posted on July 15, 2001 04:40:34 PM new
For a while now I have been pondering advertising locally for books.
I am not actually interested in buying ebayable books, mostly because I don't want to negotiate prices at this point. Instead, what I'd like to do is find a better supply of books I can use to generate trade credit at local used bookstores. I am thinking about specializing in recent-vintage romances, the kind that women are reading and disposing at yard sales and library sales, but which I only get my hands on inconsistently.
I wonder, though, if people would be insulted by an offer of 25 cents per book which is the max I would want to pay. I am thinking of specifing that I would take a minimum number or something.
posted on July 20, 2001 04:17:38 AM new
Do you have a Goodwill store in your area? Some stores have shelves and shelves of books. Don't know what the price might be. Try calling them first.
posted on July 20, 2001 06:13:06 AM new
I ran an ad ONCE! No one wanted to sell anything except their Book Club, Readers Digest, and Danielle Steele. (ugh!)
I don't think anyone would be too insulted about a quarter a p-back, the going rate at my local used book store is in the 5&10 cent range.
posted on July 20, 2001 06:40:20 AM new
thanks for the replies. About the thrifts, I get some there, but would rather pay 25 cents than the going 50-cent rate they charge. Call me cheap.
I also checked at the main used bookstore in town to find out what they pay in cash for recent paperbacks like romances. The answer, they only give credit, no cash.
Since I work in the library I see the donations come in...brand new romances by the box load. If I can just snag a few of those folks once in a while, I'll be set. [while I wait for the next library book sale/bag sale!]
posted on July 20, 2001 09:51:59 AM new
I thought about trying to solicit books locally, but it's the sort of thing that tends to have low returns: people in general do not want to do more than drop books off at the library or thrift shop. I used to unload books at a large NY dealer and got so little for the books it wasn't worth my time.
The other thing is most people have no idea what the market is like out there and what books are desirable--I do not want to be a halfway house for books that should be taken straight away to the library.
