Selling books

One thing is that there are special (cheaper) shipping rates for books. (I remember this from when I worked at a used bookstore but don't currently remember further details.)

A famous chain sells them for half cover price.

I've sold books on both Amazon and Ebay. It's a lot of work for the money. I think Amazon is a little easier, but you can make more on Ebay. If you sell on Ebay you are best off selling books as a lot. Try and get a few of one author (a large group of Stephen King, Charles Dickens etc), a particular topic (all modern art , gardening or 1950's cookbooks) or genre of interest (a bunch of Scottish romances, mysteries set in medieval times etc). With Amazon you are basically picking a price and waiting for someone to want the book at that price, you do make a little on shipping. With Ebay you are looking for people that are looking for specific topics as much as specific books.

I suggest you do searches on both sites and see what the prices are for what you want to sell. A rare item can be very worth your time, an old bestselling paperback might be best off being donated to a library fair.

Selling books
I just basically want to make space for the next purchase, and whatever price I can get will be just that much of a reduction on my book expenditures. If a book cost me $25 and I can get even $10, well, my wallet will be less thin by that amount.

Do you not have any used book stores in your area? You could unload them all at a negotiated price without the work involved on ebay or amazon.com. Unless, of course, you've already thought of that and decided just to see what the internet has to offer. In that case...never mind.

Amazon has a page of information for potential sellers:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/seller/sell-your-stuff.html/104-3638316-7567148?ie=UTF8&ref=ya%5Fhp%5Faz%5F2

I understand that the post office will pick up packages--even media rate packages for Amazon and E Bay sellers.

If you check Amazon you could see what other people are charging for the books you want to sell. I frequently buy second hand from Amazon, but nearly always from the cheapest vendor.

Good luck.

Selling books
Noddy - your info about the Post Office picking up Amazon stuff is wonderful! Because of Bob's overwhelming fear that something bad will happen to me if I go out alone, I haven't been able to figure out how to be able to count on getting to the P.O. within the allotted time. I'll have to investigate this. There may be some kind of label that Amazon would provide for downloading or something.

I know that Amazon returns are picked up by the P.O. and the cost is billed by Amazon to my credit card.

Tomkitten--

I was in the post office one day behind a man with 20-odd packages he was mailing off for his e-Bay business. I didn't listen closely but the postmaster was explaining that next time he wouldn't have to come in....

This page might help:

http://www.usps.com/welcome.htm

Selling books
Thanks, Noddy. I've just tried both of your suggested links, and now all I can do is sit back and wait for responses. It would be so great to just hand the package to the mailman; obviously, if I can't get to the public library, which I can't, I can't get to the Post Office, either.

Actually, I did do some bookselling via an eBay subsidiary, but that was when I could get out fairly regularly. If I can do this without having to leave home, I'll just lay in a supply of padded mailers some day when I can get out, and I'll be all set.

eoe - there are several used book places around the area, but they're out of the question for me, since I can't leave my husband.

Tomkitten--

I can't provide any links, but I understand that there are several Bricks&Mortar stores that will sell your stuff on e-Bay for a percentage of the profit.

Perhaps you could Google for your location?

Selling books
Thanks, Noddy; I'd forgotten about that approach.

Tomkitten--

You might also check out to see whether any of the agencies set up to help the elderly have a list of reliable gophers on file: people who would run errands on a regular basis for a set fee.