Yard/Garage Sales, Estate Sales And Sure, Even The Local Thrift Store!
Yard/garage sales may be good places to purchase used books, but rarely can you find any in “fine” condition. Be choosy.
I do not spend a lot of time searching for books at yard/garage sales unless I have nothing additional to do. Basicly it is a waste of time. Only occasionally can you get a surprise. At one yard sale this past summer I acquired a “suitcase full” of books for $2. That included a first edition of Jack London’s Hearts of Three, and 2d edition of his Revolution and three William Somerset Maugham 1st editions including A author Notebook and Then and Now.
Rummage sales are akin to yard/garage sales in that they’re basicly a wasteland of time, but you can discover an actual find now and again. The sales are run by churches or fraternal establishments and include books, coats, pieces of furniture, glasses, and a ton of things. Be choosy.
Local auctions are another valuable source of great books. I have found there are very few local auctioneers who know anything about the value of used books. Its easy enough to spot a 100 year old mahogany table as being valuable or a set of silverware that’s stamped “sterling”, but a used book? Few know or care that they don’t know. Most of the time you can go into an regional auction house and buy boxes of books for a few dollars without anyone bidding against you. Who knows, there may be a real gem in there or several. This is the one exception to buying books in bulk. Generally you cannot bid on just one book- books at local auctions are bid and sold in lots.
Library and fund raising sales. These sales occur during the summer months and are put on by volunteers of the organization who’s trying to raise money. Book are donated to the organization, the volunteers mark them with prices. Hopefully they will either put a sticker on the book with the price (that’s easy to take off without ruining the book) or they write the price in pencil. I’ve seen some volunteers write prices in pen in about 2″ high letters on the dustjackets of books! Look over the books carefully and get the early to get the good picks.
Estate sales are one of my favorite places to buy used books. Why? Think of what it means to have an estate sale. In most cases it is because someone has passed away and the beneficiaries of the estate want to get rid of the old stuff to pay off outstanding debts of the estate. The sale could also be held because an elderly person is going into a nursing home and needs to get rid of his or her old stuff. Estate sales are attended by some pretty shrewd operators and, if you want to get good buys on books you’d better get there early.
The Salvation Army is actually an interesting place to look for books. They are reasonably priced and not often, but once in a while, a gem can be found.
Earlier I related the story of the guy who went into the basement of a Salvation Army and walked out with a map detailing the continents in 1677 worth $19 million. You likely will not be that fortunate, only…
Used bookshops are a fantastic place to discover deals. At times you will discover a used bookstore proprietor that’s knowledgeable, and if they’re generalists they will not have time to research the books that pass through their hands each day. There are simply too many books for them to handle. So you will be able to find some extraordinary bargains and they’ll in all probability be in better condition than most of the different sources. If you’re the proprietor of a used bookshop, you have in all probability let some invaluable books be sold right under your nose for 1/100th of what they were actually worth. But take heart! That will not happen again, not as long as you have this Tool Kit! In reality having an ‘open shop’ causes numerous advantages in this business. Among the biggest vantages is that individuals really bring books right to your door!
Mail-Order book-dealers. There are many booksellers who only do business by mail. Some are rare booksellers, some are specialty dealers. Get on as many mailing lists and ask for as many catalogs as you can. You will find bargains from time to time and it’s worth getting the catalogs even if you never buy anything because they provide important market information.
One-Dollar stores have books and guess what? They’re all $1! A few of my finders have found some real gems there. Like a fine copy of Jean M. Auel’s The Clan of the Cave Bear ($80) and Stuart Kaminsky’s Bullet For A Star ($200). Like all of the sources I’m listing here make it a regular part of your schedule to visit Dollar stores on a regular basis.
New bookstores. Yes, you can find good stock in new bookstores – at the remainder table. The larger stores like Barnes and Nobles and Borders will have tables of book “Bargains” which include books that have been “hurt” (damaged in some way) or “close-outs” or “specials” (usually picture books and large format cookbooks). The only caution I have regarding remainder books is that, in most cases, a ‘remainder mark’ is imprinted on the bottom edge of the book thereby reducing it’s collectible value by as much as 40% or more. If you find a book on the remainder table and it’s missing the remainder mark you’re lucky- buy it.
Book shows and fairs are usually run by a booksellers association in which members of the association can display their books. Most of the fairs are held in a large hall at a university, hotel or convention center. Prices can be high, but the dealers will usually bring their best stock and remember that “condition” is just about everything in this business. Even if you have to pay a little more for a Fine copy- it’s usually worth the extra money because it is so much more marketable. Fine copies (if bought right) can be marked-up 25% – 50% and still find a willing buyer.
The Internet can be an excellent place to buy books. All of the places I’ve listed in the section of “where” you can sell books on the Internet- you can also buy books. If you’re a specialist you’ll do much better and be able to spot the gems among the rubble being offered (and there is a lot of garbage). One Internet bookseller who specializes in Americana told me that he made a purchase on the Internet for $100 and, because he knew the book was worth a lot more, was able to sell it for $1,200 within a few hours of receiving it to one of his customers.
© 2010, Work At Home Covert Opps!. All rights reserved.
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