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Post by kenmeister on Jun 9, 2014 11:33:39 GMT -6
For the first time, I decided to pare down my book collection. I painstakingly decided what books I could part with, ended up dividing about 100 into 9 different book lots, and put them up for auction. Not a single auction sold. Maybe I made the starting prices too high when shipping is factored in, but I don't want to lose money on the sale either, which can happen when eBay fees, Paypal fees, shipping fees, box purchasing, and my time for going to the post office are taken into account. But I'm wondering if people just aren't buying books anymore, and the age of the book sale is come and gone.
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Post by geoffrey on Jun 9, 2014 11:36:28 GMT -6
For the first time, I decided to pare down my book collection. I painstakingly decided what books I could part with, ended up dividing about 100 into 9 different book lots, and put them up for auction. Not a single auction sold. Maybe I made the starting prices too high when shipping is factored in, but I don't want to lose money on the sale either, which can happen when eBay fees, Paypal fees, shipping fees, box purchasing, and my time for going to the post office are taken into account. But I'm wondering if people just aren't buying books anymore, and the age of the book sale is come and gone. I have had more luck selling rpg books on dragonsfoot than on ebay. |
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Post by scottenkainen on Jun 9, 2014 12:51:44 GMT -6
I've had to sell a crate-full of gaming books to Half Price Books in the past when I was low on funds and got a pittance for my trouble. Most of those books I haven't missed since, but some I have...
~Scott "-enkainen" Casper
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Post by Finarvyn on Jun 9, 2014 13:11:19 GMT -6
The entire concept of selling on e-bay sounds exhausting -- taking pictures, having to box and ship the stuff, fees -- so I've never done that. I often take regular books to a local used bookstore. For gaming materials I usually pile 'em up and take 'em to Noble Knight.
I think in general with used stuff you either get next to nothing (common) or a whole bunch (rare) without a lot of room in between.
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Post by kenmeister on Jun 9, 2014 13:40:16 GMT -6
Did I mention some of the local used bookstores have closed up shop recently? (Annie's and Seek, to be specific).
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skars
Level 6 Magician
Posts: 407
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Post by skars on Jun 9, 2014 14:51:21 GMT -6
Based on your area, there has actually been a resurgence in book sales. For instance out here in the SF Bay area, book shops are doing well. I think with the fall of the big guys like Barnes & Noble and Borders in our area along with a quorum growing in the area that want time _AWAY_ from electronic devices it has improved the climate that was pretty dismal just a couple years back.
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skars
Level 6 Magician
Posts: 407
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Post by skars on Jun 9, 2014 14:57:25 GMT -6
Speaking to the same subject, I will say I was in Black Diamond Games for the first time yesterday and I was really put off by how much they were charging for used game books/modules. I know some are even collector's items and all that but it was higher than Half Priced Books by a longshot and even they know what they re stacking on the shelves...For instance $150 for a beatup copy of Dune-still?! Great game, but you stock the reprint/reface guys...and while that one was a little tame for what a lot of folks consider a grail game- 1ed AD&D players handbook for $40? and this thing was a wreck! I bought two of them in much better shape and earlier printings at Half Priced books for $14 each just last December. I know that the only way to make a small fortune in the game industry is to start with a large one, but c'mon!
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Post by Zenopus on Jun 9, 2014 18:22:47 GMT -6
For the first time, I decided to pare down my book collection. I painstakingly decided what books I could part with, ended up dividing about 100 into 9 different book lots, and put them up for auction. Not a single auction sold. Maybe I made the starting prices too high when shipping is factored in, but I don't want to lose money on the sale either, which can happen when eBay fees, Paypal fees, shipping fees, box purchasing, and my time for going to the post office are taken into account. But I'm wondering if people just aren't buying books anymore, and the age of the book sale is come and gone. Did you base your sale prices on previously sold auctions? The Ebay 'completed auction' tab is usually a good guide for what the current selling prices. Also, people buying lots usually expect a bigger discount per title. You generally make more selling each book individually, though very low demand items might sell for a bit in a lot and not at all individually. |
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Post by kenmeister on Jun 10, 2014 6:24:56 GMT -6
For the first time, I decided to pare down my book collection. I painstakingly decided what books I could part with, ended up dividing about 100 into 9 different book lots, and put them up for auction. Not a single auction sold. Maybe I made the starting prices too high when shipping is factored in, but I don't want to lose money on the sale either, which can happen when eBay fees, Paypal fees, shipping fees, box purchasing, and my time for going to the post office are taken into account. But I'm wondering if people just aren't buying books anymore, and the age of the book sale is come and gone. Did you base your sale prices on previously sold auctions? The Ebay 'completed auction' tab is usually a good guide for what the current selling prices. Also, people buying lots usually expect a bigger discount per title. You generally make more selling each book individually, though very low demand items might sell for a bit in a lot and not at all individually. I based the prices on what I thought would make it worth my time to sell those items. At this point I think I'd rather keep these books in the attic than break even on a sale or dropping them in the Books drop box around the corner. |
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Post by Falconer on Jun 10, 2014 7:47:46 GMT -6
I almost never bid on lots of multiple items. I just buy the exact book I want. Also I will only bid on a deal. I do not want to pay what it is worth. Though I may if I get caught up in the auction.
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Post by makofan on Jun 10, 2014 7:49:25 GMT -6
I am like Falconer. I never bid on lots
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Post by kenmeister on Jun 10, 2014 7:53:12 GMT -6
Ah. Well, in general you lose money on Amazon when selling a book for say $1.50 when amazon fees and tracking are taken into account, and I won't ship without tracking. So I thought I'd do the lot approach on eBay. But yeah, it would be a whole bunch of effort to list 100 books and if say 25 sell, that's 25 separate boxes and carrying all that to the post office ... yuck.
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Post by kesher on Jun 10, 2014 8:19:54 GMT -6
I've had the most success selling books on this site.  |
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Koren n'Rhys
Level 6 Magician
Got your mirrorshades?
Posts: 355
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Post by Koren n'Rhys on Jun 10, 2014 8:34:34 GMT -6
I'm with Falconer & Makofan, I'm afraid. I'll look for specific books. If I happen to see a lot that includes what I want, I might bid, but only if it's really cheap and I won't be paying much more for the extra stuff I didn't want.
Selling of books is a pain in the butt. You're right in that it's probably not worth the hassle to do it online. You either need to bite the bullet and get the pittance you can at a used place, or post the list someplace like here or on DF and see who bites on specific items.
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Post by kenmeister on Jun 10, 2014 11:07:20 GMT -6
I'll do that, but I think it will be "build your own lot". I'll list all the books, and say something like $10 purchase minimum.
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jacar
Level 5 Thaumaturgist
Posts: 345
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Post by jacar on Jun 10, 2014 11:52:49 GMT -6
Lots will get you lots of books you don't want and a few you do. You are essentially paying extra for stuff you will never use. It's better to break them up into singles but can be much more time consuming just to post, not to mention package, organize and mail. But, if you REALLY want to sell them, make the prices half or less of what you paid for them and put them up as singles.
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jasmith
Level 5 Thaumaturgist
Posts: 316
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Post by jasmith on Jun 11, 2014 7:06:08 GMT -6
There's not enough info in your op to tell me what the problem might have been. If you're selling a "lot" then it's unlikely to do well, unless there's a unifying factor to catch a collector's eye.
10 random sci-fi/fantasy books, won't sell for crap. 10 early number DAW 1st printings, would tempt someone into snatching it up.
10 novels by author John Doe would sell for a pittance, unless it was a complete collection - ALL 10 of John Doe's novels, or all 10 of John Doe's Adventures on Planet X series, in other words.
I would suggest foregoing the auction format and putting them up as 30 day Fixed Price listings. A lot more buyers are going for the latter type of sales, nowadays and they're willing to pay more for Fixed Price than for Auction Listings.
Anything particularly tasty, I would definitely list by itself and definitely as a Fixed Price listing. Unless an item is really, really hot at the present time, the days when you could start an auction at .99 cents and watch it bid up are long gone!
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Post by kenmeister on Jun 11, 2014 8:28:22 GMT -6
the days when you could start an auction at .99 cents and watch it bid up are long gone! Those were fun days! Yeah, they were just more of the "10 random sci fi books" variety, though I had 4 watchers on my LOTR paperbacks one. All the titles will be up on DF tonight or tomorrow night. |
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Post by kenmeister on Jul 12, 2014 11:21:23 GMT -6
the days when you could start an auction at .99 cents and watch it bid up are long gone! Those were fun days! Yeah, they were just more of the "10 random sci fi books" variety, though I had 4 watchers on my LOTR paperbacks one. All the titles will be up on DF tonight or tomorrow night. "Tonight or tomorrow night" took about a month, but here they are: www.dragonsfoot.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=1530983#p1530983. I have a lot more, but I think that's enough to list to see if this generates any interest. Not trying to make a profit here, just want them to go to good homes. |
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