Smart & Connected Life > Eco Tech E-Readers: Is It Worth Buying Used? The secondary market isn't what it used to be, but prudence leads to deals By Brad Moon Brad Moon Writer University of Western Ontario Former Lifewire writer Brad Moon focuses largely on technology, gadgets, and electronics for publications like Forbes.com, Shaw Media and Wired.com. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on April 28, 2020 Eco Tech Eco Tech Electric Vehicles Working From Home Headphones & Ear Buds Smart Home Smart Watches & Wearables Travel Tech Connected Car Tech iPods & MP3 Players Trending Videos Close this video player The market for e-book readers has evolved considerably from the early days when devices were premium devices and content was priced significantly lower than print books, to today when apps display e-books for free and the e-book pricing model no longer demonstrates the same downward pricing discipline. Amazon E-book readers have, correspondingly, declined in price, with brand-new units often retailing for less than $80. The secondary market for these devices isn't as robust as it used to be, but if you've got your heart set on a dedicated e-reader but labor under a tight budget, you may hit pay dirt—if you're careful. Before you invest in dedicated hardware, use a free app (like Amazon Kindle) to read e-books, even free ones, for a while. Reading on a screen isn't like reading on paper. Before you invest, try the technology to see how well you adapt to this format. Things to Be Aware of When Buying a Used E-Reader Before you buy a used device, consider the following tips. Chances are the hardware will no longer be covered by warranty, so if it breaks a week after you buy it, the manufacturer is not likely to help out with repairs.Because batteries have a limited number of cycles, expect to be replacing it sooner than you would with a new model. Some e-readers do not have a user-replaceable battery Make sure all the cables are included. Some of these are proprietary and hard to find if you get stuck having to buy them separately.The seller may advertise free books as being pre-loaded, but unless they are public domain titles, they aren't really yours. For example, you won't be able to re-download Kindle e-books, as they will be tied to a specific Amazon account.While you may get lucky and find a seller who accidentally ended up with two of a current generation e-reader, or they need to sell belongings to generate cash-flow, chances are you will be buying technology that's a generation or two behind current capabilities.Sometimes e-readers are selling for more on e-Bay than new versions at retailers, so compare current prices (this may be because of international buyers who can't buy that model in their own country, added accessories, shortages of a particularly popular model, or people seeking to avoid paying sales tax). Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit