Once you have a target price in mind, follow these tips for selling used books.
Places to Sell Used Books
eBay: eBay is a great place to try reselling your used books. Niche books typically attract bidders, and there are usually plenty of people are looking for used SAT or textbooks. Local bookstores and book-buying markets: If you don’t want to fuss with packing and mailing your books, take them to a local used bookstore, put them in a kids’ consignment sale, or try selling them through Facebook Marketplace. As long as your books are recent and desirable, they should still earn you enough to be worth your time. Yard sales: Have a yard sale to get rid of the books that you weren’t able to sell through other channels. Yard sales usually don’t bring in a huge profit for books, but at least you’ll get something for items you aren’t using.
Tips for First-Time Book Sellers
If you want to become a reliable book reseller, there are a few things you need to do:
Know how to clean books. Get rid of any damage, dust, or mildew before selling. Be honest about the condition of the book. If there are damaged corners or missing pages, say so. If someone has written in or highlighted huge portions of the book, make that known. If the book has remainder marks (an indication they’ve been returned to the publisher), mention that, too. Fudging on the condition won’t get you more money. When the buyer receives your book and finds it lacking, they will adjust the offer down and might even reject your book completely. Package your books carefully. If a book was in excellent condition when you shipped it but it arrived in fair condition, you’re going to be paid the fair book rate. You’re responsible for getting the book there in one piece, so take the time to wrap it well. Pay to ship your books. Offer to pick up the tab for the shipping costs.
Places to Sell or Donate Your Magazines
Do you have a lot of magazines to clear out? Sell them in your next yard sale, or consider donating them to a nursing home or art teacher. If you have copies of a magazine that is now defunct, you may be able to sell them on eBay for a small profit. Otherwise, just recycle them, and enjoy the extra space in your house.
