Selling second hand books as a business?

[adam3145]

I want to set up a business that sells secondhand books, originally through Ebay and Amazon etc. Can you please share with me advice that you would have in terms of avoiding pitfalls and sourcing? This will be my first venture into the area so any recommendations will be well appreciated.

Best Adam

 

[The Byre]

Yes, work in the trade first!

 

[AllUpHere]

With businesses like that you win or lose when you buy, not when you sell. Buy at the right price and you'll make money, pay over the top and you'll always struggle.

 

[Paul Norman]

I suspect that there is an established provision of second hand books on Amazon, in particular. They will sell, albeit at a relatively modest price.

But you will need to secure a decent source of second hand books, for an even more modest price.

 

[Gecko001]

Start small and feel your way into the business. No one will tell you their secrets on how they make a profit in a certain business. It is up to you to find out yourself. Have you taken stalls at car boot sales and collector fairs? If you have not that might ease you into the business and give you are idea of what sells and what does not sell.

I know that about 15 years ago on Ebay, there was quite a healthy trade in second hand books, but now it would appear that only a tiny proportion of books listed there ever get sold. Amazon seems to be the place where books are sold now.

If you have not used ebay or amazon then I suggest you start and just discover as you go along. Sell your unwanted books you have at the minute before you go out to buy stock to sell.

Unless you are selling only collector books P&P costs of books generally make buying books at a distance to sell online unprofitable and you will have to buy and collect the job lots at auctions and library clearances in person as far as I can see.

 

[Ashley_Price]

You really need to search this because, as well as Amazon and eBay, there are websites like AbeBooks that allow sellers to sell 2nd hand ("used" books). Then there are also some charities, like Oxfam, which now have online shops for new and 2nd hand books.

You are going to need to have quite a stock if you plan to make any money from it.

 

[sarky]

Amazon is very easy to get going with. Once set up, you list your books (you can scan the barcodes using the Amazon app then copy and paste into your listing) and then wait. Amazon offers you £2.80 minimum for postage - hence people can sell paperbacks for 1p.

Ebay would be too fiddly in my opinion. Doing your own photos, keep re-listing auctions or whatever, etc.

Best of luck with your idea.

 

[webgeek]

Work in a used book store and see what has the turnover. Once you understand the dynamic of who is looking to buy what, then you'll be prepared to acquire the stock the can make profit.

I've seen people buying boxes of books at 10p each. Others buying single hardback rarities for hundreds of Pounds each.

Half the battle is knowing what to buy. Half the battle is knowing how much to charge. Half the battle is getting people with the money to find your stuff. (Yes, I know there's 3 halves - wish I could remember who I stole that humour from).

 

[adam3145]

Many thanks for the replies so far. From what Ive gathered I think scale, cheap purchases, Low rent and seriously efficient process are the only things that keep you half alive in this business. I just found 1719 U.K. second professional book sellers through Abe books alone. Looks like buying in bulk also necessitates being able to monetize the stuff that's fit for landfill. Mass purchases and listings are the only things I can see that make sense economically.

I am also concerned that the whole second-hand selling of books is a zero sum game and the actual profits (made by the established players) are from their own website sales where markups would be high? does anyone have any input on this?

P.S. Not setting up a physical shop. Online only.

 

[webgeek]

Selling books online without a shop? That's like selling wallpaper or carpet online. Sure it can be done, but some stuff people want to lay their hands (and feet) on.

 

[DontAsk]

There are 2nd hand books and there are 2nd hand books.

Which end of the market? Pile 'em high at 1p apiece on Amazon or genuinely rare, signed, first editions?

 

[adam3145]

Thanks, It's the pile them high type business I am interested in

 

[billmccallum1957]

we sell used books for 25p, everything from Lee Childs latest hardback (after I read it first) to educational tomes that cost the earth when new. We still have to throw away 50kg of books every week.

 

[Ashley_Price]

You could end up with hundreds of copies of Dan Brown's "The Da Vinci Code", like Oxfam:

 

[adam3145]

Now that would be annoying! Actually seeing paper go to waste would too. Anyone know where I can start out sourcing books from?

 

[ethical PR]

we sell used books for 25p, everything from Lee Childs latest hardback (after I read it first) to educational tomes that cost the earth when new. We still have to throw away 50kg of books every week.

Can't you give them away to charity shops?

 

[Nochexman]

Anyone know where I can start out sourcing books from?

Why not go to the publisher directly?

 

[adam3145]

Why not go to the publisher directly?

I'd prefer to sell second hand books as new ones come under pressure from amazon online.

 

[Nochexman]

I was thinking remainder books rather than new ones.

 

[adam3145]

I was thinking remainder books rather than new ones.

Thanks and yeah that's something I must look into more

 

[adam3145]

Can anyone recommend any reading (or even more advice) I could learn about the industry?

 

[Mr D]

Isn't there a trade body for booksellers? And some sort of magazine?

 

[billmccallum1957]

Can't you give them away to charity shops?

Most wont take older paperbacks (not in Teesside).

 

[deanpunchard]

Why not go to the publisher directly?

A lot of charities have agreements with publishers for surplus stock, so you may struggle to hit a deal.

 

[billmccallum1957]

I want to set up a business that sells secondhand books, originally through Ebay and Amazon etc. Can you please share with me advice that you would have in terms of avoiding pitfalls and sourcing? This will be my first venture into the area so any recommendations will be well appreciated.

Best Adam

Adam

You need to more specific, second hand books is a huge area, with lots of specialist subjects, just any second hand book means you get lots of cr*p alongside some decent stuff, with an occasional gem.

If buying in bulk, you wont have the opportunity to pick which titles you want, you take the job lot or nothing. If you try to buy specific titles, you wont get enough stock at the right price to make it worthwhile.

Charity shops get most of their stock free, so that's your best source of good stock at decent prices.

Ebay job lots can be interesting http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_sacat=0&_nkw=books+joblot&_sop=16

 

[adam3145]

Thanks for your reply Bill, the area I was looking at was to buy in mass bulk and job lots. Its a very low margin area of book sales but one of the things I am worried about is that the system is closed to the bigger players who have made long term deals with charity stores etc. I had a previous business where the retailers were tied in to contracts with suppliers and the field was too small to compete with a monopoly

 

[adam3145]

A lot of charities have agreements with publishers for surplus stock, so you may struggle to hit a deal.

This is something I am trying to find out more about, I see that a lot of the bigger players have long term contracts with charity shops which makes things difficult for new business

 

[adam3145]

Adam

You need to more specific, second hand books is a huge area, with lots of specialist subjects, just any second hand book means you get lots of cr*p alongside some decent stuff, with an occasional gem.

If buying in bulk, you wont have the opportunity to pick which titles you want, you take the job lot or nothing. If you try to buy specific titles, you wont get enough stock at the right price to make it worthwhile.

Charity shops get most of their stock free, so that's your best source of good stock at decent prices.

Have you had any luck with buying from ebay in bulk? Looks interesting but what I am wondering about is how to know that a lot of it is not all rubbish from large sellers who cant offload them?

 

[Nochexman]

Can you be more specific about what you have in mind?

 

[billmccallum1957]

Have you had any luck with buying from ebay in bulk? Looks interesting but what I am wondering about is how to know that a lot of it is not all rubbish from large sellers who cant offload them?

I don't buy books in job lots, we get them donated (by the box load some days, which is why we can sell at 25p each), but if I was selling books as my main line, I would go for this...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3-PALLETS...681840?hash=item1e883c72f0:g:htYAAMXQNiRRm8vW

If they are as good as they describe, its a great deal, even if you only get £1 each for the best ones.

 

[billmccallum1957]

I would point out that we are a sort of charity shop, although we are a private company, we give 20% of profits to our local hospital charity, which is why people donate to us (authorised by the charity, obviously). You can find us here https://www.facebook.com/groups/348315601985477/

It would be hard to compare our business model with yours, but the key focus should be on your customers, what they want and what price point they are prepared to pay for what you have to offer.

 

[adam3145]

I don't buy books in job lots, we get them donated (by the box load some days, which is why we can sell at 25p each), but if I was selling books as my main line, I would go for this...

If they are as good as they describe, its a great deal, even if you only get £1 each for the best ones.

That's funny as I actually sent them an email earlier on to find out more. Would be interesting to hear why these are getting sold on

 

[adam3145]

A great charity also as I know how how much pressure the NHS is under these days!