Study the online web sites to learn about the used book market and resale programs if you want to start a business of used book reseller. Register as a reseller. The web sites do all of the work of promoting their offerings and making visitors aware of the used book marketplace. If you will be selling direct, place flyers and ads in high schools, at colleges, and on community bulletin boards. To find books to sell, be on the lookout for tag sales, estate sales, and private offerings.
To find private collectors seeking titles for their libraries, place ads in newspapers and in newsletters of special-interest organizations. The principal up-front expense of a used book business is the cost of inventory. You’ll want to avoid overpaying for any books you purchase. If you are listing products on another company’s web site, your only expense will be the minimal cost of computer access to the Internet. There may be some costs related to the storage of books.
If you resell books through an online web site operated by Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or similar operations you will receive the selling price of the book (minus a prearranged commission and shipping costs). If you list books on a web site of your own, you will receive the full purchase price of the book plus shipping costs, but you will also bear the additional costs of advertising, promotion, web site creation and hosting, and credit card services. Acting as an agent on behalf of a collector, you can charge a significant premium above purchase price to pay for your time and other expenses.