selling books on Amazon - tips for more profit

Loadsabob

Well, thank you AP for this thread, which seriously got me thinking about selling my old books on Amazon.

Last night, for the first time, I set myself up as a seller, and have listed so far seven of my University textbooks! I'm mostly thrilled at myself for actually getting rid of books, they're usually so sacred to me! But I made myself be REALLY objective - will I ever read them again? Unlikely - Literary Criticism, when there's a whole WORLD of actual literature still waiting for me to read? I doubt it! I don't know whether any will sell, but I've done my best and used some of the advice in this thread.

I also listed my first thing for sale on ebay last night, too! Waiting for Thurday's 5p listing day to do the rest!

Thank you for the helpful kick-up-the-bum! Any profit that results from someone taking these books off my hands will be a real bonus!

apprentice_tycoon

Thanks for that Loadsabob, it just needs something to spark you off and then you wonder why you didn't do it years ago. Presumably now is a very good time for Uni books
I had the same thing with our books, I had over 150 cookery books at one stage (I used to teach at evening classes) and logically there aren't enough years left in my whole life to find time to cook at the stuff so I had a very untidy weekend where I got them all out on the living room floor and decided which could stay. The rest were scrutinised for recipes that might be useful one day and these were photocopied and filed. I'm sticking at 100 cookery books now and every time a new one appears magically from nowhere an old one has to go

se999

Hi,

I did the cookery book clear out too!!

Also there are some books that date quickly, children's non-fiction seems to go out of fashion/date, also any travel guides. So once children have outgrown books, I'd list as soon as possible once they start to look old fashioned they don't sell as well or at all. Holiday/travel guides unless you're going back again, or want to keep it as a souvenier again list asap for the best prices.

I do now regularly review my bookcase, and normally have boxes on one side for doing a next batch on amazon/ebay/carboot.

Loadsabob

I think my cookery books are going to Oxfam. I can't imagine any of them being bought on Amazon...they're the kind of hardback 365 Vegetarian recipe ones...I tend to see them at car boots quite often. The postage wouldn't be worth it to anyone! But I did put SEVEN cookery books into the charity shop pile! Made a bit of space, I can tell you! I feel terrible giving my 2001 Writers and Artists' Yearbook to charity...but you never know, someone may have a use for it?...otherwise it's out with the recycling.

nemo183

There's been quite a lot of comment about the lack of feedback you get from Amazon sales.

I think there are several reasons for this:

1) Amazon send a reminder often weeks after the sale - someone buying a lot of stuff will have probably completely forgotten the purchase by the time they are asked to give feedback.

2) I'm not completely convinced they always send the feedback reminder - I'm sure I've bought stuff and never seen a reminder to give feedback.

3) Because Amazon control the payment process - ie they take the money at once - the feedback system is rather a one way street, as compared with ebay, where it's a case of you scratch my back, and I'll scratch yours - i.e. there's "nothing in it" for the feedback giver.

4) If you've given a good service to a few people, and they've all given you 5 stars, I suspect that if your book has been delayed in the post, the purchaser would rather not give you a 4 star rating - they'd probably do nothing.

5) I doubt that your star rating really makes any difference - unless it's terrible. Some of my best buys have come from new, unrated sellers.

All the above apart, I do so agree how let down you can feel when you have pulled out all the stops to make sure someone gets what they've ordered the next day (quicker than Amazon), you've packed it perfectly, and you know it's in even better nick than you've described.............

bluesnice

What a great thread! I have some specific uni/text books to sell which are fetching a decent price on amazon. Most are sent from the USA so I guess postage from the UK would be preferential to Uk buyers.

However, as I started reading this thread I was thinking, theres no way I could get rid of my books! Now, I'm not a hoarder but I do get sentimental over my book collection. Also they cost loads brand new and I keep wondering if its worth it for the return. I can't shake the feeling that I might regret selling them.

Did anyone else feel this way and how did you manage to take the plunge? How did you feel afterwards? Think I need one of those self help books - I sound a right plum!

mexicanwaver

I can't believe how much Amazon have increased their seller fees though! I got rid of a lot of CDs and books a couple of years ago and it used to be very cheap to sell. Now they're taking a £0.86 listing fee AND 17.25% of the closing price! Surely that's much higher than e-bay charge?

One problem I found with selling BOOKS on Amazon was that they had a standard P&P charge. So you could only charge your buyers something like £2.50 for P&P....but if the book was over a certain weight (as with most of my thick Uni text books), the postage costs would be much higher.....even £5 or £6. So that made no financial sense to sell them. I don't know if Amazon have changed that now though?

Have tried selling some books on e-bay, but with little success (I've successfully sold a lot of other items though).

apprentice_tycoon

mexicanwaver wrote:

I can't believe how much Amazon have increased their seller fees though! I got rid of a lot of CDs and books a couple of years ago and it used to be very cheap to sell. Now they're taking a £0.86 listing fee AND 17.25% of the closing price! Surely that's much higher than e-bay charge?

One problem I found with selling BOOKS on Amazon was that they had a standard P&P charge. So you could only charge your buyers something like £2.50 for P&P....but if the book was over a certain weight (as with most of my thick Uni text books), the postage costs would be much higher.....even £5 or £6. So that made no financial sense to sell them. I don't know if Amazon have changed that now though?

Have tried selling some books on e-bay, but with little success (I've successfully sold a lot of other items though).

The thing with ebay fees is that you pay even if you don't sell, so if you end up having to list the book 2 or even 3 times you can be really out of pocket, at least with Amazon you only pay when you sell, it's swings and roundabouts really. You have to make a judgement as to which is the best option for that particular book.
As far as postage of heavy books goes, I think that it's perfectly acceptable to use Royal Mail parcels, instead of 1st class for heaver books, you can send a parcel weighing up to 2 kilos for £4.97 and delivery is much quicker than it used to be a few years back. I would only do this if I could post the book at the earliest opportunity.

Angela

Third book just sold and a nice £5 profit.

Thanks to the person who suggested the out of the ordinary books.

I now have my very own weird and wacky bookshop.

nemo183

Weird and wacky sounds good.......