| So you're ready to get in the used book business. | | | | the prices on Amazon, discard the lowest and highest |
| You've heard how easy it is to sell books online (it is!) | | | | price, and then take the average of the remaining |
| and you know that people these days are buying | | | | prices. It won't be the lowest or highest, but |
| more used books than ever (with the economy in | | | | somewhere near the middle where you'll be able to |
| poor condition, this is a great way to save money), | | | | make a nice profit. |
| so you're ready to begin selling used books on | | | | 4. Grade accurately |
| Amazon. You also know you want to make a good | | | | You want to keep customers happy, so grade |
| profit. Of course you do! So how can you do it? | | | | accurately. If the book's spine is showing some wear, |
| There are many ways, but here are seven to get | | | | don't say the book is "new." If people feel like they're |
| you started: | | | | getting what they paid for, they're more likely to |
| 1. Get your books for pennies on the dollar | | | | leave positive ratings that will help other people trust |
| Estate sales and garage sales are a great way to | | | | you as the seller to get their books from. |
| pick up a large amount of books for bargain prices. | | | | 5. High sales rank |
| Consider offering a deal, such as, "I'll pay you $50 for | | | | Some books have a high sales rank, meaning they |
| these 60 books," and you'll find most people are | | | | don't sell as quickly as those with a lower rating. |
| receptive as they're mainly interested in getting rid of | | | | These books also might be more expensive, but can |
| the books. Wholesalers are another place to buy | | | | also be sold for a higher price. If you can be patient, |
| larger quantities of books. You might have to buy a | | | | consider selling some of these and you'll find yourself |
| minimum amount, such as $200, but in the end this | | | | making a large profit. |
| could lead to great profits. | | | | 6. Go "pro" |
| 2. Buy the right books | | | | If you're selling more than 40 books a month, it's a |
| Some books simply sell better than others. | | | | good idea to go "pro" on Amazon. You'll no longer |
| Out-of-print non fiction books can be particularly | | | | have to pay the transaction fee of 99 cents, so your |
| valuable as long as the information is still relevant. | | | | $39.99 a month pro-merchant membership will actually |
| That computer manual from 1981 probably won't sell | | | | be cheaper. Plus, your listings don't expire after 60 |
| too many copies, but Economic Theory in Retrospect | | | | days, so you can keep the slow-selling books listed |
| will. Children's books, cookbooks, history books, and | | | | indefinitely. |
| how-to books are also great sellers. | | | | 7. Ship quickly |
| 3. Price for Profits | | | | Once you get an order, ship it that day! If your |
| When pricing your books, don't feel you have to | | | | customers receive their books quickly in the condition |
| have the lowest prices around. When figuring out a | | | | you said it would be in, they'll be more likely to leave |
| price, a good way to decide your price is to look at | | | | you a positive rating and use you again. |