Source for eBay and Amazon Inventory - Your Local Library Branch

Did you know that some library branches sell books all year long and not just for the regularly scheduled library sales? Many library systems have books for sale all the time as an ongoing fundraiser for the FOL (Friends of the Library). These can be ex-library books as well as donations made by patrons. Many of the books are like new and have never been on the library shelf as patrons like to support the FOL and make regular donations of gently used media items. The library system where I live sells used books for 25 cents and magazines for 10 cents. (The sign above is from one branch I visit.) I've noticed that donated books sold at the library are often in better condition than in thrift stores - maybe because there is less handling by fewer people? Libraries also might sell other media such as DVDs, CDs, audiobooks, and VHS tapes. Here are a few books I've sold this month that were sourced for 25 cents at a library near me:

Vegan Cooking for Carnivores sold for $16.99 on Amazon.

 

The Primal Blueprint sold for $12.50.

You can also find gently used magazines for sale. You may not be aware that current (within 12 mos) magazines sell for a nice price on eBay. Magazines don't have to be vintage to have resale value. What is important here is the celebrity on the cover. If a celebrity is popular or in the news, the magazine will be more valuable. Here are some recent eBay sales to demonstrate:

Men's Health March 2013 - Adam Levine on Cover, sold for $9.95

Ladies Home Journal March 2013 - Mariska Hargitay on Cover, sold for $9.99

GQ February 2013- Beyonce on cover, sold for $19.99.

Now you won't make any money if you buy these off newstands and try to resell. But you can make money if you get these mags cheap at libraries, garage sales, or thrift stores, or free from other sources. You can also ask others who have magazine subscriptions to save these for you instead of tossing them in the recycling bin. (I've already recruited my chiropractor and naturopath to save theirs!) The key to making money on anything you resell is what you pay for it. You make your money when you buy, not when you sell. And you can't beat free inventory if you are willing to seek it out! If you aren't sure to research how much something sells for on eBay, check out this video on how to look up values on both a computer and the eBay Mobile App. You can easily figure this out while browsing garage sales, thrift stores, or media for sale at the library.

Also keep in mind that magazines cannot be shipped USPS Media Mail because they contain advertising. The most cost effective way to ship is in a USPS Flat Rate mailer. Also, make sure you are offering books and media internationally. Not sure how to ship an eBay item to worldwide customers? Check out my eBay International Shipping Tutorial.

If you have not started selling media on Amazon, it is a fairly easy process. Media, especially books, are consistent sellers, easy to find, cheap, and easy to pack and ship. Check the resources below to get started today!

Related Articles:

Amazon 90 Day Experiment

How to Sell a Book on Amazon

Read More

How to Use eBay for Amazon Inventory

Here is a cool trick for using eBay to obtain inventory to sell on Amazon, especially books. If you are looking to get into the book business selling used or new books on Amazon, you can do this at home, at your convenience, without a special book scanner.

If you aren't selling books already, you will need to poke around on Amazon and look for books that are selling for $20-$30. (Click here for the types of books and categories to look in.)

If you are already selling books on Amazon, pay attention to your sales reports. When you sell a book for a high price on Amazon, go look for it on eBay and see if you can buy it at a low enough price to resell it on Amazon for a decent profit. For example, I recently sold the book, "Disney's Aladdin - The Making of an Animated Film." Here is a screen shot of the Amazon sale:



My profit on this item was $23.44 after my cost and Amazon fees. I consider that a high profit book sale. Next, I checked on eBay for this book, and found the following listing:



This book on eBay would cost me a total of $6.34. So, I can buy this book on eBay, receive it in the mail, and list it on Amazon for $32.97 (the same as my other sale). When it sells, I will make a profit of $20.34:

Cost to buy on eBay = $6.34
Amazon fees after sale = $6.29
Total investment = $12.63

Amazon sale price = $32.97 - $12.63 = $20.34

The moral of this story: Pay attention to your sales and scope out eBay for the product. Many sellers don't know how to price books and don't know their value. You can snag some high profit books very easily and resell them without ever leaving your house!

Read More

Used Book to Sell on eBay - Bar Review Books

Amy sent in this tip:

"Here's an item to look out for in thrift stores. Bar Review books. They caught my eye because I was a paralegal for many years before becoming a stay at home mom. These are hard to find because they're so expensive and are re-sold to other law students rather than being donated. At the same time, I got 1 bar review book specifically for Tennessee. These are definitely something to look out for. They're very thick, so they easily stand out. Just make sure they're fairly current. These were 2008-2009."

Amy's listing:



Amy's price - $7 for both books
eBay selling price - $56.03
Profit before fees - $49.03

Very nice job, and thanks for the tip! Books can definitely be lucrative if you know what to look for. There are eBay sellers who specialize in books, and really know their stuff. But if you can look for a few specific items and actually find them, you can do well.

Related articles:

How to Find Free Books to Sell on eBay

How to Sell Used Books Online

Sell Books on Amazon - 5 Minute Tutorial

Keep those success stories coming!

Happy Selling,

Read More