Cheap Shipping

[maximum61]

I'm confused....I have a lot of used books to list.  I don't understand how other sellers can sell a book for $3 and offer free shipping.  And there are a ton of similar listings.  Even with media mail rates, I can't turn a profit selling a $3 book.  Can someone explain please?

[heckofagame]

Some people are just really bad at business. They won't be around long. 

[stuff4divas]

@maximum61   they may want to get their selling rate up to a certain level

[chapeau-noir]

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@maximum61 wrote:

I'm confused....I have a lot of used books to list.  I don't understand how other sellers can sell a book for $3 and offer free shipping.  And there are a ton of similar listings.  Even with media mail rates, I can't turn a profit selling a $3 book.  Can someone explain please?

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You may be also looking at the huge booksellers (Thrift books, Better World, etc.) who purchase lots by the thousands. They're so large that they have special commercial rates with the USPS, if my experience serves they also don't combine shipping. It's like the old penny books on Amazon - a book would cost 1 cent and shipping would be $4.50 - if I purchased 4 books, I'd be paying $4.50 x 4 because there would be no combo shipping - that's where they make their money on this super-cheap stock.

Book selling is a tough business here (I used to sell books).

[stuff4divas]

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@chapeau-noir wrote:

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@maximum61 wrote:

I'm confused....I have a lot of used books to list.  I don't understand how other sellers can sell a book for $3 and offer free shipping.  And there are a ton of similar listings.  Even with media mail rates, I can't turn a profit selling a $3 book.  Can someone explain please?

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You may be also looking at the huge booksellers (Thrift books, Better World, etc.) who purchase lots by the thousands. They're so large that they have special commercial rates with the USPS, if my experience serves they also don't combine shipping. It's like the old penny books on Amazon - a book would cost 1 cent and shipping would be $4.50 - if I purchased 4 books, I'd be paying $4.50 x 4 because there would be no combo shipping - that's where they make their money on this super-cheap stock.

Book selling is a tough business here (I used to sell books).

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@chapeau-noir   but the OP said they are selling for $3 with FREE shipping 😮

[dhbookds]

If they get the books free.........they are making something.............

[robbie31415]

Ebay media mail is expensive. Even facebook is less than 3 dollars for first lb. With commercial media mail.

These bulk sellers of cheap books are not buying their labels here I'm pretty sure of that.

[lux.ra_14]

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@robbie31415 wrote:

Ebay media mail is expensive. Even facebook is less than 3 dollars for first lb. With commercial media mail.

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No such thing, as far as I know. MM rates via eBay and other online sites are the same as the counter rates. There is no lower "commercial" rate available to Facebook users.

[bossesale77]

Just like the racks that sit outside most used book stores the bargain books get you in the door/looking at the sellers other items, the hope is once you're there you buy more books/items.

[coolections]

To get more feedback, to hide negative feedback, to up their poor performance matrix with Ebay, to make 10 cents on each book. To get rid of stale inventory. They have no clue on the cost to sell one.

[lux.ra_14]

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@coolections wrote:

To get more feedback, to hide negative feedback, to up their poor performance matrix with Ebay, to make 10 cents on each book. To get rid of stale inventory.

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None of the above. OP is obviously talking about the mega-booklisters with millions of listings and deep shipping discounts not available to other sellers. They sell cheap books and make their money on volume. It's their business model. 

[tobaccocardyahoo]

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@chapeau-noir wrote:

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It's like the old penny books on Amazon - a book would cost 1 cent and shipping would be $4.50 - if I purchased 4 books, I'd be paying $4.50 x 4 because there would be no combo shipping - that's where they make their money on this super-cheap stock.

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It was a penny plus $3.99.  Amazon sellers in those days did not have the ability to change the shipping charge.

And those sellers as well as having bulk mail permits, had workers with enough idle time to process the orders. Devil makes work for idle hands so keeping them busy was viewed as worth money.

Every time USPS raised rates, one or more megasellers went into Chapter 7.

And the costs of disposal were an incentive to move worthless books.

[1786davycrockett]

@maximum61 

Several of the mondo-huge used booksellers have purchased much of their inventory from auction lots of unsorted, miscellaneous "markdown" books which had originally been shipped to the major new book retailers across the United States.  

These auction lots consist of plastic-wrapped skids of boxes, about 48" X 40" X 60", and all the boxes are unmarked, so the contents are not seen, until the winner of the auction actually opens the boxes themselves.  Many of these books, thus, have only cost the auction winners pennies per book.

While there are only minimal profits to be made by selling a single book, the profits are cumulative, since these mondo-sellers are constantly busy, shipping out inventory.

In today's used book market, it is wiser to attempt to sell books from before 1990, rather than anything more recent than that.

Hope that helps out.

[inhawaii]

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@heckofagame wrote:

Some people are just really bad at business. They won't be around long. 

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Of all the theories out there, I think yours is spot on.

[robbie31415]

Incorrect.

https://pe.usps.com/text/dmm300/273.htm

I sell lots of media mail on Facebook, and you have no clue what you are talking about.