selling your stuff on Amazon - part 8 - advice for newbies in the first 2 posts

apprentice_tycoon

hi twobfair - welcome to MSE and our thread :hello: I think that a lot of people start off at speed and then slow down, it's the sought after books that go first. Don't lose heart though I regularly sell pensioner books that I've had for 3 or 4 years and without any input from me they sell, it's like losing an old friend, they've travelled around the house being moved from box to box as I set up yet another storage system and then they go to a new home....

twobfair

Cheers Apprentice Tycoon - good to be here!

Im sure your right, It just was crazy as most of the books I bought sold so quickly!

I dont know if I have missed it, but I cant seem to see it on this thread, but I cant believe no one else has mentioned it. I found that checking Amazon from my mobile when sourcing books from charity shops etc helps before purchasing as you get a good idea what they sell for and I guess why my books have sold so well.....With free internet on my 3 contract, its great!

apprentice_tycoon

You're talking to someone with a 4 year old hand-me-down phone that is good for ringing people up and that's all......good idea though, how much detail can you get from amazon? is it as much as you'd see on a PC?

twobfair

It tells you the new selling price and what its available for used, plus the books details (pages, age etc) You can't actually view the used listing (ie see if its a USA seller) but it gives you a good idea if a book is profitable (hence why I have managed not to buy a penny book yet.)

All you do is pop in the ISBN and the book details pop up....I would have thought lots of people already do this? If not - its my first tip for you all

funkyfunkymonkey

twobfair wrote:

It tells you the new selling price and what its available for used, plus the books details (pages, age etc) You can't actually view the used listing (ie see if its a USA seller) but it gives you a good idea if a book is profitable (hence why I have managed not to buy a penny book yet.)

All you do is pop in the ISBN and the book details pop up....I would have thought lots of people already do this? If not - its my first tip for you all

Hi TBF

Sounds like you've got a good little gadget there.

I bought an XDA Pocket PC sort of like a large mobile phone for checking books, but I found it too cumbersome and conspicuous so have resorted back to 'gut feeling' - probably why I still end up with 1p books :rotfl:

Mind you, I never list at 1p, I list at 50p or £1 and still make sales - I think some buyers still don't trust the 1p listings.

Anyway, welcome to the thread.

FFM

funkyfunkymonkey

On the subject of 1p books, I sold a copy of Lovely Bones at the weekend, priced at 50p. Someone had to scroll past more than 175 1p copies to get to my copy - I feel honoured to have been chosen from a list of 641 available for sale :rotfl:

Also, sold 2 Mills and Boon books :rotfl:

FFM

rare_stuff

Not only can you check amazon from your mobile, but if you do want to use this method a lot before checking stock there's a product called scoutpal that does the same in conjunction with your phone it will also scan the barcode (if the book has one!) Just google for scoutpal, though their may also be similar products. Unfortunately the cost of the gadget may take a few nice finds to pay for itself!

apprentice_tycoon

funkyfunkymonkey wrote:

On the subject of 1p books, I sold a copy of Lovely Bones at the weekend, priced at 50p. Someone had to scroll past more than 175 1p copies to get to my copy - I feel honoured to have been chosen from a list of 641 available for sale :rotfl:

Also, sold 2 Mills and Boon books :rotfl:

FFM

That'll be because you promised to hand deliver it with a complimentary Chinese takeaway for a family of 4

teapot2

twobfair wrote:

I dont know if I have missed it, but I cant seem to see it on this thread, but I cant believe no one else has mentioned it. I found that checking Amazon from my mobile when sourcing books from charity shops etc helps before purchasing as you get a good idea what they sell for and I guess why my books have sold so well.....With free internet on my 3 contract, its great!

I seem to remember that this was mentioned before possibly on Thread 7 or maybe even earlier and possibly by Katchambers or someone else beginning with K?? [soz to Kat if I got that wrong ] I too have an old mobile that doesn't take photos or connect to the interweb so for now will just have to rely on what I think will sell and am getting better at it....

FFM - wish my Mills & Boons would sell - got a few ex-library for 10p but haven't sold any. My sales have picked up a bit again and sold another on GM, I also had it listed on Amazon but for much less as there were a number of copies

Teapot

funkyfunkymonkey

apprentice_tycoon wrote:

That'll be because you promised to hand deliver it with a complimentary Chinese takeaway for a family of 4

Hey! How did you know that I am waiting for the Chinese takeaway to be delivered?

Oops! Knock at the door must go....

FFM