Making money on books

Last month I bought 3 lockers for $45 total and have sold $110 so far   One of the $10 lockers had books, LOTS of books from a physiologist office.  Today I started looking up online retailers that would buy books back and found this. 

http://bookscouter.com/ 

After checking about 4 boxes of books my average value per box is over $100 and the buyer pays the shipping.  I have about 15 more boxes to go through so if this average holds up I may make $2000 on a $10 locker

Sounds like a good score. Technical books can be quite expensive.

Books were a significant portion of the profit in 4 of the 24 lockers I have bought in the last 3 months.

There was a post about that site and some others months back down in the selling or such section of the site.

Books can be money makers or just heavy trash.  I'm about to try a new avenue for my used books.  There is a 2nd-n-Charles store that opened in my area.  Only 9 stores I've been told chain wide.  Anyways they buy books, CDs, DVDs, Video Games, etc.  You can get cash or in-store credit.  So I'm going to take a few duplicate DVDs, some books that only sale for $1 online and see what "credit" I can get.  If get $.50 a book that is better then wasting time selling online / flea.  Mass production books are a slow mover anymore for me.

Craigslstauction, are you in Alabama?

Craigs,

Theres a place like that 2nd -n- Charles near me called McKay's. I think they have a store in each major city in Tennessee. Any books, records, CD's, I can't sell on Amazon or Ebay, I send over there. I use to drag them to the flea market but selling books for $1 -$0.50 is no fun, & a waste of space.

2 weeks ago I took a tote of books n such, and got store credit of $21.50, last week I took 2 totes n got store credit of $33. I used some of that store credit to buy a book for $1. Turns out that book was autographed by the author and sells for between $25 to $75 online. (I can't remember if my book was a 1st. edition).

Books can be profitable that's for sure, but the bulk of them are deadweight.  Here are some things I have found; your results may be different (better or worse).

Books that sell for me:

Bibles....one guy says he just gives them away to anyone who asks how much they are. I sell ordinary type for $5 or so.
             If they are "gold edged" and 4 inches thick with NO WEAR or use, I ask $15 to $20 and get it. Might take a
             time or two to get it, but I can lift them that many times.  I recently got 22 bibles and have sold 5 in two
             outings.

Cookbooks....iffy for me, but again one that you can spot as having potential can do OK. I wouldn't truck 20 of them
                   out there though (to the flea).

Hiking books...I'm a hiker and this helps me push these to other hikers. In California this is a popular past-time, but
                      is probably really only practiced by a dedicated few compared to something like tennis, golf, etc.

Murder mysteries....I get great hard-covers copies of Stephen King, Koontz, etc but selling them seems tough. I guess
                             by the time I get them they are older and most people have already read them.

Vampires................I got good hard-cover copies of the Twighlight series and had trouble selling them at $3 each, but
                              they did move and today every $3 helps !

Paperback romances....straight to the local friends of the library store where they can sit on a shelf as long as they
                                  want.

With everything onlinenow are books now in the stoneage? Most people unlike myself have tablets that they download books to.

With everything onlinenow are books now in the stoneage? Most people unlike myself have tablets that they download books to.

I don't read books as much as I used to, but when I do they are old-fashioned paper type I can hold in my hand and turn page-by-page.  Perhaps younger readers (and some older) like the reading tablets, but that's one place where I personally draw the line. That said, I will read an iPad version of Time magazine as it is free to me because of my print subscription and helps to pass the time on a variety of occasions at airports, etc.

So far of the books that I shipped (at the buyers expense) week before last I have been paid $338.83 .  Still waiting on two of the websites I sold books to for payment.  Wanted to try several different websites to see who paid best and not just made best offer then docked price for condition.  Most of these books are paperbacks in great condition.  I really am glad I found BookScouter it makes compairing so much faster.

So far of the books that I shipped (at the buyers expense) week before last I have been paid $338.83 .  Still waiting on two of the websites I sold books to for payment.  Wanted to try several different websites to see who paid best and not just made best offer then docked price for condition.  Most of these books are paperbacks in great condition.  I really am glad I found BookScouter it makes compairing so much faster.

That's great, but could you be a little more specific. You don't have to list titles, but how about:

1) quantity you sold for that total of $338.83
2) type of book (fiction, non-fiction, textbooks, medical, etc)
3) quantity of each type which resulted in such a good return

Finally, the next time I get 100 romance paperbacks I will sell them to you for a nickel apiece and you pay the shipping to your location.  

While waiting for a response to my "reply #9" above I checked out the bookscouter on one book.

Here is a pic of the results I got.



I'll try some others later and see if I get better results.

Meanwhile in regard to the picture above, those rates (many NA) don't compare to what I have listed that book for on eBay. I am asking $100 as a starting price; another seller has listed it at $175. Neither of us have sold it yet.

Below is a list of what I sold to TextbooksRus.com and a good example of the price range and type of books.  As you can see they are not the usual books found in a locker.  Some are textbooks, others are reference books and the owner seemed to be studing eastern religions.  While looking in the locker I could read the title of several books that were in an open box.  I could see boxes labeled books and there was other items like a almost new pet cage, office chair, and some vintage chairs too.  Thought I could get something for the books just very happy it is more than expected.

Mindfulness and Psychotherapy
9781593851392
by Germer, Christopher K.
Guilford Publications, Incorporated
U.S. Edition 1 $23.10

Clinical Interview of the Child
9781585621378
by Greenspan, Stanley I.
American Psychiatric Publishing, Incorporated
U.S. Edition 1 $34.60

Essentials of MMPI-A Assessment
9780471398158
by Archer, Robert P.
John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated
U.S. Edition 1 $10.10

Essentials of MMPI-2 and MMPI-A Interpretation
9780816635528
by Butcher, James Neal
University of Minnesota Press
U.S. Edition 1 $7.28

Lamp of Non-Dual Knowledge and Cream of Liberation : Two Jewels of Indian Wisdom
9780941532389
by Saraswathi, Swami Sri Ramanananda
World Wisdom, Incorporated
U.S. Edition 1 $2.60

OCD in Children and Adolescents A Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment Manual
9781572302426
by March, John S.
Guilford Publications, Incorporated
U.S. Edition 1 $11.60

What Is Called Thinking?
9780060905286
by Heidegger, Martin
HarperCollins Publishers
U.S. Edition 1 $1.10

Teachings of Tibetan Yoga : An Introduction to the Spiritual, Mental, and Physical Exercises of the Tibetan Religion
9780806514536
by Chang, Garma C.
Kensington Publishing Corporation
U.S. Edition 1 $0.72

Crisis of European Sciences and Transcendental Phenomenology An Introduction to Phenomenological Philosophy
9780810104587
by Husserl, Edmund
Northwestern University Press
U.S. Edition 1 $9.09

Cinema 1 The Movement-Image
9780816614004
by Deleuze, Gilles
University of Minnesota Press
U.S. Edition 1 $6.35

Tantric Distinction A Buddhist's Reflections on Compassion and Emptiness
9780861711543
by Hopkins, Jeffrey
Wisdom Publications
U.S. Edition 1 $0.49

Six Yogas of Naropa and Mahamudra
9780937938331
by Chang, Garma C.
Snow Lion Publications, Incorporated
U.S. Edition 1 $0.64

Meditation and Its Practices : A Definitive Guide to Techniques and Traditions of Meditation in Yoga and Vedanta
9781893361836
by Adiswarananda
SkyLight Paths Publishing
U.S. Edition 1 $0.83

Michael Polanyi The Art of Knowing
9781932236910
by Mitchell, Mark T.
ISI Books
U.S. Edition 1 $3.48

Hatha-Yoga : Its Context, Theory and Practice
9788120817067
by Burley, Mikel
Motilal Banarsidass Publishers (Pvt. Ltd)
U.S. Edition 1 $0.85

Introduction to Phenomenology
9780521667920
by Sokolowski, Robert
Cambridge University Press
U.S. Edition 1 $8.61

Martin Heidegger Between Good and Evil
9780674387102
by Safranski, Rudiger
Harvard University Press
U.S. Edition 1 $2.85

Visible and the Invisible
9780810104570
by Merleau-Ponty, Maurice
Northwestern University Press
U.S. Edition 1 $7.10

Manual for Using the MMPI-2 as a Therapeutic Intervention
9780816628858
by Finn, Stephen E.
University of Minnesota Press
U.S. Edition 1 $3.35

Shambhala Guide to Taoism
9781570621697
by Wong, Eva
Shambhala Publications, Incorporated
U.S. Edition 1 $1.58

 Total Buyback
Quote: $136.30 

All buybacks are subject to inspection. If our staff adjusts anything regarding your buyback, this may affect any buyback offers or bonuses. You will receive an email notification of any adjustments to your buyback

As you can see they are not the usual books found in a locker. 

You got that right !  But congrats on getting a locker with some special books in it.

I won't be sending you those 100 romance paperback books. 

Thanks I'll post total sales when I finish.  I had been trying to think of what to do with the romance paperbacks.  Could have used boxes they came in to ship out these books and may have torn romance books up to use a packing.  I seldom waste or throw away anything!

Until the store I found most of the books I had would hit the Goodwill pile.  I have sold a few books but nothing great.  For me the list goes something like this:

1) Text books - hit or miss depending on age.  Just got a bunch so hope they are a hit.

2) Cookbooks - I take these to my buddies store.  I may get $1 or less at the flea.  He gets $5 or more and we split the profit.  They either run very hot or cold.  Also, a fellow buyer loves them to take to auction.  He sells them in lots and does very well.

3) Paperbacks - these mostly go to Goodwill.  If they are sci-fi, CSI style, or military-fantasy I'll give them a few tries at the flea.  But at $.50 each they only go on the trailer if there is room.

I've had a few very topic specific books that I've sold quickly on half.com for $10+.  But, they are few and far between.