Book and media donation values
Books are the most donated item almost nobody values correctly, usually because the per-book number is small and the count is large. A hundred paperbacks is still a hundred line items, and the published guides price them by format.
- Items listed
- 20
- With published ranges
- 13
- You value yourself
- 7
- Range
- $0.50 to $5
Physical media follows the same pattern: the guides price a used DVD or CD as a low, narrow band, and the value does not track what the disc cost new. Rare, collectible, or first-edition books are a different problem and generally need evidence of comparable sales rather than a guide range.
- Like new
- Unworn or barely used, with tags or as good as. The top of the published range.
- Good
- Used, complete, clean, and working, with no notable damage. The middle of the range.
- Fair
- Visible wear but still usable and saleable. The bottom of the range, and generally the lowest condition that can be claimed at all.
Ranges are per item, in US dollars, for items in the condition described. Pick the tier that honestly describes what you gave, then a figure inside that band. Household goods generally must be in good used condition or better to be deductible at all, which is where the Fair tier stops.
Book and media donation values, item by item
Books
| Item | Like new | Good | Fair | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hardcover Book | $2.50 to $3 | $1.75 to $2.50 | $1 to $1.75 | Source 3 for Hardcover Book |
| Paperback Book | $1.75 to $2 | $1.25 to $1.75 | $0.75 to $1.25 | Source 4 for Paperback Book |
| Children's Book | $0.75 to $1 | $0.75 | $0.50 to $0.75 | Source 8 for Children's Book |
| Textbook | $1.50 to $2 | $1 to $1.50 | $0.50 to $1 | Source 6 for Textbook |
| Cookbook | $1.50 to $2 | $1 to $1.50 | $0.50 to $1 | Source 6 for Cookbook |
| Comic Book / Graphic Novel | $1.50 to $2 | $1 to $1.50 | $0.50 to $1 | Source 6 for Comic Book / Graphic Novel |
| Audio Book (CD or Cassette) | $1 | $1 | $1 | Source 7 for Audio Book (CD or Cassette) |
| Other Book | $1.50 to $2 | $1 to $1.50 | $0.50 to $1 | Source 6 for Other Book |
This range is the guide’s general range for the class of item, not a figure printed for this item specifically. Derived from a single published range or one too narrow to split confidently. Treat it as a starting point and adjust for what you actually gave.
You value these yourself: Magazine
No guide in our source registry publishes a price for this item. Value it at what the same title or format sells for used, per IRS Pub 561, which for most media is a small figure regardless of the original price. Goodwill International and Goodwill of Northern New England both publish the same fallback for items not on their lists: 30% of the item's original purchase price. That is a published starting point, not a rule, and it runs high for anything heavily used.
Movies and Videos
| Item | Like new | Good | Fair | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DVD | $4 to $5 | $3 to $4 | $2 to $3 | Source 3 for DVD |
| VHS Tape | $1 | $1 | $1 | Source 7 for VHS Tape |
Derived from a single published range or one too narrow to split confidently. Treat it as a starting point and adjust for what you actually gave.
You value these yourself: Blu-ray Disc, Boxed Set / Season Set
No guide in our source registry publishes a price for this item. Value it at what the same title or format sells for used, per IRS Pub 561, which for most media is a small figure regardless of the original price. Goodwill International and Goodwill of Northern New England both publish the same fallback for items not on their lists: 30% of the item's original purchase price. That is a published starting point, not a rule, and it runs high for anything heavily used.
You value these yourself: Other Movie or Video
This leaf is the catch-all for items the ones above do not name, so there is nothing specific for DeductiBee to price. No guide in our source registry publishes a price for this item, so DeductiBee has no suggested value to show. Enter what it would sell for today, in its current condition, in the market where used items like it are actually sold, which is the willing-buyer/willing-seller standard in IRS Pub 561. Keep a photo and a note of how you got to the figure. Goodwill International and Goodwill of Northern New England both publish the same fallback for items not on their lists: 30% of the item's original purchase price. That is a published starting point, not a rule, and it runs high for anything heavily used.
Music
| Item | Like new | Good | Fair | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CD | $4 to $5 | $3 to $4 | $2 to $3 | Source 3 for CD |
| Vinyl Record (LP) | $1 | $1 | $1 | Source 4 for Vinyl Record (LP) |
| Cassette Tape | $0.50 | $0.50 | $0.50 | Source 7 for Cassette Tape |
Derived from a single published range or one too narrow to split confidently. Treat it as a starting point and adjust for what you actually gave.
You value these yourself: Sheet Music
No guide in our source registry publishes a price for this item. Value it at what the same title or format sells for used, per IRS Pub 561, which for most media is a small figure regardless of the original price. Goodwill International and Goodwill of Northern New England both publish the same fallback for items not on their lists: 30% of the item's original purchase price. That is a published starting point, not a rule, and it runs high for anything heavily used.
You value these yourself: Other Music Media
This leaf is the catch-all for items the ones above do not name, so there is nothing specific for DeductiBee to price. No guide in our source registry publishes a price for this item, so DeductiBee has no suggested value to show. Enter what it would sell for today, in its current condition, in the market where used items like it are actually sold, which is the willing-buyer/willing-seller standard in IRS Pub 561. Keep a photo and a note of how you got to the figure. Goodwill International and Goodwill of Northern New England both publish the same fallback for items not on their lists: 30% of the item's original purchase price. That is a published starting point, not a rule, and it runs high for anything heavily used.
Other Entertainment and Media
You value these yourself: Other Entertainment or Media Item
This leaf is the catch-all for items the ones above do not name, so there is nothing specific for DeductiBee to price. No guide in our source registry publishes a price for this item, so DeductiBee has no suggested value to show. Enter what it would sell for today, in its current condition, in the market where used items like it are actually sold, which is the willing-buyer/willing-seller standard in IRS Pub 561. Keep a photo and a note of how you got to the figure. Goodwill International and Goodwill of Northern New England both publish the same fallback for items not on their lists: 30% of the item's original purchase price. That is a published starting point, not a rule, and it runs high for anything heavily used.
Other categories in the guide
Most donation bags cross categories. These are the ones that usually travel with this page.
- Toys and gamesToy and game donation values
- ElectronicsElectronics donation values
- Kitchen and housewaresKitchen and housewares donation values
Or start from the full donation value guide, which explains how every range on this page was derived.
What the total obliges you to do
Once you have a figure, the rules decide the paperwork. These are the three pages that answer that, in the order the questions arrive.
- CalculatorAdd up the whole donationTotal a bag of books and media and everything else that went with it, from these same ranges.
- GuideReceipts and recordsWhat the charity has to give you, and the $250 line where a plain drop-off slip stops being enough.
- GuideForm 8283The $500 filing line, the $5,000 appraisal line, and which section of the form a household donation lands in.
Questions about books and media donations
How much is a donated book worth?
What about a rare or collectible book?
Sources for the values on this page
Every range on this page traces to one of these. Values are derived from the published ranges, never copied from another product’s valuation database, and never invented where no source covers an item.
- Publication 561 (12/2025), Determining the Value of Donated Property
Internal Revenue Service (U.S. Department of the Treasury)
Methodology. Sets the standard the values have to meet. Never a source of dollar figures. Fetched and read .
- Publication 526 (2025), Charitable Contributions
Internal Revenue Service (U.S. Department of the Treasury)
Methodology. Sets the standard the values have to meet. Never a source of dollar figures. Fetched and read .
- Donation Value Guide (The Salvation Army Thrift Stores | Donation Valuation Guide)
The Salvation Army (Thrift Stores / Adult Rehabilitation Centers)
Primary value source. A published range from this guide can set the low or high end of an item's band. Fetched and read .
- Valuation Guide for Goodwill Donors
Goodwill Industries International (compiled list, republished by member affiliates)
Primary value source. A published range from this guide can set the low or high end of an item's band. Fetched and read .
- Valuation Guide for Goodwill Donors (single average price variant)
Goodwill Industries International (single-value variant; copy hosted by Goodwill Industries of East Texas)
Corroborating check. Used to sanity-check a band. Never moves a figure on its own. Fetched and read .
- Donation Value Guide - What is my Donation Worth?
Goodwill Northern New England
Primary value source. A published range from this guide can set the low or high end of an item's band. Fetched and read .
- Thrift Store Valuation Guide
Catholic Charities Maine (Catholic Charities Thrift Store)
Corroborating check. Used to sanity-check a band. Never moves a figure on its own. Fetched and read .
- Donation Value Guide
Agrace (Agrace Thrift Stores; Wisconsin's largest nonprofit hospice, Madison/Janesville WI)
Corroborating check. Used to sanity-check a band. Never moves a figure on its own. Fetched and read .
- Fair Market Value Sheet (Revised 3/1/2023)
Ohio Valley Goodwill Industries (Cincinnati, OH)
Corroborating check. Used to sanity-check a band. Never moves a figure on its own. Fetched and read .
- Estimated Valuation Guide & Receipt for Items Donated to the Kokomo Rescue Mission
Kokomo Rescue Mission (Kokomo, Indiana; Federal I.D. No. 351104430)
Corroborating check. Used to sanity-check a band. Never moves a figure on its own. Fetched and read .
- Donation Value Guide - What is my donation worth?
Goodwill Greater Milwaukee & Chicago (Goodwill Retail Services, Inc., Tax ID# 39-2040239)
Corroborating check. Used to sanity-check a band. Never moves a figure on its own. Fetched and read .
- Valuation Guide
Goodwill Industries of Northern Illinois
Corroborating check. Used to sanity-check a band. Never moves a figure on its own. Fetched and read .
- Valuation Guide for Charitable Contributions
Small Business Taxes & Management (A/N Group, Inc.), ISSN 1089-1536
Corroborating check. Used to sanity-check a band. Never moves a figure on its own. Fetched and read .
The rules these values have to satisfy
- Publication 561, Determining the Value of Donated PropertyIRS, IRS publication
- Publication 526, Charitable ContributionsIRS, IRS publication
- Instructions for Form 8283IRS, IRS form
Log books and media once, deduct it with confidence.
DeductiBee carries this dataset on your iPhone, keeps a photo with every item, and exports a Form 8283 worksheet at filing time.
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