Question: Can Overstock Or "Remainder" Books Be Resold At A Profit Over The Internet?, Other : iPedia

QUESTION: As a new online bookseller, should I try selling remainder books online? Should I contact publishers directly for remainders, or try a wholesaler?

I've been able to sell remainders profitably, but I probably couldn't have done it without having years of full-time experience in used bookselling. Just as with used books, you'll have winners and losers with remainders. But it's much easier to make bad mistakes with remainders and get stuck with tons of worthless books.

So this is something I don't recommend for new sellers. Dealing in remainders, hurts and overstock books is much more dangerous than selling unique used books. If you make a long series of disastrous mistakes you can lose a fortune with remainders. By contrast, with secondhand books, you can probably earn a decent profit even if you pick your books while blindfolded.

I've never gone through bookstores to get remainders, I buy them online at places like Book Depot and Kudzu Book Traders.

With remainders, it takes a lot of work to find the few available titles that still sell relatively well (check the Amazon Sales Rank) and still command half their retail price. Through wholesalers, you can usually get them for about 20 percent of their original retail price.

In particular, I warn new sellers to avoid purchasing "skids" of remainder assortments. If you don't know the titles you'll be receiving, you'll probably be disappointed when you receive them. Your skid will probably contain fiction bestsellers from a few years ago that are practically worthless for online sellers. Think about it -- if a wholesaler is offering a great deal, they will advertise exactly what they're selling.

See a real-time list of the most highly sought after used and collectible books.

Read more free articles on selling used books profitably online: http://www.weberbooks.com/selling/selling.htm

Steve Weber is author of "The Home-Based Bookstore: Start Your Own Business Selling Used Books on Amazon, eBay or Your Own Web Site" (ISBN 0977240606). Got a question for Steve? Send to: steve_weber@yahoo.com

In economics, business is the social science of managing people to organize and maintain collective productivity toward accomplishing particular creative and productive goals, usually to generate revenue.

The etymology of "business" refers to the state of being busy, in the context of the individual as well as the community or society. In other words, to be busy is to be doing commercially viable and profitable work.
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Question: Can Overstock Or "Remainder" Books Be Resold At A Profit Over The Internet?

QUESTION As a new online bookseller, should I try selling remainder books online? Should I contact publishers directly for remainders, or try a wholesaler?

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