selling books on Amazon - tips for more profit

I'd get yourself to a boot sale, there might not be too many left before they close up for the winter. I picked up a dozen books last weekend and one bought 30 pence sold for £14.00 within hours of listing it

bj-sailaway wrote:

Do you just buy job lots at the boot sales, or are you very particular. I know you said the 'self help' books go well. Do the novels just take ages to go? There always seems to be loads of copies of each one.

A few tips on what to look out for would be great. I'll also go back to the start thread and re-read.

I just buy non-fiction usually, to catch my eye a book has to be good looking, preferably with a soft back because of the postage costs and with very little in the way of flaws that I would have to mention in the listing.
I still say that the self help books are the easiest to sell because they often have to be sent away for, you can't just pick them up on the high street, so if a buyer was having to send for it, they may as well send for it second hand. The one I sold for £14.00 was one instructing doctors on how to conduct a consultation with a patient, I'm kicking myself because there were 2 of them in a big box of tatty books, the other had a few creases but I when I saw the first one sell within 8 hours for such a lot I know I could have sold the creased one too, for less of course but still a good profit.

This brings me to post 47 on this thread, that was from a book dealer who spotted this thread only because Martin featured it in the tips email, he was very anxious to remind people that once you start buying books to sell then you are, in fact, trading and you are liable for tax, because I'm full-time with ebay I'm already in the system and my Amazon takings go towards my self employed income.
I think that you need to have this in the back of your mind but I would be amazed if it could be proven that the books you sold weren't ones you bought for yourself to read and no longer want. It's only when you buy them at auction in tea chests as I have done that it clearly isn't a little light reading for your holiday in Spain.

I think that the encyclopedias have been replaced by computers now so I really don't know if there is any call for them. I saw a set with their own oak bookcase in an auction a couple of months ago, I think that the whole lot went for around £20.00, and the dealer who bought them is one that usually just buys furniture so I think it was the bookcase he was after not the books.

That goes without saying!

I have had a few kids books go well, the Lemony Snickett ones come to mind...about the other medical book? no MSE Old Stylers come to my regular boot sale, I'm convinced of it. I find yogurt makers - 2 in one week, slow cookers - keep falling over them, books - as many as I like, bread makers - 3 in one week......do you think that I might say which one it is?....er, no actually. I've given loads of other insider tips, this one I'll keep to myself