Book decluttering the slow way
Or, I sold 40 books
I remember a previous try on selling books to a local used bookstore - they took maaaybe 2 or 3 books out of my backpack full? The payout basically covered my return bus fare, so I didn't really earn anything in the bigger picture.
Also pre-pandemic, the last time I put out boxes of books at a garage sale, I think I sold to about 3 people... so that is very hit and miss, too.
So I've listed some of my book inventory online for sale, and have now successfully sold 40 books. That's a more significant chunk of simplifying :)
This was not a fast process, but it is satisfying to earn a bit of that spent money back. For now, I can spare the storage/space/shelves, and with some patience, I'd say it's been worth the effort to try selling first. Like many, I started exploring this in 2020.
I started listing the books, because compared to clothing items, my original selling decluttering intent, I find the listing process is shorter and simpler.
I usually do 3 to 4 pictures (the clothing items I usually provide many more). Some selling competitors only provide a single picture, so my success is probably due to complete info and transparency, and real photos, not just a stock image of the cover which seems common on book-specific sites.
Unlike clothes, I don't (have to) provide measurements since book sizes are more standard. People know what to expect with a hardcover fiction book. Also, anything you list online, people are generally searching for those items specifically to buy them. So, I guess I have "good books".
Many of the books I had personally read, although there were some poor or impluse buys that I never read mixed in, too. I was surprised when a local person purchased from me, but they got mail delivery to their door.
If you are thinking of doing the same, here are some observations
I sold a few things on ebay back in the day. So, I wasn't starting from scratch in selling know how, but I had to learn my chosen platform, as I never used it as a buyer before.
My for sale books are mostly fiction.
- List multiple or all of an author's titles on hand. I read for entertainment and I'm a genre reader, so many of my listings provide a natural pool that can be purchased together.
Non fiction tends to sell, but I don't own that much compared to fiction - I tend to use the library for that.
Books in the same (sub)genre(s), by the same author, that are part of a series, or have a common theme when you can offer more than a single book sold. Example: 3 books by 3 different authors but all had a Spain setting sold.
Selling a "lot" or bundle of books can be as small as two books pre-bundled and listed together, or what the buyer picked from eligible titles.
It took me a long time to figure out that I should list my preset bundles AND the books individually for buyer ease and preference.
I was only doing one or the other. The downside? If you list both ways, you have to change the availability status or delete the extra listings once the other listing is sold.
If something isn't listed, it can't sell. So try and get everything listed. I'm not great at this part, although part of my issue is that I need a sunny day to get decent photos.
If an offer is too low, at least counteroffer.
Since I've been at this for over two years now, I've improved at accepting offers and reducing that emotional aspect of the "value".
I will generally counter my best/lowest, since I don't like wasting time haggling on my prices. Secondhand items are worth what the buyer is willing to pay; but if an offer is just too too low, it's okay to wait longer unless you just want it gone.
Some of my selling stats
Lowest book earning averaged in a lot: $2.60 each
Highest book earning averaged in a lot: $6.90 each
Lowest single book earning: $4.80
Highest single book earning: $11
The low average I think was in line with, or a bit higher than what the used bookstore might pay (my previous experience was several years ago, though).
I'm pretty happy with the high.
- Lots/bundles of 3 books were my most common number.
- My largest sold order was 6 books by the same author in 2 genres.
- Surprisingly also had a handful of single book sales - this might vary with the platform used, and how high your country's mailing rates are (mine is high).
Sadly my local post office closed this year, so now I'm rethinking the time span for the rest of my listings. I was able to ship quickly due to the relatively close location. The other locations are just not as convenient, and probably double or more my walking time.
Going forward, I'm going to take offers that only earn $1-ish on single books, IF they're light enough to be dropped into the mailbox.
As I've mentioned here, I've been coming around on keeping so many books when a decent selection can be found at my elibrary.
I've been e-reading along with using paper books for quite some time. This is my preferred way now, since the book fonts are getting too small for me, especially on the small paperbacks. Why strain my eyes when I don't have to?