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No sale yet, although I did receive some information from an Ebayer, telling me my can isn’t worth much. He referred me to this site on vintage spray paint and I’m passing it on, in case others will benefit. http://capmatchescolor.com/about/
Wow.. it was never planned that way. It doesn’t sound like a bad way to go in the beginning though.
I just list each book according to what I think it is and where my buyer will expect to find it.
Maybe this way is better… https://www.ebay.com/sch/Books/267/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_ipg=&_from=&_ssn=joe24658
There you go..
Just for fun, pretend in your box lot, you found a “Gone with the Wind” book, printed 1936 by Margaret Mitchell. Look it up on Ebay, then look it up on Amazon.
What’s it worth? It varies greatly.
You can see the Amazon listings don’t have as much individual details as the Ebay listings, so researching Amazon prices may not give you the information you need for a book like this.
You’ll also need to know what edition.. first, ok what printing? What is the date of printin? Is the dust cover included? Have the corners been cut from the dust cover. What is the condition of the book? Does it have writing in it.. etc etc etc.
Many of the books I sell fall into the category Jay is referring to. You look it up or scan it. You look at the for sale and the solds and come up with a price.. Done.
If there are not a lot of examples for sale, or the only examples available were printed much later than yours, you may have to do a little more research. If its an obscure book of an obscure place or event, you may have to do a little more research.
Much of the research will enable you enhance your title and description. If you want to get a premium price for your book, you need to be able to tell the buyer why it deserves it. Sometimes, I’ll research the subject or sometimes the author.
I found a very old Bible in a box lot once. It was dated 1830.. Wow. This is Pre Civil war. Andrew Jackson was the president. There were no cars or telephones or even electricity. Slavery was legal and widespread in this country.. I’m sure the stories in this bible are not that much different than the ones in bibles printed today.. but believe me, I needed a different buyer.
Somehow, this fragile paper bible ended up in my box lot.
When I’m listing a book, I try to get a feel what the world was like, when it was written. was it Pre WW2, The Kennedy Assassination, Watergate or even 911? Was it written before television, microwave ovens or the internet existed? Were there equal rights, birth control and twitter?
Did this book change the world?.. Did it make Truman Capote a household word and later Audrey Hepburn a timeless icon of beauty and fashion.
I think it just comes down to treating the books the same as anything we sell on Ebay.. proper research, good descriptions and great photos are the answer.
You are more than welcome to look at my listings. They are fairly concise, but I feel complete. some of the older ones aren’t so good, but the more recent ones follow a standard procedure.
Try to keep it fun. Books can be ever so boring.
I buy packing tape on Ebay. Generally they are 2 inch 110 yards (1.8m to 2 mil). They come in cases of 36 rolls and I usually pay $33 a case or less with free shipping.
I’m not going to pretend the quality is equal to Scotch or the like, but considering the price, I’m more than happy with the deal. I go through a fair amount of tape.
I guess it all depends on who you’re selling the book to. Amazon tends to deal with books as a commodity. There aren’t a lot of details or photographs. I guess people are buying them to read. Selling books on Amazon, may be similar to selling… I Phone cases.? It’s all about price.
I try to present books as much more. What edition is it and what makes it special. Is it signed.. and by who? What was going on in the world when it was printed. It’s hard to compare a first edition printed in the 1930’s to a current printing of the same book. It becomes a matter of finding the customer that cares for the original and presenting it well.
Then you take what’s left and try to group them in lots of 2 to 6 books, that will sell for at least $25. It’s work.. sometimes a lot of work.
What’s left go back into the donation pile.
It looks like you scored..
Good deal,,
Now is the fun, listing the cream of the crop..
After that is the work…
It will take a while to work your way through it all.
Keep us advised on what gems are in the boxes.
Way to go.
Add the word digital to your search…
Mine looks like this one. https://www.ebay.com/itm/FAIRBANKS-DIGITAL-SCALE-SHIPPING-MODEL-70-2453-4/262757238185?hash=item3d2d8d45a9:g:2tIAAOSwOtdYTHXS
When they began checking weight etc they added that message. It’s fairly recent.
Did you check Priority Mail with your discount. Sometimes it’s less than Parcel and insurance is included.
L X W X H must be 1728 or less.
You have 19 X 17 X 14 = 4522…
Oversize package.
That is way oversize…
If you don’t put in the measurements and they charge you later.. you will be charged the retail rate with no discounts… That would be ugly.
If it were me and I couldn’t get the dimensions down, I’d just bite the bullet and pay the shipping. You aren’t the first one who has made this mistake and you won’t be the last.
I wish I had better news.. if possible, get the size down, but it sounds like it’s going to be an oversize package regardless.
Good Luck
Untested electronics… Unless you have special knowledge and abilities, I’d stay away from it, especially if it’s large or heavy.
As a general rule the older the better. I focus on the World War 2 era or older.
I do well with religious books, technical books and some yearbooks. I try to find books on very specific topics, such as small towns or individual military units. The more narrow focused, the better.
First editions are great, but are no guarantee of value. Also It can get tricky, determining if the book is the first printing or a true first edition.
I’m always looking for signatures from the author or other famous people. If it’s also dated, that’s better.
Encyclopedias or other sets look good, but require a lot of storage and take time to sell. Unless they’re very special, I stay away from these.
Cook books sell well for some.. but not for me.
Don’t do too much research on site.. just grab and go. Be prepared to bring home boxes and boxes. Books are very heavy, so you may need help or a cart.
Like anything else, research is key. When I acquire a hoard of books, I look them all over and begin to group them into similar piles. I pick out the ones with value, that I can sell by themselves. After this, I start grouping books together I can sell in lots.
What’s left generally gets donated. You’ll probably end up donating more than half the books you bring home.
If this ends up being a large find, you may end up bringing home hundreds of heavy dusty books. Fill up the car, after all they’re free. Sometimes the least likely book, will have the real value. You really won’t know what you’ve got until later.. sometimes much later.
Again.. the value is in the research. Knowing what you have and creating a great listing will bring home the money.
Good Luck
