The best way to make money selling books is to buy them for super cheap. And the way you do that is by going to garage sales, but more importantly, library book sales in small towns that are selling books per bag for $5.00, $2.00…you can even find library sales online. Check the library’s Facebook pages. Sometimes they will post them on the Facebook page and those are the “jackpot“ library book sales because you will have the place to yourself and will have your pick at all the good books to profit from.
Selling Books at a Consignment Event
You can sell used books on eBay or even Amazon, but as a consignment Mom, I will tell you that the only way you can sell books at a consignment event is if it is in like new condition.
Like new condition means NO:
- Scratches
- Rips
- Tears
- Wear at the binding
- Pages are not folded.
- Wording is written inside the pages.
- Smell.
Consignment events gets thousands of books. Thousands! Whoever works in the book section must have a lot of patience and stamina to check every book page-by-page. Only the books that are in the very best, like new condition get put on the floor.
In order for children’s books to sell at the consignment event, they need to be priced very low. Why? There will be other consigners selling the same book.
You want yours to sell right away to make the most money. So not only will people be looking through tables and tables of books, you will also be competing with other consigners that have the same book for sale for $1.00 lower than yours in just about the same condition.
Selling Books on eBay – Click here to sell on eBay
I like to hold on to all of our acceptable and good condition used books and put them up for sale on eBay.
Why?
- Make more money on eBay than you would selling books at a consignment event since the listing fees are very minimal.
- Sell on eBay for forever.
- Sell books in bundles. 6 worn children’s books for $5.00 with buyer paying shipping. Sold within a week! Always make sure to post 12 pictures.
Selling Books on Amazon – Click here to become an Amazon Seller
Amazon is also great for a book seller only if you can buy a book in good condition for under $1.00.
Why?
- Amazon FBA (Fulfillment By Amazon) is important because it means that your item will be the item the customer chooses when they click on the “Add to Cart” button.
- They will charge listing fees.
- Shipping fees to ship items to an Amazon warehouse.
- Fees for Amazon to ship items to the customer.
- If the item does not get sold, Amazon will charge storage fees.
- If the items sent back to you there is an additional shipping fee.
How much money can you actually make selling on Amazon by the time you have finished paying off all of those fees? If you choose to only sell as a merchant, it may take a very long time to sell your books. Also, there are a lot of other Amazon book sellers competing with you. Amazon is very strict when it comes to their sellers. Customers can open cases on you and get your account suspended. It takes a long time for your account to be unsuspended, if you can ever get it unsuspended. It is an investment of time and energy and as a consignment Mom, I do not have the patience for the fees and all the shipping work. Unless you are someone who will be shipping hundreds of books to Amazon every month, it may be better to sell them on eBay.
Once you score a great deal on books that are in good condition, you can make money on Amazon, even if you sell it through FBA. Make sure to research about pricing and strategies that may help you be more successful on Amazon. There are a lot of helpful videos on YouTube that will explain how to make that happen.
Need help with how to sell online to make steady sales? Check out:
Selling Online Tips that Will Help You Make Sales
Tips for Selling on Poshmark for a Beginner
13 Ways to Get Rid of Books When Moving
How to Make a Bundle as a Seller
How to Easily Determine Consignment Pricing
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