How to Make Money Buying and Selling Textbooks

Everyone knows that books account for a huge amount of the money that people spend when in college. The expenses which the college student has to pay for have been on the rise, and this leads to a need to cut cost as much as possible. But what happens when you need particular textbooks, and you discover that the library does not carry it, or the one available is only on short loan? The only options which will be available to you, in this case, will be either getting a new one from the bookshop or looking for someone that has taken the unit and bought the book before.

Where To Access Textbooks

There is no better place where you can access used textbooks than online bookshops. The shops usually follow two selling models; the auction model and the fixed price model. For instance, if you list your book on Amazon, the price will be fixed. However, the site will only pay you a percentage of the price that has been listed, which means that it might not be the best avenue for people who are buying to resell. Then, think about auction sites.

The idea of putting a book on sale and waiting for prospective buyers sounds interesting. The bidding process takes about ten to fifteen days and the highest bidder gets the book. Here, the benefit is that there is no limit to the amount which you can sell the book. On the other hand, it will take time to get a buyer and the money will not be transferred to you immediately. These are the things to worry about when venturing into book buying and sales.

An Easy Process To Become A Buyer And Reseller Of Textbooks

Buying Textbooks

Before you start thinking about the selling, you need to ask where you will get the books. If you are in college, it is quite easy to get old and used books which are still in good condition from students after they finish particular units. However, before making any purchases, you need to make sure that:

  • The books have an actual market: pick the books which have a large and ready market out there. Take time and assess the courses which are popular and buy books you are sure will be on demand in the coming semester or academic year.
  • The books are in good condition: You do not want to run into problems such as books getting returned when the buyers receive them and realize there are pages missing. If a book has become a little dog-eared and some pages are loose from use, take time and figure out if it is possible to repair and make the book presentable.
  • Noting book details: The next part of the purchase process which is important is noting down details such as the book’s ISBN number, title, author and edition number. These details will most likely be a requirement from the seller and make sure you know whether the books you are getting are the official editions or not.
  • Pick the books that you will sell wisely: a mistake that most sellers make is going for titles because they are cheap and popular. Think of a situation where you get a copy of Moby Dick, thinking that you will get a significant profit from the sale. The reality is that you might not make much from its sale.
  • Know the right time to buy: if you are a smart business person, you know that the best time to buy is when the demand is lowest. For textbooks, you will get the best prices when you make the buy before the term starts. As a seller, you know that the best time to make a sale is when the demand is high. After buying your books at the end of the term or during the summer break, wait for the semester to start and list them. This way, you are likely to get the most out of the venture.
  • Go for originality: Another factor that comes to play when making your sales is whether the books are original or not. People will pay more for what comes directly from the author than other editions. Besides, there are instances where selling counterfeits could land you in serious problems with the law.

Selling old Textbooks

That is what you need to know about the purchase process. When you have gathered the books that you wish to sell, the next natural step in the process is looking for a reliable outlet where you can make the sales. There are certain factors which you have to bear in mind when making the sale. When you have found the ideal online outlet, follow these steps:

  • Price the books: You will have the option of either registering on the site, or the site admins will help you upload the details of the book. The most important of these details include the ISBN number, the name of the author, the title of the book, and the price of the book.
  • After you have listed the book, you wait for someone to look it up and make a request. If the shop handles the buying process, they may request to get the book after you have listed so that they can check quality and for easier shipping.
  • Some sites will ship the book for you free of any charges while others need a shipping fee.
  • When the buyer has received the book and made their payment, you will be paid either through PayPal or check.

Qualities That Make A Good Textbooks Buying And Reselling Site

There are hundreds of sites where you can register on when looking to buy or sell books. However, not all of them will give you the same level of satisfaction with the purchase process. When looking for a seller:

  • Look at their prices for the edition of the book you have to determine what you will make from the sale.
  • Look at what people who have shopped from them have to say about their books and customer service in general. These are the things that will determine the success of the sale.
  • Look for promo codes and other deals which make it affordable for you to buy back books that have been submitted to the site.
  • Look for sites which capitalize on buybacks because they are the ones which will give you the absolute best offers for your books.
  • Think about the coverage or reach that the site has. If it is popular and can deliver to many states, the possibility of making fast sales increases. On the other hand, when the store has a smaller coverage, you will have to wait a while before making a sale.

Always remember that if you want to best price for your buybacks, you have to keep them in mint condition throughout the period that you will be using them. Cover them and avoid writing inside them. Do not fold the books when reading and have page markers to help you avoid getting the books dog-eared. To learn more about selling your used books online and for the best deals, visit the Books run online bookstore today.

Read Also:

prakapovich-image

Joseph Allen

Joseph Allen is a Digital Marketer who works with Booksrun to improve organic traffic. Joseph knows what truly drives conversions and traffic. In addition to his digital marketing experience, Joseph is a certified PPC specialist.

We will be happy to hear your thoughts

Leave a reply

Joseph Allen

Joseph Allen

Joseph Allen is a Digital Marketer who works with Booksrun to improve organic traffic. Joseph knows what truly drives conversions and traffic. In addition to his digital marketing experience, Joseph is a certified PPC specialist.

Tech Trends Pro
Logo