Book donation values for 2026: what each book, DVD, and CD is worth
Donated books are generally worth $1 to $3 for a hardcover, $0.75 to $2 for a paperback, and $0.50 to $1 for a children's book. DVDs and CDs run $2 to $5; VHS tapes, vinyl LPs and audiobooks about $1. Value each book by format and condition, then multiply by the count.
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.
Chart of every item in this category, with all three tiers side by side, or total up your books and media donation. Look up one item in books and media.
Common book and media donations at a glance
| Item | Good condition | Fair to Like new |
|---|---|---|
| Hardcover book | $1.75 to $2.50 | $1 to $3 |
| Paperback book | $1.25 to $1.75 | $0.75 to $2 |
| Children's book | $0.75 | $0.50 to $1 |
| Textbook | $1 to $1.50 | $0.50 to $2 |
| Cookbook | $1 to $1.50 | $0.50 to $2 |
| Comic or graphic novel | $1 to $1.50 | $0.50 to $2 |
| DVD | $3 to $4 | $2 to $5 |
| Music CD | $3 to $4 | $2 to $5 |
| Vinyl record (LP) | $1 | $1 |
| VHS tape | $1 | $1 |
| Audiobook (CD or cassette) | $1 | $1 |
Per item, from the full tables below, where every row cites its published source. Checked for edition 2026.1.
- 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. Fair is the bottom of good used condition; below Fair is generally not deductible.
Count your book and media donation
- Hardcover book$2 each
- Paperback book$1.50 each
- Children's book$0.75 each
- Textbook$1.25 each
- Cookbook$1.25 each
- Comic or graphic novel$1.25 each
- DVD$3.50 each
- Music CD$3.50 each
- Vinyl record (LP)$1 each
- VHS tape$1 each
- Audiobook (CD or cassette)$1 each
$0suggested, 0 items ($0 to $0)
Under $250, a receipt or reliable written record is generally enough. Nothing you enter leaves this browser.
Something not in this list? Total it in the full donation calculator.
Book donation values for 2026: what each book, DVD, and CD is worth, 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, Cookbook, Comic Book / Graphic Novel | $1.50 to $2 | $1 to $1.50 | $0.50 to $1 | Source 6 for Textbook, Cookbook, Comic Book / Graphic Novel |
| Audio Book (CD or Cassette) | $1 | $1 | $1 | Source 7 for Audio Book (CD or Cassette) |
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.
Not listed? Use the closest item above, which carries the same published range, or value it from comparable sales.
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.
Three worked examples
- One box, 40 paperbacks, Good: $60 suggested. Under $250, so a receipt or reliable record is generally enough.
- An estate library: 120 hardcovers, 150 paperbacks, 30 children's books and 60 DVDs come to $697.50 at Good. That is over $500, so Form 8283 Section A, and over $250 in one gift, so a written acknowledgment from the charity.
- 25 textbooks: clean and current, $31.25 at Good. Heavily highlighted or superseded editions generally have no resale value; leave them off the list.
A box of books is many items, valued one by one, and similar items are added together across the year for the $5,000 test. See group of similar items.
What Goodwill and Salvation Army say books are worth
The charity guides print one band per format and leave condition to you. Checked October 2026:
| Format | Salvation Army | Goodwill NNE |
|---|---|---|
| Hardcover | $1 to $3 | Books, $0.59 to $2 |
| Paperback | $1 to $2 | |
| DVD or CD | $2 to $5 | Not listed |
Sources: the Salvation Army donation value guide and the Goodwill NNE donation value guide. The tiered ranges on this page agree with Salvation Army and bracket Goodwill NNE, and add the condition split neither prints.
Condition checklist for books and media
- Books: spine intact, jacket present on hardcovers, no water damage or mildew, no ex-library stamps, little or no highlighting.
- Discs: playing surface free of deep scratches, original case, insert or artwork present.
- Below Fair (broken spines, missing pages, scratched discs) is generally not deductible.
Single-format detail is on the book value page and the DVD and CD page.
When the table does not apply: rare, signed and first editions
A guide range is for ordinary used copies. For a rare, signed or first edition, IRS Publication 561 describes valuing books from comparable sales of the same edition in similar condition, and it notes that an old book is not necessarily a valuable one. Use sold prices, not asking prices, and keep the listings. A claim over $5,000 for an item or group of similar items generally requires a qualified appraisal.
Other categories in the guide
Most donation bags cross categories. These are the ones that usually travel with this page.
- ElectronicsElectronics donation values for 2026: TVs, computers, phones and consoles
- Toys and gamesToy donation values: what used toys and games are worth
- FurnitureFurniture donation values for 2026, by piece and condition
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.
- Donation valuesBook and media donation values: what a box of paperbacks is worthWhat donated books, DVDs, CDs, and records are worth for a deduction, what IRS Publication 561 says about valuing books, and when a book stops being a book.
- Donation valuesHow the IRS says to value donations: a plain reading of Publication 561Publication 561 is the IRS rulebook for valuing donated property. Here is what it actually says about fair market value, the four factors, and used goods.
Questions about book and media donations
How much is a donated book worth?
What about a rare or collectible book?
Can I deduct books donated to a public library?
Are book drop bins tax deductible?
Can I use the cover price?
Is a box of books one item or many?
Can I deduct donated books if I take the standard deduction in 2026?
What receipt do I need for a box of books?
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
Save these boxes with a photo of the spines
DeductiBee keeps each format as one line with a count, condition and cited source, takes a photo of the spines as evidence, and builds the Form 8283 worksheet when you cross $500.
Free to start. Import and raw export are never paywalled. Donations count in the year you give them.