Is it difficult to sell used books?
My aunt passed away and had a very large book collection. My cousin, her daughter, could use some extra money. I was thinking of trying to sell some of my aunt's books. Is it difficult?
Is it difficult to sell used books?
My aunt passed away and had a very large book collection. My cousin, her daughter, could use some extra money. I was thinking of trying to sell some of my aunt's books. Is it difficult?
6 replies
Seller_8heIxAf1mLwgp
If you do it yourself its time consuming to deal with the daily shipping and returns. Amazon will do this for you but charge a steep storage fee.
Seller_kIukTwdhvntAp
Amazon is no longer the 'Promised Land' for selling anything and books has become very difficult.
More and more brands are taking control of their own destiny on here. Unless you are authorized by the publishers or brands many sellers are being blocked entirely.
There are much better sites to learn how to sell with lower costs and MUCH better protection fro sellers than what Amazon offers.
Many sellers are moving to eBay and having success. I only have a few of my books listed there but get as many sales as I do here.
Seller_roNdLQpqbVoOH
What kinds of books they are would be helpful to know in order to perhaps give you some more "directed" advice.
If they're (popular) fiction, I'd see that as an uphill battle.
If nonfiction, depends on the subject matter.
Seller_kNAboD6kRgVt7
Unless you think you can get $20 minimum for a book, it's not worth the hassle. If you can find the book in a general used bookstore, likely not worth it. A few non-fiction genres can have gems worth it, but overall, I'd say the e-bay advice is great. Some might only be worth it if you make "bundles" and sell them that way.
Blake_Amazon
Hey there @Seller_8ukfZTPo00m66, I'm very sorry for your loss - while the book sellers in the community may be better suited to share their experiences in their specific category (and several already have chimed in on this thread!), what I can provide for you is the recommendation that you/your cousin spend some time going through Seller University. There you can learn the basics of selling on Amazon in general to get a better understanding of what it entails and whether it is something you'd like to pursue!
Seller_i2pvhCHR3cptP
The situation for me was similar when I first started selling books. There is not a lot of money in a random selection of books. nowadays. You are paying Amazon and you are paying the Post office. It is time-consuming for sure, but also space consuming.....you are going to have to be able to put your hand on any given book whenever there is a sale, and you will need a collection of packing supplies, and a surface for packing.
If your cousin has a fulltime job and is a busy person with a lot going on in their off-hours, selling books from home may not be a useful side-gig.
Really, it all depends on what kind of a collection your cousin has inherited. Was you Aunt a serious collector? Are any of these books definitely valuable because of age? Is anything bound in leather? Is it worth calling in a book appraiser? Did your Aunt ever insure or inventory the collection? Have you considered an estate sale, or just letting a local book seller take it all off your hands for a fixed fee?
Whatever you do, flip thru the books first......people use the strangest things for bookmarks. Over the years, I've found personal correspondence and currency, sheets of postal stamps, and medical reports.
Don't be too fast to donate to your local library. They have limited interest and limited space, and locally, I find they 'dispose' of large quantities of books on a regular basis. Some communities no longer have Friends of the Library sales.
Good Luck.......I find myself fascinated and wondering what kind of a collection it is. Jan.
