| QUESTION: I purchased a skid of 450 remainder | | | | each book. Set just enough of a shipping fee to |
| books for $2.50 per book from a wholesaler on the | | | | cover the postage. This seems to work well for lots |
| Internet, thinking I'd resell them for a big profit on | | | | of people on eBay -- in the "Books, Wholesale, Bulk |
| Amazon. I didn't get to pick the titles, and it turns all | | | | Lots" category. This is the most labor-intensive |
| of them are selling for pennies on Amazon | | | | option, but would provide the best financial return |
| Marketplace. What should I do? | | | | (and build your feedback score on eBay.) |
| ANSWER: This is why I don't recommend that new | | | | -- Auction the books in larger lots (25 to 50 books |
| sellers jump into the remainder or overstock business. | | | | per lot) without naming the titles. You should indicate |
| All sales are final. So if you're buying a pot-luck | | | | in you listing that the lot is a great deal for book |
| assortment, be prepared to lose most of your | | | | readers, but not for booksellers. Include a picture of |
| money. | | | | the stack of books to encourage more bids. |
| I see three possibilities here: | | | | -- Donate the books to your local library or charity |
| -- Group the books into small lots, three to 10 books | | | | such as the Salvation Army, and you can probably |
| per lot (grouped by author, genre, or theme) and | | | | arrange pickup of the books and a tax deduction. |
| auction them on eBay, listing the title and author of | | | | |