When you have a collection of books, knowing where to sell these old books online can be a great way to make some extra money and know that the books that you fell in love with will be appreciated by someone new.
Many people tend to gather a rather large collection of books over the years. Today, many libraries are unwilling to accept new books because of limited space, and you don’t want to merely throw them out, so what do you do?
When you know where to sell old books online, then you can recycle your favorite, and not-so-favorite reads, as well as make a few dollars in the meantime.
This article will help you understand:
- What types of books hold value
- That every book is worth something to someone
- How different websites offer different advantages when selling books online
- How to determine if you have an old book that is considered valuable
1Where to Sell Books Online
In this age of the internet, there are many places where you can sell old books online.
Ebay
One of the most popular types of websites are auction houses, like Ebay.
There are usually a lot of listings on these sites so the competition is relatively high. However if you already have an Ebay account and can develop a stellar reputation, you will have more success.
Used Book Sites
There are also a number of websites that are devoted strictly to used books, such as cash4books.net. They have a feature that will inform you of the value of your old books simply by entering the ISBN number from the copyright page. Powells.com is also a great resource for being able to sell your old books online.
Major Booksellers
Another option about where to sell old books online is the major booksellers, such as Barnes and Noble and Amazon. These two websites focus more of their energy on new books on the market, but they also offer you the opportunity to list the old books that you might have for sale.
Of course, there are some challenges at reaching potential buyers. The larger the website, the more competition you will face for the same titles. The advantage of listing on these sites, though, is that you can set the price that you want to charge for the book and since the primary customers of these websites are readers, those listings will be exposed to the people who are most likely to buy.
2How to Sell Old Books Online
It’s important to note that not every old book is going to be worth a great deal of money. Check the condition of the book before listing it. If a book appears to have suffered from abuse, such as torn or missing pages, writing throughout its pages, or pages that are separating from the spine, then it’s best to either keep these old books (if they are keepsakes or bring back fond memories) or discard them.
If the old book is considered a classic, or is a rare edition, then you are certainly going to want to make sure that it is treated appropriately. Check with any of the aforementioned booksellers online, or bring it to a local book seller, or antiques dealer, to determine its value.
If it is in good condition and worthy as a collector’s item, then you can consider listing this on a auction site, as mentioned before. If you do, set the minimum bid price to about 75% of the desired asking price.
If the book is considered a rare collector’s item, but the condition is poor, then you may want to seek out websites that specialize in these rare used books. There are ambitious book lovers who can repair certain types of damage to covers and spines to help preserve them for years to come.
The Internet is a bastion for people trying to take advantage of others who don’t have access to the same information when it comes to valuing older books. While you may not wish to scour through a massive collection of regular books, trying to find that one title that is worth considerable money, you also don't want to hand over a book for a fraction of its value.
3Know Which Books Hold Value
Different types of books are going to hold their value longer than others. This is a simple fact of life.
Paperback books, for example, are not going to be valuable, regardless of how old they are.
Regular printings of commercial books, even hardcover, are also not going to be overly valuable.
A quick way to check to see if a book you have in your collection may have some significant value is to search the title through one of the major bookseller sites mentioned earlier. If the title is over thirty years old and still in print, and you have an original edition, then it’s worth researching.
You can also quickly and easily find the values to many old books through the sites mentioned already.
There have been countless tales over the years of people selling their books for pennies at tag sales, only to have someone discover its true value. The Internet makes it more convenient to research and discover your books’ true value so that when you’re ready, you will know where to sell old books online.
What Do You Think?
How many old books do you have that could fetch you some extra cash to buy new books?
