Does anyone know where I could sell used books and make money?

Question

First of all, I read a lot. And since, locally, our library system is horrible - I've had to buy the books I read. Usually they just sit around after I'm done. I'm trying to find a way that I can sell these books and make some money while doing so. I keep them in good condition.

Does anyone know a website that can help me? I know there's amazon.com and eBay, but I'm one person, and usually they require a small business to facilitate them.

I wanted to add, unfortunately, this area also lacks used bookstores. Of which I am thoroughly upset.

Answer 1

My suggestion is to stick with Amazon.com and ebay. I'm just one person and have sold on both. With ebay, you should have a camera or scanner so you can take a picture of the cover. On Amazon, you won't need to take pictures because they've got stock photos. With both, you'll need to briefly describe the condition of the book.

With both, setting yourself up to receive payment takes a checking account and a little effort filling out online forms.

For rare and/or collectible books, I'd suggest eBay for better prices (I sold a signed copy of Black Beauty for $435). Or, if you want to sell a lot of books, you might be able to sell them on eBay. For regular books, I'd sell them on Amazon. It is pretty easy to determine the price, a little less then the other sellers. Note, Amazon will give you a little extra for shipping.

You should almost always ship books USPS by "Media Mail". The price is much cheaper per pound then other methods. For both, you'll need to ship the books within a day or two of receiving payment or your buyers may be disappointed. On eBay, typical auctions are 7 days. On Amazon, the for sale posting is much longer. 60 days if I recall, but possibly 30 or 90 days.

I've bought and sold things on craigslist and those are some flakey people. They always haggle on price and about 25% of the time no-show for the transaction. Although if you've got a stack of books you can't sell on Amazon maybe bundling them as a lot on cragslist would be a good way to dump them.

Answer 2

I hear you! My husband is the same way as you, and even though we have a good local library system it's never enough for him! He literally buys new books every day, so we sell the ones we don't want to keep at least once a week!

You don't have to have a business license to sell books on eBay, fortunately. Just an eBay account, which is free (but does require a credit card or a debit card with Visa or MasterCard logo). You'll pay small listing fees for each auction you put up, but they're typically very manageable for lower-dollar items like books. Be sure you charge enough money for shipping the books to your buyers! If you're a U.S. citizen, I recommend using USPS's Priority Flat Rate envelopes and boxes for shipping within the U.S. That way, you know exactly what the shipping cost will be regardless of weight or destination zip code. As long as you can fit an item into a flat rate package, weight doesn't matter!

Good luck. :)

Answer 3

There are some great websites that allow you to trade books. See my profile for links. This allows you to get rid of a book you no longer want and get something you do want in return. Titletrader is awesome because you can trade books, dvd's and vhs tapes. So if you get rid of a book you may be able to get a dvd in exchange. Paperback swap is only for books. I have found that doing ebay or amazon is pricey cause you don't really get your money's worth and you have to pay fees etc. Used book stores will give you 1/4 the price of the original book usually in store credit. So again not much money's worth. This way you get rid of a book and get a new book you do want in exchange.

Answer 4

To expand on the Ebay answer given, first determine if this is a profitable market by reviewing the completed listings for books in your category. Decide if it's worth your while. If so, you may also consider opening up the market to buyers outside of the U.S. Few Ebay sellers do this because they mistakenly believe that every non-US buyer is a scam artist. If you offer worldwide shipping, chances are you will close more deals than other Ebayers who do not. Many people outside the US are fascinated with American culture so capitalize on that fascination and turn it into cash. All the best.

Answer 5

Go to www.paperbackswap.com

You earn points by posting and sending books to other users. With the points you can request used books. The only thing that you have to pay for is shipping. It's a great site, the only problem is that there can sometimes be a long waiting list for popular books.

You won't make any money this way, but it's an inexpensive way to get the books you want.

Answer 6

I know Barnes and Noble will buy used books. They seems to pay the most for the books that I have sold back. Other than that, Amazon would be your best bet. If not, then Half.com These sites are easy to use and do not require a business.

Answer 7

I sell on Amazon.com, Half.com and eBay all the time as an individual. Powell's Books, a big store in Oregon, also has an option where you can sell them books through their website.

Answer 8

i don't know how much money you can make. there's always amazon and ebay but i know they also charge a fee per book and most used books are sold for pretty cheap; you might not make a lot but at least you would be giving your book to someone who wants it. if you are more interested in also being able to get some new books for yourself to read, i strongly suggest swaptree.com. on there you can trade your books for someone else's and all you pay is shipping.

Answer 9

In many towns there are stores that thrive on used books. Sell your books, trade for others, or buy used books for a great price. Try looking for used book stores in the yellow pages.

Answer 10

sell books money