posted on January 28, 2002 07:28:32 PM
Well, since things are the way they seem to be lately, I'm avoiding seling finery & collectibles and will try to sell off my books. SHould I switch to Amazon for that? Anybody have any experience in trying both/comparison?
posted on January 28, 2002 09:32:13 PM
Amazon marketplace rules. They take $1 plus 15% and they only give you $2.23 per book shipping credit regardless of weight (and charge the buyer more than that) BUT you will sell MANY times more books on Amazon than on eBay or Yahoo Auctions or Half.com or Yahoo marketplace.
That's a good general rule but you should still search each book at all 3 marketplaces: Amazon, Half.com, and Yahoo Warehouse. A given book may not be in the data base of Amazon but be on Yahoo o halfDot. Or there may be 10 of your book already listed on Amazon for $3.50. Generally on Yahoo Warehouse there are listings from various ABEbooks.com dealers whose prices are several times higher than the same books listed elsewhere. So you might want ot list that $3.50 book that you thought was worth $15 on Yahoo Warehouse for say, $8 which would usually be half of what the other listings there were priced. Your item looks relatively cheap and you get an occasional sale that way at a premium price.
posted on January 28, 2002 09:34:51 PM
I used to do half for books, but the prices seemed low, and the type of books I sell (academic) don't do well on half but do well on amazon
posted on January 29, 2002 09:25:34 AM
I shop for a new book on Amazon. I just love their search features. I always check Half and also eBay for that title before I purchase it though. I guess if you are looking for top dollar, go to Amazon. I can almost always find it cheaper somewhere else.
posted on January 29, 2002 10:18:55 AMI shop for a new book on Amazon. I just love their search features. I always check Half and also eBay for that title before I purchase it though. I guess if you are looking for top dollar, go to Amazon. I can almost always find it cheaper somewhere else.
I'm a little confused. Doesn't that say Sell At Amazon but Buy It Elsewhere (I can almost always find it cheaper somehere else.)
Is there a monthly fee to sell at Amazon? Can a seller try 10 books out there and only pay those steep FVF fees? (would be worth it to move items though)
posted on January 29, 2002 11:22:35 AM
The book market is changing. Used to be ebay was mainly it. Now you have bookfinder, half, b&n, Amazon, etc. How can we adapt? We are going to have to be more selective and stay away from the low end, because with all the competition and fees it's no longer worth it to get $5. As always, the seller that hustles the most will do the best. This means more diligence in seeking out worthwhile items.
posted on January 29, 2002 12:13:37 PM
Sorry BananaSpider. I thought you were advocating selling on Amazon earlier and it appeared to be contradictory but I see your point now. I never go to Amazon to research a book that I want to buy but use Half.com and eBay and the abe.com-type sites as references. I rarely buy from the confederation of sellers at places like abe.com unless it is available nowhere else.
I see your point of shopping where it is cheapest and selling where the best prices are. I often sell on Yahoo and buy on Ebay for the same reason.
I do not see the abe.books type setups as becoming more and more popular but the other way, they are dying out. Usually their prices are way over the prices that are available elsewhere.
posted on January 29, 2002 05:07:28 PM
I like Amazon for info and sometimes it's a good place to find a book or CD. Amazon has tried to be too many things to too many people.
I have an attitude about shopping. If I want something, I try to buy it as inexpensively as possible but I know that I can only allow so much time to shop or I am losing money. If I spend a half hour trying to get the best price, I probably won't save money on the average book or CD. I can search Half, eBay and Amazon in about five minutes and that works just fine.
If I really need something, it probably doesn't matter too much if I pay a few bucks more. Amazon makes a lot of sense for stuff like that if a bargain does not appear to be within easy reach.
posted on January 29, 2002 05:22:52 PM
i beg to differ-amzn is a household word among book buyers,it is the first online site they come looking for a book.
it has the most complete database,dont forget if it is not in amzn database,it may be available at the zshops.
bibliofind can be accessed thru amzn,amzn in fact owns bibliofind.
you find better capitalised and more professional sellers on amzn,big discount booksellers like e r hamilton,powell and standbook sometimes get exclusive deals before they are made available to smaller retailers .
also amzn customer service is pretty good,better than half.com.
the shrewd buyers will find the book on amzn and then go shopping on the other sites,but many mainstreet buyers do not know that.
many of them said they dont want used books,they want a new copy ,words such as like new,shopworn,ripped dustjacket,stains etc do not turn them on.
posted on January 29, 2002 09:37:41 PM
Years ago Amazon was the Darling of the Internet. Great customer service and discounts over many brick and mortar stores. Everyone ranted about Amazon. Then eBay and Half and Yahoo became mainstream and household names. Some buyers stayed loyal to Amazon but a hell of a lot of them went of in search of better deals. Now in a very tight economy that migration from Amazon should increase even more. The average internet user is very savvy now as compared to a few years ago.
posted on January 30, 2002 09:00:14 AM
"The average internet user is very savvy now as compared to a few years ago."
Pertaining specifically to my books on Amazon however, I'd say my average customer there is educated, professional, sophisticated, and probably never heard nor cares about Half.com or Yahoo. The books I sell on Amazon are things like out of print Art, Computer programming, 1st edition novels. Those never sold on Yahoo for 2 years. To list them on Half.com would likely find others there already listed too cheaply and not selling anyways, or if mine was the only listing, it would sit there and never meet it's buyer who is looking for it on Amazon.
posted on January 30, 2002 10:06:26 AM
Let me make that internet savvy. Some of the smartest people in the world go to a new car dealearship and pay the full price for a car. They are smart but not savvy. Some people learn one system at stick with it because they are reluctant to learn new things. ( AOL with 25 million users as an example )
