posted on April 7, 2002 05:32:03 AM new
To all of the book experts out there I need some help. I go to auctions, thrift stores, yard sales, etc. and see all these books and have no idea what they are worth. I know there is no easy way (or is there?) to know what will sell or what is collectible but what should I look for? Old books, new books, 1st editions. Thanks in advance for your help. Barbara
posted on April 7, 2002 06:09:54 AM new
I should give away the secret of my success, what success!
abe.com will give you a general idea about book values. I say general because they are a retailer and most eBay shoppers are looking for deals.
I leave the 1st edition market to the true collectors & sellers, although I do know a tiny bit about how to spot them.
I have an interest in several subjects so I buy and sell books in those fields. I sell on eBay part-time for fun and a small profit!
Good Luck.
posted on April 7, 2002 06:14:15 AM new
Not first editions, for some strange reason they don't bring anything anymore! For a while a few years ago they were bringing many times what they should have (new first edition bestsellers bringing hundreds??? you had to wonder why) but now to make up for it they don't bring much at all.
We got an entire truckload of modern firsts, desirable authors, last fall as part of an estate - but for the sell-though and ending prices we get, with the tremendous labor involved, we're making more taking them to flea markets and selling them as good-looking reading copies!
Jennifer
posted on April 7, 2002 07:28:48 AM new
I agree, Jennifer.
Before half.com and stiff competition from other sources for used, rare, and out of print books, Ebay sellers had a great opportunity to sell books.
Now, we run Ebay auctions, with our pictures and descriptions beside links to half.com, where the same book may possibly be found at a lower price with immediate purchase.
posted on April 7, 2002 07:49:10 AM new
Focus on narrow topics. For example a book on famous singers may not do so well, but a book on Madonna I sold for $45 (this wasn't an auto/biography). Everytime you come across a general category, break it down into niches and the farther you can break it down the better.
posted on April 7, 2002 10:47:02 AM new
Can anyone tell my why someone would belong to both half.com and sell books on ebay. What is the difference? I know there is a fixed price on half.com but do the books sell better their than on ebay? This has always been a mystery to me.
posted on April 7, 2002 10:54:24 AM new
Libra63, it's very simple. You can list books on half.com at no cost, therefore at no risk. So at this point, if I do not have much confidence that a book will sell on ebay, where it only has a week to be seen, I will list it on half.com, where it can sit for however long it takes for someone to find it. On the other hand, books that I feel are sought after I put on eBay, because they are likely to get a higher price there.
posted on April 7, 2002 11:05:27 AM new
barbkeith: If you don't know a lot about books it's trial and error. In the process you will end up with boxes full of worthless books you end up taking to Goodwill.
I have been in book related businesses for 30 years so I know a great deal about what will sell, but I still have to make those donation trips to Goodwill every so often.
Actually, I prefer to donate my unsellable books to a public library that has used book sales, because they are more likely to be able to profit from them than Goodwill.
posted on April 7, 2002 07:56:29 PM new
You can read the completed auctions section of ebay book auctions and see what sells on ebay and what price they sometimes bring.
If I want to buy a book I always check both Half and eBay for the best deal. Sometimes I think that many sellers may get tired of waiting several months to sell a book on Half and simply put them up on eBay. The almost 10% FVF between the two often makes ebay look better and sellers can add long descriptions and extra photos to help sell the book on ebay. Of course that was before the two were to merge and many ebayers never went to Half. Now the comparison is only a click away and all ebayers are registered at Half now.
posted on April 7, 2002 08:53:22 PM new
pelorus,
so you have been selling books for 30 years?no wonder you want ebay to expand the title length??
i have been selling books for 6 years and i dont throw any books away,nothing is given away,period.
how could you afford to do that?send some my way!!
posted on April 8, 2002 12:07:03 PM new
stopwhining: How do you manage to sell every book? You are either very picky or you are one of the half.com 75 centers.
posted on April 8, 2002 01:30:08 PM new
pelorus,
i did not say i sell every book i have.
i do not give away any book or trash them.
i pay between 4.95 to 12 dollars for my books,i just wait till someone wants to pay my price.
cant afford to give away merchandise.
one thing i learn whether it is books or non books,buy good quality items and they dont lose their value.
darn,someone on half finally have a book on lamps of tiffany studio for 900 dollars,do you have one to give away??
posted on April 8, 2002 10:36:16 PM new
I find that books with dustjackets sell much better for me, for several reasons. Many collectors donot consider a book complete if it does not have a dustjacket. Dustjackets tend to be colorful and lok nice in photos,and they keep the book underneath i better condition.
Also, I have found some of my books sell for more than retail if they are for a specialized area and I have written a clear description. Many of my descripions are directly from the dustjacket. This helps greatly.
posted on April 8, 2002 10:39:15 PM new
Also, make sure you ship via media mail. This can rersent a big savings over fist class or priority, and I find the service from here just as fast as first class.
Do not, however, use "bound printed matter" rate, even if cheaper. If the book is not delverable, teh post office will not return the book to you.
posted on April 9, 2002 08:23:43 AM new
stopwhining: I buy a lot of books for under a dollar. Some sell for $5, some for $10, some for $20, some don't sell at all. My goal is to make 3x my overall investment, and if I get 4x I feel really good. But I end up with many that I can't sell at all, because I will take a chance. Those are the ones that end up back at Goodwill.
posted on April 9, 2002 10:35:17 AM new
3 x cost is very good in book busines,or any business.
in the last 2 years,i have become much more picky on what books i buy,due to competition from other cybersellers,brick and mortar bookstores and wholesalers ,yes,they sell retail as well.
