Official figures for eReader and ebook sales aren't very high or positive, but that doesn't necessarily reflect reality. A parallel, unregistered secondhand market exists , which can provide insights into what's really happening in the market and among ebook users.
The used eReader market is booming, something many don't realize but is definitely happening. On sites like eBay and other secondhand marketplaces, the eReader is the star device (or at least one of them).
In the second-hand market we can find premium eReaders for less than 100 dollars
We can find used Kindle Paperwhites for under $50, but we can also find high-end eReaders from other brands for even less. Kobo devices are the most popular in this regard, with the 7-inch Kobo Aura H2O available for $62 and the Kobo Aura One for $20 less than its original price. These models are as premium as the Kindle Oasis but at a much more affordable price —significantly more affordable than in an official store.
The market for second-hand ebooks is even larger . It's a market where, thanks to add-ons or tools that remove DRM, we can spend a lifetime reading ebooks without paying for them, but it's also more dangerous.
While reselling eReaders is legal, reselling ebooks is illegal , which means not everyone uses them, even though new laws seem to point to the possibility of reselling ebooks in the not-too-distant future. Could 2017 be the ideal year for this? Have you bought a second-hand eReader? What do you think?