selling old books

Where can I sell my old books?

So you cleaned out your attic and found a lot of books. Some of these are large format Art books and some are paperbacks. Some books look valuable others seem worthless. Some are college textbooks and some are from high school. How do I get rid of these and how much money can I get? Who do I ask how much this book is worth and has anyone sold a book like this recently. Where can I go to sell them and how do I prevent myself from selling the books too cheaply. What are my different options and which ones are the best choices? Often in life we find ourselves with a collection of items that we don’t know what to do with, this article examines selling my old books.

Using Ebay to sell books.

EBay is one of the largest ecommerce sites in the world and is a popular site for selling books. Here are a few reasons for its success. First eBay caters to an international market. This worldwide market enables sellers to extend their reach beyond local stores. Second, eBay’s fee for selling books is low and often there is no charge for listing books. EBay also allows you to include images of the books, thereby enabling the buyer to get a clearer idea of the true condition of the book as well as seeing the contents. An informed buyer is more likely to make the purchase after seeing that the books contains the content that they are interested in.

Selling books using Internet antique book stores

Often a book that you find in your shelves is old and looks valuable, but how valuable? Over the last few years antique book stores that had been local are now on the internet. Most of these antique book stores sites contain a search index enabling you to check on the actual value of a book without having to go to the location. Since this information is from an experienced book seller/buyer you can assume that the prices they list are accurate and reflect the real value of the book. Some of these stores are: Abe books, Alibris, and Arundel books. If your book isn’t on their list and is old, they might actually be interested in doing a little research for you.

Selling books at local specialty book stores

If you are not a big fan of using the internet or don’t have a fast connection, you might want to examine some of the used book stores in your area. In Los Angeles for example, when I had to sell my books I found that there were six stores that sold used books. The advantage in using local stores is that you can put all the books in your car and drive to each store allowing the buyers to look through the books and select the ones they are interested in. The disadvantage is that you will usually be given a lower value for the books, and they will cherry pick the best ones. The advantage is that you will most likely get paid cash right on the spot.

Using Craig’s list to sell old books.

Craig’s list is one of the largest and most popular American sites for selling goods and services. You will need a phone to register and then you can list the books in the used items section. The advantage is that you will likely be listed with the local population. This make selling easier in the sense that the buyer can just come over to your location, look at the books and buy them. The disadvantage is that you might have to deal with people just looking and not buying, taking up your valuable time. The other disadvantage is that you will have to deal with people face to face in your environment. So if you are worried about your safety this probably will make you very nervous.

Selling old books at yard sales and flea markets.

If you have a lot of books and if they are not likely to be valuable, you might just want to consider selling them in your local neighborhood. It’s free and easy, and all you have to do is post signs around your neighborhood, and locals will come buy and shop at your yard sale. The disadvantage is that you will have to sit outside and wait for the shoppers to come to you.  On the other hand, if you live in an area with some flea markets or local antique shows you might rent a booth for a day. The advantage is that they will supply the buyers and you don’t have to use the internet or ship anything. The disadvantage is that you will most likely have to pay for the booth at the start of the day and the fees can be anywhere from $40 to 75 dollars just to get started.