How to hone your book-finding antenna

By Sharon Fussell, February 6, 2014

How to hone your book finding antennaOn occasion, I am asked if I purchase books from anywhere else than charity shops and car boots sales.

The answer is yes I do. Used books are everywhere and once you start looking out for them you find books being sold in some weird and wonderful places.

Here are some venues I would never expect to purchase used books from but have done so:

  • a church (bring and buy sale and otherwise)
  • a book makers
  • a vegetable shop
  • a public house
  • a working men’s club
  • a cake shop
  • a fish and ship shop
  • a café
  • a corporate clothing wear store
  • a supermarket foyer

Of course, this is not a definitive list, but today I went to Argos to purchase an item, with absolutely no intention of purchasing books, and I noted they had allotted a small section of the counter to selling used books on behalf of a local charity.

From this selection, my book antenna picked out one book in particular. I decided to purchase it and placed a donation in the charity bucket.

Feeling quite positive about the topic and subject matter of the book, despite buying ‘blind’ (not checking the value using the ISBN on Amazon before purchasing), I checked it out once I got home and had switched the computer on.

My purchase for the item I went to Argos for was a modest £16.99, and the donation required for the book was £1.

So imagine my delight when I found that the book value on eBay exceeded the total of £17.99 – and this is after fees and costs associated with the sale.

This effectively means that I had a free item today… Great result.

It is strange when faced with a selection of books how often certain titles ‘jump out’ from the others.

It’s quite impossible to judge books by the cover, and guarantee certain books have a value or are in demand on Amazon; but I know that the percentage of books I pick out to be a worthwhile prospect is high.

I guess the more you study shelves of books, looking for worthwhile titles, the more used you get to identifying the wheat from the chaff, so to speak.

You may be aware of my new product Copy Paste Profit. If so, you will know that, using this system, you do not have to go out and hunt down stock to resell: no trawling round charity shops, car boots or any of the stores mentioned above.

You don’t have to leave the house at all, working from the comfort of your sofa.

So does this mean that my book antenna is redundant?

Nope: I am happy to say it’s very much in demand – not for studying book shelves for likely resell candidates (no need to check out several ISBNs before I buy, trying to ascertain which books may have value on Amazon).

Nope, none of this – but my antenna works on screen too: products just jump out at me, and its wonderful when I research a certain item and it sells over and over again.

Of course, if you have not honed your stock-finding antenna yet, it’s not an issue. Using my step by step guide, you will know exactly how to sort out wheat from chaff.

You will also build up your own selection of great selling items. All you have to do is to have a go: make 2014 the year you don’t procrastinate about beginning your very own venture to increase your income. Just do it!

Copy Paste Profit.

TESTING TESTING

What do you think?

You must be logged in to post a comment.