Books, Movies & Music

Books, comics, magazines, films and vinyl records from partner stores, with last-checked prices.

Buying books, films and records: editions and condition

With books, films and music, the same title can be a few dollars or a few hundred depending on the edition, the format and the condition. Knowing which of those you actually want, and how sellers describe them, avoids both overpaying and receiving the wrong version.

Books: edition and condition

The ISBN identifies a specific edition and format, so searching by ISBN is the most reliable way to compare prices for a reading copy. For collectible books, a first edition is identified by the copyright page (often a number line ending in 1), not by the seller's title. Condition terms follow a rough scale from "like new" through "very good" and "good" to "acceptable"; "ex-library" copies have stamps and labels and are worth much less to collectors.

• A dust jacket can be most of a collectible hardback's value; check it is present and original.
• "International edition" textbooks are usually the same content with a different cover and binding.

Films and TV

Check the disc region before buying: DVDs and many Blu-rays are region-coded, and a disc from another region may not play on your player. 4K UHD discs need a 4K player. Box sets sometimes omit bonus discs or booklets that the original release had; the listing should say what is included.

Vinyl records and CDs

For vinyl, the Goldmine grading scale (Mint, Near Mint, Very Good Plus and so on) is the standard; the sleeve and the record are graded separately. Reissues and original pressings can look alike; the catalogue number and matrix codes in the run-out groove identify the pressing. A new sealed reissue is often the better buy for listening.

• Ask whether a used record has been play-tested, not just looked at.
• Records ship best in a proper mailer; ask how the seller packs them.

Comics and magazines

Key issues are valued like collectibles and are often professionally graded by CGC; check the certificate number. Reading copies are much cheaper, and collected editions (trade paperbacks) are the easiest way to read a whole story.

How this page works

Products from our own partner feeds appear first, in our usual order. Live eBay listings are shown in a separate, labelled section in eBay's own order; commission never changes either order. We do not show hate literature or memorabilia, even where a marketplace lists it. Prices come from the store at the time shown, and the store page has the final word.