Powell's wants your books (but only some of them)
Powell's, the bookstore chain, added a book buyback feature to its site. So if you've got some duds from your last library sale, it might pay off to see how much Powell's will give you.Powells will send you prepaid Media Mail shipping labels if you register and offer an ISBN they want. They won't take just any book, and you won't get cash -- you'll just get some credit toward buying books at Powells.com.
It's hard to tell if systems like this are ready for prime time. Powell's system seems to reject hardbacks that have a paperback edition in print. One bookseller discussing this on BookFinder's Insider discussion list said he typed in the ISBNs of 10 of his most valuable books (worth $7,000 retail) just to see what would happen. Powell's rejected every one.
Still, you might be able to sell some books for a few dollars that are oversupplied on Amazon and selling for a penny. That's one way to get rid of your deadwood!
posted by Steve Weber at 3/06/2007
3 Comments:
I've used an online book buyback service (cash4books.net / amazon seller id: McKenzieBooks) and it is great way to unload books that fall under your personal price point for selling. True, you really don't get much for your books, but you get a lot more than you would receive from most brick-n-mortar buyback programs. And with prepaid mailing labels it's as easy as filling a box and shipping it.
I'll check out the Powell's program - too bad you only receive store credit. Another good place to sell deadwood, if your metro area has one, is at the used book department of your local Barnes and Noble. They only take newer books, and like Powells do not accept hardcover books if there is a softcover edition in print, but they pay you 1/3 of what they price it at (generous if you've ever tried to sell books at other chains like Half-price Books, for example, who pay about 25 cents a book no matter how valuable!!).
Thanks for the tip!!
I am lucky enough to live in the Portland area, and am able to visit Powells City of Books quite often. I kind of just want to rub in how cool it is. It is great.
It is also easier to sell books to them in person than online, especially if you go in at a busy time. The philosophy behind this is that if you go in while it is really busy, the book buyer will spend less time inspecting each book.
This is pretty great, and they give you cash or store credit, another bonus. And it is huge and amazing and great.
Good luck culling,
Eric Ebay Selling Guide
I saw the original Bookfinder article and and gave it a try with about 20 titles older and recent. Rejected most of them and the ones they wanted gave me about 10 cents on the dollar of my sell price- I'd rather give them to my local library sale than feed their maw-lived in Porrtland in the 70's and lived at Powells- things have changed a bit-good business move for them though. Will in Maine
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