selling your stuff on Amazon...part 2

larmy16

Mike I tried to reply to you earlier but could not seem to post - it kept saying my post was too short. I was wondering if methylated spirit might help to clean the book with out wetting it too much. I happen to love that smell, but I am sure it evaporates anyway.

I was going to say that if you are honest about the condition - then it is really up to the buyer. I sold a really old pelican book not that long ago. Really cheap though and I said it was yellowed, looked old, but that it was still readable. I think the majority of people go for cheap if they just want to read a book. I mean how many people really sit staring at a book appreciating its lack of creasing, white white pages and fresh from the factory smell. It is only if you want to pass it off as new for a present that it should be really pristine. Just my opinion though.

Deffo try the bicarb though. I have a pair of shoes a lady gave to me recently - I may try and sell them on ebay. They are sitting in a plastic bag with half a tub of bicarb. The reason - she smokes and I am not sure if they smell of it.
They are brand new apart from that.

mike55_2

hi larmy and thanks for replying

i think what i'll try to do is take one of the older books that isn't worth much but similarly bound, and do a patch test with all the ideas from both threads. i'd hate to see it turn out like the 'fabreezed' one

and i agree about the condition thing. thats why i prefer either really old, or brand new. with the help of the missus, who can wax lyrical about most things , she'll help with the acceptable ones and she's brutally honest. i'm amazed some of them sell sometimes, especially penguin type books. as for the new, thats the easy bit. there's not a lot to say if its new is there? if its worth giving as a gift i say so, but i also say when they won't pass as a gift but are still a great read.

i listed one earlier and it nearly took up the quota thats allowed, but i'm not leaving anything to chance. not when there's people who might give me a 'larmy' and i'll try the bicarbonate stuff. i keep reading about its qualities when i get the chance to read the other boards, its just something we don't usually have in the house, so i'll get some.

but i'm a bit wary of listing things as from a smoke-free house, cause i have the odd cig now and then, but also, cause i buy from the classifieds, i'm never sure, unless it hits me in the face, or nose, if they've been affected by smoke. so i just omit that bit. but cause of those rocks and soaps i mentioned, they usually smell a bit fresh, too fresh sometimes.

i've got visions of whoever bought an sas/andy mcnab type book from me that smells of lavender or whatever it is, wondering what the hell was going on

thanks larmy, i'll give meths a patch test. :beer:

i was just about to post this when i remembered something else.

i'd noticed there were a few hardback books missing their dust jackets and couldn't work out where they'd gone. then the missus told me she'd watched one of those house doctor programmes and it recommended taking the dj's off books. so she did!

the silly moo

lindoz

hi I have been reading through the thread and I was wondering aboutsome books which are part of a series can I list them as a set? would it be worthwhile? they are not valuable.

Bella13_2

mike55 wrote:

does anyone know what the carefullest way to clean a book is? this books a paperback, but was once shiny i suspect. it's a bit too marked for my liking.

the last time i tried to clean a book up i picked up the febreeze stuff, any port in a storm time , and made a hole in the cover , so i know not to use that.

thanks

mike

Mike - never really tried it on a book, and might get shot down for giving a silly answer but my solution to most cleaning problems is baby wipes! (Usually because I have plenty of those to hand!!) It might be worth a try (but like you say, test it first elsewhere!!)

Yorkielass

I've just sold a CD :j

Last time I sent something I just put in the packaging slip from the sold email and then sent the buyer a dispatch email.

However I'd like to do my own packing slip - does anyone on here do that and if you do - what does it say?

Also if I ask a buyer to let me know they've received an item - either by email or by leaving feedback - how can I tell them where to leave feedback - I don't think it's totally obvious so has anyone got a useful way of telling others how to do it?

Finally do you leave buyers feedback? I know there's an option but I didn't know whether it was commonplace.

Sorry about all my questions - just pleased I've started my sales for January :money:

mike55_2

lindoz wrote:

hi I have been reading through the thread and I was wondering aboutsome books which are part of a series can I list them as a set? would it be worthwhile? they are not valuable.

i've seen it but listed under one ISBN, then in the description its said a set or part of a set. have they got individual ISBN's or just one lindoz?

mike55_2

Bella13 wrote:

Mike - never really tried it on a book, and might get shot down for giving a silly answer but my solution to most cleaning problems is baby wipes! (Usually because I have plenty of those to hand!!) It might be worth a try (but like you say, test it first elsewhere!!)

thanks Bella13, i think its a great idea

when i was at a loss as to what to clean one particular book with, even though it was robust enough, the type that have board covers rather than dj's or just paperbacks, - like viz, i used a kentucky fried hand cleaner - is that a tip for the old stylers?

it worked a treat. but i'll add baby wipes to the shopping list now. the grown up kids will definately have something to say if they see those though

but on a serious note, my job is as far removed from books as i can possibly get, but this week i've got a meeting with an art restorer. so i'll ask him what he recommends. its all ephemera - related after all, so i'll let ppl know what transpires.

lindoz

they are individual, they aren't a box set just novels that follow on in order. But you can read number 2 without having read number 1.

voodoozoe

I print out the Amazon packing slip and put in a compliments slip too with some nice colourful writing which says "please leave feedback if you are happy" etc. and "voodoobookstore" which is my new reliable seller sounding name on Amazon!!! I got my OH to design these for me and I also have a jazzy colourful stickers with my return address and "voodoobookstore" logo on so I guess I probably look quite professional!!!

In actual fact I find most of the books and put them on but when they sell, my trusty OH goes and finds it, packages it and goes out to post it for me!!!

As for cleaning we use "Mikrozid wipes" which we just happen to have for disinfecting surfaces in ex-tattoo studio, they are germ killing but quite strong alcohol which evaporates very quickly and clean stuff brilliantly, there must be some kind of alcohol wipes which are cheaper than these I guess.

I have made my first readitswapit transaction and feel a little guilty!!! I have also got a potential two boxes of free books in the pipeline from freecyclers which I am nervously awaiting the results.

Happy New Year to you all and may it be a year of much bookselling!!!!!!

mike55_2

lindoz wrote:

they are individual, they aren't a box set just novels that follow on in order. But you can read number 2 without having read number 1.

this is just my opinion lindoz, and i'm sure the other posters here will have different or similar views, but i'd list one and if for instance it's going for a cheap price, i'd add in the others like a job lot. i'm not sure about the ruling on that, but apprentice tycoon will probably know better than me

the wife bought a series of books, jackie collins i think, that have never been read, but individually they only sell for about 1p each. as a set they'd be worth more, probably 10p;).

its like spike milligan books. you can buy those as sets, but they all have individual isbn's.

give it a go, it doesn't cost anything