selling books on Amazon - tips for more profit

apprentice_tycoon

Angela wrote:

I am building up quite a selection of books just wish I had a library to put them all in,I am sure other half is going to start moaning about them sooner or later,they are all just in boxes at the moment stacked up in alphabetical order so I can read the titles easily when I sell one.

My names Angela and I am a book buyingaholic,and I blame AT lol

Seriously it is getting a bit out of hand I cant pass a second hand shop without going in.

Sold 16 things since joining the Pro Merchant 12 days ago,so thats going ok.

That's it blame me - join the queue -

I'll introduce your disgruntled OH to mine who has learned over the years to turn a blind eye to all my ebay and amazon stuff. We used to have a geeenhouse, shed, garage and spare room - now we have what I call storerooms but I've managed to convince him that it's all valuable stock ---- stock

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that's a good word to use next time eyebrows are raised at all your books

Kaminari_2

AT i'm heaping the blame on you too!

We should all send our OH's down the pub so they can all moan about us. It will keep my other half from hogging the computer to play computer games on at least!

Sold another two yesterday and two today. My OH is glad i didn't let him throw away all his old books now.

nemo183

I tend to sell books at an average of about £70, and usually send them via recorded post, rather than special delivery.

Problem here is that recorded delivery will only return £30 max in case of none delivery. Now, you would have thought that recorded delivery might be quite reliable. However, reviewing 300 books sent by this method shows that 7 have failed to arrive.

Where on earth are they? In case of none delivery, they all carry a return address - yet none returned, and none delivered.

Maybe something to factor in when considering special delivery - more expensive, but at least insured.

Oddly enough, I reckon a greater percentage of my mail posted by recorded delivery has failed to show up than 1st class mail sent with a 30p stamp.

Anyone any ideas?

soolin

nemo, always use special delivery for items over £30 as it is still cheaper than using parcel post with additional insurance or losing out entirely. A heavy book weighing say 1 kg would be £4.30 recorded delivery and special delivery would be £5.35

I too have found that recorded delivery items seem to be more likely to get lost than regular post. I rarely use recorded delivery yet seem to lose an unprecedented amount of it and the Post office never seem at all surprised when I phone to make another claim.

Soo

voodoozoe

Please enlighten us as to what books can sell for £70, I really couldn't even hazard a guess

becky004

I inherited a copy of Sex by Madonna a few years ago, was just about to throw it in the bin. Just checked on Amazon and they are selling for up to £180!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

apprentice_tycoon

Becky - you've sent everyone scurrying to look for a copy, get yours sold now, the price is bound to drop when all the MSEers list theirs

soolin

I actually think Amazon is addictive. The other day I was idly browsing when I came across an out of print book where two sellers had it listed for £70+. I knew I had a copy of that book and I actually felt faint thinking about it and trying to remember what bookshelf it might be on.

When I found it I got a real rush, like when you eat chocolate on an empty stomach and I could barely type up the listing, unfortunately despite undercutting the lowest price by £20 mine is *still* listed, but it was one hell of a rush while it lasted.

Soo (who has obviously led a sheltered life!)

nemo183

voodoozoe wrote:

Please enlighten us as to what books can sell for £70, I really couldn't even hazard a guess

What you need is an author of a standard reference book who has fallen out with his publisher and refuses to allow reprints - hence big demand, limited supply - so a $10 book sells for £80-90. There is no real logic to it...........

soolin

voodoozoe wrote:

Please enlighten us as to what books can sell for £70, I really couldn't even hazard a guess

Last year I bought a book for £92 on ebay that had a cover price of £12.99. It was a Railway book that had had a very short print before somehting had happened at the printers and the Master was lost (or something). This book was so rare that when a copy is sold on ebay or elsewhere it gets a mention in some of the railway publications.

Soo