As I mentioned in a previous entry I am attempting to clear as much clutter from my home as possible. If there is way to clear clutter and make money I am all for it. So I did some research online and discovered a number of websites that will allow you to sell books online. As a former english major I certainly have my fair share of novels that have only been read one time. Most of the books look like they’ve never been opened, although I have read all but one or two of them. It seems that the best two sites for selling used books are currently Amazon.com and Half.com. From what I can tell Amazon.com is not as generous as half.com to it’s sellers. It appears that Amazon strips the seller of profits via a number of fees. Half.com seems to charge much fewer fees but it looks as though the books offered due not sell at lower prices. I know that there are a number of books on the market that currently teach individuals how to sell books online, but I don’t believe they’ll be worth the price of the book. Selling online seems simply enough, and what can a $20 book tell me that I can’t figure out myself. If anyone has found a good book about selling books online please let me know. I’m not looking to make a career out of selling used books, I’m simply looking to offload a whole bunch of books I already own. It would be nice to collect a little bit of cash for items that are otherwise just collecting dust in the basement.
The fastest way to convert old books to cash is by selling them to a used book store. One trip and you’re done. You don’t get as good a deal this way, but it is quick and easy. It’s probably worth getting a quote. Packaging and shipping books takes work. If you’re only making a dollar or two per shipment, it might not be worth your time.
I sell as many of my University books as I can on Amazon.com before selling back to my campus bookstore. Generally, I find that the other books I read don’t get a great return online, so I sell them at a local Half Price bookstore. If Half Price doesn’t want the books, I donate them to my local library, where the books are usually sold at the monthly book sale.