wherever you find them. Scan a book with our app, buy the ones worth more than their sticker, then sell them to us and keep the difference. Work your own hours, with a welcome call to help you get started and a loan scanner if you'd like one (subject to availability).
Who we are, and what the gig is
Bookfox is a team of booksellers and software developers in Vancouver. We've spent years buying and reselling used books.
Thousands of used books are donated to thrift stores and library sales, or sold at garage sales and flea markets, every single day. A lot of them are worth real money, but almost no one can tell which. That is the hard part, and it is exactly what our app solves.
Point it at any book and it tells you, in about a second, what we'll offer for it. Buy the ones worth more than their sticker, sell them to us, and keep the difference.
How it works, in plain terms
- Go where books are cheap. Thrift stores, library and church sales, garage and estate sales, charity shops, and flea markets, anywhere secondhand books pile up.
- Scan as you browse. When the app shows we'll pay more than the price on the sticker, buy the book.
- Send us what you find. We pay the quoted price for every book we accept, and the difference between that and what you paid is yours.
- No hassle. You just find the books and send them to us. No need to resell, list, ship to customers, or haggle with anyone. We handle everything, you just get paid.
How it works
Step 1
Go where the books are
Thrift stores, library and estate sales, garage sales, charity shops, and flea markets. Anywhere secondhand books pile up.
Step 2
Scan to see our offer
Point the app at a barcode. In about a second it tells you what we'll pay. If that beats the price on the book, it's a buy.
Step 3
Buy the winners
Grab the books worth more than they're priced, skip the rest. The app keeps a running tally of what you've found.
Step 4
Send them in, get paid
Send us your finds and we pay the quoted price for each book we accept. The price you saw at scan is the price we pay, as long as the book meets our condition guidelines and reaches us on time. Declined books stay yours.
What you get
- Instant offers the moment you scan a book
- Paid by Interac e-Transfer
- Drop off locally in Surrey, BC, or mail your books in if that's easier
- A free two-week loan scanner if you'd like one (subject to availability)
- Real people you can actually reach
Where scouting fits into your week
Scouting doesn't need a schedule. A session can be ten minutes or a couple of hours, whenever you're near a thrift store with time to spare. The stores sit on routes you already drive, so it slots into trips you were making anyway.
Who does well at this
If any of these sound like you, it's worth a look:
- Rideshare and delivery drivers between trips
- Anyone with a flexible or part-time schedule
- People who are out and about during the day
- People who live near a cluster of thrift stores
- Frequent travelers and road trippers
- Students, retirees, and stay-at-home parents
What scouts say
“Bookfox is great. I was out doing chores and stopping by thrift stores, and found some amazing books for myself and friends while earning extra money!”
Nova, Surrey
“What started with a $30 book I paid $5 for has turned into consistent part-time income. The app tells me what's worth buying; I just keep showing up.”
Ashley, Coquitlam
“On my first day I hadn't even finished my first shelf when I found a book worth $34. Now I'm buying a scanner so I can go faster!”
Kevin, Burnaby
Individual experiences from early scouts, not a guarantee. What you make depends on the books you find, what you pay for them, and your time.
Ready to scout?
Signing up takes a couple of minutes. We're Vancouver-only while we get started. You can drop accepted books off at our Surrey office or mail them in. We'll be in touch very soon after you sign up with a friendly welcome call to help you get set up with the app (and a loan scanner if you'd like one, subject to availability). It's a chance to ask questions and see if it's a good fit.