| Like any other business or investment, the objective | | | | good idea to exclude particular categories. There are |
| is to buy low and sell high, so the best books to sell | | | | probably as many arguments that support excluding |
| online are the ones you can get cheap and sell at | | | | categories as there are against doing so. Personally, |
| much higher prices. This is much easier said than | | | | unless I have time on my hands that I want to |
| done, which is why some booksellers opt to | | | | waste (maybe an hour each year) I avoid romance, |
| specialize. | | | | cookbooks, book club editions, promotional books |
| Because the assumed objective of all online | | | | (Advance Reading Copies, principally because so |
| booksellers is to turn a profit and find homes for | | | | many marketplaces prohibit the sale of this type of |
| books in need, a better question to ask might be, | | | | book) and popular novels. I am sure I have passed |
| "Why do some booksellers specialize?" Of the | | | | over some real gems in these categories, but my |
| booksellers that specialize, most do so because they | | | | experiences in the past suggest I will be spending |
| know one type of book better than other types. A | | | | hours going through them only to find nothing of |
| popular theme is children's books. If someone has | | | | value. On the other hand, I know a few booksellers |
| children and knows which types of children's books | | | | that make a nice living in these categories by finding |
| are more valuable than other types, they may just | | | | valuable first editions and/or sets of books by a |
| feel more comfortable dealing exclusively in that | | | | particular author that can be auctioned for |
| category. Still others are very good at identifying and | | | | considerable profit. |
| locating first editions. What does seem to be a | | | | To be a successful online bookseller, you need only |
| central theme with booksellers that specialize in one | | | | find a sufficient quantity of books that will sell online |
| category or another is more knowledge about their | | | | for a profit and to continue to add to your inventory |
| category of specialty. | | | | more books than you sell. What value a book has to |
| Still, the predominance of online booksellers do not | | | | you is not really relevant if you want to sell it, the |
| specialize, they simply find books that will resell at | | | | only thing that matters is its demand and what a |
| prices higher than what they have to pay for them. | | | | customer is willing to pay for it. That said, I would |
| This does not mean they do not know anything | | | | encourage you to specialize if there is a category |
| about specialized categories, it simply means they are | | | | that you know well, but even then, if and only if you |
| open to any category where there is a profit to be | | | | can find adequate inventory that will sell. It might be |
| had. There is nothing wrong with taking this | | | | a lot of fun to specialize in a category of interest to |
| approach, as this is exactly what bookstores have | | | | you, but if you do not sell the books, you are not an |
| done for years. | | | | online bookseller; you are a collector building a |
| Another logical question would be whether it is a | | | | personal library. |