Library

QUESTION: I'm going to a big Friends of the Library sale, and looking for nonfiction. Should I grab a lot of books quickly, say $400 worth, or should I buy fewer books after I've checked their prices?

ANSWER: Wow, I wish I were going to this sale! The most I've ever managed to spend at a library sale is about $275. But I never worry about how much I'm spending -- I know the more books I buy, the more money I'll be making in the future.

I hardly ever research prices at a sale, I'm too busy grabbing books. My strategy is to buy in volume -- anything that looks like a winner, I snatch it, as long as I'm getting it for a few dollars or less.

The only time I use my cellphone to check prices at a sale is when there's a special collection of high-end books on sale for $4 and over. Then I'll look up the prices to avoid taking big losses on my mistakes. I've snagged some monster books this way that I wouldn't have taken the chance without being able to see its price on Amazon Marketplace.

I can't always find something in the "special" section of a library sale, so I save this for last -- after I've combed the sale for all the regular hardbacks and trade paperbacks I can find.

See a real-time list of the most highly sought after used and collectible books.

Read more free articles on selling used books profitably online: http://www.weberbooks.com/selling/selling.htm

Steve Weber is author of "The Home-Based Bookstore: Start Your Own Business Selling Used Books on Amazon, eBay or Your Own Web Site" (ISBN 0977240606). Got a question for Steve? Send to: steve_weber@yahoo.com