eBay

ubikuitous · ‎06-20-2017

Any other used bookstores experiencing an upsurge? Is there a book revival afoot? What about on-line sales... is the tide turning? Are 'real' books making a comeback?

~ ubi

iart · ‎06-20-2017

We're doing better this time of year than usual. But I think it has lots more to do with eBay tweaking their programs than some drastic change in buyer tastes.

In other words, it all depends on who at eBay pushes what button.

taylor_memorial · ‎06-21-2017

I noticed a major shift in concentration of my sales when Amazon chnaged their pricing matrix for professional sellers.

Not so much the eBay changes, I think. They affect sellers some but no so much the pricing end of it.

I am selling more "real books" now through all venues, but then I can't say as that is because anything has changed except that I dumped the low end stuff when I moved.

dreambooks · ‎06-21-2017

I don't have a used bookstore and I also wonder whether there is an upsurge in bookstore sales, considering Amazon raising their fees and online buyers have to pay $4-$5 for a penny book.

On the Amazon side, I feel a surge in textbook sales.

On Ebay it really depends on how much effort I put into it.

ubikuitous · ‎06-23-2017

One of the areas of uptick that i am most heartened by is the increase in parents buying books for their children.. yes, real books! The impression i get is that parents don't want their children looking at screens/tablets all day. The physical book is an interactive bonding agent between parents and their children...the good old 'bed-tme' story.

The 'classics' are big sellers: Dr. Seuss, Sendak, B. Potter, Anne of Green, Little House... all strong sellers.

taylor_memorial · ‎06-25-2017

Yes, a major uptick in children's work.

As for Amazon's price changes: the penny sellers are still selling below the profit line when it suits their business model--exchanging some cash flow for profit to maintain volume discounts and such.

Remember it costs one of those big mail order houses about 85 cents to ship a one pound book, and less than a buck and a quarter to ship a 2 pound book.

Postage is going to have to increase a great deal before penny books go away.

cumos55 · ‎06-29-2017

Local seller of books... with many stores across the city and across Canada.... has a store at a local mall ..... is selling lots of non-book items, but items of similar character and color, items for everyday and personal use.

Perhaps because....

(1) less books are being published.... maybe ....but not likely

(2) More ebooks published... more ebooks available for sale.... or are people buying less in this format

(3) People are buying less books..... relying more on the internet for readable information

(4) Internet sales..... lots of books available online.....eBay included

One gets the impression that there are less bookstores locally, than 30 and more years ago, and even those stores still selling locally also sell on the internet.

Buyers are learning how to use the reality of the internet.....

and.... many learn not to buy books priced at less than $10... unless they are prepared to throw the book away once read.

ubikuitous · ‎07-15-2017

Hi, there are less new bookstores in Vancouver, just a few hold-outs...

however, the used booksorse are about the same, a few closed, a few new ones have opened, but the real problem is rents and property taxes in Vancouver's soaring real estate market.

outofroom · ‎07-19-2017

I coordinate book sales for my local library -- 10 sales per year with 15,000-22,000 books at each sale. All have been donated by the community-at-large and are not library discards. Around 6 years ago, I had close to 15 buyers who had brick & mortar --- real stores. That number is down now to 3. Most of the re-sellers buying our books are selling on Amazon or other on-line sites, few on eBay. And many of our recreational readers have switched to Nook or Kindle.

While we're still doing well and supplementing the library's shrinking budget, things aren't what they used to be. It's very discouraging.

errege · ‎09-20-2017

Penny Books!?! Not if you read carefully the scant condition description info. provided, and still decide to risk a purchase. It is rare that I buy a "Good" book, as typically they are missing dust jackets and include highlighting, other defacing. Choosing a "Very Good" or "Like New", Non-Ex-Library HC oftentimes produces $4.42-$7.74 price + $3.99 shipping. However, the REAL test for each Buyer is in the slow Global Mail shipping system costing Sellers pennies, but Buyers long sorting & transit times 'til delivery. Then, given that all books (no matter, one or four-combined...) are stuffed bare inside a thin poly mailer---subjected to torturous crushing from boxes, other heavy handling via conveyor belt machinery, throwing-tossing-banging into large sectional bags, then loading and unloading on-off large trailor trucks.... Upon delivery, one is very fortunate should the "package" not be ripped, torn in several locations AND the listed "Very Good or Like New" HC/DJ book(s) not have

heavy damage to spine, cover corners and DJ. Free Shipping is available at specific sites of such high-volume, no-care Sellers.

taylor_memorial · ‎09-21-2017

I buy fairly regularly from the penny sellers.

I expect not to get sellable books BUT

From time to time, I find I get signed books for a penny. A couple times I have gotten a full refund by complaining about "scribbles".

As for shipping--I've received them in all kinds of branded mailers. None has suffered from the trip and handling along the way. A US to US shipment of a penny book arrives within days, although some of the smaller penny sellers will hold a book a couple days until they meet the USPS minimum for bulk mailings.

I don't think I'd shop Amazon at all for collecting purposes, but many do.