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If you think that only rare books, signed books or complete sets of books bring in big profits for sellers, then you should reconsider your view on selling used books on eBay!
The school year is coming to a close and many parents are looking for books that will keep their child reading all summer. Children's books, especially chapter books can be purchased for pocket change and made into lots that will turn that change into big bills. With yard sale season in full swing, now is the time to buy low and sell high!
Children's chapter books are wildly popular in our house. I'm always on the lookout for exciting books like Star Wars, Goosebumps, Junie B. Jones, Beast Quest, Animorphs, and The Magic Tree house just to name a few. I can buy them for .25 each and my kids can read them, then I can sell them for a profit!
Right now I'm on the hunt for Sweet Valley books. These were always popular, but it looks like there is a movie in the works that should create a surge in new readers. Recently this large LOT of 172 Sweet Valley books brought $660! You can usually find 10 or more at a yard sale that has school age girls, or at thrift stores. You don't have to have over 100 to make a profit, here's a mere 38 that sold for $71.
I love when I find hard cover Dr. Seuss, Sweet Pickles, Help Me Be Good, and Value Tales. These books are always great sellers.
One thing to remember, you don't want to pay $2 each per book, you need to buy books at a low price to make a good profit. I've found several yard sales offering to "fill a box" for a fixed price and at other sales people were charging 5 for $1 on all books. In addition, I have a local thrift store that sells books for $.05 and $.10 each. I won't pay more then $.50 for a book unless it's the last one I need to complete a series!
Not into children's books? Consider looking for cookbooks, TV Guide, and Mad Magazine, which are just a few of the hundreds of options you have. Take a few minutes to look at completed listing of lots in books; when doing this I eliminate words like old, vintage, rare, leather, signed, and new since there are hundreds of thousands of listings.
Books are also easily donated if you make a bad purchase. We donate books to our school since recent budget cuts have made it harder for them to buy new books. So consider trying your hand at book selling, you may find it's an easy way and fast flip!
Happy Selling,
Jackie
