The mentality of booksellers can get a little warped. Because the vast majority of booksellers are now online booksellers, they base their prices on what current market value of book is. I say this is “warped” because there isn’t recognition of what it is that consumer wants. Competition drives prices way below what customers are willing to pay, and as a result, booksellers end up selling books at prices that, to the consumer, are huge bargains.

Now we could talk all day about market forces and the definition of “value”, but the bottom line is that this devalueing of books means that the majority of online sellers will not want to consider buying those books for resale.
But after whole “blame game” there are books that generally stay away from. They are:

• Most mass market paperbacks/pocket books (you might do ok if you get them really cheap at a bag sale)
• Encyclopedias
• Most American English dictionaries (Webster’s et al)
• Condensed/Readers Digests
• Most recent fiction – trade hardcovers
• Most paperback children’s books
• Textbooks more than 3-4 yrs old
• Vast majority of books published from 1940’s-1980’s (even the 90’s to some degree)

That being said, there are always exceptions to the rule. Within the mass quantities of books I just warned you off of, there are hidden gems that you can make money on. Among older books for instance, you can always find your Steinbecks and Hemmingways that you’ll definitely be able to sell.

If you’ve got a little bit of knowledge and keen eye, you can always make money.

Of course you can always specialize in something, modern first editions for example, but if you are like most online sellers starting out, you’re probably selling different kinds of books that have ISBNs (post 1970’s). If that’s you, I would recommend you stick to the guidelines above until your develop an eye for diamonds in the rough.

Once you have a little experience under your belt though, don’t be afraid to start branching out.

I have sold 1st prinitings of Clive Cussler books, books listed on Amazon for a penny, for $10-25.

I’ve alseo Sold 1st printings of Steven King books, Christine, Carrie, etc., in for around the same price range of $15-25.

Just be aware that with a little experience, you can make money in segments others might avoid.

I get reminded about that fact from time to time, especially when I read an article like the one that recently ran in Wisconsin in the Superior Telegram. In the article, Janet Jennings reports that the local Friends of the Library group has donated a walker with a book basket attached to the library. The walker will help “those that need some assistance with fetching their own books, but have difficulty holding them.”

Library sales support libraries. A cynical way of looking at libraries is that they are giving away for free the very thing we sell to make our living. But in reality, there’s no shortage of demand for reading material. Libraries haven’t threatened the book selling business in the centuries they’ve been around, and they aren’t likely to start any time soon.

There will always be those who prefer owning books to borrowing them, and vice versa. Libraries are valuable community institutions, providing free access to knowledge, literature and entertainment to people of all ages and backgrounds.

Despite any controversy over the increase in booksellers and scanners at library sales, despite the fact that, let’s face it, you’re there to make a profit, despite all that, buying at library sales is not just good business, it’s good for the community too.

Even if your local FOL society isn’t going so far as to provide walkers, it is a good feeling to remember that something you do, just as part of your normal routine as a bookseller, is helping support an important institution of our society, and in some small way, helping to make the world a better place.

You can read the whole Telegram article here.

Finding books, to a certain degree, is about who you know. Just about everyone you know is a potential source of books.
I have known neighbors, past co-workers, teachers, relatives, people from all walks of life who have turned out to be unexpectedly good sources of books. You might know someone looking to pare down their collection, someone who’s job gives them access to used books, or someone who’s inherited books they don’t know what to do with. Use your existing network, talk to the people in your life, and you just might be surprised where you find books.

I once met some people at the Penske truck rental counter. I didn’t know them, they didn’t know me, but we got to talking and I ended up finding out that they had some books they wanted to get rid of. As it turned out, they didn’t have a lot of books, but the books the did have were valuable.

If you take the time to talk to people, you can find and get to know the people who have the books, and find the books that the people you already know have. This can be a valuable thing indeed.

A great resource for finding library sales in your area is booksalefinder.com. You can select your region and see all the upcoming book sales near you.

The site provides a valuable service which is free both to those listing sales and those looking for sales. I remember going on the site back in 2000, when there were relatively few ads posted on the site. Those days are long gone; it’s now full of ads. Don’t let that put you off though, because advertising is how the site remains a free service. Also, some of the advertising points you to some of the resources that are available to help you as a bookseller.

There’s a lot of good info on the site, but of course, despite it being free, not every sale will be posted on the booksalefinder. The only really foolproof way to find out about library sales is to just go down to your local library and ask. They will be more than happy to tell you about any upcoming sales.

To understand scanners, you first have to understand lookup services. There are a number of services out there, ScoutPal, ASellerTool, MediaScouter, etc. who (for a fee of course) give you access to the current listing price of books. Amazon lookup is pretty much the standard, but some are starting to expand into other marketplaces as well. In addition, some companies that offer Inventory Sales Management throw in lookup service for free.

No matter who’s providing it, lookup services work in one of two ways: they either let you request and receive prices in real time, or they provide a download of all the latest prices at once. Of the two, the download variety is the more efficient, letting you look up more prices in a shorter amount of time, especially if you are using a scanner.

A scanner is basically a barcode scanning device attached to a handheld computer of some kind, usually a cell phone, smart phone or PDA. It cross-references the book’s barcode against the lookup service’s data and displays the price of the book. Say you are a brand new bookseller and you walk into a thrift store that is selling used harlequin romance novels. Even if you’re completely unfamiliar with the books, you can pull out your scanner, scan the barcode and instantly know what price you can get for each book.

Scanners have become quite controversial lately. They have become something a necessity for new booksellers, or booksellers who haven’t developed an eye for what books they will be able to sell for a profit. There’s nothing wrong with this, in and of itself. The problem comes when enthusiastic sellers, armed with scanners show up to library sales or other events, grab books by the armload or suitcase-full take them off to a corner and scan them all, leaving their discards all over the place. Unfortunately this has become all too common, and there has been a recent backlash against scanners, with some library sales considering strong restrictions on scanners or banning them altogether.

I am fairly neutral on the issue. As far as I am concerned scanners are a tool which can be used in a responsible way just as easily as it can be used in a disruptive and inconsiderate way.

I myself have used scanners in the past. I used ScoutPal and BookHero, mostly because they were some of the first services on the scene. I’ve used a couple since then too. I don’t use scanners at all any more, however. I find that there’s really just no benefit in it for me. I have been in the game long enough to have developed a tool faster and more powerful than any scanner: my eyes. I can look at a book and have a good idea of whether I’ll be able to make money on it, and how much.

To scan or not to scan, that is the question. If you’re new to the business of selling used books, by all means, go ahead and use a scanner (and I would recommend using a download service). It may be a great help to you. But if you’re serious about making this a career, I cannot stress how important it is to invest the time and energy into developing your knowledge of books and cultivating the ability to recognize their value.

Estate Sales
This is where you will find a lot of the old school Book Scouts practicing their craft. Estate sales are not about “scannable” books. Here you’re looking for real quality, rarer books, older books. Estate sales have become very competitive. There will be expert book buyers with years of experience and keen eyes, as well as not-so-experts playing the numbers game buying up just about anything. Do not be afraid to make a mistake. Even if you end up buying books you can’t get much money for, books that perhaps aren’t as valuable as you might have thought, it isn’t a really a loss. What you’ve actually done is spent a little money to learn a valuable lesson that will benefit you over the long term. Keep in mind that you aren’t only a book buyer, but also student, investing in your own experience and knowledge.

EBay
There are good opportunities on EBay, especially if you specialize in collectable books. You can find people who sell used books by the lot. In fact, I’m one of them. I sell wholesale on eBay all the time. It’s a win-win situation. I get to move inventory without having to find individual customers, and you get a good price on books you can turn around and sell yourself.

Yard Sales
Yard sales are a still a largely untapped resource, and for a good reason: it’s hard. Just finding the ones that actually have books can present something of a challenge. I suggest that if you spend time going to yard sales, do what I do. When I go to yard sales I’m not just there to buy books, I’m also buying ham radio equipment, old electronics, old documents and papers, etc. If there’s anything you have a little expertise in, invest in that too. If you don’t know much about other collectibles, find something that interests you and spend a little time and learn about it. It will make going to yard sales worth your while.

Classified Ads
I can’t speak from experience about using newspaper ads. However, there is a colleague of mine who often goes to different shows in different cities. Before he goes he always takes out an ad in the paper in his destination city saying what days he will be in town. He’s actually done very well over the years using this method.

CraigsList
The main challenge in buying books on Craigslist is that it can be difficult to sort through all the clutter. From time to time you will find that family or household which is really just trying to get rid of a bunch of books they have had sitting around for years. The catch is that you will usually it in the garage sale category rather than the book category. The book listings will generally be booksellers just like you. When you do find that quality listing, you have got to be fast. If you don’t get there in the first couple hours, it will probably be gone.

These are your best bets for steadily increasing and replenishing your inventory. If you’re serious about selling books, you’ll probably need to use some combination of most or all of them. If it all sounds like hard work, that’s because it is. Selling used books is not for everyone. It is increasingly competitive and requires a serious commitment of both time and effort. But if you are willing to put in the work, these resources can be incredibly valuable and put you well on your way to success as a bookseller.

Libraries
Buying books from libraries is harder today than it was in times past. For the most part, buying books from libraries means going to Friends of Library sales. These days, a lot of the “volunteers” who staff these sales will actually be booksellers like yourself. By joining and volunteering they get first crack at buying books that have the best resale potential. Despite all that, it’s still a resource that’s worth your time.

Bookstores
Selling books requires a certain amount of savvy. It might be tempting to look at your local bookstores as competition. However, it’s much wiser to look at them as an opportunity. For example, you gain experience, you will begin to get a sense of what types of books they are looking for. You will discover that you can take books you bought for next to nothing and sell them for store credit. You can then turn around and use that credit to buy quality books at “full price” and improve your inventory at a lower cost. Keep in mind, however, that many bookstores are regular stops for book scouts, and that a growing number of bookstores are becoming online booksellers themselves.

Remainders
Publishers often end up with more copies of books than they can sell through normal channels. These are called remainders. First of all, be aware that while remainder dealers may present themselves as “wholesalers”, they are generally also retailers. They sort through and take a higher value items to sell themselves, leaving the only the lower margin product available at the “wholesale” level. If you are lucky enough to have one of these in your local area, you may be able to get first crack at buying books that they haven’t already cherry-picked for themselves. Whatever is left over after both of these stages are what they offer online as wholesalers. This doesn’t mean it’s impossible to find quality books this way, it just means it’s more challenging. For more information, check out www.cirobe.com.

Thrift Stores
Thrift stores are still a great source for books. Every time I go there I find gems. You just need to understand that in most communities, you won’t be the only one utilizing them. There will likely be “scanners” who routinely make the thrift store rounds. The key is to get to know the people who work there, to develop a relationship with them. Get to know the store and you’ll begin to get a feel for when they are likely to put out fresh books. Once again, it’s all about putting in the work.

These are just some of the best sources for finding books to sell. In Part 2 I’ll go over estate sales, Ebay, yard sales, newspaper ads and Craigslist.