Never buy-to-sell Readers Digest! Unless…

By Sharon Fussell, June 1, 2012

… you have one of my top 10!

I was asked an interesting question this week (despite the warnings in my manuals) regarding buying Readers Digest titles to resell; have I ever been successful in selling any Readers Digest titles myself?

In the main I advise not purchasing Readers Digest books ‘blind’- that is without first checking if they:

a) Have any value on Amazon
b) Have a good sales ranking

My experience of selling Readers Digest books on Amazon:

I must admit I have been very successful in selling Readers Digest’s ‘The Cookery Year’ many times over, but they tend to be quite heavy and old (usually printed in the 1970s), and the condition can reflect this.

I have sold copies at varying prices depending on the demand at the time of listing. They tend to sell fairly quickly and are very popular… I find a price of around £14.99-£24.99 works well (depending on condition).

Some Readers Digest books are ‘Coffee Table Books’ they can be quite hefty and thus postal costs don’t come cheap when selling as a merchant. These books are usually in lovely condition – cynically, I believe that’s because people receive them as gifts and swiftly donate them to charity shops… unread.

Here are the details for ‘The Cookery Year’, keep an eye out in charity shops and car boots:

Reader’s Digest ‘The Cookery Year’ – Egerton-Barnett, 978-0276000478
Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 321,991, 11 used & new from £12.00

In fact if you look through the list on Amazon of items selling under the Readers Digest Brand, you will discover that most items are sold from 1p, totally ludicrous as any seller selling titles in the RD range for 1p (£2.81) will be heavily out of pocket.

To make life easier for you, I have researched some popular copies of Readers Digest products, not just books but other media too.

Again do a little research so you are prepared when you go out on your stock hunts.

My top nine items are below. Remember, take into consideration, price, sales ranking and ISBNs to ensure you have the correct item.

Nine more exceptions to the rule…

1 – Reader’s Digest Guide to Skin Care: Professional Secrets and Natural Treatments for Glowing, Youthful Skin [Paperback] William D. James (Foreword), Susan C. Taylor (Author), Victoria Holloway Barbosa (Author) 978-1606521052
Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 578,917

2 – How to Do Just About Anything on a Computer: Windows 7/Office 2010: Hundreds of Ways to Get More Out of Your PC (Readers Digest) [Paperback] 978-1780200484
Price: £9.09, Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 23,711 in Books

3 – Reader’s Digest (Author) The Most Amazing Scenic Journeys in Britain: The 100 Greatest Drives Through the Most Spectacular Countryside (Readers Digest) [Paperback] 978-0276445842
Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 6,233 Price: £7.50

4 – DIY Manual (Readers Digest) [Hardcover] 978-0276444111
Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 71,039 Price: £10.00

5 – The Reader’s Digest Complete Guide to Sewing [Hardcover] 978-0276446412
Price: £12.99, Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 4,961

6 – “Reader’s Digest” Book of British Birds (Deluxe Edition) [Hardcover] Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 91,776 in Books,Phyllis Barclay-Smith (Author)
Price: £16.25

7- The Collection (Readers Digest) x 4 CD Box Set [Box set]
Tom Jones| Format: Audio CD 3 used & new from £10.99,
Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 161,565 in Music

8 – NATURES SERENADE – THE FOUR SEASONS / VIVALDI ECO / SLATKIN (READER’S DIGEST) Format: DVD, Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 38,307 in Film & TV, 4 used & new from £6.71

9 – GREAT BRITISH TRAIN GAME – READERS DIGEST BOARD GAME
£14.78 + £6.15 UK delivery, Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 81,390 in Toys & Games

Until next week, have a lovely Jubilee weekend!

TESTING TESTING

What do you think?

You must be logged in to post a comment.