Where to buy used books in Sheffield

Updated 01/10/2026

Secondhand books in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, fall into three loose groups. Shalesmoor and the western edge of the centre hold Kelham Island Books + Music and the Oxfam Bookshop on Glossop Road, under a mile apart. The south-west suburbs add Porter on Sharrow Vale Road, Next Chapter facing Endcliffe Park and Oxfams in Broomhill, on Ecclesall Road and in Nether Edge, while Emmaus sells from an old cutlery works on Cadman Street to the east. Sums here are given in pounds sterling.

Rotherham, part of the same urban area six miles north-east, adds a winter indoor car boot. To the south and west, over the Derbyshire line, come a £1 church bookroom in Hathersage, a seasonal charity barn in Eyam, a community-transport bookshop in Bakewell and a Thursday stall on Chesterfield market.

Two traps catch people who plan from an old list. Several shops that surface first online sell new books only: Juno Books, Hillsborough Bookshop and La Biblioteka among them, plus the Proof bookshop bar in Crookes, which took over the premises of Novel after The Bookseller reported in January 2026 that Novel had closed indefinitely. And Rhyme & Reason at Hunters Bar, a new-book shop long listed by directories, calls its shop closed on its website without giving a date, and its Facebook page has posted nothing since December 2024.

Spot map

The best spots

Second-hand bookshops

Kelham Island Books + Music

284 Shalesmoor, Sheffield S3 8UL

A big room on Shalesmoor, just over half a mile from the centre on the Kelham side, that calls itself Sheffield's largest second-hand bookshop and has traded at this address since June 2018, having begun life as Books on the Park on Ecclesall Road. Local history, fantasy, crime, walking guides and folk recordings all appear in the round-up by Our Favourite Places, whose writer was told by the owner that there is not much the shelves lack. Vinyl, CDs, checked secondhand jigsaws and a table of new remainders share the floor, and on 17 September 2026 its Facebook page announced a fresh delivery of reduced art, craft and design titles. Donations are welcome, according to the shop's own entry on the Access MiniGuide site.

Hours: Wed–Fri noon–6:30pm, Sat 10am–5:30pm, Sun 11am–4:30pmWebsite

Second-hand bookshops

Porter Book Shop

227 Sharrow Vale Rd, Sheffield S11 8ZE

On the independent strip of Sharrow Vale Road, some 1.4 miles south-west, a small room stacked to the ceiling whose Facebook introduction reads second-hand books bought and sold and goes looking for entire private libraries in most subjects. Our Favourite Places mentions a chalkboard out front, French poetry, fantasy paperbacks, vintage film posters, maps and the odd fossil. On 18 August 2026 the page announced a load of scrambling, fell-running and mountaineering guides with maps, handy with the Peak District so close. Both city guides give Tuesday to Saturday until 5pm with Thursday starting at 1:30pm, but Welcome to Sheffield opens Saturday at 9:30am where Our Favourite Places says 10am.

Website

Second-hand bookshops

Next Chapter Books

7 Rustlings Rd, Sheffield S11 7AA

Rustlings Road, overlooking Endcliffe Park just past Hunters Bar and nearly two miles south-west, where quality second-hand stock sits beside new work from local writers and small presses. The shop's site lists art, photography and design, philosophy, poetry, film, travel and topography, history and modern first editions as specialities, says books are bought there too, and keeps a larger stock on Amazon UK that can be collected with 24 hours' notice. A table of surplus used books at £1 each goes outside when the weather allows. The shop's Facebook page said on 10 September 2026 that it would once again be the starting point for the Drainspotting walks of Sheffield's Heritage Open Days, held from 11 to 20 September.

Hours: Wed–Sat 10:30am–5pmWebsite

All spots by type

Charity shops

Oxfam Bookshop

Oxfam Bookshop Glossop Road

276 Glossop Rd, Sheffield S10 2HS

Oxfam's dedicated bookshop at the city end of Glossop Road, where it runs into West Street, half a mile west of the centre. Oxfam's page for the shop, as archived in April 2026, lists donated fiction and non-fiction, Sheffield local history, vinyl, CDs, DVDs and console games, and the shop's Instagram bio describes it as a source of second-hand books, music and homeware. For opening times that page simply says to get in touch, and the outside listings disagree: one gives weekdays 9am to 5pm and Saturday from 9:30am, while a Facebook description copied onto a directory says Monday to Saturday 9:30am until 5:30pm plus Sunday noon to 4pm. Ring 0114 249 4918 before a special journey.

Website

Charity shop (Oxfam)

Oxfam Nether Edge

1-3 Machon Bank Rd, Sheffield S7 1PE

In Nether Edge, on Machon Bank Road roughly 1.6 miles south-south-west of the city centre, a general Oxfam whose own page, as archived in April 2026, singles it out for books. It claims a wider selection than most Oxfam shops, running from new novels and hobby reading through to specialist subjects, classics and copies collectors chase, with homewares, music, cards and Fairtrade food filling the rest. No timetable is printed on that page, which tells visitors to call 0114 258 9013.

Website

Charity shop (Oxfam)

Oxfam Fulwood Road

281-283 Fulwood Rd, Sheffield S10 3BD

In Broomhill, on the Fulwood Road shopping parade about 1.4 miles west of the centre, a general Oxfam whose page promises a wide range of books among donated clothes, music, homeware, furniture and electricals. The same wording, together with a full weekly timetable, appears in the copy of the page archived in May 2026, so of the four Oxfams listed here it alone publishes a timetable. New gifts, Fairtrade food, cards, new jewellery and eco products are sold alongside, according to that page.

Hours: Mon–Sat 9:30am–5:30pm, Sun noon–4pmWebsite

Charity shop (Oxfam)

Oxfam Ecclesall Road

531 Ecclesall Rd, Sheffield S11 8PR

On Ecclesall Road, close to the Sharrow Vale end and roughly 1.4 miles from the centre, a small Oxfam that describes its setting as a lively mix of shops, cafes and bars. Its page, worded the same way when archived in May 2026, lists books and music among the donated goods, next to clothes, homewares, toys, Fair Trade food and green household products. Porter Book Shop is a few minutes' walk away and fits the same outing; Oxfam prints no hours here and asks you to call 0114 268 2893.

Website

Emmaus second-hand superstore

Emmaus Sheffield

Unit 5, Sipelia Works, Cadman St, Sheffield S4 7ZG

A big second-hand superstore in Sipelia Works on Cadman Street, under a mile north-east of the Peace Gardens, run by the homelessness charity whose residents, known as companions, live and work on site; Emmaus International dates the shop to 2007 and describes the building as a former cutlery factory. Its Facebook page flagged a book offer on Tuesday 24 February 2026, and a refurbished retail space reopened on Saturday 12 September 2026. Posts that month list a coffee shop, free on-street parking, goats and hens, a delivery service from £20 and free collection of donations, alongside furniture, clothing and bric-a-brac.

Hours: Mon–Sun 10am–4pmWebsite

Church bookroom

The Book Room at Hathersage Methodist Church

Hathersage Methodist Church, Main Rd, Hathersage S32 1BB

Over in Hathersage, in Derbyshire's Hope Valley about eight miles west-south-west, the vestibule of the Methodist church on Main Road works as a second-hand bookroom named after John Wesley's own Book Room. A Methodist Church story dated 22 April 2026 says every book costs £1, paid through an honesty box or a card reader, that more than 3,000 had already found new homes, and that the displays follow a monthly theme. The church says it opens to visitors every day, roughly 9am to 5pm, except while services are taking place.

Website

Volunteer charity bookshop

Eyam Book Barn

Eyam Hall Courtyard, Church St, Eyam S32 5QW

Out in Eyam, the Derbyshire plague village nearly eleven miles south-west, a volunteer-run bookshop in the courtyard of Eyam Hall whose takings return to local groups as grants. On 30 September 2026 its Facebook page reported an exceptionally good summer with record sales and opened another grant round. The barn shuts for the winter (in the last cycle it closed on Sunday 21 December 2025 and came back for February half-term on Saturday 14 February 2026), and its posted hours are loose ones such as 11ish to 4ish, so check the page first. When nobody is on duty, books are paid for next door at Delightful Living.

Website

Community charity bookshop

Book End

Unit 1 Theme Court, Bridge St, Bakewell DE45 1DS

Further out in Bakewell, roughly fourteen miles south-west by straight line, a small volunteer-run shop off Bridge Street that raises money for Bakewell & Eyam Community Transport and stocks donated books only. The parent charity's page is blunt that Book End does not buy books or take ex-library copies, and warns that hours may be cut back in winter. On 28 August 2026 the charity's Facebook page steered visitors to the Derbyshire Flower and Garden Show towards a batch of second-hand gardening and plant books.

Hours: Mon–Fri 10am–4:30pm, Sat 10am–5pm, Sun 10:30am–4pmWebsite

Car boot sales & markets

Indoor car boot sale

Treasure Trove Fairs indoor car boot, Rotherham

Rotherham Leisure Complex, Rotherham S65 1BL

In Rotherham, at the town-centre leisure complex about six miles north-east of Sheffield, the organiser Treasure Trove Fairs moves its car boot indoors for the winter. Its post of Monday 21 September 2026 gives the run as every Sunday morning from 1 November up to and including 13 December 2026. Books get no mention in the organiser's post, so this is a general second-hand sale where paperbacks are a matter of luck, and watch the organiser's page for seller and buyer times.

Website

Market bookstall

Brockwell Books

Market Place, Chesterfield S40 1PJ

In Chesterfield, ten miles south, an open-air bookstall on the town's Market Place that, according to its own Facebook group, trades every Thursday and on most Saturdays, covering history, sport, antiques, travel, the ancient world and politics. Posts on Saturday 5 September 2026 paired the books with Pearsons pottery and Tolkien prints, yet a week later, on 12 September, the stall told followers it was not standing that day. It was back on the square on Thursday 1 October 2026, so the weekday is the safer bet for a trip down the A61.

Website

Scan before you buy

At every one of these spots, snap the shelf with BiblioScan: the AI identifies each book and shows its real resale price. Walk out with profitable books, not random boxes.

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Local sourcing tips

Just two counters in this guide say plainly that they buy. Porter Book Shop chases collections and libraries in most subjects, and Next Chapter states that books are bought and sold, so ring either one with a list before hauling boxes across town. Book End in Bakewell states that it never purchases stock, and the charity shops take donations rather than offers.
Book collectors who stray into comics have two Sheffield addresses to know about. Sheffield Space Centre on the Wicker posts weekly deliveries of new comics, manga and graphic novels on its Facebook page, and the staff can say whether older runs are in stock. Tilleys Vintage Magazine Shop on Shoreham Street, founded in 1978 according to its website, deals in old magazines, comics and annuals, but its retail shop opens by appointment only, so arrange a visit through the site rather than turning up.
Outdoor car boots around the city wind down as autumn sets in. Jawbone Car Boot at Greenhead House Farm in Oughtibridge published nine Sunday dates for 2026, the last on 20 September, while Treasure Trove Fairs posts its Bowshaw Showground sale, just inside Derbyshire at the top of Jordanthorpe Parkway, a few days ahead each week without a fixed calendar. From 1 November to 13 December 2026, the Rotherham indoor sale is the fixed Sunday date.
The National Trust's Longshaw estate, seven miles south-west on the moors above Grindleford, describes a cosy Book Den stocked with new and used titles, plus a smaller selection in its welcome building near the Woodcroft car park and sales going to conservation work. The Trust's page gives no timetable for it, so fold it into a moorland walk instead of making a special trip.
Rotherham's new Market Hall on Drummond Street, opened on Friday 10 July 2026 according to the Rotherham Advertiser, houses stall 28 of Mike's Famous Bookstall, a business dating from 1983 by its own account that mixes new titles with second-hand fiction; the hall trades Monday to Saturday, and the entrance is on Eastwood Lane. Mrs Books at Harrisons Antiques Centre posts as Rotherham but its postcode sits in Thurnscoe, inside Barnsley. The Sheffield Independent Book Festival, whose main day on 26 April 2026 filled the Mowbray and the Victoria in Neepsend, was organised by booksellers of new titles, so it suits author talks rather than a hunt for cheap secondhand stock.

Frequently asked questions

Where can I find cheap used books in Sheffield?

Two shelves sell everything at £1: the Book Room inside Hathersage Methodist Church, where a story published by the Methodist Church in April 2026 described payment by honesty box or card, and, in the city, the table of surplus used stock that Next Chapter on Rustlings Road puts outside when it is dry. Kelham Island Books + Music sells new remainders at reduced prices beside its secondhand rooms, and Emmaus on Cadman Street ran a book offer in February 2026. For volume, the Oxfam in Nether Edge claims a wider choice of books than most of its shops.

Where do I sell used books in Sheffield?

Start with Porter Book Shop, which wants whole collections, and Next Chapter, which trades in both directions; call ahead with a list in both cases. Anything they turn down can go as a donation to Oxfam, Emmaus or Book End in Bakewell, while the stronger titles are worth selling yourself on Vinted or on the UK sites of Amazon and eBay. To decide which pile a book belongs in, photograph the shelf with BiblioScan: the app reads every spine it can recognise and shows what that copy tends to fetch, so the dealer box, your own listings and the charity bag sort themselves in minutes.

Which day is best for book hunting in Sheffield?

Thursday and Saturday cover about the same ground. Kelham Island, Next Chapter, Emmaus, the Fulwood Road Oxfam and Book End trade on both, Thursday adds Brockwell Books, which the stall says it always attends in Chesterfield, and Saturday gives a full day at Porter, which opens only at 1:30pm on Thursday. Sunday shrinks the city list to Kelham Island, Emmaus and the Fulwood Road Oxfam, though Book End and the Hathersage church bookroom also welcome visitors. Monday is thin in Sheffield itself, since none of the three independent shops opens, and Kelham Island and Next Chapter stay closed on Tuesday as well.

Which charity shops have books in Sheffield?

Oxfam runs a dedicated bookshop at 276 Glossop Road, with Sheffield local history among its sections, its Nether Edge branch on Machon Bank Road is pitched as a books-first general shop with classics and collectable copies, and the Broomhill shop on Fulwood Road advertises plenty of books and posts the fullest opening hours of the four. Emmaus Sheffield, in the old cutlery works off Cadman Street, sells books alongside furniture and clothes and opens seven days a week. Further afield, Eyam Book Barn and Book End in Bakewell are charity bookshops through and through, the first closing for the winter.

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