What a great video! In my particular season of selling - getting my bookselling business up and going and dealing with a few family and health issues - it's a particularly helpful message to hear. Thanks, as always, for your videos and the positive advice!
I definitely understand the caregiving phase! Selling books (even at hobby level vs. full time) has kept me sane during this season of life. I enjoy it so much!
Hi Shane! My season is re-booting! My husband is recovering from a huge illness and all I have been able to do is help him get better. I am ready to ramp up again. I have a lot of your videos to catch up on because I have been out of it for literally months and months. I need to look back on your vids to see if you liked Amazon or eBay better. Or maybe there is another thing you like better? Well I have a lot of study to do!
I so glad that your husband is doing better and you are looking forward to a new ‘season’! I’m still partial to eBay but of course that’s where I come from. The perks of Amazon (FBA) are higher sales price (in general) and letting them ship. For me the downside on Amazon is I really don’t like their ecosystem for tracking books, sales, etc. I also do not sale collectible books on Amazon. Their aging inventory costs hurts if you deal in obscure, high profit, but long sitters. For eBay- I still enjoy the ecosystem- it is much simpler. Downside is listing and shipping (of course). For me and my volume- if I only had one I would stay on eBay. But I do have success using both. If you are getting back in, I would start on eBay while I build inventory.
Habitat for Humanity near me has fill a plastic bag for $2. Went there last weekend and got a bunch of 1890s to 1940s clock and watch repair manuals and books, and nice 1st of Diamonds of South Africa) big ~10# $200 book. I get there a few times a month. A few times before that I got 30ish near mint, more obscure "paperbacks from hell". $2 for all and others. Best one sold quick for $70. Godspeed to your mom, and you.
@@curatorofthelost Then there's a small "ma pa local assistance" "free if not with donation" store in the general Akron area (dont want to give exact as I may have competition who watch you). They dont get much for books, and disc media is kid centric. However, the few times I have stopped it was bank. A huge lot of 50ish USAF technical training manuals from the '40s and 50s. Gave them $50. Still have a few left.
few days ago I sold a book for about 40 euros while it costed me 15 euros ... I think books are profitable if you know what is in demand. I just started selling in ebay last month.
Along with Shane, I am savvy in books. Here's a few pointers: Non barcode; technical/manuals; religion; sci-fi and horror. After a while what takes you 2 hours to look up and/or scan will take you 30 minutes as "train your eye ....... and for weird. Several years ago I picked up a sketch book of "racist" cartoons". The book was that of sketches in newspapers and magazines that were printed in the 1800s to early 1900s. Book was printed in 1930s. Sold for $800 (US$) in a few days. Paid $1
Very cool! Welcome to the bookselling word! I have wondered about selling in Europe- how plentiful is sourcing and pricing ? Also on selling do you get much cross country sells? Ie, French c language books shipping outside of France (seems like a wider market to Belgium, Switzerland, etc). I plan on being in Belgium soon!
@@curatorofthelost I am still new to this, but I found out that you can get some books in very affordable prices in libraries here (they do this part of promotion thing) but the profitability when I sell this type of books is not too much because these books are available, they are not rare, and their prices are known to people even outside the country, Books that I do find profitable are two types: first ) books issued by the country we live in (Portugal in my case) or second type) books that I import from outside the EU and sell them for EU people, , the first group of books are are a bit expensive and in high demand even here inside the country, while the second group of books can be profitable for the two reasons: first they are not available here and second their price is not known also for people here. For sourcing, I need to follow the websites of local libraries here to find books in promotion or to look up in the internet to find them in other small private book shops or Vinted website which is mainly for European countries I guess. Sometimes I find a seller in my city in Vinted website so we can meet up directly to avoid the shipping and website fees of using the online site. One of the things that supports my position in selling online is that I am located in the EU, while sellers in the UK will endure more cost due to the importation tax and the currency difference. So a European customer will prefer to buy from me over buying from one located in the UK (that is my opinion). People who bought from me are from France, Netherlands, Germany, ...
@@curatorofthelost I wrote a comment but now I cannot see it for unknown reason ... will write it again, for sourcing, I need to follow websites of big libraries and small book shops here , the first one can lower prices as part of promotion period ... also I use Vinted website, it is similar to eBay but mostly for EU countries I guess. Also, sometimes I import books from Arab countries and sell them in the EU market for Arab speakers or those interested in collecting Arabic version of books.
What a great video! In my particular season of selling - getting my bookselling business up and going and dealing with a few family and health issues - it's a particularly helpful message to hear. Thanks, as always, for your videos and the positive advice!
I agree with you about the sourcing, I follow websites of local libraries , they lowered the price so low for few books ....
I definitely understand the caregiving phase! Selling books (even at hobby level vs. full time) has kept me sane during this season of life. I enjoy it so much!
Hi Shane! My season is re-booting! My husband is recovering from a huge illness and all I have been able to do is help him get better. I am ready to ramp up again. I have a lot of your videos to catch up on because I have been out of it for literally months and months. I need to look back on your vids to see if you liked Amazon or eBay better. Or maybe there is another thing you like better? Well I have a lot of study to do!
I so glad that your husband is doing better and you are looking forward to a new ‘season’! I’m still partial to eBay but of course that’s where I come from. The perks of Amazon (FBA) are higher sales price (in general) and letting them ship. For me the downside on Amazon is I really don’t like their ecosystem for tracking books, sales, etc. I also do not sale collectible books on Amazon. Their aging inventory costs hurts if you deal in obscure, high profit, but long sitters. For eBay- I still enjoy the ecosystem- it is much simpler. Downside is listing and shipping (of course). For me and my volume- if I only had one I would stay on eBay. But I do have success using both. If you are getting back in, I would start on eBay while I build inventory.
A couple weeks ago it was busy season as far as sales go. Now it seems as though we’re stalled in the Dry Season.
Slower sells for me right now too-
Habitat for Humanity near me has fill a plastic bag for $2. Went there last weekend and got a bunch of 1890s to 1940s clock and watch repair manuals and books, and nice 1st of Diamonds of South Africa) big ~10# $200 book.
I get there a few times a month. A few times before that I got 30ish near mint, more obscure "paperbacks from hell". $2 for all and others. Best one sold quick for $70.
Godspeed to your mom, and you.
Thanks Derek! Those are some killer finds too. I think that Habitat is a certified Honey Hole!
@@curatorofthelost Then there's a small "ma pa local assistance" "free if not with donation" store in the general Akron area (dont want to give exact as I may have competition who watch you). They dont get much for books, and disc media is kid centric. However, the few times I have stopped it was bank. A huge lot of 50ish USAF technical training manuals from the '40s and 50s. Gave them $50. Still have a few left.
few days ago I sold a book for about 40 euros while it costed me 15 euros ... I think books are profitable if you know what is in demand. I just started selling in ebay last month.
Along with Shane, I am savvy in books. Here's a few pointers: Non barcode; technical/manuals; religion; sci-fi and horror. After a while what takes you 2 hours to look up and/or scan will take you 30 minutes as "train your eye ....... and for weird.
Several years ago I picked up a sketch book of "racist" cartoons". The book was that of sketches in newspapers and magazines that were printed in the 1800s to early 1900s. Book was printed in 1930s. Sold for $800 (US$) in a few days. Paid $1
@@derekelliott6098 I agree with you, anything to sell well must be rare and its price must be well known as well.
Very cool! Welcome to the bookselling word! I have wondered about selling in Europe- how plentiful is sourcing and pricing ? Also on selling do you get much cross country sells? Ie, French c language books shipping outside of France (seems like a wider market to Belgium, Switzerland, etc).
I plan on being in Belgium soon!
@@curatorofthelost I am still new to this, but I found out that you can get some books in very affordable prices in libraries here (they do this part of promotion thing) but the profitability when I sell this type of books is not too much because these books are available, they are not rare, and their prices are known to people even outside the country, Books that I do find profitable are two types: first ) books issued by the country we live in (Portugal in my case) or second type) books that I import from outside the EU and sell them for EU people, , the first group of books are are a bit expensive and in high demand even here inside the country, while the second group of books can be profitable for the two reasons: first they are not available here and second their price is not known also for people here. For sourcing, I need to follow the websites of local libraries here to find books in promotion or to look up in the internet to find them in other small private book shops or Vinted website which is mainly for European countries I guess. Sometimes I find a seller in my city in Vinted website so we can meet up directly to avoid the shipping and website fees of using the online site. One of the things that supports my position in selling online is that I am located in the EU, while sellers in the UK will endure more cost due to the importation tax and the currency difference. So a European customer will prefer to buy from me over buying from one located in the UK (that is my opinion). People who bought from me are from France, Netherlands, Germany, ...
@@curatorofthelost I wrote a comment but now I cannot see it for unknown reason ... will write it again, for sourcing, I need to follow websites of big libraries and small book shops here , the first one can lower prices as part of promotion period ... also I use Vinted website, it is similar to eBay but mostly for EU countries I guess. Also, sometimes I import books from Arab countries and sell them in the EU market for Arab speakers or those interested in collecting Arabic version of books.