selling books on Amazon - tips for more profit

apprentice_tycoon

Yes, the bonsai potato is on amazon (clearly doing nothing!), I had intended putting it on ebay until I saw the ISBN and checked it out

mike55_2

apprentice_tycoon wrote:

Hi Mike - get your camera back!

I haven't tried selling anything on ebay without a photo but I suppose books are just about the best thing you can sell without a photo, but if I was buying and there was a choice of 2 auctions I think that I'd go for the one with the photo, silly I know, but there it is. Does your wife actually want to sell her clothes? she is probably saving them for just the right occasion .

Regarding getting started on ebay - this forum is great for sorting out peoples problems but if you just look here it makes ebay look like a minefield waiting to trap the unwary, you don't read here about the good experiences, just screaming thread titles about disaster and doom, I think that you have to give it a go and see that it can be very easy and rewarding.

I started selling on ebay in 1999, I have had getting on for 5000 selling transactions and only met 2 or 3 headcases (all American, sadly) I have had 2 negatives, both American again, both totally undeserved, and I have only totally lost around 10 parcels out of that 5000. When I first looked at this ebay board it seemed to be talking about a different ebay world to the one I know so I think that you should take my ebay experiences as a bit of a balance to all the annoying stuff you read about where it goes wrong.
There are lots of threads that I've seen here about getting started and I'm sure that a quick search will bring them all up for you. Give it a go....go on...there are people here to hold your hand.

i'll get both of the cameras back

why do people 'borrow' things and never return them? i'll never be rich

thanks for the info apprentice tycoon. i've read a lot of the ebay topics and i'm more confused than before i looked!

i'm sticking with amazon and greenmetropolis and books cds and videos. the wife can sell her clothes in the local ads

i'll keep checking the board, especially now that i've had to ask how to get a paypal refund.

and i sold another book today - to a fella!

purplepatch

mike55 wrote:

educational :eek:

i'll pm if i can source any more, and if i find the pm device , but i have another source for new books. it's manic put keeps things ticking over

Not asking for specifics obviously, but when you say "source" what sort of thing do you mean? I do the charity shop circuit and keep an eye on the local rags, but just wondering if there's anything more I could be doing to get my hands on some cheap-as-chips books?

mike55_2

purplepatch wrote:

Not asking for specifics obviously, but when you say "source" what sort of thing do you mean? I do the charity shop circuit and keep an eye on the local rags, but just wondering if there's anything more I could be doing to get my hands on some cheap-as-chips books?

bookshops purplepatch the type that sell new but reduced but some ppl on amazon maybe don't live near one?

itseems a silly lay out, but if they make a pound profit, its still a pound isn't it? some make more tho'

purplepatch

mike55 wrote:

bookshops purplepatch the type that sell new but reduced but some ppl on amazon maybe don't live near one?

itseems a silly lay out, but if they make a pound profit, its still a pound isn't it? some make more tho'

Absolutely, every pound counts.

Don't think there's anything like that near me though - Amazon always much cheaper than buying from any bookshops near me, even the so-called "cheap" ones!

mike55_2

purplepatch wrote:

Absolutely, every pound counts.

Don't think there's anything like that near me though - Amazon always much cheaper than buying from any bookshops near me, even the so-called "cheap" ones!

i think i might be lucky in the fact i'm near a touristy place so there's always lots of coach trippers etc. and they probably sell a few 'loss leaders' to get the punters in.

having said that, i don't clear the shelves and i'm lucky in that i have a big family, so nothing goes to waste where books are concerned - they're all avid readers.

Angela

Thought I would have a look at my titles that are listed in my open listings afetr the Radio Controlled Foam Modelling book has the p taken out of it.

Health and Wellbeing subjects-Eczema,Incontinence and Kidney Disorders.

Relationship subjects-Getting the love you want and Never be lied to again.

The Wider World- Cornish Folklore,Indian tribes of Alberta,Classic West Country Ghost Stories and The nature reserves of Eastern England.

Others-Cannibals,Steam Trains and DIY Brain Surgery.

I bought 5 videos at the school bazaar at the weekend,I usually steer clear of vids as they dont seem to make much money,but I have sold 2 since then( one of which I am in the middle of and must watch before I send it off) they only cost 20p each and I am not making bundles on them but if you sold one a day and made £1.50 on each that would be £546 in a year,some times I think is it worth it but all those £1.50's add up over the year.

apprentice_tycoon

DIY brain surgery - fantastic...

The volunteers in these charity shops must shake their heads in dismay when these nutty books get brought in assuming that they will never sell - they probably have us all on the CCTV footage buying armfuls of them - they'll all sit round to watch the films during teabreaks and say 'look - I told you that she looked normal' :eek:

nads

lol@AT They have their own forums https://www.grannygossipnetwork.com/charity/amazonians.html , maybe soon they'll create little "pokemons" of us all they have to collect them all! Sorry going a bit surreal their.

The scariest thing that happened to me (off-topic? nooo!) was when I bought 5 cds but th elderly lady counted 4 and I pointed out "no, there's 5", and she said "Ooh you are honest" the lady then rubbed my hand a few more times that would be considered normal!

mike55_2

not a bad day at the office today

2 books, one amazon one greenmetropolis. i was tempted to unlist a lot on greenmetropolis but a book i never dreamed of selling, as there was more than 5 listed on amazon for 1p, sold! i think i've made 3 quid. but it's still 3 quid ain't it?

and reading back in this topic, some of you acquire some weird books!

the wife picked up a few bargains at the charity shop today. a couple of books at a pound each going for 7 - 8 pounds on amazon. but she eased her conscience by taking some of those clothes in. to the charity shop that is

does anyone know where cd single cases can be bought? i've a few to sell but i'm not happy with the condition of the cases.

and Angela? videos are usually good the older, and less popular they are i think. well the one i got for a pound and is going for 4.50 is :beer: and usually music ones and disney ones. but don't quote me on that.