So you’ve started selling books online, and you find yourself making some money at it. The only problem is that you’ve now exhausted your personal library and possibly that of your immediate family. If you’re new to selling books online, you’ve probably asked, “Where do I find more books to sell?” The answer is one of the most closely guarded secrets of many sellers, and you are the competition. For those reasons, you’re probably not going to get much help from most of your fellow booksellers. However, there is hope. With a little time, effort, and creativity, you can build up your stock and keep right on selling. Try these suggestions.

Friends and Family

Most families have that person who reads…a lot. Maybe you have a friend who spends the weekends with their nose in the newest book from their favorite author. If you ask nicely, they may be willing to give you the books just to get them out of the way. If not, offer to buy them, but don’t pay more than you can make off of the books. At first, it may be worth it to get a list of the books to see how much they’re selling for. After selling for a while, you’ll have a better guess about what you can pay.

Classmates and Instructors

If you’re in college and have sold your textbooks online, you know how much you can make off of them. Current edition textbooks in good condition are like gold. Try offering to buy your classmates’ textbooks for a little more than they’d make at the campus store’s buyback. You can also post a flyer around campus advertising your willingness to buy used textbooks. However, you’ll want to do some research before you put out a lot of cash. Make sure that there’s not a new edition of the text coming out before you buy up a lot of books and lose money. Also, when buying textbooks, you’ll want to check the online price and make sure that the books are in good condition before you make an offer. In addition, you can check with you with your instructors to see if they have extra copies of the text that they are willing to sell.

Estate Sales, Yard Sales, Library Sales, and Thrift Stores

Sometimes, you get lucky. Sometimes you spend all day (and a lot of gas) running from one sale to the other just to end up with a few books that turn out to be worth less than you paid. While the bigger sellers have the equipment to check the prices before they buy, many of us do not. We have to guess. However, if you’re luck enough to come across certain non-fiction hardbacks or new edition textbooks, you can make some serious money this way. Before you head out, do some research on what sells the best. If you know someone who is planning a sale, ask if they have any books that you can buy. That way, you have time to check the prices before you buy.

Bulk Lots On Ebay

If you find the right one, this can be a great source, but you’ll want to be very careful when deciding to purchase books this way. Some examples of a good buy include those where the seller is moving and can’t take the books with them or they’re retiring and selling off their inventory. This means that the books you’re about to buy were bought by another seller for the same purpose. Buying books from someone who is still active, is a bad idea. If you’re buying the books that they couldn’t sell, you probably won’t be able to sell them either. Another warning here – watch the shipping price. Books are heavy, freight is not cheap. Many of these bulk lots will be listed for pickup only. If the is seller near your area that’s great. If not, a careless purchase could mean you’ll take a road trip. If it’s a particularly large lot of books, you could end up taking several trips. Even if the seller is willing to ship, you may end up spending more for the shipping than the books.

Newspaper ads and Flyers

Truthfully, ads are expensive, and the profit from selling used books is not that high most of the time so you may end up spending more than you make. Flyers, however, can be a very good way to find books. Put them up with your name, phone number, email address (some people who won’t call will email), and the type of books that you are looking for. It’s probably best not to list a price on the flyer. Simply state that you are looking for books to buy. If at all possible, wait until you’ve inspected the books before offering a price. You don’t want to lock yourself into a deal to purchase 500 paperback romance novels with coffee stains, loose binding, and dogeared pages.

Selling books can be fun and profitable, but finding books is the real job. But if you are knowledgeable about some strategies on how you can earn money online, it should be easier for you. The good thing is that there are several resources where you can learn these things. To help you out, you can check Evergreen Wealth Formula Review. However, if you do your research and keep an eye out for opportunities, you can have one of the most rewarding and relaxed jobs in the world. Happy selling!