posted on July 11, 2001 03:16:18 PM new
I am going to a library book sale Saturday. I have been around here long enough to know two things.
#1 - I know nothing about books!
#2 - Some of you know everything about books!
I went to a book sale once before and did ok without having a clue. I brought an indian medicine paper book about 50 pages for 50 cents, sold it for $13.50 - LUCK, nothing but LUCK!
posted on July 11, 2001 03:34:38 PM new
Hi Richie Rich,
You can come to my garage sale tomorrow and buy literally 1000's of books for next to nothing because I can't stand the tedious work of listing books. I found I could go to great estate auctions and make triple or more the profit on one item with just a bit more investment. So I quit doing the book thing. Good luck! Maybe you will buy lots of good books and I can get rid of some!
There's no danger of developing eyestrain from looking at the bright side of things!
posted on July 11, 2001 03:35:49 PM new
This certainly is a subject near and dear to my heart. October of last year I went to my first library book sale. My thoughts were to try and sell books on eBay. I knew nothing about them. The only thing I knew is there were brand new looking hard cover books for .50 and paperbacks for .25. I bought about $30.00 worth of books, basically one good-sized box. I didn’t really know what to do. I didn’t want to spend too much money on books. “What if they don’t sell?” I thought. So I only spent $30.00
I listed them all on half.com and within a few days I made back my $30.00 investment and by the end of the week I was almost out of books and made a fairly nice profit.
I still don’t have a clue about books although I am slowly learning. I have an inventory in my garage of over 6,000 books. I get approximately 300 –400 new (used) books a week. Plus I buy remainders and mix them in with my sales. My book sales are currently making me a very comfortable living. I sell most of them on Half.com
So forge ahead and just do it. Believe me, even if you buy “stinkers” at .50 you’ll be able to sell them for a profit.
Still trying to figure out the book business. One thing I do know is at this years book sale I’ll be bringing LOTS of money to spend with me. I may not have a clue but I do know enough to buy, buy, buy this time around.
posted on July 11, 2001 03:47:45 PM new
Go five hours early so you can be first in line. If there are already six people there, then this is a good sale. The people at the front of the line are going to be book dealers. Be real nice and maybe they will tell you some secrets while you all wait. When the sale begins, RUN. All the others will be running. Only buy books you have never seen before. Only buy books in really good condition. Only buy non-fiction. Look for really unusual things. Don't agonize over a book, drop it and find a better one. When your arms are full, go pay. Go home. If you must hang around, look the remaining books over carefully, but don't buy any. These are the bad ones that nobody wants.
posted on July 11, 2001 04:40:44 PM new
I think one thing to remember is that no one (least of all me)knows everything about every subject, or book.
There are books in virtually every category that will sell well. In my area there are many book dealers who only deal in "old books" and will pay high prices for them because they have shops in New York and charge outrageous prices to people with deep pockets. But there are many many books that they will just walk by that will do great on E-Bay or some of the other venues due to the large number of users searching.
How many people walk in a shop and take the time to look through books compared to online sites?
posted on July 11, 2001 06:22:26 PM new
mind if I put in my two cents?
well, I will anyway.......
My theory is to buy in categories I like. When you're asking yourself "I wonder if someone will like this?" remember YOU are somebody, too. Let's say my hobbies are flyfishing, quilting and American History in the Revolutionary era. While I'm seeking out flyfishing over in the sports section (I HOPE YOUR LIBRARY SORTS ALL THEIR BOOKS!!!!!!) I may see a cool vintage Babe bio or a fairly current but not mass produced Nancy Kwan photo special available probably only at shows!
Then I scurry like crazie-woman to Arts & Crafts and while I search for quilt books it doesn't hurt my feelings at all to find a 1940's magazine on how to do Indian beadwork, or How To Cut Your Own Weathervanes Out of Copper (I made that last one up to protect my interests).
Meanwhile my assistant, did I mention you need to hire a nephew to haul/guard/search? Hopefully you have one who'll work for a nice breakfast out with you. Meanwhile my assistant let's me know if she/he saw any interesting goodies as I've not looked up since we crashed the door.
On my way to the History section my bag sucks in a book on Movie Stars of the Fourties, Working With Stained Glass, Collectable Glamour Dolls (eww!), a 1939 Albert Payson Terhune novel (I tenderly wrap it in a plastic bag I brought so I'll be sure it's safe & clean, transparent produce bags take hardly any room stuff em in your pockets), and a 1963 Teach Your Boy Woodworking.
Your selections do not have to be in perfect condition, I don't much look inside until I've selected all I'm interested in. And no I don't toss them all around, I seldom reject one. But by checking carefully I have found; massive crayon scribbles, razored out sections, split gutters/spines, water damage, extensive writing/underlining, mildew and/or odor. I will still buy a book with use, creases, light soil, dogears, minor tears, name & address even a small amount of writing. But I quickly weigh whether I would buy it. No? put it back.
Also a lesson I had to learn over & over & over is the use or damage may not be unusual but time consuming to detail in an auction. And if you DON'T detail you are just asking for trouble, you may get a few laid back buyers that are happy with anything you send or at least don't say anything then one will whip around and bite you. They may be the sort that would neg you no matter how perfect everything is but you will feeel ever so much worse after a transaction that you were neglectful. I collect a certain dead author myself. I recently ordered a book. I'd emailed the dealer to inquire further explaination of description "very good, nice endpapers" I swear, that's all she put! She replied more fully (and truthfully) as to condition, I bought it realizing it was a "good", not "very good". It still has nostalgia for me, but I would have been upset to bid any higher thinking it was VG. Actually she may have gotten more bids if she'd described it fully!
OK, I rattle on. One last thing. Don't buy the most popular stuff!
WHY? you scream? Because there are 922 million of that book. It is available in HB, PB, AUDIO, and VHS "The Making of ***". There are so many that thrift stores sneak them FREE into the bottom of all bags just to get rid of them! In fiction alone do not buy to sell; Cook, Crichton, Grisham, Grafton, Cornwell, Braun, Sandford. YES they're great novels, but each had 922 million printed we could shore up HWY 101 at Big Sur with millions of those author's books and still every thrift store would be doin' the sneaky thing.
[ edited by immykidsmom on Jul 11, 2001 06:24 PM ]
posted on July 11, 2001 07:12:41 PM new
COLONEL - I seen a ad on the local public TV station as my spouse was flipping and I was walking by. My kids go to the library weekly and nothing was even posted there. I called and they are have a sale. I guess it is just luck that you find out about these things.
I knew you guys would have great thoughts! I appreciate them all.
I have purchased craft books in the past and I can not give them away!
My problem with Half.com is I am not sure what to put as a price. Last time I listed 7 books there. I priced them in the middle of everyone else if it had others and guessed on the ones that did not. I sold one. It cost me more to mail the Half.com was willing to pay so I do not like listing there.
Thanks everyone for your input. And please keep it coming!
posted on July 11, 2001 07:13:52 PM new
Buy Johnstown Flood Books and then call me Avoid the David McCullough - no one wants it.
Other than that, I buy anything that strikes me as really unique.
OK, basically I just fly by the seat of my pants. I have been doing it for years.
I decided against listing on half.com and instead will have a garage sale and sell what I am left with at 50 cents for paperback and $1.00 for a hardback.
posted on July 11, 2001 07:43:47 PM new
Fiction is very hard to sell. Little of it is worth much money and you have to know quite a bit to know which.
I have never had any trouble selling uncommon non fiction. Books about specific occupations or hobbies. NOT general books about "crafts" but specific books about blowing glass or molding ceramics or engraving printing plates.
Not general books like "Home Repair for Idiot's" but books like Advanced Cabinet Making or Metal Working for Jeweler's
I have sold books on Ocean Racing Stratagy
and Elementry and Advance Surveying. Machinery's Handbook and Patterns and Styles in Chip Carving. Carving Folk Canes. Books on Riding horses or Grafting fruit trees. SPECIFIC specialties.
Nothing printed by Reader's Digest or Southern Living, etc is going to be rare. Same with most Text Books for schools.
Old Governmet agency Reports and such are a gold mine.
posted on July 11, 2001 07:52:50 PM new
Personally, I think it would be like my saying "hey guys, I'm going to a big sale on baseball cards, what should I buy?" In other words, since I know Zero on that, you could well give me some great tips to tuck in my wallet, but if Babe Ruth or ... whoever isn't in the pile, I'm dead meat.
So I suggest: go, have some fun. Don't get trampled by people like me who will be swarming all over the place [at least I don't swing full boxes around like some dealers do]. Pick out a few things and see how you do. You may be surprised!
Before it dawned on me that library sales could make me money, I never went, and I'm a librarian! Then after I sold a few of my own books, I went to one. I came across 3 books on how to make your own robots. Hmm, I thought to myself. Robot books are popular in the library. I bought them for $1.50, came home, listed them, sold one for $25, the other for I forget, but lots, and the rest is history!
posted on July 12, 2001 04:05:57 AM new
I have been a bookaholic all my life and despite all the sales I've been to and all the auctions I've run I still don't know very much. I do know this: these sales are gradually becoming overrated, overpriced and overcrowded.
1. Get there early
2. Be willing to walk into new territory
3. Keep your expectations down
4. Find specialties; I have done well in about three or four areas of books that I have insider knowledge such as computer books. The books I try to pick (almost) no one else touches but sell for two to four times the average. Ever field has certain classics: if you know that you can do great.
5.Be willing to work your tail off--this is a very hard business to keep profitable. Sweat equity and volume are keys to making it work.
posted on July 12, 2001 11:53:30 AM new
RichieRich,
Pricing books on Half.com is tricky. First off there are way to many people on Half.com selling books for next to nothing. I don’t have a clue where they are getting their inventory from that they can sell a "like New" hard cover book that retails for $29.00 for a measly .75 which is the minimum you can list at. The same book in similar condition will also be listed at various levels up to retail and sometimes I’ve even seen them exceed the retail price. But they just sit there and don't sell. I really don’t understand it.
I price all my Mass Market Books at .77 for the most part. They are a dime a dozen and really don’t have much value. I used to sell them at yard sales for .25 so on these types of books I’m ahead of the game so to speak.
I’d love to sell hard covers for "half the price" of the suggested retail however there is so much competition on Half.com and people are selling books in MINT condition for pennies on the dollar I have to follow suite. Therefore I sell mostly by volume. I list approximately 500 + books per week. I get used books and remainders twice a week. I sell my used books way below what I feel they are worth but make it up in volume. As [mballai] said there is a lot of sweat equity in this business. And volume is most definitely the key to selling books unless you’re into the rare book market where you can sell books for hundreds of dollars. The books I sell are very common authors like Clancy, King, Grisham, Steel, etc.
I know I got a little off track on the issue of pricing here. Basically I will not sell a hard cover book for less than $1.99. I don’t care if there are twenty other listings for the same book at .77, .95, or 1.00. My used books for the most part are in excellent to like new condition and even at that price I feel bad selling them so cheap but you have to go along with supply and demand. If I listed my books somewhere in the middle I’d sell them eventually but it wwould take a while. I already have somewhere around 4,000 books in stock and just don’t have the storage space To hold onto the books I have waiting for a "fair" price. For the most part because I deal in volume I list the hard cover books at the same price as the current lowest price in the category I chose for the book. For example if I list the book as like new Half.com will tell me the lowest price for this book is $4.29, I’ll match the price. If I feel the book is going for a fair price sometimes I’ll go under the lowest price by a small amount. I like to turn inventory rather than sit on it. If the book is selling for .77 I list my book at $1.99. I do pretty much the same for my non-fiction paper backs and text books.
Like I said I don’t sell rare or hard to find books. I sell the every day sort of books. Books that are easy to find at yard sales, on Half.com & eBay, etc. so I go for volume. It’s a lot of work and I move a lot of books every month but it has it's rewards as well. I make a very comfortable living selling books. VERY COMFORTABLE. I am doing something I enjoy and I do it from home. Beats the "rat Race" of corporate America, at least for me anyway…
posted on July 12, 2001 12:40:31 PM new
hi colonel,
i sell books as well but i am very selective on the books i buy.
they are mostly arts books and they retail for a lot of money,listed price at least.
i dont see too many of these books being given away at 75 cents,if so i will buy them.
if someone is selling new hc at 77 cents,i bet the content of these titles must be very boring,you can buy these books in lots and have them delivered in truckload to your house ,but then shipping can cost you,unless you live nearby.
but mind you,ebay pours over their figures a lot,all that fancy equipment and bandwidth and staff time to host an auction of more and more 75 cents books,how do you expect them to pay their bills with commish of 75 cents books??
watch what ebay will do next to discourage 75 cents books.
bandwidth is not cheap,network servers are not free,neither is electricity.
posted on July 12, 2001 01:08:13 PM new
I know a bit about books. To find out about book sales go to a search enigine and search for book sales in america.
They also had cross stitch leaflets for 10 cents each - got 40 of them. Looked them up on ebay range between $1.50 - $12.00. This will work!
I spent a whole $11.00. The place was too small, too hot (and I am always cold!), too many people and too many people sitting on the floor looking at what they are thinking about getting. The room was maybe 10 X 12 with 4 isles of shelves and the walls lined with shelves.
posted on July 14, 2001 08:20:11 PM new
I would make a pickle-face at those prices, but then, I'm cheap. I live for bag sales! [All you can cram in a paperback for $1 or whatever]. The book shelves sound odd, also. Normally a sale has the books in boxes or lined up on tables. At the last sale I helped set up and run, we asked ourselves why we spent so much time taking books OUT of boxes only to put them back IN when it was time to clean up [no bag sale that day, so we had some left over].
Oh well, like they say on the other board about the Bidville $1 sale, the point is to have fun...
posted on July 15, 2001 06:22:36 AM new
I went to my first library sale about 3 months ago. The prices were pretty much as you described and up. I didn't buy much.
The funny thing is the old paperbacks were .25-.50, and some old hardbacks as well..the new stuff was half of cover on 1sts.
I did buy a beautifull leatherbound book on Italy from the 50's with hundreds of pictures (for myself) that was 8.00
I'm waiting for one in my town, apparently it's so well known people come from all over New England, New York etc. 150,000 books.
I missed it last year but had driven by at 8AM, they gave out numbers as it was due to open like 9am. There were 150 people lined up some looked like they'd been there all night. They have bag days on the last day.
posted on July 15, 2001 06:25:37 AM new
We Love Library Book Sales...so don't be putting em down!
We went to 2 this summer,spent around $180 and have made over $1,000 on them and still have more that we saved!
