eBay

keziak · ‎04-25-2020

I sell books and have recently been looking on Facebook for books to flip. I am astounded by the prices there. Almost everything is way overpriced if you use ebay closed listings as any guide. Maybe that's not a great guide. But I think it tells you something.

Many people are trying to recoup what they paid for expensive professional exam books (or homeschool). The people I've approached have said they are asking for less than new as if that had anything to do with the resale market. One informed me that the local bookstore offered more than I did. Um, the store that is closed and not buying anything? Maybe they can just hang onto the books until the store reopens but I guarantee you that place pays pennies on the dollar. I'm offering more than I really should to try to get inventory.

vintage-car-magazines · ‎04-27-2020

@keziak wrote:
I've now had 2 people offer to meet me mid-way to sell the books. That impresses me. I've had to ask a number of people if they will ship them to me at my expense.

Did you meet them and buy the books?

keziak · ‎04-27-2020

@vintage-car-magazines wrote:
@keziak wrote:
I've now had 2 people offer to meet me mid-way to sell the books. That impresses me. I've had to ask a number of people if they will ship them to me at my expense.
Did you meet them and buy the books?

I met one lady at the supermarket. She said she was happy to get out of the house. Also, I bought a plant. So win-win all around.

Another lady was willing to meet me halfway between DC and my town. We established a location. But when we got down to negotiating the price of the books we were too far apart. More professional books that cost a lot to buy but haven't held most of the value on the used book market. And of course I couldn't buy at these prices either or I would have no profit. A shame because she was super nice and needs to sell the books before moving. She followed with a lower price but it still was far more than what I felt I could pay for them. It wasn't easy to identify the titles and editions from the photo though I guess I could have asked for more pics. I didn't want to string her along at that point.

I got nibbles on two lots I put on FB Marketplace. No follow-through so far though. And the books I did "sell" have not been picked up though they paid me via PayPal. ???? Guess I need to ask if they changed their mind because I did get one more person interested in them.

ozarkjoe · ‎04-27-2020

Goodwills near me scan their books and send the best off to be sold at ShopGoodWill.com and leave me their scraps. It is not worth going in their store unless I am already in the vicinity or need some other item from them.

femmefan1946 · ‎04-28-2020

We helped a neighbour clear her father's hoarder house of collectible.s He was alive but institutionalized.

Among other collections he had a trash bag filled with "cats eye" road reflectors.

DH bought the stamps collection and we found a buyer for the postcards, which gave her $10,000 and the postcard guy a decent opportunity for profit. And we took the 17th and 18th century maps to a specialist down-island.

I was dragged over to see the books. The hoarder had kept them clean and shelved. There was a good selection, perhaps 100 titles of Canadiana and Arctica (I am in Canada), but the other thousand or so were old textbooks, popular novels from the 50s, and inevitabley National Geographics ranging back to the 1930s.

We did find her a book dealer who paid $100 and took all of them. I strongly suspect his first stop was the dump.

femmefan1946 · ‎04-28-2020

@moondogblues

There are some Goodwills in Canada and a lot more Value Village whose mission is twofold, to make money for Juvenile Diabetes research and to train the unemployed/unemployable for the workforce. They have some interesting workers, for sure.

VV used the percentage of face value system of pricing, which is good if you are looking for reading material but hopeless for resellers. On the other hand, when I needed sheers for my windows and curtains for a rental property, their prices and selection were good, and I often find kitchen stuff there, like a wok that retails for $50 priced at $12.

I find Saint Vincent de Paul much better , both for organizing and pricing, but lately the two most useful ones moved their shops -- to the suburbs. Since I don't drive this is awkward, but the poster who explained why helped me get over my annoyance.

When we can shop again, I will persuade DH to drive me to their new locations.

ainpie-10 · ‎04-28-2020

You mean they are trying to make money off their own book rather then sell it to you to mark it up and make even more? How dare they!!!

upgradedendmills · ‎04-28-2020

The lack of organization at Salvation Army store has always been to my advantage. I don't mind sorting and sifting and most reasonable sellers do. I have also met three or four dealers there that call me when they have made a mistake or get overloaded. Yesterday and today I have been buying way underpriced lots of old farm manuals and reached out to all the sellers to see if they had similar unlisted items. One of them is doing his Grandpa's estate and going to MN next week to finish up. I am fairly certain we will be able to do more business.

That thought process is what I was trying to show the OP for future reference. I have developed a great supplier base over the years for books and tools by doing this.

chapeau-noir · ‎04-28-2020

@femmefan1946 wrote:
We helped a neighbour clear her father's hoarder house of collectible.s He was alive but institutionalized.
Among other collections he had a trash bag filled with "cats eye" road reflectors.

DH bought the stamps collection and we found a buyer for the postcards, which gave her $10,000 and the postcard guy a decent opportunity for profit. And we took the 17th and 18th century maps to a specialist down-island.

I was dragged over to see the books. The hoarder had kept them clean and shelved. There was a good selection, perhaps 100 titles of Canadiana and Arctica (I am in Canada), but the other thousand or so were old textbooks, popular novels from the 50s, and inevitabley National Geographics ranging back to the 1930s.
We did find her a book dealer who paid $100 and took all of them. I strongly suspect his first stop was the dump.

These breed in closets and attics in the dead of night.

“The illegal we do immediately, the unconstitutional takes a little longer.” - Henry Kissinger

"Wherever law ends, tyranny begins" -John Locke

moondogblues · ‎04-28-2020

"These breed in closets and attics in the dead of night. "

As do romance novels and balls of yarn....and that dratted one sock.

keziak · ‎04-29-2020

@ainpie-10 wrote:
You mean they are trying to make money off their own book rather then sell it to you to mark it up and make even more? How dare they!!!

Yep, it's outrageous all right . But there's a good chance that if they didn't sell to me (reseller) and they never found a buyer for full price they are netting $0. I'm looking for the win-win.

I've met some nice people doing this. One is a lady selling her late husband's audiobooks. I came along and offered her asking price and we're working on how much to ship them. She told me that several people had offered her 1/5th of what she was trying to get. I said in that case (very reasonable prices) she was smart to wait a little longer.

A few people have been bemused that as a buyer I am a reseller, not a fan of their particular subjects (like pro wrestling DVDs). I told them my inventory sources are gone and I'm making any deals I can possibly profit from.

A few have been amusing like the college student who had 17 texts up for $300. I said I was interested in 7 of them, how much for them? He said....$300. He said he could get that at the [closed?] campus bookstore. Wondering why he didn't. He did say I could reach out again in a week to see how things work out.

gwens*4saleitems* · ‎04-29-2020

Quick anecdote to the single sock …

Removed my laundry from dryer and put on my robe. There was a lump in the pocket. Reached in my hand and pulled out a sock !!

Now, how that sock got into the pocket in the first place is quite the mystery.

bar-29368 · ‎04-29-2020

@moondogblues wrote:
"BTW- I find the Salvation Army is terrible about books. No organization even between fiction and non-fiction. Few books at all, actually. The StVincent de Paul is good, but have moved their stores to the suburbs. The local charities (Women In Need, Beacon) are much better. Is this a local phenomenon?"

Do you have Goodwill where you are? They are the WORST! Mega bucks for common garage sale 1.00 books...I hate them. 7 to 8 dollars each book...arghhhh. Of course they are closed now. Good.

I've noticed out local GWs price the books by the original cover price....% of.

No wonder they usually end up trashing them.

bar-29368 · ‎04-29-2020

@chapeau-noir wrote:
@femmefan1946 wrote:
We helped a neighbour clear her father's hoarder house of collectible.s He was alive but institutionalized.
Among other collections he had a trash bag filled with "cats eye" road reflectors.

DH bought the stamps collection and we found a buyer for the postcards, which gave her $10,000 and the postcard guy a decent opportunity for profit. And we took the 17th and 18th century maps to a specialist down-island.

I was dragged over to see the books. The hoarder had kept them clean and shelved. There was a good selection, perhaps 100 titles of Canadiana and Arctica (I am in Canada), but the other thousand or so were old textbooks, popular novels from the 50s, and inevitabley National Geographics ranging back to the 1930s.
We did find her a book dealer who paid $100 and took all of them. I strongly suspect his first stop was the dump.
These breed in closets and attics in the dead of night.

I read somewhere that North America is slowly sinking due to the combined weight of National Geos in American basements and such.